Canisius High School - Z

Transcription

Fall 2010
Canisius High School
TODAY
CHS in NYC
Forging the Bond
Forming Men for Others
John Knight’s Round Table
Dear Canisius Family,
During the past few months, I have had the honor and privilege, not to mention the fun, of taking to the road
to spread the good news about Canisius. From sunny Florida to the spring weather in Boston, New York City
and Washington, D.C., our alumni and friends came out in strong numbers to reconnect with classmates and
to learn about what is happening at 1180 Delaware Ave.
Regardless of where I visited, everyone welcomed me with open arms and a warm smile. Time and time again
our alums expressed their gratitude for coming to visit them. Of course it was I who thanked them for their
time and their continued interest in Canisius. I finally got off the road and settled
back into a more routine schedule in early May. However, the memories of the
wonderful people I met in Tampa, West Palm Beach and New York City, just to
name a few stops along the way, have remained with me.
This issue of Canisius High School Today focuses on several of our NYC alumni.
Outside of Western New York, the largest number of our alumni live in greater
NYC. It seems appropriate then that our first alumni chapter will be formed in the
“Big Apple.” I hope you enjoy reading about four of our most loyal and dedicated
members of our alumni in NYC.
We are also beginning a new feature in this issue of the magazine—a “catchingup-with” segment intended to reconnect you with some of the greats from years
gone by. In this issue you will have a chance to read all about what P.S. Naumann,
S.J., and Joe Lucenti have been up to since they left Canisius. I know that you will enjoy their reflections.
The Lord continues to send many blessings our way. Whether it is an outpouring of support and affection
from our alumni all over the country or the impact a former faculty member made on our school community,
Canisius is blessed in so many ways. Thank you for continuing to be a blessing to our community. Please know
that you and your loved ones remain in my daily prayers. I look forward to welcoming you home in the weeks
to come.
Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam!
John Knight
President
2
Canisius High School Today
Canisius
High School
TODAY
MAGAZINE
Fall 2010
What’s Inside
New Squash Club A Swinging Success
The 2009-10 school year saw the
addition of several exciting new clubs
available to Canisius students: the
Culinary Club, Political Science Club,
World War II History Club and two
(that’s right—two) squash teams.
most importantly good sportsmanship,” the rising senior said. “It has
taken me to new limits both physically and mentally. It challenges my
fitness, coordination, flexibility and
strategy.”
With more than 20 students interested in tennis’ close cousin, moderator Dave Saj teamed up with
several passionate parents and coaches to bring Canisius Squash into full
swing. The result was an exceptionally eventful and successful season for
veteran players as well as newcomers
to the sport. Matches included bouts
with Nichols, the Gow School and
University School of Cleveland.
Forsyth also sees squash as being
part of the school’s larger mission of
engaging and challenging students
outside the classroom. “Squash at
Canisius has given kids an opportunity to experience a sport that is
different from the more traditional sports our school has to offer,” he
said. “A high school should offer a
broad range of activities that capture
the interest of any and all students.
By adding squash, it shows Canisius’
concern with its students.”
“Squash offers a terrific cardiovascular workout and an affordable alternative to some seasonal sports,”
noted Steve Leous (’76), whose sons
Pat ’10 and Steve, Jr., ’13 both played
for the team. “It is a life sport that
kids can play well beyond the time
they depart the Blue Doors.” Leous
gh
also noted that a successful high
ve
school squash player will have
la notable addition to his colplege application, and many topg
ranked schools have developing
squash programs.
e
Colin Forsyth ’11 is one of the
h
student leaders of the squash
program. “[Squash] has taught
me exceptional leadership,
teamwork, self-discipline, and
Squash Club members
Colin Forsyth ’11 and
Jack Chambers ’11 (l.)
hit the court.
With a variety of students from
all class years and at all ability levels,
Canisius Squash is poised to continue to grow as one of dozens of clubs,
activities and sports available to
Crusaders. ✠
2
John Knight’s Round Table
4
Alumni Connections
10
Young Alumnus Spotlight
11
Today Feature:
Canisius High School in
New York City: Forging the Bond
16
From the Principal’s Office
17
News from 1180
18
Student Links
20
Sports Round-up
22
Catching Up with . . .
24
Class Notes
Contact Us
We are eager to hear from you with comm
comments
mm
meents
n
about Canisius High School Today Magazine.
azine.
e.
Please send your correspondence to:
1180 Delaware Avenue
Buffalo, NY 14209
[email protected]
[716] 882-0466
Fax: [716] 200-0282
www.canisiushigh.org
3
Alumni Connections
Alumni Mentors
Give Glimpse Of
Life After School
Just what is on the other side of the Blue
Doors? If alumni Brent Nowicki ’97 and Jeremy
Beck ’89 have a say in it, all Canisius students
will have a better grasp of what’s beyond those
doors before they graduate.
Nowicki and Beck are the organizers of an
informal, yet serious, initiative that got off the
ground two years ago. The Canisius Alumni
Mentor Program offers students the chance to
spend time with Western New York alumni to
find out what certain professions entail.
“We decided that, with so many successful
graduates in this area, we’d invite students to
see what lawyers, doctors, financial professionals and others really do,” says Nowicki. “Maybe
a student is thinking he wants to get into business, but he has no idea of the different fields
out there. We want to expose him to what’s
available.”
“This is what
good people do
for each other.”
Says Beck, vice president and portfolio manager at investor firm Nottingham Advisors, “You
can’t shake a stick in any leadership area here
and not hit a Crusader. But we’ve never been as
linked together as we should be, given the resource potential.” Some students have lunch
with an alumni mentor. Others might spend a
half-day or a day with their mentors. “It’s really up to the alumnus,” Beck adds. “We
don’t ask for anything more than an
hour of their time.”
The program came into being when
Nowicki, an attorney at law firm
Hodgson Russ, and Beck, vice president
and portfolio manager at investor firm
Nottingham Advisors, realized they felt
a mutual obligation to help prepare students for life after high school. They approached Canisius administration with
the idea of the mentor program. The
response was enthusiastic, help from
the guidance and alumni departments
readily proffered.
Jeremy Beck ’89
4
Next, Nowicki enlisted two colleagues, fellow alumnus Joseph Sedita
and Canisius parent Jeff Stone. Beck
lassoed colleague and alumnus Larry
Whistler ’86. Eight students responded to their
offer to take part in the program’s first year. Beck
and his colleague spent several hours with their
mentees talking about day-to-day workflow and
broader, school-related issues, then lunched at
the Buffalo Club.
“The idea there was to cover the basics of how
to comport oneself at a business lunch,” Beck recalls. Nowicki, Sedita and Stone had lunch with
a few seniors interested in law. “We explained
our road to where we are now, explained the pitfalls, explained the successes. We took them on
a tour of our offices, and within two hours, they
were back in the classroom,” Nowicki says.
During the second year, 40 students spent
time with doctors, lawyers, auto dealers, insurance professionals, government officials and
more. Currently, students can decide if they’d
like to participate. Nowicki and Beck envision a
program in which all students take part.
The benefits to students are obvious: a clearer idea of possible professions, more informed
decisions about college choices and an introduction to the value of networking with other
Crusaders. Alumni arguably gain even more:
“If you poll alumni who did this,” says Nowicki,
“they’d say they were invigorated, refreshed,
enthusiastic. It’s a great thing to sit down with
kids who have the future at their feet.”
Nowicki and Beck encourage any alumni in
Greater Buffalo who might have an interest in
the program to make contact. The pair also welcomes out-of-town alumni to participate when
they visit Western New York. They emphasize
that the commitment level is minimal: “We
don’t ask for any more than an hour of an alumnus’s time.”
The key idea, Beck feels, is that alumni need to
“help other Crusaders whenever possible”—to
make connections, open doors and more. “This
is what good people do for each other.” ✠
To find out more:
[email protected],
[email protected]
2010 Distinguished Alumni
Hall Of Fame Honorees Inscribed
On April 24 Canisius High School
inducted four of its finest into its
Distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame.
The Alumni Hall of Fame honors
those individuals of Canisius High
School who distinguish themselves
in their chosen careers in a manner
that exemplifies the highest ideals to
which the school is dedicated as outlined in its mission statement and
who, by doing so, have brought lasting
credit to themselves and to the school.
Reverend James P. Higgins, S.J.
From his earliest days as a student at
Canisius High School, Father Higgins
was well-known for his scholarship
and service. He distinguished himself
as an individual in pursuit of personal
excellence for the greater glory of God.
For Father Higgins, education was the
key to success, a philosophy he embraced in his own education and made
the focus of his life’s work. Father
Higgins earned undergraduate degrees
in business administration and economics-geography from University
at Buffalo. He also held a master’s degree in managerial accounting from
Fordham University; master of divinity and master of theology degrees
from Regis College, University of
Toronto; a master’s degree in school
administration from Canisius College;
and a doctoral degree in educational
organization, administration and policy from University at Buffalo.
Father Higgins entered the Society
of Jesus in 1975 and was ordained
10 years later. He taught math at
Xavier High School in New York City
and McQuaid Jesuit High School in
Rochester before coming to Canisius
College in 1988 as a professor of accounting. In his years at Canisius
College, Father Higgins served in a
variety of roles, all of which reflect
his commitment to mentorship and
learning. He taught in the departments of mathematics and accounting, was the rector of the Canisius
Jesuit Community from 1997 to 2000,
and was secretary to the Canisius
College Board of Trustees from 1995
to 2001. In 1995, Father Higgins was
appointed assistant to the president of
the college.
Alfred F. Luhr ’64
was inscribed for his civic, charitable and
community leadership and excellence.
Thomas J. Lawley, M.D., ’64
was inscribed for his leadership
and excellence in medicine
and medical education.
Lawrence J. Casazza, M.D., ’56
was inscribed for his contributions to world
health, particularly in the arena of communitybased anti-malarial efforts in Africa.
The Reverend
James P. Higgins, S.J., ’72
(posthumously)
was inscribed for his
service to God and his exceptional
dedication to Canisius High School.
In 2000, Father Higgins came home
to Canisius High School as president.
Anyone who knew him said that he
bled blue and gold, his loyalty to the
school and his love of its greater community apparent in his extraordinary
dedication to improving educational
opportunities for the young men who
pass through the well-known blue
doors. During his tenure as president,
Canisius experienced an increase in
enrollment, in scholarship funds, and
in the school’s endowment.
Continued on pg. 6
5
Alumni Connections
HONOREES continued from pg. 5
H
The
Reverend
James P.
Higgins,
S.J., ’72
Father Higgins also envi
visioned
an expansion of
th high school’s facilities.
the
Th endeavor included a viThis
sio
sion that came to life first
in the acquisition of land in
We
West Seneca for the Robert J.
