Stepinac News - Summer 2013 - Archbishop Stepinac High School

Summer 2013
Congratulations To
Don Larkin
50 Great Years at Stepinac
Archbishop Stepinac High School
STEPINAC NEWS
950 Mamaroneck Avenue
White Plains, NY 10605
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Save The Dates - Up Coming Events
Grid Iron Reception
Cardinal Dolan Visit
Reunion/ Homecoming
Joe Riverso Game
Fall Play
Memorial Mass
Hall of Fame Reception
Young Alumni Event
September 5
September 18
October 11,12,13
October 19
November 1,2
November 2
November 7
November 27
Turkey Bowl
Hardwood Reception
Basketball Homecoming
Spring Play
Major Bowes Reception
Legacy Reception
64th Commencement
Golf Outing
November 28
December 5
January TBD
April 4,5,11,12,13
April 11
May 21
May 22
June 4
Meet OUR Giants.
STEPINAC: Shaping the lives of successful
men for more than 60 years.
Some of the exceptional
seniors from Stepinac’s
class of 2013.
For more information call 914-946-4800 ext. 245, 282
or visit us at www.stepinac.org
From The Chairman
Dear Alumni,
Independence is exhilarating but with it come enormous responsibility. As Stepinac’s Chairman of the Board of Trustees, I continue
to be impressed with the high level of commitment to the school’s future that is continually demonstrated by my fellow Trustees,
members of The Stepinac Foundation, Administration, Faculty and Staff and our faithful Alumni and Friends. This is a team effort
and the “team” I have the privilege of working with is top quality.
I am often asked, “What makes a Stepinac graduate different from the rest?” While many traits and qualities come to mind, I often
find myself saying that our alumni are well-formed academically to succeed in higher education and advance in their careers - they
are inspired personally to contribute and serve. The Class of 2013 is no exception!
I am often reminded that you can never say “Thank You” enough! Since I last wrote you, we have air conditioned both the
auditorium and gymnasium - Thank You. The Mastronardi Tech Center opened this year to rave reviews from both the teachers
and the students -Thank You. The electrical service coming into to the building has been upgraded -Thank You. Classrooms were
furnished with new desks, replacing the ones purchased in the 70’s - Thank You.
I hope you enjoyed your Summer and Thank you for what you do for Stepinac,
William F. Plunkett, Jr. ‘58
Chairman
From The President
Dear Alumni,
As The Class of 2013 prepares to go forth from Stepinac. Our hope for them is that they will always be open to the inspiration
of our core values- humility, simplicity, trust, compassion and zeal to help them find their way for what’s next. I wish them all the
success for the years to come.
Aside from the capital improvements mentioned above, We are also proud of the academic improvements. Stepinac now offers 17
AP courses, has adopted block scheduling and follows the national common core curriculum. We no longer administer the outdated
and often controversial Regents exams. The learning environment for our students is 21st Century; students use e-books rather
than carrying heavy, expensive, outdated text books. Students are encouraged to use a tablet or lap top in class to take notes. The
parents are as involved as ever; they have the opportunity to check their son’s progress and homework assignments in real time
and communication with parents is transmitted electronically, yes indeed 21st century!
It was another good year in athletics and extracurricular activities. Lacrosse won the CHSAA League and Down State titles. Basketball made it to the CHSAA “AA” quarter-finals. The JV Baseball team went undefeated! Chris Guzman won his second Metro
Award for his performance in Evita.
My hope and prayer is that we will continue to gain strength and courage from our commitment to Stepinac High School.
Thank you for what you do for Stepinac.
Peace,
Reverend Thomas Collins ‘79
President
1
63rd Annual Commencement Exercises
On May 23rd, the class of 2013 joined the ranks of Stepinac
alumni. Fr. Tom Collins presided as 153
students received their diplomas with
faculty, relatives and friends joining in
the celebration. Members of the class
were accepted into some of the country’s
most prestigious colleges and universities including, Yale, Columbia, Duke,
Ohio State, Cornell, Boston College,
Syracuse, Lehigh, NYU, Georgetown,
Sarah Lawrence, Villanova, St. John’s,
Darren Perillo and his Block “S”
Keith Richardson and his Block “S”
Ellen Watson and her Block “S”
Keith Sunderland and The Order of
The Crusader
Lisa Alfansi and her Block “S”
Debra Lopez and herBlock “S”
Debra Stanson and her Block “S”
Debra Vitagliano and her Block “S”
Evette Orengo and her Block “S”
Tony Becerra ‘84, Andrew Murray,
Fr. Collins
Trevor Bullock
Valedictorian
Hofstra, Manhattan, Fordham, Iona and the Universities of Oregon, Maine, Pittsburgh, Connecticut, Maryland,
Massachusetts, Boston and Michigan. More than 8.5 million
dollars in scholarships was awarded to the class.
For over 30 years, Stepinac has bestowed special awards
during the graduation ceremony. The title of one of these
awards “Sequere Deum” is taken from the motto which
appears on the Coat of Arms of Stepinac founder Francis
Cardinal Spellman. It means “Follow God”. The award is
bestowed on members of the Stepinac Community for their
life of following the Lord’s mandate to love one another in an
extraordinary manner. This year the award was presented to
Kevin Kinsella `63. The title of the “In
Te Domine Speravi” award taken from
the school’s Coat of Arms states “In
thee o Lord, Have I Hoped” the award
was bestowed on Robert Pagnotta.
The Block S awards were presented
Fr. Collins &
to Lisa Alfansi, Debra Lopez, Evette
Bob Pagnotta
Orengo, Darren Perillo, Keith Richardson, Debra Stanson, Debra Vitagliano, and Ellen Watson. The
William Plunkett Award for Academic excellence, Service,
and School Spirit was presented to Omose Emeka Ogala,
The Lt. Raymond E. Murphy FDNY Memorial Scholarship
presented to seniors who have offered service to Stepinac
and who are relatives of Firefighters was bestowed on,
Jack Kavanagh, Skylar Mercado, Keith Kauffmann, Michael
Lynch, John Martin, Mark McAllen, Kevin Pfeiffer, Christopher Rooney, Timothy Stanson, Joseph Tucci, and Matthew
White. The Donald R. Broderick Memorial Scholarship was
presented to Sean Monaghan. The White Plains American
legion Post Number 135 Scholarship was presented to Mark
Ericson Soriano. The Frank Becerra Award for School Spirit
was bestowed on Andrew Murray. The
Coach Joe O’Grady Baseball Award
was presented to Brandon Soto. This
year eight students and faculty were
inducted into the “Order of the Crusader” for their many acts of service to
Mark Soriano
the school and community “above and
Anthony Miro
Salutorians
beyond the call of duty”. Inducted were,
Trevor Bullock, James Decker, William
Kirby, Nicholas Montano, Omose Emeka Ogala, Timothy
Stanson, Keith Sunderland and Christopher Torres.
2
Exceptional Seniors and their Special Awards at Graduation
Trevor E. Bullock YALE
The Victor Ridder Scholarship
The New York State Scholarship for Academic Excellence
National Honor Society
The Harvard Book Club Award
Archbishop Stepinac Principal’s Award for Academic Excellence
Rotary Club Scholarship
James W. Decker FORDHAM
The Varsity 3 Letter Award
The Con Edison Student Athlete Award
National Honor Society
The St. Michael’s College Book Award
Archbishop Stepinac Principal’s Award for Academic Excellence
Mark A. Giardini
The New York State Scholarship for Academic Excellence
National Honor Society
Archbishop Stepinac Principal’s Award for Academic Excellence
BINGHAMPTON
Anthony J. Miro
MANHATTAN
The West Point United States Military Academy Leadership Award
The New York State Scholarship for Academic Excellence
National Honor Society
New York State Comptroller Achievement Award
The Williams College Book Award
Archbishop Stepinac Principal’s Award for Academic Excellence
The 2013 Enrico Fermi Scholarship
Rotary Club Scholarship
President Barack Obama’s Volunteer Service Award
Christopher Torres NYU
National Honor Society
The Nita Lowey Congressional Recognition Award
Archbishop Stepinac Principal’s Award for Academic Excellence
Rotary Club Scholarship
3
The Major Bowes Award
12 New Teachers at Stepinac
On the evening of May 3rd, during the production of this year’s
spring musical “Evita”, Joe Russo,
class of 1965 and Jim Scully, class of
1980 were presented with the Major
Bowes Theatre Award. Joe and Jim
were honored for their outstanding commitments and generosity
to the theatre program over many
years.
They have made possible capital
projects involving Stepinac theatre
that would not otherwise have been
a reality. We applaud them for their
love and dedication to Stepinac and
its award winning theatre program.
Continuing its commitment to make significant advances
in its academic programs,
Stepinac has expanded
its faculty by 12, including 3 new teachers from
Yonkers. “We have been
fortunate to be able to add a
combination of new and experienced faculty members
who enable us to continue
our efforts to broaden and raise academic standards” said
principal Paul Carty. “In a difficult job market for teachers,
Stepinac has not only been able to fill vacancies, but, also,
add positions.” The school has added new members to the
Math Department (2), the Foreign Language Department (2),
the Religion Department (1), the Science Department (3), the
Art Department (1), and the History Department (3).