St
Stransky Memorial Athletic
Complex, featuring a turf football field
and track with grandstands on both
sides and a capacity of 1,200. Father
Higgins also initiated the Ensuring
Our Legacy campaign, which precipitated the largest construction project
in Canisius’ 140-year history and its
largest expansion since the move to
1180 Delaware in 1948.
increased National Institutes of Health
(NIH)-sponsored research funding for
the School of Medicine nearly five-fold
and led Emory to its position in the
top 15 medical schools in the United
States. His leadership of the School of
Medicine includes strategic plans for
research, teaching and service. This
includes the launch of a construction
program that is of an unprecedented
size in Emory history. This involves
the addition of more than 1 million
square feet of space.
Lawley is chair-elect of the
Association of American Medical
Colleges (AAMC). He is also president
of the Emory Medical Care Foundation
The Bernard J. Kennedy Field House and on the board of directors of the
and The Montante Academic Hall rep- Emory-Children’s Center. In the past,
resent physical monuments to Father he has served as the president of the
Higgins’ commitment to Jesuit edu- Society for Investigative Dermatology
cation and his alma mater. The best and the chair of the AAMC Council
memorial to him is in the words of of Deans. He serves on the board of
those he knew. Described as humble the Children’s Research Center, the
and self-effacing, he is widely remem- Emory Clinic, and Emory Healthcare.
Hi past board and combered as an ingenious man with
His
mi
a voracious appetite for learning
mittee
memberships inclu NIH study sections,
and an intense focus on whatclude
th National Institute of
ever he had dedicated his time,
the
Al
energy and significant talent to
Allergy
and Infectious
e
D
achieving. Fellow members of the
Diseases
Council, and
th Board of Trustees
Society of Jesus describe him as a
the
e
fo
“Jesuit’s Jesuit” and as “one of the
for
the Dermatology
F
most hard working and dedicat-Foundation,
to name
b a few. Thomas is the
ed” of men. Family and friends re-but
member him for his generosity of Thomas J. Lawley, M.D. author of more than
spirit, willingness to drop what he
200 book chapters, rewas doing to offer aid and assistance to search articles and abstracts, and he
those in need and pride in others’ ac- has served on the editorial boards of
complishments, great and small.
several journals.
Thomas J. Lawley, M.D.
Lawley became dean of Emory
University School of Medicine in
1996. He is also the William Patterson
Timmie endowed professor of dermatology at Emory. As dean, he has
At the start of his career, Lawley
worked as a clinical investigator and
later as a senior investigator for the
Dermatology Branch of the NIH in
Bethesda, Md. In 1988, he joined the
faculty of Emory University School of
Medicine as professor and chair of the
Department of Dermatology. During
his tenure as chair, he increased the
faculty of the department from three
to 16 professors. In 1995, Thomas
earned the American Academy of
Dermatology’s Marion Sulzberger
award, “Professor of the Year.”
Given his exceptional career, it is
not surprising that Thomas has been
recognized for his work in the field of
dermatology. His numerous honors
include the Pfizer Award, the Hoechst
Award and the Public Health Service
Superior Service Award. In 2002,
he earned Distinguished Alumnus
awards from both SUNY at Buffalo and
Canisius College.
Lawley pursued his undergraduate degree at Canisius College, graduating magna cum laude in 1968. He
earned his medical degree with honors from University at Buffalo School
of Medicine in 1972 and completed
residencies in dermatology at Yale
University, University at Buffalo and
the NIH.
Lawrence James Casazza, M.D.
As a student at Canisius High School,
Casazza took to heart the Jesuit ideal
of being a “Man for Others,” striving
for personal excellence for the public good. A 1960 graduate of Canisius
College, he went on to earn his medical degree from University at Buffalo
School of Medicine in 1964 and followed with a master’s degree in public
health from Johns Hopkins University
in 1969. Casazza embraced active
learning, a fact evident in his choice
of employment. He spent three years
as lieutenant commander in the U.S.
Navy working as a clinical research investigator in Taipei, Taiwan, and four
years teaching at Tulane University’s
School of Public Health and Tropical
Medicine. Later he joined the World
Continued on pg. 7
6
HONOREES continued from pg. 6
Bank as the project officer for the
Population Projects Department for
projects in the Philippines, Indonesia,
Colombia and Pakistan, and then as
public health specialist for the Office
of Environmental and Health Affairs,
focusing on Calcutta urban and Nepal
rural development projects.
Casazza spent the ’80s forging innovative programs as clinic director of
the Whitefish (Mont.) Pediatric Clinic,
where he established the first clinical
pediatric practice in the region, became the Flathead County health officer responsible for infectious disease
control and in-service staff education, worked as chief of staff at North
V
Valley
Hospital and
h
helped
found the County
C
Child
Abuse Prevention
Co
Council and CARE, a
co
community and schoolba
based program to prevent
alc
alcohol and drug abuse.
From his experiences of community health
car
care on the local levLawrence James
el, he began effecting
Casazza, M.D.
more widespread and
far-reaching changes at World Vision
Relief and Development US, based in
Washington, D.C. There he held a variety of positions, including co-director of the International Health/
Child Survival Division and senior
health specialist in Roll Back Malaria/
Integrated Management of Childhood
Illness. In the latter capacity he worked
to develop C-IMCI and Malaria working groups in CORE. Casazza’s work in
CORE eventually resulted in the development of four national-level NGO/
RBM secretariats in Uganda, Kenya,
Tanzania and Zambia.
Casazza retired from World Vision
in 2003 to pursue his professional and
personal passion by becoming director of African Communities Against
Malaria (ACAM), an organization dedicated to marshalling and managing
the existing malaria and child-survival expertise of community-based,
faith-based and non-governmental
organizations in Kenya. ACAM strives
to ensure the effective and scaled implementation of Roll Back Malaria programs by coordinating the resources
of the myriad organizations in Africa
dedicated to eradicating this devastating disease. In his work in Kenya, he
has exemplified the Ignatian ideals of
contemplation in action, putting meditation and prayer to work and being
prayerful in his work.
Alfred F. Luhr III
Born and raised in Buffalo, Luhr
was a member of the undefeated
Crusaders football teams of 1962 and
1963. He and his teammates were
named to the Canisius Athletic Hall of
Fame in 2007. One of the team’s physicians was Al’s father, Alfred F. Luhr,
Jr., M.D.,’35, who played on the same
football team with star halfback Rev.
John G. Sturm, S.J., ’35 under legendary coach John F. Barnes. Al’s uncle,
John P. Luhr, M.D., ’39, was inducted
into the Distinguished Alumni Hall of
Fame in 1974.
Luhr went on to earn a bachelor’s degree from Canisius College in
1968, then an MBA in finance from
the Stern School of Business at New
York University in 1972. After working with Marine Midland Bank in New
York City, he returned to Buffalo in
1976 to accept a commercial lending
position at M&T Bank. In 1979, he became assistant vice president, sales &
marketing, at the American Steamship
Company, originally formed as Boland
& Cornelius in 1907.
Luhr returned to M&T in 1986
and is today senior vice president
and Western New York market manager for business banking. He manages a team
of 15 business bankers
that oversee 20,000 local
small-business relationships with $800 million in
deposits and $650 million
in loans. He also supervisess
n
the credit administration
e
function for M&T’s entire
$5 billion small-businesss Alfred F. Luhr III
loan portfolio. Under his
leadership, M&T has been
the top Small Business Administration
(SBA) lender in Western New York for
15 consecutive years. With his vast experience and expertise and deep commitment to his customers, Luhr has
helped more aspiring entrepreneurs
create more new businesses and more
new jobs in the Western New York
community than perhaps any other
banker in the region today.
Luhr makes other significant contributions to the community. He is
currently a member of the board of
trustees at Canisius College and is
past chairman of the Canisius College
Board of Regents. He was Canisius
High School trustee from 1992 to
1997. In 2006, he was inducted into
the DiGamma Honor Society by
Canisius College. He is also an advisor
to “The Downtown Priest,” a philanthropic group under the leadership of
the Rev. John G. Sturm, S.J.
Luhr serves on the U.S. SBA District
Advisory Council, the New York
Business Development Corporation
and the Empire State Certified
Development Corporation, where
he chairs the WNY Central Loan
Committee. He is a past director of the
Erie County Industrial Development
Continued on pg. 8
7
Alumni Connections
Jacobs ’85 Delivers
Insight on WNY Education
Continued from pg. 7
Agency and the Buffalo and Erie
County
Regional
Development
Corporation. In 2001, he was named
Financial Services Advocate of the
Year by the U.S. Small Business
Administration. He also participates on the boards of People, Inc.,
Holy Angels Academy and Genesee
Country Village & Museum. He also
was a board member for the Frank
Lloyd Wright Rowing Boathouse
Corporation and Kenmore Mercy
Hospital. In 2000, he received the
Community Service Award from 1490
Enterprises, Inc., at the 28th Annual
Black Achievers in Industry Dinner.
Just as committed to his Catholic
faith and church, Luhr belongs to
St. Louis Church in Buffalo. He was
chair of the 2006 Catholic Charities
Appeal and was named to the Catholic
Charities of Buffalo board of trustees
in 2009. ✠
Christopher Jacobs ’85 shared his passion and
experience with 60 alumni during the spring installment of the 2010 Downtowners Luncheon
Speakers Series. During his presentation, “The
State of Education in Western New York,” Jacobs
provided expert insight to the challenges facing private, public and charter school education. He has
extensive experience in all three education systems.
He was the co-founder of the BISON Scholarship Fund, an instrumental figure in
the establishment of the South Buffalo Charter School and is currently in his second
elected term on the Buffalo School Board.
Topics discussed ranged from the success of literacy intervention programs in pre-k
through third grade to the success of the $1 billion dollar renovation of the Buffalo
City Schools. Jacobs discussed the progress the Buffalo School Board has made
in streamlining the business side of the district as well as the difficulty in managing
a budget that has such a large percentage dedicated to retirement and healthcare
benefits. He answered many attendee questions, one of which led to a particularly
educational conversation about the balance of charter schools and parochial Catholic
schools in Buffalo. ✠
Golf Classic Sees
Classic Turnout
Sturm Classic golfers included (l. to r.) Jonathan Armstrong ’90, Byron Fogan ’90,
Mark Pcionek ’90, Mike Rocco ’90 and Tom Lane ’90.
Perfect weather greeted the 150
golfers who gathered to participate
in the 2nd Annual Reverend John G.
Sturm, S.J., ’35 Alumni Golf Classic.
Tom Sturm, nephew of Fr. John Sturm,
spoke on behalf of his 93-year-old uncle, sharing with the group a few words
on two institutions that Fr. Sturm
holds close to his heart: Canisius High
School and golf. Although Fr. Sturm
was unable to attend his tournament
due to his ongoing recovery from
health ailments, he was certainly with
the linksmen in spirit.