Career Day 2013
Stepinac’s Mother of the Year
At Stepinac High
School’s Career
Day on April, 12
successful Stepinac alumni
discussed career
opportunities in
their respective fields with
sophomores at
the school. They
included, Tom Kline `62, industrial engineer; Jim Trier `60,
banking/business; Mike Molinelli `77, architect; Jim Meskill
`82, civil service/FBI; Joe Russo `65, general law; Bruce Molinelli `80, physician/surgeon; Rich Diefenbach `80, teaching/
liberal arts; Dick Nagle `59, theatre/dramatics; Mike Duffy `70,
criminal law; Ray Kiernan `62, Fire Chief, Rocco LaFaro `00,
finance, and Rick Yapchanyk `00, technology.
JoAnn Ahearn was named Stepinac’s Mother of the Year for
2013 and was honored at the Lady Crusaders
Luncheon and Fashion Show at the Renaissance Westchester hotel on April 14th. JoAnn
has three sons, Joey, Danny and Mikey, all of
them Stepinac alumni. Throughout the past
14 years, she has participated in a wide array
of activities and events at the school. JoAnn
became an active member of the Lady Crusaders Club, taking on the roles of hospitality chairperson, vice president and
president. She also served as team mom for the junior varsity
and varsity lacrosse teams, as well as the hockey team. In
the past 3 years, Joann as volunteered with Stepinac’s Public
Relations Committee.
Stepinac Hosts Law Forum
In April, Stepinac held a law forum for its honors students
in honor of Law Day, established by President Eisenhower
in 1958. During the forum, keynote speaker Kevin Plunkett
Deputy Commissioner for Westchester County and Stepinac
alumnus, class of 1967, spoke to the students about the importance of the legal system. Discussed during the forum was
the structure of the court system and the various levels of law
within the system. Other topics discussed included: civil and
criminal legal systems; civil rights; gender equality; health and
justice; elder justice; and the rights of college students and
young adults. The theme for the forum was “equality for all”.
Other attendees included Judge
La Tia Martin, Assistant Attorney
General Gary Brown, Judge
Janet Malone, Assistant District
Attorney Susan Brownbill Vega
and Justice Daniel Angiolillo.
Stepinac’s “Lunch Lady”
Cafeteria worker, Marjorie Alamon, was profiled in the March
issue of Westchester Magazine. Students at Stepinac call
her Ms. Alamon or Ms. Lunch Lady. When interviewed, Marjorie said that she knows most
students by name. She was born in the Philippines and didn’t have a cafeteria in her school.
Students went to the restaurant across the
street. Marjorie said her mozzarella sticks are
among the students’ favorites. She is proud
of her 25 year old son who is a graduate of
Stepinac. We are proud and grateful to have
her cheerful, warm presence in our cafeteria.
4
Students in the News
Alumni In The News / Class Notes
Trevor Bullock
Edwin Heideman ‘51
Trevor of Yonkers is one of the 500 students from among
48,000 New York University applicants to have
been accepted into NYU Shanghai. The University’s newest portal campus was officially
founded in October 2012 from across the world.
After retiring from many years as a science teacher, Ed received the STANYS Fellows Award from the Science Teachers Association of New York State. As well as high school
teacher, Ed served as an adjunct at Mercy College, teaching
astronomy and geology from 1985 to 2008. He received an
award for outstanding teacher and dedication in 1997. During
the summers from 1990 to 1995, Ed coordinated “hands-on”
science institutes for elementary school teachers at SUNY
Purchase. Currently, he is an independent consultant in science education.
As part of his admissions package, Bullock
recently visited Shanghai on an all-expenses
paid trip to attend Campus Day.
“The trip to NYU Shanghai opened my eyes to an expansive
and promising horizon,” he said. “Through the explication of
Shanghai as a vital economic center of the world, I realize
that globalization is the key to international business success
in this ever-changing world.”
Dennis Kenny ‘56
This past September, Dennis Kenny, class of 1953 was honored by the Feerick Center for Social Justice at their 2012
awards and benefit reception held at Mutual of America, Park,
Avenue, New York, City. Dennis is a retired vice president and
general counsel of Transamerica Leasing, Inc and has been
among the most visible advocates for the goals of the Feerick
Center. After a highly respected career as counsel to one of
the world’s largest transportation equipment companies, he
became involved with several center programs, including the
creation of a mediation center in the West African Republic of
Ghana, The Social Justice Lecture Series at Fordham Law
School and the original center meetings that ultimately led to
the creation of the Attorney Emeritus Program in New York
State. Early in his legal career, Dennis provided pro bono
counsel to Freedom Riders in the south. All at Stepinac
congratulate Dennis on his reception of this most deserved
honor from Fordham University’s School of Law.
Named this year’s valedictorian, Trevor plays an active role
within the Stepinac community. He is a member of the International Club, Crusaders for Life Club, National Honor Society,
Rotary Interact Club, Spanish Club, Campus Ministry and
volunteers his Sunday afternoons at Sunrise Living, a local
senior living facility in his hometown of Yonkers.
“We are incredibly proud of Trevor and the amazing opportunities that have been given to him as a result of his hard
work and dedication to academics and the community,” said
Principal Paul Carty. “Hopefully his trip gave a better understanding of the education concepts of NYU Shanghai as he
continues to decide where he will pursue his education after
graduation.”
Trevor was also accepted into Yale (where he will attend),
Notre Dame, Carnegie Mellon and the NYU Stern School of
Business. He is planning to pursue his studies in business
and finance.
Tony DeMatteo ‘60
The legendary high school football coach
celebrated his 300th career victory this
year. Tony is the winningist football coach in
Section 1 (Westchester, Rockland, Putnam
Counties) and fourth all time in New York
State. Tony started at Roosevelt HS and
is now the head football coach at Somers
High School. All at Stepinac congratulate
him on his truly outstanding achievement
.....oh and by the way, Trevor achieved a perfect score of 800
on the Math 2 SAT exam.
Anthony Miro
Receives the President’s Volunteer Service Award. This award, presented to
senior Anthony Miro, is an award which
recognized Americans of all ages who
have volunteered significant amounts of
their time to serve their communities and
their country. The honor was bestowed
by the Prudential Spirit of Community
awards program on behalf of President
Barach Obama. In addition to community service, Anthony
is involved with the National Honor Society, tutoring more
students than any other member, as
well as working on the school yearbook
and supporting many of the school’s
administrative events.
Neil Pagano ‘61
This March, Neil was elected Mayor of Port
Chester defeating incumbent Mayor, Dennis
Pilla. Neil is owner of C.J. Pagano Real Estate Appraisal and Insurance Company in Port
Chester, a firm founded by his father in 1930.
Prior to his election as Mayor, Neil had been
active in many phases of village government.
5
Year of Faith Lecture Series
Stepinac Students Play Santa
On Thursday evening, February 7th Fr. Tom
Collins presented a lecture, the second of a
year-long series, on “Preparing for Lent and
the Easter Tridium”. This lecture was part of
the year of faith declared by Pope Benedict
XVI to provide a focus for meditation, as well
as preaching and teaching.
The Stepinac football program collected toys for its annual
toy drive at its football dinner on December 4th. Over 80 toys
were delivered during Christmas week to El Centro Hispano
De White Plains at St. Bernard’s Church. Students involved
included, among others, Mike Carlucci and Jason Kennedy
from Elmsford, Sheldon Salmon from Mt. Vernon, Brian Harris from Bronxville, Anthony Coralo from Yonkers, and Tim
Hill, John Fitzmaurice, Liam O’Donnell, Robert Bambil, all
from White Plains. Three boys, Jonathan Joseph, Omose
Ogala, and Vinick Dias, were part of another group of Stepinac students collecting gifts for
needy children as part of the “Toys
for Tots” program. Over 100 toys
were collected and presented to
volunteers from the Marine Corps
who distribute the toys in this most
worthy program.
Campus Ministry
Stepinac’s Fr. Justin Cinnante serves as campus minister, and
as a spiritual coach and guide. He is always
available to hear confessions during the week.
Father Justin also holds a student and faculty
mass every Friday starting at 8 a.m., and also
during every lunch period every Friday anyone
in the school can join together in taking part in
adoration. Campus ministry has a number of
events and activities throughout the year such as: retreats
for different grade levels, mid-night runs, food drives, field
trips to the ministry and the pro-life march in Washington
D.C., Hurricane Sandy relief, and bake sales. Fr. Justin also
had a very well known guest speaker visit our school, Justin
Fatica from Hard as Nails Ministry. We thank Fr. Justin and
the students who participate in the campus ministry activities.
They truly are doing God’s work.
Stepinac Supports “Autism Speaks”
Stepinac has received a commendation from the Metro NY
Director of “Autism Speaks” for the school’s
support of their program and its mission to
find the causes, effective treatment and,
ultimately, cure of autism disorders. “Autism
Speaks” also seeks to raise public awareness
about autism and its effects on individuals,
family, and society and to bring hope to all
who deal with the hardships of this disorder.
Stepinac’s Rotary Interact Club
The Rotary Interact Club, in conjunction with the White Plains
Rotary Club had a very successful
year of volunteer activities whose
highlights include: The American
Cancer Society’s Making Strides
to End Breast Cancer. Aside from
the walk, which was attended by
over forty Stepinac students, and
raised close to $2,000.00, the
rotary Interact Club students promoted the cause by creating a “Wall of Hope” where students
could purchase a card, writing the name of someone they
know who has battled breast cancer, to be displayed on a wall
in the cafeterias, sold stickers, temporary tattoos, and finally,
sponsored a “dress down in pink” day raising additional funds.
Another activity the club sponsored was a used cell phone
drive to donate cell phones to the organization: “Cell Phones
for Soldiers”. The students collected a number of phones to
be donated. A few of our sophomores were selected to attend
the Rotary Leadership Youth Forum, a weekend of interactive
leadership events. The White Plains Rotary Club sponsored
the students so they could attend at no cost to them.
Hurricane Sandy Relief
Stepinac Students Remember the Homeless at ThanksgivingThis past Thanksgiving, Stepinac students collected food
for the homeless in the Bronx, Led by our Campus minister,
Fr. Justin Cinnante, 15 students delivered food baskets for
the homeless on the day before Thanksgiving. Fr. Justin said
that Stepinac students try to do some charitable work once a
month. Recently, he went with 40 students to Staten Island
to help those affected by Hurricane Sandy.
Stepinac’s “Souper” Bowl
As the Super Bowl in New Orleans drew near, students at
Stepinac were participating in their annual “Souper” Bowl
in which they collected thousands of cans of food that would
help local organizations. In 2012, the students collected
50,000 cans of food which were donated to Grace Church
Community Center in White Plains and Don Bosco Community Center in Port Chester. For 2013, school president,
Fr. Collins, lowered the goal to 30,000 cans, not because he
didn’t think they could reach the 50,000 mark, but because
the students had provided valuable community service during
the holiday and hurricane Sandy relief efforts. In that time,
they donated thousands of cans to those in need in the Bronx,
Staten Island, and Westchester County.
6
Students in the News
Alumni In The News / Class Notes
Con Ed Award Winners
William McCord ‘62 - aka Billy Vera
This year, Billy received a Grammy Award for best album
notes for Ray Charles’s “Singular Genius”.
Previously, he had received 3 Grammy nominations. Two for best historical album for the
rhythm and blues box: “30 Years of Rhythm
and Blues” and one for Ray Charles’s “Genius
and Soul: The 50th Anniversary Collection.”
Josh James
Stepinac senior, Joshua James, scoring leader on the varsity
basketball team, received Con Ed’s Athlete
of the Week award in January. The award
recognizes excellence in athletics, academic
achievement, leadership, citizenship, and
school and community activities. Joshua won
MVP honors in the Christmas holiday slam
dunk tournament held at the County Center.
He led Stepinac to its 2nd slam dunk title in
the past 2 years. Joshua spends significant time volunteering for youth clinics. He works with youngsters in Coach Tim
Philp’s summer, Christmas, and Easter basketball camps as
well as refereeing basketball games at the Theodore Young
Recreation Center in White Plains. He will play for Monmouth
University in the fall on a full basketball scholarship. Joshua
also had received scholarship offers from Iona, Manhattan,
St. Peters and other Division 1 schools.
Tom DiSessa `62
On Tom’s visit to Stepinac for his 50th class reunion, he
presented the school with a 28 x 28 inch framed picture of
Cardinal Stepinac. Tom got this picture on his visit to Zagreb
Croatia in 1999 and believes this print was signed by the photographer. We thank Tom for his wonderful gift to our school.
Tom Kline ‘62
Tom Kline, class of 1962, has created a documentary based on
his time in Vietnam, called “Engineers at War” On Christmas
1969, Tom was on the other side of the
world, serving as a 2nd lieutenant in the
army. As an army engineer, he supervised
60 young men building roads and bridges
in hostile territory. Previous roads had
been built by the French and were in poor
shape from monsoons. Ambush was a
constant threat to Tom and his men and
before they could begin to work each day,
they had to sweep for mines. Tom’s documentary combines
audiotapes with super 8mm movies he filmed driving around
the countryside while supervising the soldiers in his charge
as part of the 84th Engineer Battalion in the Army Corps of
Engineers. Vito Pinto, Director of the Westchester County
Veterans Service Agency, said he would like to see Tom’s
film incorporated into the educational materials at the Westchester Veterans Memorial and Museum in Lasson Park.
Tom received two Bronze Stars, The Army Commendation
Medal, and a Civil Works Medal from the Vietnamese people.
Stepinac is very proud of this most distinguished patriot.
James Decker
Senior James Decker was designated a Con Ed Award
winner in March. The Con Ed Athlete of the
Week recognizes students in Westchester and
Putnam Schools who excel athletically and
academically. Leadership, citizenship, school
and community service are also factors.
James will be attending Fordham University on an academic scholarship, majoring in
communication. His future plans include the
possibility of his becoming a sports announcer or sports writer.
Honors and Awards
Dan Hoffer
This past September, Stepinac quarterback Dan Hoffer, was
honored by the Journal News by being selected to their 2012 Super 11 football team. Dan
was also honored by being named The White
Plains Examiner Fall Athlete of 2012. During
his first season as a varsity starter, Dan threw
for a team best 1282 yards and 11 touchdowns.
Dan was offered full scholarships to Maine
University and Wagner College, as well as a
partial Scholarship to Marist College. Other
schools showed a strong interest in him, including the University of Pennsylvania and Monmouth University.
Dan is a three sport athlete, playing football, basketball and
baseball. In February, Dan made his decision and choose to
attend the University of Maine.
Bob Hyland ‘63
Bob Hyland, a member of Stepinac’s Foundation Board, was
honored for his productive collegiate career by the Atlantic
Coast Conference, where he played at
Boston College in Chestnut Hill. Bob
was selected to the 2012 ACC Football
Class of Legends. At Boston College,
he was a standout offensive lineman
and went on to be drafted ninth overall
by the Green Bay Packers in the 1967
NFL Draft. Bob played in the NFL from
1967 to 1977 for the Packers, Chicago Bears, New York
Giants, and the New England Patriots.
7
The Healthcare Educational Forum
From The Alumni Association
The Healthcare Educational Forum is a club intended to enlighten students who are interested in careers in healthcare.
It is run by Mrs. Annie Norris, the program counselor for the
nurse apprentice program at White Plains Hospital, and Mrs.
Monica Purdy, a registered nurse who is the nursing liaison
for White Plains Hospital. The club is moderated by guidance
counselor Mrs. Cynthia Kilkelly.
Dear Alumni and friends of Stepinac,
As I pulled into the driveway on the north side of the building I
was surprised to see a huge crane lifting a large box-like load that
was carefully placed on the roof of the Major Bowes Theatre. I
could hardly believe my eyes. Finally, after more than 60 years,
the theatre at Stepinac was about to be air conditioned! When Fr.
Tom Collins was appointed President of Stepinac he promised
that this day would come. And, sure enough, it did! Not only the
theatre but the gym is now air conditioned, also.
During club meetings, which usually take place once a month,
Mrs. Norris and Mrs. Purdy provide information about reputable careers such as nursing, physical therapy, respiratory
therapy, dentistry, and pharmacy, with a special emphasis
on nursing. They bring healthcare professionals to school as
guests who share their passion for their careers. This year,
the students in the club along with students from Ms. Nora
Bucaj’s anatomy and physiology class went on a tour of White
Plains Hospital’s operating rooms and pathology lab where
students were able to examine specimens of diseased organs.
They also attended information sessions introducing them to
the roles of nurses, respiratory therapists, physical therapists,
occupational therapists, speech pathologists, and the field of
cardiology, specifically brain freezing. Not only do Mrs. Norris
and Mrs. Purdy inform students about healthcare careers, but
they also teach the basics of healthcare. They show students
how to measure pulse rates and blood pressure, teach first-aid
information such as the ABCs of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), explain how to recognize the signs of a stroke,
and discuss the implications of diabetes.
Since becoming an independent school Stepinac is now the
master of its own destiny. Alumni returning to Stepinac are impressed by the improvements being made to the physical plant.
The turf field is incredible! Classrooms have been upgraded with
the latest electronic teaching aids. New theatre seats give the
auditorium the look of a “Broadway house”! And so much more.
Perhaps most importantly, the “Spirit of Stepinac” has reached a
new high. Under the dynamic leadership of Fr. Collins, supported
by a dedicated Board of Trustees and the Stepinac Foundation,
our student body continues to grow. Our student/athletes constantly amaze both on and off the field, and our drama department
keeps winning praise from all areas. This Fall we will welcome
over 20 students from the Republic of China and South Korea,
the diversity of our student body expands even further.