Continued on pg. 9
8
Class Of ’60
Celebrates Golden
Reunion Weekend
The Class of 1960 Reunion Weekend
committee planned a full agenda for
classmates to celebrate the 50th anniversary of their graduation from
Canisius. Since late January the group
had been finalizing the weekend-long
agenda. The communication committee made phone calls, sent out emails
and wrote letters encouraging classmates to make the trip back to 1180
Delaware Ave. The committee’s goal?
To create a weekend experience that
would be exciting enough to draw outof-town classmates back to Buffalo
and highlight some of Western New
York’s cultural and natural assets.
The effort paid off with close to
100 members of the class attending
their reunion weekend, many traveling from locations outside the Empire
State.
The reunion started Friday morning
with a trip to the Burchfield Penney
Art Gallery and lunch at the Eleanor
and Wilson Greatbatch Pavilion at
the Darwin Martin House. The evening stag dinner saw old friends come
Classmates from 1960 celebrate golden reunion.
together and brought home some
Crusaders who had not stepped foot
into 1180 Delaware Ave. since the day
they graduated. More than 30 people
boarded a bus on Saturday morning
and headed to Jackson Triggs Vintners
and lunch at Niagara-on-the-Lake.
Saturday night was the “Golden” Gala
and Reception in the beautiful AVANT
room at the Embassy Suites downtown. The evening, emceed by Mike
Ryan, was highlighted by the conferring of Golden Diplomas by President
John Knight.
The weekend concluded with
Mass, co-celebrated by classmates of
the Reverend Monsignor David Lee
’60, Reverend John Kohlman ’60 and
Reverend Norman McTigue ’60. In a
somber and touching moment during the prayer of the faithful, the three
concelebrants read the names of their
deceased classmates. The weekend
concluded with Father’s Day brunch
on Tripi Field.
The success of the weekend can be
attributed to the unique camaraderie
shared by the Class of 1960. Over the
course of the weekend old friendships
were renewed, stories were shared
and memories that will last a life time
were made. But, without the dedication of the committee consisting of Bill
Hamilton (chairman), Carl Montante,
Jerry Diagler, Bill Buscaglia and
Walter Rooth, the weekend would
not have been as enjoyable or
inclusive. ✠
GOLF CLASSIC continued from pg. 8
After a welcome by President John
Knight, the group hit the Links at
Ivy Ridge for a great round of golf.
Highlights from the round included
a five-way tie for the lowest score at
-9. The foursome of Thomas Curtin
’72, Peter Heffernan ’72, Daniel Joyce
’72 and Anthony Manzella ’72 won
the overall crown by winning the tiebreaker, best score based on the handicap of the holes. Their names will join
last year’s winners, Tod Canty ’74,
Joseph Modica ’74, Peter Sofia ’74 and
John Tibbetts ’74 on the Champions
Plaque located in the Alumni Office.
David Zdarsky ’00 and sophomore
Tim Myers, Jr. ’12 won the two longestdrive competitions, each with drives
more than 300 yards. A steak dinner
at the 19th hole was the perfect ending
to a great event. Thank you to all the
event sponsors for making this year’s
classic such a success.
A special thank you to Ron Ahrens
’50, Jack Maley ’50, Sean McPhee ’95
and Tom Smeeding ’69 for volunteering their time on the Alumni Golf
Classic Committee. ✠
For more information on the
2011 Rev. John G. Sturm S.J. ’35 Alumni
Golf Classic contact Paul Zablocki ’01,
director of alumni relations, at
[email protected].
9
Todd Mazurek ’89
Involvement seems to come naturally to Todd
Mazurek ’89. He’s active in his community, serving as director of the St. John the Baptist Parish
Athletic Association and as a board member
of the Tonawanda American Little League and
Cornell Club of Buffalo. He also coaches various
sport teams. Employed by Tickets.com, a division of Major League Baseball Advanced Media,
he handles the company’s business and product strategy. Mazurek graduated from Canisius
College and Cornell University’s Johnson
School of Business. He and his wife, Carla, live in
Tonawanda, N.Y. and have two sons, Todd, Jr., ’16
and Alex ’21.
The following interview details his involvement with Canisius and its Alumni Board of
Governors.
did you get involved with the
Q: How
Alumni Board of Governors?
I went to an alumni town hall meeting two
years ago and learned what was going on with
the school and the alumni association. That
meeting provided the initial inspiration. I was
also motivated by my sons; my eldest will be attending CHS in 2012 and our youngest in 2017.
I want their Canisius experience as students and
alumni to be as good as or even better than mine.
Thus, I volunteered my services to the Alumni
Board of Governors. I assumed an active role on
the board and lead our strategic planning process. Now I serve as board president.
Q:
Before becoming president, how would
you describe your experience on the
board?
My involvement was limited to attending a
couple marquee sport events (i.e., the St. Joe’s
games) and reunions. Also, I would read the
Canisius publications in the mail. It was difficult
to understand the opportunities to be involved
with the school.
are the board’s goals? How is
Q: What
it looking to accomplish them?
The Alumni Board of Governor’s vision is
“Fulfill our Jesuit teaching to be ’Men for Others’
throughout our lives.” Our mission is “The
Canisius High School Alumni Association will
promote the engagement and cultivation of our
alumni in order to support fellow alumni, CHS
and the greater CHS community.” Basically, the
Alumni Board of Governors manages programs
in order to bring alums together to meet our
mission.
successes have you had since
Q: What
you have joined the board?
We’ve consistently held and brought in good
numbers to the Downtowners Luncheons.
Regional chapters have formed in Boston, New
York City and Washington, D.C. These chapters
have had initial events such as attending a Sabres
game in Boston or watching a Bills game in D.C.
The events helped us identify a motivated and
passionate group of alumni in these cities who
can lead new programs for out-of-town alumni.
We’re starting small with some events having
about 10 people, and we hope to grow them over
time.
The alumni tailgate before the Canisius vs.
St. Joe’s football game was very well received,
and we hope to make this event an annual
occurrence.
Christian service is an area we want to grow,
whether it’s working with Habitat for Humanity
or attending a Thanksgiving retreat. Our Lenten
Prayer service led by Fr. Jack Mattimore, S.J., ’76
had a great attendance this year; we hope to grow
this event.
Have our successes been in phenomenal numbers? No. Have they been well received by the
people who have attended, and do those people
want to attend another event? Yes, and that’s the
success so far. We need to take those small successes and keep the passion going.
the board get support from
Q: Does
the school?
Yes it does; Paul Zablocki ’01, director of communications and alumni relations, provides a
significant amount of support. He’s our main liaison with the school and a crucial resource for
our programs. We are thankful to the school for
providing a full-time person who is very dedicated to the success of our programs, acting as the
communication hub with alums and serving as
Continued on back cover
10
TODAY Feature
CHS in NYC:
Forging the Bond
One of the major connections between Buffalo and New York City is expanding, and it’s not the Thruway.
In fact, what’s growing is the bond between Canisius High School and New York City. As you read this,
Canisius is forging stronger ties to the Big Apple, ties that ultimately will benefit Canisius, its alumni and
its students.
Let’s start by looking at the concrete reasons that Canisius is forging bonds in New York City:
Statistics:
One of the reasons that Canisius ties naturally to New York City is based on statistics.
Outside of WNY, New York City holds the greatest concentration of Canisius graduates, many of whom
retain a special affection for and interest in the school. The greater New York City area is home to some
600 alumni; the city’s five boroughs alone, more than 300.
Brotherhood: As a Jesuit school, Canisius has ties to other Jesuit institutions. New York is home base
for the Society of Jesus’s New York Province, and Jesuit school leaders from across the state, Canisius’s
among them, regularly gather at its headquarters for meetings.
Other reasons for the growing ties are somewhat subtle, yet no less compelling.
The greater New York City
area is home to some
600
A LUM N I
with more than
300
A LUM N I
in the five boroughs alone.
Continued on pg. 12
11
CHS in NYC continued from pg. 11
Connection: President
John Knight has been
on the road a good deal since taking over the helm
at Canisius, in New York City twice in the past year
alone. At social gatherings for alumni and school
supporters, Knight says, “People always thank us
for visiting. They thank us for letting them know
what’s happening at a place for which they feel
great fondness.” For instance, alumni from 1940
to 2005 attended the most recent New York gathering, an indication of the depth and breadth of
interest in the school.
Value: Universities and colleges like to talk about
“I’ve always seen
an opportunity to
increase interest
in Canisius in
New York City.”
the value their name brings to graduates’ diplomas, value based in large measure on their visibility. The names of high schools with strong community presences and histories—like Canisius—also
add value to their alumni’s educational histories.
Extending the Canisius legacy beyond Western
New York ensures the value of its name remains
strong.
Family: A word that’s used a lot among Canisius
staff, faculty, students and alums is “family.” As
with any family, continually maintaining ties is paramount. “These folks are the living example of the
Canisius spirit,” Knight says. “Some stay close by,
some go around the world, but you have to maintain and grow that connection, especially for people who are far away.”
The success of this effort
in New York, according to
Knight, is heavily dependent
on the passion and efforts of
its Gotham alumni. Happily,
as Canisius moves figuratively closer to New York City,
several alumni already have
emerged to ensure the ties
that bind grow stronger.
Stephen Andrzejewski ’83
Above: Stephen Andrzejewski ’83
Interest in Canisius’s hockey program has proven the underpinning for Steve Andrzejewski’s
‘83 continuing connection to the school. As a
senior, Andrzejewski tended goal for Canisius’s
undefeated hockey team, which also won the St.
Bonaventure Cup. What’s more, he and some of
his teammates were named to the All-Catholic
and All-Western New York teams. Last year, the
1983 hockey team was inducted into the school’s
Athletic Hall of Fame.
The legendary—if painful—affection of former
Buffalonians for the city’s sports teams extends to
Canisius, Andrzejewski believes: “People involved
in certain programs love to hear what’s going on
there today.” His move out of town didn’t dim his
own affections. Says Andrzejewski, “I love to hear
about hockey.” After the hockey team’s championship season, Andrzejewski left Western New York
to attend Hamilton College. Post college, he joined
drug-maker Schering-Plough Corporation in New
Jersey and has been part of that industry since.
Night school at New York University brought him
his M.B.A. (and his future wife, with whom he
has three children). Just this summer, he moved
from his position as chief commercial officer at
King Pharmaceuticals to take the helm as CEO of
Nycomed, a dermatology business in the U.S.
Andrzejewski’s relationship with Canisius is on the
upswing. He reconnected with classmate Steve
Zenger ‘83 at their 25th reunion, which along with
his team’s Hall of Fame honor “revived my activity
around Canisius,” he notes. Attending the recent
Big Apple event at the University Club cemented
his desire to be more involved.
“I’ve always seen an opportunity to increase interest
in Canisius in New York City,” says Andrzejewski.
“Lots of Canisius alumni live here. Lots
say Canisius made a difference in their
lives, made them strong and instilled values that help them lead productive lives.”
Andrzejewski is putting his energy where
his mouth is, planning a family event this
coming October during a Buffalo Sabres
at New Jersey Devils match-up. He also
mentions inviting recent graduates who
are going to college in New York City to
watch the game. Among other benefits,
he thinks a establishing such relationships
might lead to job opportunities for recent
graduates among older, more established alumni in
New York or to more effective fund raising.
Andrzejewski’s vision of the relationship between
Canisius and its New York alumni in five years? A
series of events each year that alumni would look
forward to; a means to stay in touch with recent
graduates; and the opportunity to join a well-organized alumni organization and keep connected.
Continued on pg. 13
12
“From the day a graduate leaves the school,” he
emphasizes, “we make a continued connection.”
Kenneth Kencel ’77
Kenneth Kencel’s reasons for staying connected
to Canisius run deep. Adopted as a baby, he lost
both his adoptive mother and his father by the time
he was 13. His uncle essentially raised him and
insisted his nephew attend what he considered
the “best Catholic high school” in Buffalo. “I was
more than a little intimidated by what I perceived
as rich kids from the city,” Kencel remembers.
Nonetheless, he believes that “Canisius and the
Jesuits changed my life.” Names of people who
influenced him come easily: P.S. Naumann, Ed
Nagle, Frank Tudini, Jeffrey Gemmer. “Without
Canisius,” he says, “I wouldn’t have gone on to
Georgetown University or Northwestern Law
School or even New York.” He has attended every
five-year reunion since he graduated.
Kencel’s route to New York was pretty direct; his
job out of law school was with top city firm Dewey
Ballantine. He also was a CPA, so he focused
on financial work like mergers and acquisitions.
He quickly moved into the finance industry itself,
landing at some of the city’s highest-profile investment banks, including Drexel Burnham, Kidder
Peabody and JP Morgan Chase. In the ‘90s, he
helped found Indosuez Capital, a firm focused
on middle-market merchant banking and asset
management. Later, he headed up Royal Bank of
Canada’s leveraged finance business. In 2006, he
started Churchill Financial, which today manages
about $3.2 billion in assets and is one of the leading firms in the U.S. in providing financing to midmarket companies backed by private equity funds.
He and his wife have two children and are involved
in their alma mater, Georgetown, both having
served on various boards including the Board of
Regents of the university. Ken is also an adjunct
professor in the business school.
Kencel feels strongly that alumni are charged with
stewardship of Canisius High School: “We have a
responsibility to not forget what the school did for
us and the opportunities it created.” His actions are
as good as his word. He and close friend Michael
Madden ‘67 have sponsored events like an evening for around 75 people this past spring at the
University Club of New York. Says Kencel, “The
whole Canisius jazz band came down to play for
Left to right: Kenneth Kencel ’77,
President John Knight,
Michael Madden ’67
Continued on pg. 14
13
us, which gave the alums a chance to see these
terrific musicians.”
Maintaining that connection is critical for Canisius
“because work they’re doing there is so important.” The reward “is knowing you’re giving back
to a place that had so much meaning to you,” he
says. “Younger alums can develop relationships
with their high school and college that are tremendously valuable in career and life, rewarding personally and can be good business.”
Even though Canisius High School and its alumni’s
experience there are years removed in some cases, says Kencel, “that Jesuit training of the whole
person has made all of us what we are. We have a
responsibility to give back time, energy and funds
to help the school move into the future.”
Michael Madden ’67
Living in New York City has one bittersweet facet
for Michael Madden ’67: He has always been disappointed that, because he doesn’t live in Buffalo,
his two sons didn’t have the chance to go to
Canisius. That affection for the school just might
be the driving force for his ongoing connection.
Madden’s is a nearly storybook plot: South Buffalo
boy, “living right underneath the Republic Steel
plant flame,” wins a scholarship to attend the same
high school as the star Crusader football player the
grade-school Madden admired. A self-described
“rowdy character who spent plenty of time in the
‘jug,’” he found at Canisius the vision that life could
offer more than a steelworker’s sweat.
Later, after graduating from LeMoyne College and
University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of
Business, Madden wound up an associate at legendary Wall Street securities firm Kidder, Peabody,
& Co. He later took a couple of detours, one as cohead of worldwide investment banking at Lehman
Brothers Holdings. He landed back at Kidder as its
#2 executive and became vice chair there after its
sale to Paine Webber. His most recent move was
back to the private-equity side of banking as managing partner of Black Eagle Partners.
Madden stayed close to Canisius and other alums
over the years. A Wall Street colleague is a fellow
alumnus. And, though he didn’t meet him until both
were considering a bid to purchase the Buffalo
Sabres about eight years ago, Madden considers
Kenneth Kencel ’77 his “closest Canisius buddy.”
The two played host for the University Club event
for city alums. Madden also has served on the
school’s board of trustees. He values those connections, he says, because “Canisius gave me the
foundation that allowed me to develop a productive career and a successful place in the business
community.”
Madden supports Canisius’s efforts to grow closer
ties to alumni outside Buffalo. “You want to be
proud of your school, and as Canisius tells its story
in other places, people gain that pride. The prestige
of school can be enhanced, especially among parents, recruits and others.” Other benefits are certainly possible, according to Madden: Alums can
develop business connections even as they share
memories. They can provide the school with their
outside-the-Scajaquada perspectives and experienced counsel. As well, “people who have done
well and have great memories might be more open
to becoming donors if they were more connected.”
So Madden continues to play a role in invigorating
the bond between the school and New York alums
as much for himself as for the school, it seems.
“Part of me, I think, has never left,” he says. “I like
to keep in touch. The past helps you remember
how you got where you are today.”
Joseph B. Kennedy ’87
Many of Joe Kennedy’s school ties naturally
enough remain in Western New York. He’s a second generation Crusader whose father, Bernard J.
Kennedy ’49, was one of the school’s ardent supporters. Nephews still attend the school. And Joe
Kennedy has been a school trustee for the past
four years. Yet he has given thought to the value
of developing more robust ties between Canisius
and the Big Apple since the days when he and
then-president the Reverend James Higgins used
to discuss the topic.
For alumni, Kennedy says, such connection is “a
great opportunity to broaden professional and personal networks and to reflect on the great times
we had.” The benefit to the school, Kennedy feels,
is the chance to leverage the skills, knowledge and
experience of its alumni no matter where they may
live: “We can bring that back to Western New York
for the benefit of the administration and students.”
Kennedy himself left Western New York to attend Fordham University. After he graduated from
Continued on pg. 15
14
What’s next
for the CHS-NYC
connection?
It’s a new strategy for Canisius, but the school has been developing
and implementing a plan to “reach out in a programmatic way”
to alumni in New York City and elsewhere, says Knight.
Joseph B. Kennedy ’87
college, he felt New York City offered the strongest prospects for a career in finance. His first job
was with Manufacturers Hanover Middle Market
Lending Group. To strengthen his position in his
chosen field, Kennedy later got his M.B.A. from
the William E. Simon Graduate School of Business
Administration at University of Rochester. Among
several following stops, he joined Merrill Lynch
(where he received guidance from alumnus James
McCarthy ’53) and Bank of America, where he
served as co-head of retail investment banking.
His current role as a managing director and partner
at Moelis & Company has him advising consumer,
retail and restaurant companies on mergers and
acquisitions, debt and equity financings, recapitalizations and other corporate finance matters. He
and his wife and their three children live a short
distance from Manhattan in Rye, N.Y.
Kennedy is taking a more active part in the
Canisius-New York relationship lately. He attended
the University Club in New York event, saying “It
was great to reconnect with classmates and other
alums, as well as with former Jesuits who are in
the city now.” He values the chance to learn what
others are doing, share stories and broaden his
network with people who share a common theme
of a Jesuit education.
That education, Kennedy believes, “is of fundamental value. The discipline of a Jesuit education,
the search to do better, always stood me in good
stead in the professional world in New York and
elsewhere. Current students probably under-appreciate that, but they’ll understand later. ✠
One of the first vital efforts is developing chapters in key cities.
The school is actively recruiting leadership and other volunteers
for its first chapter in New York, with chapters to follow in Boston,
Washington, D.C., and Florida—“for our snowbird population,”
adds Knight. Visits are an important component of the effort,
thus the trips by Knight to all the anticipated chapter locations
over the past 18 months. Events are part and parcel of the
program. For instance, the Alumni Office and alumnus Steve
Andrzejewski are coordinating two sure-to-be-a-hit events:
Sunday, Sept. 12
Canisius hosts a “Welcome to NYC” reception
welcoming new alumni to the area. The glue for this
event will be the Buffalo Bills season opener.
Saturday, Oct. 23
Buffalo Sabres AT the New Jersey Devils, with a
pre-game reception at the Prudential Center.
(More information on both events will be forthcoming.)
If you’d like to get involved in this growing alumni network,
please contact Paul Zablocki ’01, director of alumni relations,
at [email protected].
15
From The Principal’s Office
Dear Alumni, Parents and Friends of Canisius,
In late April, Canisius Principal Mr. William Kopas accepted another leadership opportunity in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. Mr. Kopas arrived at Canisius in Fall 2006 from Brophy Prep in
Phoenix, Ariz., where he had been serving as dean of students. His four years of service to
Canisius is greatly appreciated, and our community wishes him well. Students, faculty and staff recognized Mr. Kopas at the annual awards assembly in May with a
number of Buffalo-themed going-away gifts.
I am elated and humbled to be writing the principal’s message for this edition of
Canisius High School Today. After 14 years of serving the Canisius community as a
teacher, coach, dean of students and assistant principal for academics, I have been
appointed principal by President Knight. The opportunity to serve in this role is
both a privilege and an honor. Being selected as principal of Canisius at this time is
an opportunity of a lifetime for a school administrator.
The newly opened Kennedy Field House, Montante Science and Math Wing and
Stransky Athletic Complex have positioned Canisius to continue as an educational
leader in the Western New York community. Still deeply rooted in the tradition of
pursuing academic excellence, Canisius students and faculty now have the opportunity to continue that pursuit with state-of-the-art facilities. Participation in the Advanced
Placement program offered by the College Board is at an all-time high with more than half
of Canisius students taking one or more AP tests. This May more than 450 students took
some 700 AP exams.
The school continues to be blessed with a committed and dedicated faculty and staff who
remain ultimately driven by the Ignatian mission of the school. The Campus Ministry
team continues to offer programs like “Graduate at Graduation” and “Men for Others”
that provide formation opportunities to develop the characteristics of the Jesuit school.
Retreats, service trips, and local and national immersion service projects again show the
Canisius commitment to service and reflective growth. The athletic accomplishments of
the school in recent years are also well-documented. The 2009-10 fall, winter and spring
seasons all yielded championships for the Crusaders as they captured the Supremacy Cup.