They also encourage juniors and seniors to apply to the
nurse apprentice program at White Plains Hospital which
allows students to work as assistants to the nurses over the
summer. So far, five students from Stepinac have been nurse
apprentices through this very competitive program. This year’s
graduating senior and class salutatorian, Mark Soriano has
been accepted to the nurse apprentice program and will attend Pace University’s School of Nursing in the fall. In addition, this year three of Stepinac’s seniors and club members
are graduating and entering nursing programs in the fall at
nearby colleges. While this club is mainly focused on nursing,
students have also pursued careers in other healthcare fields.
For example, this year we have numerous students pursuing
college programs in Pre-med, Physical Therapy, Speech and
Language Pathology, Pharmacy, and we have a past club
member who is taking a coordinated BA/MD program, which
grants the bachelor’s and doctor of medicine degrees.
With all of the good news coming from 950 Mamaroneck Avenue
our alumni can be justly proud. Were it not for the generous support provided by alumni through the recently completed Capital
Campaign and the Annual Fund, many of the improvements we
have seen would not have been possible.
I urge you to come visit Stepinac if you are in the area or visit our
web site at www.stepinac.org to get a feel for what is going on
with our Alma Mater. For those of you not able to visit, we have
begun to reach out to you with various regional receptions. This
year we were in Boston and Saratoga Springs, NY and we look
to have 4-5 regional receptions in the coming year.
I also ask that you continue your financial support, support that is
critical to Stepinac’s future as an independent educational institution providing the very best Catholic education to young men in
our area. Stepinac is a school in which you are justly proud with
the promise of a bright future in the years to come.
This year, the Healthcare Forum has reached out to serve the
needs of others in dire need by attending the Hudson Valley
Blood Donors Program and assisting in facilitating a Blood
Donor Day at Stepinac.
Dick Nagle ‘59
President
Stepinac Alumni Association 8
Coach Tim Philp Resigns
Alumni In The News / Class Notes
Tim Philp, class of 1995, has resigned as Stepinac’s varsity
basketball coach. He indicated
that this was a difficult decision.
He loves coaching at Stepinac,
but felt that he needed to spend
more time with his young and
growing family. His daughter,
Emma, will turn 3 in September
and Christopher James, was
born in July. Tim has coached at Stepinac for 10 years including 9 as the varsity coach. His teams compiled a 138-103
record and won the CHSAA A Championship in 2010, as well
as slam dunk titles in 2010 and 2012. Tim was named the
Journal News Westchester/Putnam Coach of the Year after
the 2010 season and won the CHSAA’s top coaching honor
this season. His crusaders went 20-8 in their second season
in the AA Division and advanced to the semi-finals for the first
time since 1986. We thank Tim for his exemplary coaching
and dedication to Stepinac and wish him and his family all
the best.
Tom Carroll ‘72
Tom fulfilled a nearly four decade dream
this year when he appeared - and won - on
Jeopardy. Tom, who works in Yonkers with
the New York State Courts, joked with host
Alex Trebek that he first tested for the game
show 37 years ago.”Someone finally came to
their senses and asked me to come on,” Carrol joked. Carroll
went into Final Jeopardy, with a large lead. He won with a
total prize of $32,000.
Chris Valente ‘72
Chris’s 3rd grandchild, Mariabella, was born this past November. He is now a semi-retired dentist, enjoying much more
time with his grandchildren.
Vincent Cascio ‘74
Steve Herman Named New Coach
This past year, Vincent Cascio was appointed United
States Administrative Law Judge in White Plains, New York.
Steve Herman has been named the new varsity head basketball coach. Herman, who most recently
had been the Head JV Basketball Coach and
Varsity Assistant at Fordham Prep will take
over at the start of the 2013-2014 season.
He succeeds Tim Philp who recently stepped
down after ten years.
Mark Maiello ‘75
After an exemplary 17 year career as a
radiation and health physicist for Pfizer
Corporation, Mark will be taking on a new
position with the New York City Department
of Health in its radiological operations unit.
This unit does work related to nuclear and
radiological terrorism. We wish Mark great
success in this new and significant appointment and we look forward to his future visits to our Career
Day presentations.
“Stepinac is very pleased with its selection of Coach Herman
as the next coach,” said Stepinac President Father Thomas
Collins. His energy, enthusiasm and knowledge of the game
was what led us to our final decision.”
Over a two-week time period a search committee reviewed
over 50 resumes and chose eight candidates to interview.
“The final four candidates were very qualified and it made our
decision extremely difficult,” continued Father Collins. “In the
end, we all believe that we made the right choice for Stepinac
and the future of our varsity basketball program.”
Mike Molinelli ‘77
Last fall, Mike Molinelli, class of 1977 presented a series of
talks on religion and architecture. The 3 talks in the series
were given at St. Theresa’s in Briarcliff Manor. Topics included
“From Whence Comes Beauty”, “Light, Loft, and Craft”, and
“How to Read a Church”. Mike also made presentations on
historical preservation in Westchester and architectural history
at various venues including: The Rye Historical Society, The
Yonkers Historical Society and the Scarsdale Adult School.
This is not Herman’s first experience with Stepinac. From
1991-1994, he was the JV basketball coach and each year,
Herman helped advance the Stepinac team to the CHSAA
semifinals.Herman is a graduate of Holy Cross College, where
he played basketball under legendary Coach George Blaney.
Herman is also a Fordham Prep graduate, where he became
the school’s 4th leading all-time scorer.
9
Stepinac Unveils New
Mastronardi Foundation Technology Center
Hall of Fame Committee
Announces Class of 2013 Inductees
This fall, Stepinac opened
its new cutting-edge,
Mastronardi FoundationTechnology Center, to
prepare students for life in
the digital world.
The 1300 square foot
center offers students 32
windows based PC’s and
8 Macs with a wireless router in the center. The room also
has 20 work stations with access to the ethernet for students
who bring their own computers to the center.
The bulk of the cost for the center was paid by a donation from
the Charles A. Mastronardi Foundation, a principal benefactor of the school which has contributed more then 1 million
dollars for school renovations over many years. A portion of
the cost was provided by donations from Stepinac alumni.
Mr. Richard Nagle ‘59
Alumnus, Benefactor, President of the Alumni
Association and Founder of the Alumni Theatre
A wall was removed to create a large space combining the
previous center with an adjacent classroom. The room’s
floor is slightly elevated so wires run beneath the center,
making future upgrades possible as technology advances in
future years.
The Molinelli Brothers
Eugene ‘69, Michael ‘77, Bruce ‘80
Alumni, Benefactors, Lawyer, Architect, Doctor
(respectively)
The new technology center dubbed “The Mastronardi Foundation Technology Center” is
double the size of the previous
center. The software loaded
on the school’s machines
includes: Eclipse - a software
tool set popular among professional programmers, as
well as, Microsoft Office Suite,
I-Movie, I-Photo, and Vision
Pro. “ We have created an
optimal environment for students to use the same technology
that is being used at colleges, universities and workplaces”
said Patricia Murphy, Stepinac’s Director of Technology. She
indicated that the school decided to go multi-platform so that
students planning to pursue careers in graphics or film editing
can use the industry standard Macs.
Mr. Marty Conlon ‘86
Alumnus, Benefactor, Professional Basketball Player,
executive with the NBA
Mrs. Margaret Kolman-Mandle
Timothy Cardinal Dolan Service Award Recipient
Thursday, November 7, 2013
6:30 PM
Archbishop Stepinac High School
The technology center
was designed by Molinelli
Architects based in Briarcliff
Manor and built by Scully
Corporation in White Plains.
The principals of the two
companies are alumni of
Stepinac - Mike Molinelli
(class of 1977) and Jim Scully (Class of 1980). Jim is president
of Stepinac’s Foundation Board and a member of the Board
of Trustees. Mike is also a member of the Foundation Board
and a past president of the Alumni Association.
for more information or tickets
contact Paul Thomas
[email protected]
914.946.4800 x 245
10
Don Larkin, ‘The Lark”
Celebrates A Half Century
That’s how long Don Larkin has
been working at Archbishop Stepinac High School in White
Plains. He started (Fall of 1963)
as a language teacher and later
coached basketball and soccer
before becoming athletic director.
Today he is the Student Activities
Coordinator, and the first Stepinac faculty
member to reach 50 years of service.It
was announced that Stepinac has created
the Don Larkin Scholarship. Stepinac is
accepting donations toward the
scholarship, which will be matched by an
anonymous alumnus up to $125,000.
The Lark with some of his former players
“Don Larkin is uniquely qualified to have a scholarship in his
name,” said Dennis Buckley, vice president
of Advancementt at Stepinac. “He is our first
faculty member to have reached 50 years.
His passion for our school is amazing. In
addition to the teachers, he is loved by all
students.” Larkin, who lives in Bardonia in
Rockland County, planned to retire but was asked to stay as
student activities coordinator.