It is truly a great time to be a Canisius Crusader and a great time to become the next academic leader of Canisius High School.
Timothy Fitzgerald
Principal
16
News from 1180
Jeremy Beck
Rev. Kenneth Boller, S.J.
Matthew Hemp
Thomas Lombardo
Ronald Raccuia
Five Join Board Of Trustees
Four alumni and a former principal have joined Canisius for
three-year terms as new members of its board of trustees:
N.Y., he is a member of the finance committee for the board of
St. Amelia’s School in the Town of Tonawanda, N.Y.
Jeremy Briggs Beck ’89, vice president/portfolio manager,
Thomas A. Lombardo, Jr., M.D. ’65, president, Northtowns
Nottingham Advisors. His community roles include serving as
a board member of the United Way, Buffalo and Erie County,
and as a board member of the Phoenix Frontier Foundation.
He received a B.A. in psychology from University at Buffalo
and lives in Snyder, N.Y.
Orthopedics, and chair, Millard Fillmore Hospital (Gates and
Suburban) Department of Orthopaedic Surgery. Lombardo is a
board member of the New York State Society of Orthopaedic
Surgeons and the American Medical Association, among
other professional affiliations. He graduated cum laude from
College of the Holy Cross and received his medical degree
from University at Buffalo School of Medicine. He lives in East
Aurora, N.Y.
Rev. Kenneth J. Boller, S.J., president, Fordham Preparatory
School, Bronx, N.Y. A former principal of the school, Boller
holds a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and mathematics from
Fordham University and master’s degrees from New York
University (mathematics) and Woodstock College (divinity). His
board affiliations include Fordham University, Academy of Mt.
St. Ursula and National Theatre Workshop of the Handicapped.
Matthew S. Hamp, FACHE ’71, chief operating officer, Sisters
of Charity Hospital, Buffalo, N.Y. Hamp received a B.A. in
health administration from University of Maryland and an
M.B.A. from Loyola College. A resident of North Tonawanda,
Cavallari Named
Vice President Of
Finance & Administration
Canisius has appointed Robert F.
Cavallari as vice president of finance and
administration. He will be responsible for
directing the school’s finance, human
resources, information technology and
facilities functions. Cavallari previously
was vice president of finance at Synacor,
Inc., a Buffalo, N.Y., technology company. He is a certified public accountant
and started his career at KPMG LLP. He
holds a bachelor of science degree from
Canisius College. Cavallari and his wife,
Donna, have five children, live in East
Amherst and are members of St. Mary’s
Parish in Swormville. ✠
Ronald A. Raccuia ’86, president, Integrity Office and
ADPRO sports, and managing partner of Most High Sports
Management. Among his community activities, Raccuia is vice
chair of the Canisius College Board of Regents and a Buffalo
Niagara Sports Commission Board of Regents member. He
holds a bachelor’s degree from Canisius College. Raccuia lives
in Orchard Park, N.Y. ✠
Assistant Principal
For Academics Appointed
Andrea Tyrpak-Endres has been appointed to the role of assistant principal
for academics for the 2010-11 school
year. Tyrpk-Endres has more than 25
years serving the mission of Canisius
High School. She has held a variety of
teaching and leadership positions and
brings considerable experience in Jesuit
education. Along with her new responsibilities she maintains her role as faculty formation director and new faculty
mentor. Her vast knowledge and understanding of the Canisius mission make
her a valuable addition to the school
leadership team. ✠
New Principal Appointed
In early May, Canisius President John
Knight announced the appointment
of Timothy K. Fitzgerald, Sr., as the
school principal for the 2010-11 school
year. Fitzgerald will enter his 15th
year serving the Canisius community.
He previously taught in the Religious
Studies Department and served as dean
of students and assistant principal
for academics.
Fitzgerald has also coached baseball, basketball and track since
joining the Canisius family. He holds
New York State certification as a school
building administrator and school district
administrator. ✠
17
Student Links
Students’ Gettysburg
Campaign Brings
History To Life
They say 1-9-5 is strong,
But we’ve been marching
way too long!
So echoed the cadence across the hot
fields of Gettysburg National Military
Park. No, the chant wasn’t part of a
battle re-creation. The early summer
weekend was too soon for the annual
reenactment at this, one of America’s
most hallowed places. This regiment,
marching with flags and fake muskets,
was the 195th New York Volunteers—
otherwise known as the A.P. United
States History students of Samuel J.
Rizzo ’97, who for one June weekend
is otherwise known as Colonel Rizzo.
This past June, Rizzo and several history faculty colleagues led 44 juniors
on a four-day campaign to Gettysburg
and Washington, D.C. Aside from
the occasional skirmish over who got
the seats with the most leg room on
the “wagon train” (actually a chartered coach from Grand Tours), there
18
The Canisius “195th” take their place in history during AP U.S. History class trip.
was no fighting during this campaign.
Instead, in what will certainly be one
of their most memorable Canisius experiences, the troops were treated to a
wealth of knowledge and insight about
the battle and about studying history
in general.
This year’s campaign was the fourth
such trip Rizzo has organized. “My
Civil War professor at St. John Fisher,
Gordon Shay, would take his class
down to Gettysburg each year,” Rizzo
said. “His class changed my whole perspective on studying history, and he is
one of the main reasons I decided to
become a history teacher.” Rizzo was
so inspired by his trip with Shay that
he sought, and was offered, an internship at the park in summer 2000.
In an effort to elevate the excursion
above the average field trip, Rizzo adds
a number of touches, some ritualistic,
others linguistic, to lend an authentic
feel to the students’ experience. Upon
“enlistment” in the regiment, students
are assigned a rank and one of several
dozen roles, from regimental bugler
Continued on pg. 19
GETTSYSBURG continued from pg. 18
(with a real bugle) to chow detail (in
charge of food rations) to—perhaps
less authentically—sunscreen detail (to guard against the other enemy lurking in the open battlefield, UV
rays). When moving from one battlefield site to another, the students fall
into regimental formation and pass
the time with lively and often humorous cadence calls, many of them originals written by the students. At each
notable stop on the Gettysburg battlefield tour, Colonel Rizzo or one of the
park rangers offered insight into both
the battlefield tactics of the Union and
Confederate armies as well as the larger social and political currents propelling the conflict as a whole.
The impact on the students was
clear. “One of the most moving aspects
of the Gettysburg trip was when I
first fully appreciated that the idyllic
fields we were walking in . . . were actually the sites of incredible chaos and
death,” Connor Mangan ’11 said. “The
fact that thousands of brave men had
fought and bled and died on the very
same ground where I was now standing was difficult to comprehend and
truly humbling.”
One of the hallmarks of the trip is
the teachers’ conscious effort to put
Gettysburg in the larger context of
American history. A day-long trip to
Washington, D.C., just an hour south
of the battlefield, helped reinforce
that mission. The overall effect, Rizzo
hopes, is the idea that history can
“come alive.”
“On the final day of the trip, I tell
students that it is my hope they will
come back to Gettysburg, whether
with families or friends, and explain to
them the significance of this ‘hallowed
ground,’” Rizzo said. And when they
do so—as many surely will—they will
hear the echo of another cadence call:
We’re in
Gettysburg wee
all know, Heree
Mr. Rizzo runss
the show! ✠
March Madness Takes Over Field House
For two days this past spring, madness descended on the
Bernard J. Kennedy Field House—March Madness, of course.
Tapping into the basketball fever that annually sweeps the nation, the Canisius
Student Senate and Peer Educators
teamed up to organize a 3-on-3 basketball tournament. The event served a
variety of purposes: to capitalize on the
fantastic new space the field house provides, raise funds for a guest speaker
invited by the Peer Educators and offer an opportunity for students from all
four classes to gather after classes for a
little fun.
Patrick Dearing ’10, a senior student
senator, was one of the organizers of
the event. “The 3-on-3 tournament was
more successful than we could have
imagined,” Dearing recalled. “The students also got very into the tournament
with creative and sometimes frightening
uniforms as well as an extreme amount
of energy on the court.”
Games followed the 3-on-3, half-court
format familiar to many students from
the popular Gus Macker tournament
held each summer in downtown Buffalo.
The field house’s three practice courts
allowed multiple simultaneous games,
which in turn allowed a larger tournament. In the end, 34 teams of four players participated.
“With the new field house, a 3-on-3
tournament was the perfect way to use
the new facility for a school-wide event,”
Dearing said. “It also achieved a goal of
the Peer Educators club to give students
a safe option on weekend nights.” The
Peer Educators, a relatively new group
on campus, is a team of students that
brainstorms and organizes programs
to encourage healthy and responsible
decision-making.
School nurse Denise Keating is one of
the moderators of the Peer Educators.
“We felt we needed to be able to
provide activities that all students could
participate in and would provide a fun
and healthy environment, an opportunity to be together but in a situation that
showed you can have fun without alcohol or drugs,” she said.
Annette Sugg, chair of the Guidance
Department and Keating’s co-moderator
of Peer Educators, agreed, and noted
the success of the tournament. “I didn’t
realize how much support we’d have for
this event. It was heartwarming to see
the amount we actually received-–from
the players to faculty to parents to the
concession-stand volunteers. It was truly
a school-wide activity,” she said.
With the funds raised from the tournament entry fees, the Peer Educators
sponsored a school-wide assembly
headlined by nationally renowned motivational speaker Bobby Petrocelli, who
visited the school in April. ✠
19
Sports Round-Up
Teams Execute
Memorable
Seasons
The 2009-10 season started off with a dominant
fall performance by Crusader athletic teams, continued into winter and culminated with a strong
spring. All of those outstanding performances led
Canisius to its fifth consecutive Supremacy Cup
title, given to the athletics program that accumulates the most points throughout the year based on
team’s successes. The Crusaders have now captured the title eight of the last nine years.
• The Canisius Crusaders golf team culminated a perfect season by winning the All-Catholic
Golf Tournament held on Columbus Day. Colin
Burns ’10 earned medalist honors in the AllCatholics by shooting a 73 in extremely difficult
conditions. The Crusaders finished the regular
season with a 12-0 record and won the AllCatholics by a six-stroke margin over Nichols.
Brian Jurkiewicz ’11 and Dan Yustin ’11 also
finished with rounds in the 70s, shooting 77
and 79, respectively. Rounding out the AllCatholic championship team were Matt Dobbins
’10 (84), Joe Bellavia ’10 (87) and Sean
McHugh ’10 (89).
• The varsity cross-country team won its
fifth straight All Catholic as it outdistanced
second-place St. Joe’s by 24 points. The team
was led by a second-place finish from senior
Eli Dawli and a third-place finish from junior
Tim Hartigan. Joining them on First Team All
Catholic were seniors Colin Bogdan and Ryan
Fiust-Klink. That gave the Crusaders four finishers before any other team had two. Juniors
Paul Riester (ninth place), Cole Townsend
(11th), and Andrew Gritzmacher (12th) were
also named Second Team All Catholic.