Board members; Maggie Kolman-Mandle, Jim Scully ‘80, The Lark,
Tom D’Agostino, Ron ‘76 and Donna DeSoiza ‘
Larkin said: “It is really humbling. To me, it’s not really about
how many years I’ve worked here at Stepinac. It is more
about the number of students’ lives I hope I have impacted in
a positive way. From the moment I first entered the doors of
Stepinac High School in 1963, I was
amazed at how friendly and amiable
a place this was for the students and
the entire community. I’ve always
been happy here and I have loved,
and still love what I do.”
Mike ‘77 & Regina Molinelli, Ron Tedesco ‘57, John ‘82 & Patrice Butala ‘
A reception was held for Don on June 21st at his home away
from home-Stepinac . The 21st was a very busy day for Don.
He was honored by both Westchester County and the City of
White Plains, where it was declared,
“Don Larkin Day”! The common lobby
of the auditorium and gymnasium was
named - Donald P. Larkin Hall, “The
Lark” for short.Contributions towards
the Larkin Scholarship are still being
accepted. Note that Don is not retiring,
but just celebrating a milestone.
Mayor Roach,Don and Fr. Collins
Upper left; Don in ‘63 and ‘13, second left; Fr. Collins, Don, Board of Trustees Chairman Bill Plunkett ‘58, Deputy Westchester County Executive Kevin Plunkett ‘67, third left; Dennis Bucley ‘82
and Don Fourth left; Don, Fr. Collins, Event Chairmen -Tom Lindgren ‘74 and Frank Henderson
‘81, bottom left;Don with former colleagues;Gene Doris, Bill Kane ‘66, Tom Murray
11
Don and Mike O’Donnell
Faculty Highlights
Joe Lore ‘02, Art Department
Next year, Joe will be expanding the art program to
include a senior elective course in architecture. His
work was seen once again on stage for the spring
production of Evita. His set design was awarded
a nomination for best scenic achievement by
the Metropolitan High School Theatre Awards
an award he won last year for his set in Phantom of the
Opera. Joe was awarded as a “Westchester Wonderkind” by
Westchester 914 Magazine as one of the top people to watch
in business under 30 for his design company - for more
information on his company see www.joeloredesign.com.
Fr. Justin Cinnante, Campus Minister
Fr. Justin went to Rome for Holy Week services this year. In addition to holding retreats
and organizing midnight runs to New York
City with our students as part of his campus
ministry, Fr. Justin serves as an Assistant
Director of Vocations for the Archdiocese and
as the Westchester representative for the
Archdiocesan youth office.
Maria Chiocchio, Guidance Department
Maria obtained advanced certification in
educational leadership at SUNY Stony Brook
and passed her certification exams for New York
certification in school building leadership.
Maria also received a grant to attend the
college clinic in May.
Anthony Frabizzio ‘07, English Department
In May, Anthony was awarded the Dr. Alice
Griffin Fellowship for English at Lehman
College.
Mike O’Donnell, Athletic Director
Mike was recently honored in Westchester
Magazine as Westchester’s Best High School
Coach.
Elliott Lipner, Science Department
Elliot received his Masters in Science
Education in June.
Bijan Maleki, Language Department
After working as an analyst of global public financing for
a Spanish investment bank, Bijan decided to pursue his
passion for teaching and language. This summer, he will
be traveling throughout Brazil, volunteering and brushing up
on Portuguese.
Ines Silva, Science Department
Ines is pursuing her Masters in Education this
summer and is the first student in Iona’s 5 year
MST program in Chemistry.
Robert Yapchanyk ‘04, Music Department
T h i s y e a r, B o b r e c e i v e d h i s M AT i n
music education from Manhattanville
College. He has bought a new home
in Northern Westchester and is getting
married this summer. A masters degree, a
new home, and a wife in the same year. Quite
an accomplishment!!
Chloe Sasson, Music Department
Chloe is an active music director and reed played
in the Westchester area. She is pleased to
report on the steady growth of the Stepinac band.
Chloe will be spending a lot of time at the ocean
this summer and looks forward to continuing
her adaptation and arranging of music for the
Stepinac band.
Robert Russo ‘05, Guidance Department
Bob coached the freshmen basketball team
to a very impressive 15-7 record, reaching
the AA semi-finals. This summer he has
travel plans to the Bahamas, Las Vegas and
North Carolina.
Michele Bendlin, Math Department
Michele gave birth to her second son,
Joseph Christopher this June.
12
Drama Club
Alumni In The News / Class Notes
Drama Club Honored
Robert Bensburg `81
The Stepinac Drama Club was honored by Arts Westchester for providing a theatre program that enriches education.
The award was presented at a luncheon on April 4th at the
Crowne Plaza Hotel in White Plains. It is bestowed on an
artist, individual, group, school, district, or organization that
has, through extraordinary vision and leadership, enriched
arts education in Westchester.
Rob sends us news from Afghanistan. Bob is working with
the army in Kandahar. He chaired a
recent meeting regarding an electrical grid expansion project to get
reliable electrical supply to rural
government district compounds to
promote sustainability in the region.
Currently, diesel fuel generators
are providing electricity and this is
very expensive. Afghan forces are
taking over security responsibilities as U.S. troops are
being drawn down. The hope is a stable environment for
the Afghan people. Bob, one of Stepinac’s many Fr. DiBlasi
fans, tells us he has been living in Mahopac for the last
20 years. He has 3 children and the oldest will be starting
college next year.
(L to R):
Thomas Megan,
Tim Stanson,
Brian McNally,
Stephen McMahon
with White Plains
Mayor Tom Roach
Tim O’Toole ‘82
Tim was named Stanford Men’s Basketball Assistant Coach.
With 20 years of Division I coaching
experience, O’Toole has established a
reputation as a strong in-game tactician
who has coached alongside two of the
winnings coaches in college basketball
history in Mike Krzyzewski and Jim
Boeheim. O’Toole had previously served
as the Director of Operations at Syracuse
last season, joining the program midway
through its Final Four run during his
second stint as a member of the Orange coaching staff.
O’Toole had also served as an assistant coach on Boeheim’s
staff from 1991-95, assisting with scouting and recruiting.
Prior to returning to Syracuse, O’Toole worked as a college
basketball analyst for ESPN and SNY-TV while serving as
the color analyst for St. John’s basketball radio broadcasts.
O’Toole was also active in financial planning, serving as the
Managing Director of Look Capital, an Investment Management Company, and President of Allied Effort, a motivational
consulting company in New York.
Stepinac Theatre Awards Nominations
Stepinac’s production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Evita
earned 9 nominations for the 15th annual
Metropolitan High School Theatre Awards.
They are: Best Actor in a Leading Role Chris Guzman (Che); 2 nominations for
featured ensemble member Nicole Heney
(mistress), Brian McNally (Magaldi); Best
Chris Guzman
Vocal Performance - Jessica Lynch (Eva
Peron), Best Production Number - “Requiem for Evita”’ Best
Lighting Design- Andrew Gmosier; Best Scenic Design - Joe
Lore, June Ricciardi; Best Lobby Display - Nancy Bisogno,
Roxanne Calvello, Joe Venice, Alfred Menna; Technical Merit
Award - Jesse Jehan, sound board operator. Congratulations to the entire cast, director Frank Portanova and Chris
Guzman, who won the award as Best Actor in a Leading Role.
Marty Bowen ‘84
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced the completion
of a project to install two new emergency diesel generators at New York
City’s Grand Central Terminal to help
power emergency safety systems
in the event of a blackout. The New
York Power Authority and Project
Manager, Marty Bowen ‘84, spearheaded the design engineering and
installation of the two 2,000-kilowatt diesel generators, on behalf of the Metropolitan
Transportation Authority (MTA), The nearly $17 million
initiative, funded in large part by a federal grant, is part of
a series of measures authorized by Governor Cuomo to
bolster the state’s critical infrastructure against future extreme
weather events like Super-storm Sandy and other potential
threats to public safety.
Cast & Crew of Evita
In December, Stepinac’s award winning Drama Club
presented “A Christmas Carol”, the musical based on Charles
Dicken’s classic story, with music by Westchester native and
Tony award winner, Alan Menken. The musical included a cast
of 42 students and a staff crew of 39. Female cast members
came from 9 nearby high schools.
13
Admissions
DATES TO REMEMBER
Mr. Patsy Manganelli ‘00
Director of Admissions
OPEN HOUSE I
October 27, 2013
1:00 - 4:00
T.A.C.H.S. EXAM
November 8, 2013
Ambassadors Society
“Crusader For A Day”
SCHOLARSHIP EXAM
February 1 , 2014
Prospective eighth grade students are
invited and encouraged to spend a day
at Stepinac. The Ambassadors Society
is a group of Stepinac students who will
accompany your son(s) during his day
long visit. For more information or to
schedule a visit contact the Admissions
Office at 914-946-4800 ext. 263
OPEN HOUSE II
January 26, 2014
REGISTRATION FOR
THE CLASS OF 2018
March 6 , 2014
Join The Hundreds of Alumni, who donate through Parish Pay!
You choose the account from which your donation is withdrawn, You select how often you make a
gift, You choose the withdrawl date, You choose to Support Stepinac
Its Convenient, Fast and Helps Stepinac
www.parishpay.com
14
Stepinac Golf Outing
Alumni In The News / Class Notes
THANKS to all of our Sponsors!