• Hopes were high for the Canisius
soccer team after it captured the regularseason title for the second straight year. After
scoring a convincing win over Nichols in the
semifinals, Canisius was stymied by St. Joe’s
in the championship game in its bid to move
into the State Catholic playoffs. Seniors Max
Kilb, Ryan Bukard, Peter Roehmholdt, Stephen
Wozniak and William Koessler enjoyed standout
seasons on the field and were all nominated for
the Fall All-WNY Student-Athlete Award.
• The volleyball team extended its dominance to an even decade as it won both the
regular season and All-Catholic titles under
the direction of Mr. Tom Weislo. The team
20
breezed through the regular season with an
unblemished record and then dispatched
St. Mary’s and St. Joe’s en route to its 10th
consecutive championship. Seniors Luke
Klee and John Jepson, along with the play of
junior C.J. Coatsworth, were solid all year for
the Crusaders. Jepson’s outstanding play has
earned him an athletic scholarship to George
Mason University.
• The Crusader football team earned the
top seed in the Monsignor Martin Playoffs
by virtue of its 3-0 record during the season. After defeating Timon in the semifinals,
Canisius headed to Ralph Wilson Stadium for
the third straight year to face St. Joe’s. After
a wild, high-scoring first half, the Crusaders
took control of the game and posted a 58-38
win over the Marauders. Junior quarterback
Travis Eman led the way as he threw for two
touchdowns and ran for three. Senior running
back Ricky Pringle ran for 187 yards and three
touchdowns, while Jimmy Gaines (’10) and Eli
Watkins (’12) paced the defense with seven
and six tackles, respectively.
• Canisius’ contingent of wrestlers had a strong
showing at the All-Catholic Championships held
at St. Francis. Seniors Pat Moyer, Sean Frye
and Casey Sheehan, along with freshman Jack
Ruh, all won their respective weight classes.
Chris Keleher ’11 took home third-place honors
in his weight class, while Colin Sullivan ’11
and Jake Bow ’13 finished fourth. All seven
Crusaders earned the right to compete at the
New York State Catholic meet.
• The varsity bowling team avenged a
second-place regular-season finish with a firstplace finish in the All-Catholic Championships.
Finishing in third place in the one-game team
game, the Crusaders came on strong in the
six-game Baker Style Format, finishing 17
pins ahead of O’Hara to win the trophy. Team
members included Captain Ryan Fiust-Klink,
Andrew Keating, Sean Mattrey, Max Milholland
and Andrew Monti.
• The Canisius swim team had seven swimmers participate in the New York Federation
Swim Meet on Feb. 26 and 27 at the ECC
Flickinger Center. Sean Mendez, Andrew
Edbauer, Alec Pokornowski, Garrett Graesser,
(Clockwise from l.)
Jimmy Gaines,
John Jepson,
Alec Pokornowski
Sports photography: StudioQTB.com
21
Bobby Juliano, Kyle Smith and Joe Martin all
qualified following a highly successful season.
Canisius won its seventh consecutive league
and All-Catholic title. The Crusaders rank in the
Top 15 in New York in five different events.
• The Canisius freshman and JV basketball
teams each won their respective league titles,
while the varsity team shared the regularseason crown with Nichols. The Canisius
Crusaders varsity produced a 19-5 record
during the regular season and shared the
league title after going 10-2 in MMAA play. The
team’s season came to an end as they dropped
a decision to Nichols in the title game of the
Manhattan Cup.
• The Varsity Federation, Varsity Club
and JV Blue hockey teams all won their
respective league titles. The Varsity Fed
team won the Large School regular season
title and proceeded to win the MMHSAA
championship for the second straight year. The
Varsity Fed team advanced to the N.Y. State
Catholic championship game in New Rochelle,
N.Y., and, for the second straight year, won
the title. The Crusaders defeated St. Anthony’s
(Long Island) 2-1 to snare the crown.
• The Crusader track team finished the season
with a second-place finish in the All-Catholic
Track Meet held at Koessler Field at the
Stransky Complex. Cole Townsend ’11 won
two events, the 3200- and 1600-meter races.
Individual winners included Eli Dawli (800
meters), Connor Dodge (400 meters) and Mark
Schiferle (shot put).
• The tennis team went 14-2 overall, including
two wins over St. Joe’s and notable non-league
wins over Clarence and East Aurora. In addition, the team handed Orchard Park one of its
only losses of the season.
• The crew team continued its success on
regional and national levels. The Men’s
Lightweight Eight boat earned first place
in the Scholastic Rowing Association of
America championships held in the spring.
Connor Mangan, Liam Moffett, Will Downing,
Sean Kenney, John Cotter, Tim Van Oss,
Zack Pappas, Emmett Ogiony and Kevin
Tompkins (coxswain) led the Crusaders to
the national title.
• The varsity lacrosse program had a rebuilding year after losing a large number of seniors
off last year’s squad. The team showed some
positive signs and clinched the final playoff
berth in the league tournament by defeating
St. Francis.
• The JV lacrosse team had a very strong
campaign, scoring convincing wins over MMAA
league opponents and also local powers
Amherst and Orchard Park.
Bryan Tenney
22
• The Crusaders baseball team capped off the
school year in impressive fashion, winning its
second straight Georgetown Cup title. Canisius
swept St. Francis in two games at Coca Cola
Field to earn the championship. Led by the
dominant pitching tandem of Bill Brancatella
’10 and Josh Vaccaro ’11, the Crusaders
allowed only three runs during a four-game
playoff streak. ✠
Catching Up With...
The Reverend
Paul S. Naumann
S.J.
The Canisius connection . . .
The Rev. Paul S. Naumann taught English at
Canisius from 1965 to 1994. He also ran the
Drama Guild for a number of years, sometimes
directing two plays annually along with a summer festival of plays. The festival had a four-year
run.
His post-Canisius life. . .
Because of a “divine discontent” urging him to
move on, Naumann returned to his hometown,
Syracuse, to teach at Le Moyne College. There,
he started working seriously on something toward which he’d long felt pulled—his own writing. He had tried writing once while teaching at
Canisius but found he just didn’t have time.
“People frequently said, ‘You should write
something.’ I said, ‘I can’t think of any plots.’”
When Naumann finally dug in, he discovered he
didn’t really need a plot. He simply wrote questions (what’s the problem here? who are these
characters?) and answered them. “All sorts of
strange and wonderful things started to happen,
which I found very interesting and surprising.”
The list of his completed works numbers around
15, many focused on an adventurous boy named
Crispin.
Naumann also is house librarian for his Jesuit
residence (inheriting the job from an older Jesuit
who was leaving the house), and he gets his exercise through daily walks.
What he’s learned. . .
With his writing, he admits, “sometimes you
get stuck and have to find your way forward.”
Now, he has a system that works: “I’ll say ‘I’m
not sure why or where this is going,’ and I’ll
write the questions and answer them.” Another
surprise: He showed the book to a friend who
asked him if he realized how much of himself
he had revealed in the book. “And, after a moment’s thought,” Naumann says, “I answered,
“’Probably not.’”
His next move. . .
Naumann is now living the life of a published
author. His first long tale, Crispin and the Great
Tree, has just been published by Xlibris (ISBN13
Hardcover: 978-1-4500-6419-4), and he’s
“trying to hawk it,” he says, laughing. Among
the marketing efforts for Crispin . . . are signing
events, one of which is scheduled for Canisius
on Thurs., Sept. 23, 2010 at 6 p.m..
What he likes best. . .
Naumann relishes writing when he’s doing it.
He tries to write early in the quiet hours of the
morning, especially at his brother’s house on
Hilton Head Island, S.C. Oddly enough, he says,
“Once I got into publishing I almost stopped
writing entirely! It’s all details, but hopefully that will cool
down.” As a priest,
he loves celebrating the liturgy. His
schedule includes
Mass every other
Sunday at a local
parish, a 5:15 Mass
at the Jesuit house,
and occasional calls
at another parish
for 12:15 p.m. Mass
if he’s needed.
What he misses
about Canisius . . .
“Lots of things,”
he says. “I don’t
know where to
begin.” Naumann says he loved teaching and
enjoyed directing the Drama Guild plays:
“Sometimes I even designed the scenery.” He
also enjoyed moderating crew.
What he wants you to know. . .
The subtitle of Crispin and the Great Tree,
“The way up is the way down,” refers first of all
to tree-climbing, obviously. But it also refers,
Naumann says, “to the way Our Lord comes
down to us by means, for example, of the sacramental system. The sacraments are a combination of matter and grace. By receiving the
sacraments, we climb up to meet him through
grace and the imagination. The sacramental
universe,” he adds, “is the result of creation.
Anybody who can figure that out in the book
will move- to the head of the class.” ✠
23
Joseph
Lucenti
The Canisius connection . . .
A 1973 graduate of the school, Joseph Lucenti
returned in 1978 as a counselor. During his 19
years here, he also was admissions director, dean
of students and assistant principal. “I also ran
the Higher Achievement Program and possibly
a few other things,” he says, laughing, “but that’s
what I remember.”
Life since Canisius . . .
In 1997, Lucenti became assistant principal
for Akron (N.Y.) High School and became principal in 1999. He’s also president of the Western
New York High School Principals Association.
What he misses . . .
“I’m lucky to
have been part
of Canisius High
School since the
age of 14...”
“The tradition that is Canisius High School,”
says Lucenti, “140 years, a Jesuit presence of 400
plus years. It reaches through generations.” His
office in Akron holds reminders of his past life at
Canisius: his hockey jersey, the 1998 yearbook
that was dedicated to him, a framed description of what it means to be an Ignatian leader.
Lucenti and his wife also established in their
will the “Man for Others Scholarship” in tribute
to the Jesuit ideal of service.
What’s happening today . . .
“I love Akron,” Lucenti says. “I’ve brought a lot
of concepts—respect, excellence, service--here
from Canisius. Those are my ways of staying in
touch with its values.” Indeed, Lucenti emphasizes that he has not had to compromise those
values. Akron even awards a Crystal Tiger each
year that stands for the same level of achievement in service as does the Mr. Canisius Award.
Lucenti and his wife also host a yearly “Dinosaur
Picnic” for former and current Canisius faculty, staff and administrators. The group of about
40 still thinks of itself as “family,” he says, and
“considers Canisius to be the most special place
we ever worked. You couldn’t recreate what we
had.”
His most vivid memory . . .
Lucenti is running a “sting” operation to catch
a perpetrator placing crank calls from a pay
phone near the bookstore. Crouching behind
24
the bookstore Dutch door, he leaves open the
door’s top half (which usually was closed). A curious freshman sticks his arm through the door
and, Lucenti says, “it was too good. I grabbed
his forearm. He screamed for about 10 seconds.