Thanks to all of our participants and Benefactors. This year’s
Golf Outing was sold out for the first time, and netted over
$55,000 for our Scholarship and Financial Aid Accounts!
Fred Quartlebaum ‘85
Kansas men’s basketball coach Bill
Self named Fred Quartlebaum director
of student-athlete development. Fred
Quartlebaum who has been around
big-time college athletics having worked
at Notre Dame, Iowa State, North
Carolina and St. John’s as a full-time
assistant. Fred played a huge role in the
recruitment of the Carolina team that
went on to win a national championship.
Quartlebaum has a long resume of basketball coaching
experience, which encompasses more than 20 years. Quartlebaum spent six seasons as an assistant coach at St. John’s
under current KU assistant coach Norm Roberts. He was
an assistant coach at Navy (1992-96), Towson (1996-97),
Holy Cross (1997-98) and Fairfield (1998-99) before joining
Matt Doherty at Notre Dame in 1999-2000. He accompanied
Doherty to North Carolina (2000-03) where he played a part in
recruiting five McDonald’s All-Americans that eventually would
win an NCAA title in 2005. After UNC, he was an assistant for
one season under head coach Wayne Morgan at Iowa State
(2003-04) before joining Roberts’ staff at St. John’s.
Brendan Nugent ‘00
The Chicago Bears announced the hiring Tuesday of
o ff e n s i v e q u a l i t y c o n t r o l c o a c h
Brendan Nugent. Nugent worked under
new Bears coach Marc Trestman with
the Montreal Alouettes in 2012 as an
assistant on special teams and offensive
quality control coach. Prior to joining
the Alouettes, Nugent worked for five
seasons (2006-2011) at William & Mary as running backs and
tight ends coach. Nugent began his college coaching career at
the University of Iowa as an undergraduate assistant working
with the offense. Brendan Started his coaching career as a
LB coach at Archbishop Stepinac in 2005. Brendan played at
Stepinac & graduated in 2000. Nugent played college football
at Catholic University for 3 years in Washington DC.
Beer Hole Sponsors
ABM Air Conditionaing
Tee Sponsors
Bay Electrical Contractors
Butterfield 8
All Pro Cleaning & Restoration
Dunne’s Pub
Calculated Fire protection
Statefarm Insurance Amodio’s Nursury
Emmas Ale House Collucci Associates
Stepinac Lady Crusader’s
Beecher Flooks Funeral Home
Francesco’s
Decker Family
Superior Vending
Benfield Electric Supply Hill & Hill
TD Bank Bob Hyland’s Sports Page Pub
Madonia Brothers
Peter Gisondi Painting Co.
Techno Acoustics Briggs Plumbing & Heating McMahon, Lyon,Hartnett Funeral Home
Rye Road House
The Brazen Fox
Broderick Scholarship
MetroTeam Outfitters
S & S Fire Suppression The Pub in Rye Canaan Distributors Corp
OLS Men’s Club
The Dervin Family Thompson & Bender
CitiBank Commercial Banking
Piacente & Stano, CPA’s, LLP
The Fenn Family
TopSide Lacrosse
Class of ‘82
Randy Radelich Class of ‘81
Tre Angelina Restaurant
Dr. Martin Barschi
Spain Agency Inc.
Vintage Bar & Restaurant
Eberlin & Eberlin
TopSide Lacrosse
15
Athletics
Varsity Football
Basketball
Coming off two great season & a trip to the AAA Championship game a year ago, the Crusaders knew there schedule
would be probably the most difficult they have faced in years
with the CHSFL power rating. The Crusaders responded with
a 4-6 year with some close loses, but did have great wins
over Msgr. Farrell, St Joes by the Sea, and Kellenberg. The
season came to a very exciting finish with a huge come from
behind win to beat White Plains on Thanksgiving Day 22-20.
It was the Crusaders 3rd win in a row over White Plains. Off
the field the team worked very hard in the classroom to reach
many high goals they had set for themselves. 11 Stepinac
Football players will be playing College Sports next year. Dan
Hoffer & Tarik Stoval received Scholarships to University of
Maine & Marist. Dan Pomposello accepted a football scholarship to Univ. of New Haven Div. 2. The following athletes
committed to the following schools to play football as well:
Quinn Spencer - Cortland, Jarad Keene-Kean Univiversity,
Matt Schumacher- Kings College, Ryan Burnett- Utica, Sekret
Kukaj-Buffalo State, and Justin Thomas - Kean Univ. Michael
Pizzutti the Crusaders Kicker accepted a scholarship to Albany
to play Soccer & Christian Lopez a WR accepted a scholarship to play Lax at Dominican. We wish all of them the best
of luck on Grid Iron next year.
This year marked a remarkable season for the Stepinac varsity
basketball team as they
finished 20-8.They started off
the season strong,winning the
“Slam Dunk” championship
defeating Mahopac and New
Rochelle.Notable regular season wins continued against; St.
Raymond’s, Burke Catholic, Archbishop Molloy, Iona Prep
(twice), Fordham Prep (twice), Mount, Xaverian, and Holy
Cross.They finished the regular season CHSAA “AA” runners up to Cardinal Hayes with a 12-6 league record.For the
first time since 1986, the varsity made it to the CHSAA “AA”
semi-finals. They defeated Holy Cross in the second round
and St. Raymond in the quarter-finals. The season ended
with a loss to Bishop Loughlin in the semis.
Accolades & Awards: Josh James: 1,000 points, Westchester County Journal News- Player of the Year, Daily
News Manhattan / Westchester- Player of the Year, Michael
Jordan Regional Select game participant, Slam Dunk MVP,
Con-Ed award winner, Monmouth University signee, CHSAA
1st team, White Plains Examiner Winter athlete of the year.
Andrew Murray: Manhattanville signee, Crusader Award
winner. James Decker: Westchester County Journal News
honorable mention, Daily News Manhattan / Westchester
2nd team, Crusader Award winner. Naim Thomas: Daily News
Manhattan / Westchester 2nd team. Tim Philp: CHSAA “AA”
and Daily News Coach of the Year.
Stepinac Victorious in Turkey Bowl Thriller
White Plains led for most of the game, surging to an 18-0
lead early in the second half. But, then, the tide turned and
Stepinac came back with 13 unanswered points to make the
score 18-13 with less than 3 minutes to go in the game. With
White Plains in possession at that point, it seemed that time
might run out on the Crusaders, but Stepinac was not to be
denied. Malcom Major brought down a critical interception.
The team was at mid field at the 2 minute mark. With a balance of running and passing, a drive of 7 plays followed which
culminated in a touch down pass from quarterback Hoffer to
Chrystian Lopez with only 30 seconds left in the game, Stepinac held on for a 19-18 win. Senior running back, Ryan
Burnett, was a stand-out in the second half, collecting many
of his 156 yard rushing total to keep Stepinac in the game
until final victory. Congratulations to Coach O’Donnell, his
coaches, and the team for a magnificent end to the season.
Westchester Coach and Player of the Year.
In April, the Daily News selected Stepinac senior, Josh
James as their basketball player of the year in Westchester
and selected varsity basketball coach
Tim Philp, as coach of the year. Under
Tim’s guidance, the team compiled a 20-8
record. Josh put up significant points
offensively, averaging 17.8 per game with
5 rebounds and 5 assists. He also was
the team’s top defensive player. Congratulations to both on
a magnificent season!
2
0
1
3
S
C
H
E
D
U
L
E
Date
9/7
9/14
9/21
9/28
10/5
10/12
10/19
TBA
11/3
11/9
11/16
11/28
Opponent
Mt. St. Michael
Xavier
St. Anthony
St. John The Baptist
Msgr. Farrell
Chaminade+
Iona Prep*
Fordham Prep
St. Joes Sea~
Playoffs
Playoffs
White Plains^
Site
Home
Away
Home
Away
Away
Home
Home
Away
Home
TBA
TBA
WPHS
16
Time
1:30
1:00
1:30
1:30
7:00
1:30
1:30
TBA
1:30
TBA
TBA
10:30
Key
* Riverso Memorial Game
+ Homecoming Weekend
^ Turkey Bowl
~ Senior Day
Golf
CHSAA Champions
In the past three years the Stepinac golf team has displayed
its potential by making the playoffs each year. During those
three years the team has ridden on the success of its two
seniors John Morrissey and Jack Kavanagh as well as multiple
other players who moved on to college. Stepinac Golf has
returned five of the top seven players from the 2012 team as
well as adding seven talented underclassmen. The returning
players include stand out junior Eric Terminello who is looking
for a repeat to his success last year with the team and in the
individual tournament. Terminello will also be competing in
a number of local amateur tournaments throughout the New
York area. Coach Hogan and Coach Massaroni believe
Stepinac golf will look to mimic last year’s success and most
likely drive further into the playoffs.
Lacrosse
On Friday, May 24th, Stepinac defeated Msgr. Farrell High
School 16-4 to win the
CHSAA Lacrosse championship. The game was
a re-match of last year’s
championship game
which Msgr. Farrell won
9-8. Congratulations to
the team and its coach
James Goldmann.
James received the 2013 CHSAA Coach of the Year award.
He is a Stepinac graduate, class of 2004. During his senior
year at Stepinac, James was team captain, leading scorer and
a CHSAA All-League selection. On May 30th, the lacrosse
team added to its laurels with a 10-8 victory over St. Mary’s of
Long Island in the Downstate Catholic A Championship game.
Track and Field
Stepinac Crusaders competed in the CHSAA NY/BQ
sectionals. Joe Abreu took third in the 400 meter dash.
Matthew Desjardin finished third in the triple jump and fourth
in the long jump.
Wrestling
On November 3rd, 2012, the Stepinac Crusaders Wrestling
Team kicked off its third official wrestling season with a full
and competitive schedule. This year Stepinac had its largest
team participation which consisted of a (35) man roster; (19)
of which were freshman which shows growth and promise
for the program. This is the first year we were able to fill
all (15) weight classes and it showed in our overall record.
The wrestling crusaders ended their season with a 9-7
record improving upon last year’s record. We wrestled (8)
league matches; (2) of them being at home which resulted
in CHSAA wins over Mt. Saint Michael, Salesian, St. Peters
and Xaverian. Unfortunately, due to a rule technicality, we
lost a one point match to Iona Prep. That win would have
placed us 2nd in our Northern Division. Our tournament
accomplishments were just as successful. We placed 1st at
the JV Cities CHSAA Tournament, 3rd at the Hendrick Hudson
Tournament and 3rd at the Nanuet Tournament. This year,
Stepinac had (3) Divisional place finishers who all advanced
to the CHSAA State Tournament which was held in Buffalo,
NY. Brandon Gray @126 lb.(Captain), Koray Turhan @ 170
lb. and Anthony Fontanello @ 195 lb. represented Stepinac
at the State Championship. The wrestling program is still in
its infancy stages; however, we are learning and developing
each year. This summer, many wrestlers will be attending
Wrestling Camps at Cornell, West Point and PA. In the off
season, I run the “Step-Up” Wrestling Club which is well
attended and open to all Stepinac Students. It is a blessing
that all but two wrestlers will be returning to the wrestling
program next year so the future of Stepinac Wrestling looks
very promising. Please come out and support the Stepinac
Wrestling Team.
JV Football
Congratulations to the JV football team for an outstanding season finishing 7-1 overall. From the start of the 2012 season,
the JV team hit the ground running with an exciting come from
behind win over Monroe-Woodbury and continued to dominate
every week thereafter. This young team shows great promise
and potential, winning games decisively against perennial
powerhouses St. Anthony’s and Chaminade. This team is
not only made of great athletes, but also some hard working
honors students. Many of student athletes were on the honor
roll this year and continue to show focus and dedication in
the classroom as well as on the field. Their season was cut
short, however, due to the horrific storm of Hurricane Sandy,
and the playoffs were cancelled. Even though the season
ended on a sour note, they finished first in team defense,
only allowing 95 points and second in team offense, scoring
237 points. We are very excited in watching them grow and
become successful Varsity student athletes. Players to watch
next year: Brandon Coleman QB, Brian Malone LB, Giancarlo
Furio WR/LB, Dwayne Scott OT, Chris Jordan DT, Andrew
Geni WR, Rob Sanders TE.
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Baseball
CJ Farias had an excellent year both at the plate and behind
it. Farias finished the season hitting .425. The pitching staff
returned sophomore ace Dan Meaney. Meaney’s arsenal of
pitches, and ability to throw them all strikes kept hitters at bay.
His various pickoff moves to first helped get the Crusaders
out of several jams throughout the season. Closer Anthony
Giardino single-handedly shortened the game from a 7 inning
game to a 5 or 6 inning game. Giardino’s fastball and sharp
curveball effectively shut the door in every close game. The
Crusaders pulled out two close wins against New Rochelle
rival Iona Prep, completing the sweep and clinching the
division title with a 5-3 victory. In the final game of the regular
season, Dan Meaney, Fransicso Jaile, and Anthony Giardino
wrapped up the undefeated season with a combined no-hitter
against Cardinal Spellman.
Varsity - Varsity Baseball enjoyed another successful season
in 2013. After an up and down
regular season, that included wins
over Iona Prep, Spellman, Regis,
Hayes and Salesian, the Varsity
hit their stride at playoff time. The
Crusaders ended the regular
season by completing a season
sweep of Mount St. Michael,
followed up by a big 2nd round
playoff win over Hoy Cross 3-1.
Skylar Mercado threw a complete game and struck out 13
for the win! The season concluded with a tough 3 game
series against Molloy. Game 2 saw Mercado with another
complete game win with 11 strikeouts, and Vin Fuoco was
the hero with a pinch hit walk off single to win the game! For
the season, Mercado batted .354 with over 30 stolen bases
while compiling 49 strikeouts in 36.2 innings and an ERA of
1.96. He will attend Division 1 Maine University on a Baseball
Scholarship. He will be joined in the college ranks by Chris
Rooney (St. Joseph’s College of Maine) and EJ King (Thiel
College of Pennsylvania). Junior Joe Signore had a great
year offensively posting a .377 average 2 homeruns and a
team leading 26 RBIs. Matt Schumacker was essential to
the pitching staff in both the starting role and relief posting
a 3.10 ERA. The future looks bright for Stepinac baseball
with returning juniors and an extremely successful JV team.
Varsity B Basketball
Stepinac Baseball Honors Tyler Rush and Joe O’Grady
Stepinac officially dedicated the
fan section behind home plate on
the baseball field in memory of
Tyler, class of 2005. The school
also named the press box at
the baseball field in Joe
O’Grady’s name. Both men had
Lauren and Ed ‘76 Rush
significant impact on the
accept dedication plaque
Crusader’s baseball program,
but, unfortunately, both of their lives would be tragically
short. Tyler died last spring in a motorcycle accident and
Joe passed away from cancer in 2010.
JV Baseball
Stepinac High School’s JV baseball team finished its regular
season with a 17-0 record, winning the Bronx-Westchester JV
Baseball championship, and ultimately earning the #1 overall
seed in the playoffs after 2 seeding round winds to improve
to 19-0. The Crusaders entered the 2013 season with high
expectations after returning seven starters from 2012. The
offense was led by cleanup sophomore centerfielder Tyler
Gambardella, who finished the regular season hitting over
.500 and led the team in hit by pitches with 9. Freshman
Richie Wells provided excellent defense and a solid bat hitting
.415 primarily in the 3 spot in the order. Sophomore catcher
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This past winter (2012-2013), a new addition was seen by all
to the athletics program. Varsity B basketball was added to
the list of many athletic programs offered here at Stepinac.
In its first year of existence the Varsity B team or known by
some as the breakfast club due to 6:50 a.m. practices had
over thirty young men try out creating the first ever Varsity
B roster at 15 guys. The team was led by head coach Mike
O’Donnell and assisted by Patrick Massaroni `06 and Max
Magee. The roster consisted of nine seniors and six juniors.
The team played an 18 game schedule, including 16 Catholic
High School Athletic Association (CHSAA) B league games
finishing the regular season with a 6-12 record and 5-11 in
league. The team faced some ups ad downs throughout
the year losing some close battles against some of the top
teams in the league. The first ever home win for the Varsity
B program was in convincing fashion over Iona Prep B with
a 39-27 victory. This season the team was led by seniors
Justin Thomas who averaged nine points a game and Joaquin Spencer who averaged seven points and six assists a
game. Along with Thomas and Spencer, seniors Mike Teelan,
Spencer O’Toole, Danny Sullivan, Sterling Lovelock, Arbnor
Marku, Anthony Miro and Davon Johnson played a key role
leading the team in its first year of existence. Juniors Tommy
Keane, Aidan Guinan, Gabe Dillon, Malik Syriaque, Jake Innominato and Mark Meyna all added highlights throughout
the season and will be part of a core group of guys returning
for an improved season in year two for the Varsity B squad.
Grid Iron Club Dinner
Stepinac Graduates
Serving Their Country in the U.S. Coast Guard
Stepinac held its 2012 Gridiron Club induction at the mansion on Broadway (Knights of Columbus) in White Plains.
Inductees were: Richard Disbow ‘52, honored posthumously,
Kevin Magee, Babe McAuly ‘78, The 1984 Varsity Football
Team, Terence Kehayas ‘01 and the Reily brothers; Beau
‘90, Jim ‘92 and Dan ‘96. Last, and certainly not least, the
club honored Athletic Director and Varsity Football Coach,
Mike O’Donnell. The event drew over 150 people, including
former football players and families. Each individual who was
inducted received a certificate and a Stepinac football helmet.
Cape May, New Jersey is
generally known as a summer
resort destination for those
living in the Mid-Atlantic region,
but what many don’t know is
that Cape May, New Jersey is
home to the United States Coast
Guard’s Recruit Training Center.