The buzz was that something grabbed him, but
no one believed him.” Lucenti reveals his identity on graduation day, greeting the student after he walks across the stage by grabbing his arm
and saying, “Remember the bookstore?” Laughs
Lucenti, “He said, ‘It was you?!?!’ Father Keenan
was there, and I never saw him laugh so hard.”
What he wants you to know . . .
Though he misses the Canisius family deeply,
Lucenti is “very happy.” He and his wife of more
than 20 years live on three acres of woods in Elma
with their dogs. “I’m the lucky one in Akron,” he
says. “I’m lucky to have been part of Canisius
High School since the age of 14, but Akron has
taught me so much as well. I’ve learned that you
have the presence of God in public schools in so
many ways I thought unimaginable. In the end,
I hope to enjoy a 40-year career that will have
involved two of the best school communities in
Western New York. I constantly refer to Akron as
Western New York’s best-kept secret. Combine
this with the high profile of Canisius, and you
see what I am indeed very fortunate.” ✠
Class Notes
NEWS
William G. Knorr, Jr., ’45 is retired from
ITT SpaceSystems Division and currently active
in the AARP TaxAide Programs and Senior
Health Insurance Assistance Program (Ship) as
well as with his parish.
Robert J. Kresse ’45 maintains his law practice with Hiscock, Barclay, LLP in Buffalo. He
is a trustee for the Margaret Wendt Foundation,
chairman of the Niagara River Greenway
Commission; chairman-of the Darwin Martin
House’s complex, Genesee Gateway; and
board member of Old Fort Niagara, King Urban
Life Center and King Center Charter School,
and the Olmstead Parks Conservancy.
Colonel Joseph B. Conboy ’45 retired from
Texas Tech Law School but still teaches sports
law and trial advocacy. He is still happily married
with four daughters and 11 grandchildren.
Alfred C. Ryan ’49 has two new grandbabies: Ethan Xavier Pearce, Melbourne,
Australia, and Dylan Grace Ryan-Hollar, Boston.
James F. Honer ’49 and his wife, Mary,
are both retired with nine children and 22
grandchildren and are expecting their eighth
great-grandchild.
William J. Schanbacherb ’49 retired 16
years ago from the New York State Labor
Department, just turned 78 and takes no
medication. He is still active with model railroading, O-GA. He and his wife of 53 years travel
to Florida and Texas to visit their sons and
daughter. Two sons live locally. They have seven
grandchildren.
William H. Thomas ’50 retired from the
U.S. Air Force after 20 years. He is retired
from the Philadelphia Newspapers Circulation
Department.
Lawrence F. Pignataro ’52 was elected to
the Villa Maria College board of trustees.
Fred W. Price ’53 has been retired 14 years.
He plays golf and travels, and has five children
and nine grandchildren.
Dr. Richard S. Westermeier ’54 A current
freshman, Christian Westermeier is the fourth
generation at CHS: Class of 1925 (Richard’s
dad), Class of 1954 (Richard), Class of 1978
(Scott, Richard’s son), and Class of 2013
(Christian).
George S. Steger ’55 retired in 1993 and
moved to Australia in May 2009 after his wife
died. He lives with his daughter and her family.
William C. Janicki ’55 established an
aerospace consulting firm, P.S.E, interfacing
with the U.S. government on advanced weapon
systems.
Dillon M. Kolkmann ’04
The Peace Corps, President Kennedy’s idealistic plan to promote world peace and friendship, continues to attract young Americans with a mission that encompasses Canisius’s
own tradition of “Men for Others.” Volunteer Dillon M. Kolkmann ’04 (Colgate University
’08) was challenged to organize pockets of economic improvement in the West African
country of Niger. He was assigned to a desert village unchanged for centuries, where
meals of millet outside his earthen hut, pre-dawn Islamic calls to prayer and conversations in foreign languages guaranteed a challenge indeed. Heartwarming results in leadership, education and farming plus surprisingly warm friendships were abruptly ended
as kidnapping of westerners by al Qaeda escalated. Volunteers who assembled in the
capital city to consider abandoning Niger witnessed a military coup d’etat. But these
Americans have remained, choosing to promote peace and friendship. Kolkmann has
been re-assigned to a sub-tropical border city where you can catch his educational radio program spoken in “American” Zarma, causing hilarious laughter from the friendly
Nigerians. ✠
Kenneth E. Demblewski, Sr., ’55 retired
from United Airlines in 2001 and from the
NASA SOFIA Project in 2008. He is still active
as a realtor for Century 21 Alpha in California.
He is a principle at K & B investments in New
York, California and Hawaii.
Robert G. Larzelere ’55 is fully retired as of
2005.
Vincent F. Saele ’56 recently was appointed
senior counsel of Changing Our World, Inc., an
international firm specializing in fund raising and
philanthropy.
Edward J. Mosca ’57 His wife is in St.
Francis in Williamsville after having a stroke and
becoming disabled.
John F. Marszalek, Ph.D., ’57 in August
2008 was named executive director and
managing editor of the Ulysses S. Grant
Association, which moved to Mississippi State
University in late 2008.
Cornelius J. Schmitt ’57 enjoys sweepstakes, traveling and reading.
Captain F. Patrick Roll Usn ’58 is retired
from the U.S. Navy.
Dr. D. Robert Mcginnis ’58 is recently retired (semi) from Auburn University after having
led a capital campaign that raised $610 million
for the university and currently serves as senior
counsel to the president.
Richard M. Slattery ’59 retired after teaching Latin, German and Spanish for 25 years in
Alabama. He and his wife, Lynn, are cruising
the Mediterranean.
William G. Heffron, Jr., ’59 retired from
the U.S. Army in 1998 and is doing all those
things he never had time for when working-volunteering, golf. Travel now occupies his time,
and life is good!
Dr. Franklin A. Depeters ’60 is married
(MaryAnn) with three grown daughters and six
grandchildren. He is a radiologist and enjoys
25
cooking, music, golf, Italy and the blessings of
health and family.
professor of fine arts, Canisius College, from
1998 to the present.
John A. Nowicki ’60 retired from the Buffalo
Dr. Edward F. Posluszny ’70 became a
schools in 2000 and moved to southern Nevada
in 2002. He continues to officiate football and
track, and retired from officiating football in
2004. He is currently track and field chairman
for Southern Nevada Officials Association (Las
Vegas) and continues to officiate track and field
in Southern Nevada on the scholastic, intercollegiate and USATF National level.
grandparent in March 2005; the second
grandchild is due in April. His eldest daughter
is also a dentist.
Francis T. Toth ’60 retired from the federal
government after 40 years and currently owns a
consulting firm in the Washington Metro area.
Dr. Richard M. Peer ’61 is medical director
of the Vascular Lab at Buffalo Medical Group
and Millard Fillmore Suburban Hospital. His is
vice president/corporate secretary for Medical
Liability Mutual Insurance Company and a
trustee, Medical Society State of NY 4 and the
Council on Long-Range Planning, American
Medical Association.
George R. Chernowski ’63 and his wife,
MaryAnn, recently purchased the Coppola
Insurance Agency in West Seneca.
Joseph Catalano ’66 is principal architect at
Parsons Corporation in Pasadena, Calif., and
was 2008 chapter president for the American
Institute of Architects. He is married with three
boys and one granddaughter and lives in Sierra
Madre, Calif.
Robert C. Koza ’67 was awarded the Bronze
Pelican, District Award of Merit, Wood Badge
and Vigil Honor in the Order of the Arrow
for volunteer work with the Greater Niagara
Frontier Council of the Boy Scouts of America.
Dr. Joseph P. Smith ’68 is a group leader
for environmental research at Exxon Mobil
Upstream Research Co., where he specializes
in studies of effects of oil and gas production on
the marine environment.
Mark J. Schwab ’68 retired in March 2009
as president/CEO of Crayola LLC after a
career of 30+ years with Crayola and its owner,
Hallmark. He is living in Florida and building a
second home in Asheville, N.C.
Michael C. Barnas ’70 continues as senior
counsel, Renewable GE Energy, Schenectady,
N.Y. He has been married to Linda Weinstein
Barnas since 1988. His daughter, Rachel,
is a National Merit Scholar in her freshman
year at Yale.
Frank R. Scinta ’70 was on the Canisius
High School faculty from 1974 to 1990, on the
faculty of the Buffalo Academy for Visual and
Performing Arts from 1990 to the present, and
Andrew N. Kielb ’70 is still working as a
pharmacist with Rite Aid. He and Dottie are
married, but are empty nesters. He ran the
2009 Marine Corp Marathon with his daughters
Laura and Jessica and finished!
Dr. Frank M. Laduca ’71 is currently
working for PTS in Indianapolis, Ind. He is
the chief technology officer for this medical
product manufacturer.
Rodney J. Krysztof ’72 “Rock” is celebrating
36 years of government service by retiring as an
appeals officer in the Internal Revenue Service.
The Rock does not plan a second career as a
shot putter.
Michael J. Bednarek ’73 retired after 30
years in public education in April 2009, now
doing contract work for Salem-Keizer) (Ore.)
Public Schools. He is celebrating his 23rd wedding anniversary with his wife, Sharon, and his
daughter is now a senior at Gonzaga University
(Spokane University).
Peter N. Adornetto ’73 made his final profession in the Secular Third Order of Carmelites
(OLDS) in April 2009.
Carl A. Emerling ’73 just received the
Pop Warner Hall of Fame community member
recognition award from the Springville (N.Y.)
School District. Pop Warner was born and
raised in Springville.
Gary K. Pino ’74 is a two-time CHS Sports
Hall of Famer for hockey (individual in 1999
and team in 2003). Gary earned his Facility
Management Professional (FMP) designation
from the International Facility Management
Association in February 2010. Gary and his wife
of 30 years, Cindy, are the proud grandparents
of Isabella Tayor Pino.
Michelangelo Infurnari ’77 is with the
Institute for Health Technology Studies, a
research and education foundation focusing on
medical devices and diagnostics and innovative health care. He has been a non-profit and
fundraising executive for 28 years.
David J. Galbo ’78 is married to Catherine
Wolf, and they have a daughter, Catherine. He
owns Galbo Architects in Buffalo.
Dr. Joseph S. Giglia ’79 was named
physician of the quarter at University Hospital,
Cincinnati, Ohio.
Michael Auricchio ’80 Following the CHS
mantra “Men for Others,” he donates his
spare time serving as the current president of
the WNY Chapter of the Juvenile Diabetes
Research Foundation.
Kevin J. Mahoney ’80 has been married for
22 years, has two children and is a detective
with the Erie County Sheriff’s Office.
Peter J. Walter, M.D., ’80 joined Western
New York Urology Associates in 2007, which
expanded to a new facility in Jamestown, N.Y.,
in August 2009, specializing in the care of
prostate cancer. Married to Carla for 17 years,
he has three daughters.
Michael C. Nieset ’82 is managing partner
for Heidrick & Struggles’ global software practice, as well as a member of the global Board
Services Practice.