R e c r u i t Tr a i n i n g i s m o s t
commonly known as Boot Camp
and the Coast Guard brings all
of its enlisted members (approximately 3,000 annually) in to the Service through the Recruit
Training Center in Cape May. The current Commanding
Officer of Recruit Training is a Stepinac grad. Captain Bill
Kelly ‘83 has been in command of the Base for three years
and will be transferring command this summer as he moves
on to his next duty station in Arlington, VA. Along with Bill
are two other Stepinac grads who serve on board the Base.
Damage Controlman Third Class Ramon Chavez ‘03 works
in the Base’s housing office and plays an important role in
overseeing the smooth operation of the Coast Guard’s third
largest housing community. Along with Bill and Ramon is
Nelson Brown, a ‘62 graduate of Stepinac who has retired to
Cape May and currently serves as a very active member of
the Coast Guard Auxiliary. Nelson volunteers on the Base in
a variety of components and is an integral part of the team
that welcomes in over 30,000 visitors throughout the year as
they arrive at the Base every Friday to see their loved ones
graduate from Recruit Training. Bill, Ramon, and Nelson are
all separated by almost 20 years from their time at Stepinac,
but the spirit of Stepinac is alive and well in the southern
most reaches of New Jersey. If you happen to make it down
to Exit 0 on the Garden State Parkway check in on three
generations of Stepinac men serving their country in the
United States Coast Guard
Art Club
The Art Club this year has been working diligently on a
commissioned piece for Fr. Justin to be installed in the chapel.
Students have designed a mosaic portrait of St. Andrew that
will be placed in the apse side altar chapel. Some members
of the club also assisted the stage crew with the painting of
the set for this year’s spring production of Evita.
A Proud Stepinac Family
John and Mary Regan sent 8 of their 9 children to Stepinac
from the late 1960’s through 1981. Mary died in April of 2012.
John had passed away in 2007. They would have sent their
9th child to Stepinac except for the fact that the 9th child was
a girl. However, as irony goes, she graduated from Our Lady
of Victory in Dobbs Ferry in 1978. For some reason, Victory
could not hold their graduation ceremony on their campus
that year and Stepinac was gracious enough to allow them
to use the Stepinac campus for their graduating class. John
always joked that all of his kids graduated from Stepinac!
We thank Matthew Regan, class of `79, for providing this
wonderful anecdote.
New Archive Room
Stepinac welcomes alumni to its new archive room. There
you can view some Stepinac memorabilia and also, in
comfort, spend time browsing through our full set of Stepinac
yearbooks. It is a room with many memories to be recalled
and treasured!
The Challenge
This year, a team of 4 Stepinac students competed in the
“Challenge” against a team from Thornton-Donovan School
on MSG’s Channel 14. The Challenge is an academic quiz show
that pits the brightest local students
against each other in a four round
elimination. Questions are based
on history, arts, literature, current
events, math, and science. It was a close contest all the way,
but, Stepinac, with a flurry of correct answers on math at the
end, edged out Thornton-Donovan for a 5 point victory.
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William J. Delanoy ‘72
IN MEMORIAM
Billy was born on October 27th, 1954 in White Plains to
Joseph and Lillian DeLanoy. He
was the oldest of four brothers. He
attended St. Johns Grammar School
and graduated from Stepinac in 1972.
He is predeceased by his mother
Lillian and brother James. He is
survived by his beloved wife, Joanne
DeLanoy, who he married on April 30th, 1977, and his three
sons, Christopher ‘96 (Julia), Gregory ‘98, Paul ‘00 (Doreen),
his two cherished grandchildren, Lily and jack, and his two
brothers, Joseph Jr. (fran) and Steven (Mary). Billy joined
the White Plains Fire Department in 1978, following in his
father’s footsteps (1954 - 1989) and was currently at the rank
of Deputy Fire Chief. He served as an elected Executive Board
member of the White Plains Professional Firefighters Local
274. He truly was the heart and soul of the White Plains Fire
Department, his memory will live on with the brotherhood
forever. Billy was an active participant in many community
activities and dabbled a bit behind the scenes in White Plains
and Westchester politics. Baseball has always been his
favorite activity. He worked to improve youth baseball in White
Plains and can proudly say he was one of many co-founders
that brought Little League Baseball to White Plains. He
coached Little League and freshman baseball at Stepinac for
4 years and then revived American Legion baseball in White
Plains and coached for 5 years. With all that he accomplished
through out the community nothing was more important than
his family. His greatest pride was his passion for his wife, three
adoring sons, and most recently his two grandchildren who
brought him more joy than words can ever express.
Mr. Donald E. Popp ‘51
Mr. David Elliott ‘52
Mr. Francis J. Seaman ‘52
Mr. Andrew J. Venitucci-Lagos ‘52
Mr. John J. Donnellan ‘53
Mr. Robert T. Stephens ‘53
Mr. Peter F. Curran ‘54
Mr. Robert M. Jeremiah ‘54
Mr. Robert B. Nixon ‘54
Mr. Roger H. Pivarnik ‘54
Mr. Donald R. Piekarz ‘55
Mr. Michael J. Brennan ‘56
Mr. Francis E. Donahue ‘57
Mr. Robert G. Fetchko ‘57
Dr. William J. Haggerty ‘57
Mr. F. G. McGrath ‘57
Mr. Edward J. Gallagher ‘58
Mr. George L. Munroe ‘59
Mr. Nicholas A. Ceglio ‘60
Mr. Alfred R. Venuti ‘60
Mr. William G. Griff ‘61
Mr. John R. Michels ‘62
Mr. John
J. Carroll ‘63
Mr. Andre J. Dumas ‘64
Mr. Dennis J. Carson ‘65
Mr. Kevin J. Kavanagh ‘65
Mr. Matthew W. Bachmann ‘66
Mr. Francis E. Sniadack ‘67
Mr. John V. Wyan ‘70
Mr. William J. DeLanoy ‘72
Mr. Joseph Brescia ‘74
Mr. Samuel K. Maxwell III ‘74
Mr. William J. Murnan ‘74
Mr. John J. Kelly ‘00
Mr. Brian Cucuta ‘04
Mr. Matthew Stotsky ‘06
Mr. Keith Camacho ‘08
John R. Michels ‘62
John R. Michels, 68, of Londonderry lost his 16
year-battle with leukemia on Feb. 11, 2013. He was born
June 16, 1944, son of Rudolf K. and Ilse G. Michels. He was
raised in Scarsdale, N.Y. He attended
Stepinac and graduated IN 1962, he then
graduated from College of the Holy
Cross in 1966, Harvard Business
School in 1971 and Suffolk University
Law School in 1979.He served as first
lieutenant and served in Vietnam.
He was a state representative for
two terms, constitutional convention
delegate for two terms and a sponsor of the
successful Equal Rights Amendment
and the Right to Know Amendment. He was senior
administrative officer and portfolio manager for Cabot Cabot
& Forbes Land Trust, Boston. In 1976 he founded and served
as president of Michels Development Company, Inc. He was
a partner with his wife, Nancy, in the law office of Michels &
Michels. He enjoyed skiing, sailing, hiking, collecting flags
and license plates. He is survived by his wife, Nancy, to whom
he was married for 40 years; children, Christine, Robert
and Anne.
Memorial Mass
Every fall, Stepinac holds its annual Memorial
Mass. Alumni, faculty, staff and friends gather in
the Chapel of the Holy Spirit where Mass is
celebrated in remembrance of members of the
Stepinac community who have passed away
since our last Mass as well as all members of the
Stepinac family who are no longer with us. This
special tribute to friends and loved ones is held on
the first Saturday of November (November 2) at
10 AM and all are welcome.
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A Year in Pictures
The Class of 2013
Students March in DC at The Right To Life Rally
Jim Scully ‘80 and Family
Nick Dadario
BT Collins Scholar
A scene from Evita
Student section at a Christmas Season Basketball Game
Alumni Hockey Game
Students attend a perfomance of Jersey Boys
Produced by Kevin Kinsella ‘63
Alumni attend the Boston Alumni Reception
hosted by Blake Godbout ‘71
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School Administration
Archbishop Stepinac High School
950 Mamaroneck Avenue
White Plains, New York 10605
914-946-4800
www.stepinac.org
President
Reverend Thomas Collins ‘79
Dean of Students
Mr. Keith Sunderland ‘94
Principal
Mr. Paul Carty
Director of Admissions
Mr. Patsy Manganelli ‘00
Vice Principal for Academics and Curriculum
Mr. Frank Portanova ‘93
Director of Finance
Mr. Thomas D’Agostino
Vice President, Institutional Advancement
Mr. Dennis Buckley ‘82
Stepinac News
Office of Institutional Advancement
950 Mamaroneck Avenue
White Plains, New York 10605
914-946-4800 ext. 245
www.stepinac.org
Editor
Ron Tedesco ‘57
Layout & Design
Paul Thomas ‘80
Contributors
Br. Fred Sambor, FMS
JoAnn Cupertino
Photographers
Mike O’Donnell
Paul Thomas ‘80
R. Allan Schnoor
Ray and Fran Broderick,
This Year’s Turkey Bowl Honorees