Vincent E. Doyle III ’82, a partner in the
Connors & Vilardo law firm and youngest child
of the late State Supreme Court Justice Vincent
E. Doyle Jr., was named president-elect of
the 77,000-member New York State Bar
Association. He will become the 10th Buffalo
lawyer to serve as president of that powerful
legal organization since its creation in 1876.
Michael S. Talty ’87 finally left the paper
industry and is now working as a regional sales
manager for Letica Corporation. He wishes all
his classmates well in 2010.
Victor S. Mroczka ’89 published an article
on Jan. 19, 2010, in This Day Lawyer called
“Forget the World Cup; 2010 Could Be a
Difficult Trade Year for Africa.” He was re-elected to the board of directors for the Customs
and International Trade Bar Association.
Dr. Jose S. Maceda ’90 met his wife, Li,
in Buffalo before moving to the suburbs of
Philadelphia. He still enjoys rowing, which he
started in high school, on the Christiana or
Schuylkill rivers.
Adam E. Kisailus ’93 is assistant dean in the
Department of Educational Affairs at Roswell
Park Cancer Institute.
Joseph Artanis III ’94 was awarded a
commendation from the mayor of Miami Dade
County for saving an infant left in a house that
was on fire. He also was recognized by the Fire
Department for his bravery during the same fire.
Dr. David T. Boyd ’95 is finishing up his
neuroradiology fellowship at Georgetown
University Hospital and will begin working at
INOVA Fairfax Hospital in July 2010.
Dr. Michael A. Young ’95 received a Ph.D.
in biomechanics from LSU in 2008 and married
Continued on pg. 27
26
Calah Gilders in 2003. Their daughter Eva
Leigh was born in 2007. He has owned Human
Performance Consulting and Athletic Labs of
Morrisville, N.C., since 2008.
Jeffrey T. Danahy ’98 obtained Construction
Risk Insurance Specialist designation at First
Niagara Risk Management.
Martin J. Lafalce ’99 graduated from
Georgetown Law in 2008 and passed the New
York State Bar Exam that year. He is practicing
in New York City for NYC Legal Aid, defending
prisoners in Rikers Island penitentiary.
Tyler M. Alspaugh ’00 obtained his seconddegree, legal studies, from Hilbert College,
graduating with a 3.9 overall GPA.
David A. Bordieri ’00 is married to Kaneil
with two children, son David C., age 4, and
daughter, Giana M., age 3.
Andrew V. Celestino ’00 is now employed
as a web maintenance developer at Command
Solutions in Buffalo, N.Y. He is also making custom guitars under the name Celestial
Custom Guitars.
Graham C. Genrich ’00 as of
Dec. 21, 2009, finished the six-month
Captain’s Career Course at Ft. Benning, Ga.,
and will be stationed in Vilseck, Germany. He
has an upcoming deployment to Afghanistan in
summer 2010.
Devon R. Mcdonald ’03 graduated
from Nazareth College in 2007 with a B.S.
in accounting. He lives in Manhattan and
practices tax accounting for a midsize firm
in New York City.
Michael D. Postles ’04 was recently
promoted to assistant manager of a branch
for M&T Bank in the Hudson Valley Region.
Scott J. Saxer ’04 received an Ed.M. in higher
education administration from
University at Buffalo.
Steven J. Brachmann ’05 is currently
studying at SUNY Fredonia, pursuing a BFA
in acting with a communications minor, concentration in journalism. He is also working full time
as a freelance writer.
Matthew B. Hayden ’06
Matthew Hayden ’06 has been awarded a prestigious
Fulbright Scholarship for the academic 2010-2011
school year. The Fulbright is the flagship international
exchange program sponsored by the United States
Department of State. Hayden will serve his scholarship
year in Berlin Germany in a teaching capacity. A May
2010 graduate of Dickinson College in Carlisle Penn., he had a double major in archeology and German. Hayden spent his college junior year attending the University of Bremen
Germany as part of Dickinson’s global education program. This year he was also awarded
Dickinson College’s Emil R. and Tamar Weiss Prize for the creative arts for his own musical
composition, Book of the Dead: A Ballet Canata set to Texts from the Ancient Egyptian
Funerary. Hayden Matt is the son of Brian and Jean Ann Hayden of Buffalo. His brother,
John, is a junior at Canisius. ✠
Calif., while deployed at the Center for
Information Dominance, Detachment Monterey,
with the U.S. Navy.
William J. Becker ’07 started an internship
that involves research and policy issues relating to Western New York at the University at
Buffalo Regional Institute in July.
MARRIAGES
Peter K. Tokarczyk ’84 married the former
Jason P. Moran ’03 was married on
Jennifer Downs on Dec. 4, 2009, in Brookfield,
Conn.
June 19, 2010, to Christina Salameh in
Washington, D.C. Jason is in his third year of
medical school at Georgetown University.
Paul R. Mcgrath ’91 and his wife, MaryBeth
Ludwig, married since August 2006, celebrated
the birth of their son, Peter August McGrath, on
June 1, 2009.
Christopher Musialowski ’04 announced
his engagement to Ellen Leutze. The couple will
be married in September 2011.
Robert Galey, Jr., ’92 married Rebecca G.
D’Amico on April 20, 2010, in Hilton Head
Island, S.C. Dr. Timothy M. Galey ’96 was
the best man. The couple make their home in
Mount Pleasant, S.C.
BIRTHS
Jeffrey T. Danahy ’98 was married on
July 24, 2010, to the former Kathryn Sansone.
Christopher Riordan ’99 and the former
Jessica Verely married on May 1, 2010, at St.
Louis Church in downtown Buffalo.
Andrew V. Celestino ’00 and Jen Stieler
career in investment banking in the power,
utilities and renewable energy sector.
will exchange wedding vows at Christ the King
Church in Snyder, N.Y. on Oct.1, 2010.
Austin E. Dodge ’07 is president of Phi
Tod Canty ’01 and the former Eugenia Rocco
Theta Kappa Honor Society and currently
attending National Outdoor Leadership School
(NOLS) in Wyoming. He will attend Brockport in
the fall to finish his physical education degree.
He also just received the Chancellor’s Award for
student excellence from SUNY at Albany.
married on June 19, 2010, at Christ the King
Chapel at Canisius College.
at the Defense Language Institute in Monterey,
Nicholas D. Barone ’02 and the former Nina
Cimino joined into the Sacrament of Marriage
on April 4, 2009.
Daniel Pyne ’02 and Chrissy Smaldone,
daughter of Paul Smaldone ’60, announced
their engagement and will be married in summer
2011.
Matthew E. Hutton ’05 recently began a
Jonathan C. Whyte ’07 is currently studying
couple will make their home on Auburn Avenue
in Buffalo.
Dr. Colin J. Powers ’90 and his wife,
Hey Joo Kang, are celebrating the first birthday
of their daughter, Caroline SunJoo, on
June 23, 2010.
Joseph M. Cannon ’94 and his wife, Ellen,
welcomed their first child, Matthew Albert, into
their family on Sept. 29, 2009.
Keith T. Erazmus ’97 and his wife, Theresa,
were blessed with the birth of their first child,
Olivia Jane, on Aug. 10, 2009.
James Egnatchik ’99 and his wife, Erin, welcomed their son Ryan James Egnatchik (9 lbs.,
21 inches, blue eyes) on May 8, 2010.
Christopher Ganci ’01 married Linda
Tschari on June 5, 2010. The couple reside in
Washington, D.C.
Christopher Lotempio ’01 and the former
Anna Becht married on Aug. 7, 2010, at St.
Joseph’s University Church in Buffalo, N.Y. The
27
NON-PROFIT ORG
US POSTAGE
TODAY
PAID
PERMIT 847
BUFFALO, NY
master of ceremonies for many events. At some
point, the school can offer only so many resources; we need to help ourselves more. We now need
more alumni to join our efforts so we can increase
the number of programs and improve current
programming. If we can better utilize the resources in the school and complement them with our
resources, then we’ll be able to grow support for
the alumni association.
new programs
Q: Any
coming up?
We have two main focuses for new programs:
growing out-of-town support and the CHS
Business Council. We’re trying to establish more
regional chapters, especially in Chicago, Florida
and California. The board wants to provide opportunities for out-of-town alumni to get together
for events in their local community. These could
include watching or listening to Canisius athletic
events via webcasts, going to a Bills or Sabres game
in their town, attending First Friday services at a
local Jesuit school, attending events for traveling
Canisius teams or groups or other creative ideas.
The CHS Business Council is a new program that
will enable alumni to support each other in their
professional development endeavors. Our plan
is to give people opportunities to network both
physically and virtually. For example, virtual networking will be provided by using a service like
Linkedin, a social networking site. Alums looking for professional advice (e.g., how to grow their
business, career change, accounting question, a
doctor interested in commercializing a new idea)
can post their queries on the site and have alumni from around the world post their thoughts. We
also hope to host events so alumni can network by
traditional in-person means.
do you get alumni to volunteer for
Q: How
board events?
Volunteerism in the world right now is in desperate need of growth. That’s not just at Canisius—
it is a cultural phenomenon. We do need to “light
the fire” of alums and to encourage their involvement. The philosophy I follow is to keep it very
simple and identify leaders who have a passion
and can get a following. That is how we are going
to be able to grow our programming. Identifying
these leaders is a challenge especially since our alums cross many different demographic and geographic profiles. Thus, we need the leaders to
bring their CHS alumni friends, whether they are
classmates, colleagues, neighbors, kids play on the
same sports team, etc., back to Canisius to volunteer their time and/or participate in programs.
Our focus is building one or two new programs
each year, programs that must have strong leadership for long-term sustainability. I’m encouraged by alumni who recently rose to the call to
help with our Regional Chapter and the Business
Council. I am confident more alumni will rise up
to lead; they will come back to the school with
their ideas and passion in order to meet our vision of “Fulfilling our Jesuit teaching to be ’Men
for Others’ throughout our lives.” ✠
by Alexander Vilardo '10
Canisius
High
School
TODAY
Fall 2010
Mr. John Knight, president
Robert F. Cavallari, vice-president
of finance and administration
Mr. Timothy Fitzgerald, principal
Mrs. Deborah Burke,
director of annual giving
Mrs. Colleen Sellick,
GAMBIT coordinator
Mr. Paul Zablocki ’01,
director of alumni relations
Contributing Writers
John Knight
Timothy Fitzgerald
Paul Zablocki ’01
Adam Baber ’01
Alexander Vilardo ’10
Grace Lazzara
Photography
Tom Wolf
Paul Zablocki ’01
Ellen Fitzgerald
Sports photography
Studio QTB,
[716] 866-4224
www.studioqtb.com
Cover art
Sarah Wisbey
www.wisbeydesign.com
follows Associated Press style.

Canisius High School - Z

Transcription

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