welcomes mr. artigas - St. John the Baptist Diocesan High School

The Prophet
St. John the Baptist Diocesan High School, West Islip, NY
October 2015
SJB
Welcomes
Mr. Artigas
Emily Plumacher ‘17
SJB welcomes a new member to our community this fall, Mr. Matthew Artigas. Our new
assistant principal of curriculum, instruction, and student activities, previously worked at Holy Cross
in Flushing, Queens, where he taught Global History and History Media for ten years.
Mr. Artigas grew up in Queens Village, attended Holy Cross High School and went on to receive
his Bachelor’s in Adolescent Education from Iona College, Masters in History also from Iona College,
and a Masters in School District Leadership from St. John’s University. “I am continuing my education
at St. John’s University where I am pursuing a Doctorate in Instructional Leadership,” Mr. Artigas
said.
Mr. Artigas has three brothers and one sister, but out of everyone in his family he said, “My
wife is definitely my biggest supporter as she has always been accommodating with my hectic schedule,
which has not always been easy.” He is looking forward to becoming a part of SJB’s many traditions.
Mr. Artigas said, “Students choose to invest in their future, starting at St. John’s. I want every student
to have the best high school experience and I’m excited to be a part of it.”
This is Mr. Artigas’s first role as a school administrator, and he is just as excited as we are
to have him as a part of our SJB family. He hopes to continue to oversee academics, which he finds
exceptional at St. John’s. “I am extremely proud of the AP scholars as well. They’ve worked hard and
have done a tremendous job.” Mr. Artigas plans on learning from Ms. Doherty as he believes she will
teach him so much from a school administrator’s perspective.
In high school, Mr. Artigas had been a part of Holy Cross’s football team and coached football
for fifteen years. “This is the first time in over twenty years where I am not actively involved with
football,” Mr. Artigas said, but he is a member of the Iona College Goal Club.
Mr. Artigas will have many more teams to support here at St. John’s. He has already attended
Homecoming and like the rest of our school and alumni, he is proud of our varsity football team for
their big win. He plans to attend a game for every team and “definitely will be cheering on all teams!”
Welcome, Mr. Artigas!
Mr. Artigas with the cougar
at Homecoming 2015
3 Clubs, 2 Studios, 1 Goal The SJB Media News Network
By: Stephanie Hahn ‘17
The SJB Media News Network offers many opportunities. Part of our club includes the morning announcements
and the running the equipment behind the camera, working on commercials, inventing new radio segments, writing for
the Prophet, as well as covering most school events. Moderator Mr. Coulanges stated “This club operates well because
of the students. They are extremely dedicated and I couldn’t do it without them.” You can be working behind the scenes
or be the star of the show. Past events that we have covered include the Musical, SJB Dance Show, and sports events/
games. New members to the club learn how to use the equipment in the studio and in the editing lab. Christian Miller
’19 describes the club as “Fun, extremely interesting and he is happy he joined it”. Many of our students produce
commercials, documentaries, public service announcements, and many other videos. We edit and prepare them for
submissions to various film festivals, which we have been the recipient for many awards! Last year Stephanie Hahn ’17,
Emily Plumacher ’17, and Cynthia Dezalon ’16 won first place for a Public Service Announcement on Anorexia. Many
of our SJB alumni that have been a part of this club have gone onto college, majoring in Communications. You can also
join if you just want to have some fun.
Senior Reinaldo Sanchez ’16 says “Throughout
my four years in this club, in my opinion, this is the
best club in SJB; I’ve learned that I would like to go
to college and study media and I am very grateful
for this club.” The experience you will gain here
will enhance your college resume or will allow you
to just have fun. We are 3 clubs, 2 studios and have
1 goal! We always strive to do better on our work
and welcome new people with fresh ideas. Come see
what we are all about every Monday and Wednesday
at 3pm in room 202. We look forward to having
you join our family. Come join the SJB Media News
Network Crew! Our doors are always open. You can
join us at any time throughout the year!
Table of Contents
Cover Story:..........SJB Welcomes Mr. Artigas By: Emily Plumacher ‘17
Page Two:...............3 Clubs, 2 Studios, 1 Goal The SJB Media News Network
By: Stephanie Hahn ‘17
Page Three:...........Come Join the Caribbean Culture Club By: Alexa Cox ‘18
“Partner Up” SJB Media News Network &
St. Vincent De Paul team up By: Liana Rosado ’16
Page Four & Five:.SJB Students Witness Pope Francis By: Billy Smith ‘17
Page Six & Seven: “SJB is Full of Cougar Pride”Spirit Week and
Homecoming Recap By: Cynthia Dezalon ’16
Page Eight: ............Great New Year, Great New Faculty By: Luke Solak ’16
STUDENT
REPORTERS
Alexa Cox ‘18
Billy Smith ‘18
Stephanie Hahn ‘17
Emily Plumacher ’17
(Student Editor)
Cynthia Dezalon ‘16
Liana Rosado ‘16
Luke Solak ’16
MODERATOR
Mr. Carl Coulanges
LAYOUT
Ms. Leone Mathon
EDITOR & PUBLISHER
Administration
C
J
Caribbean Culture
Club
Pictures of the New Library coming in
ome oin the
2016
By: Alexa Cox ‘18
A new club was added to SJB
this year. Moderated by Mrs. Joyner, the
Caribbean Culture club is here among
us. Everyone knows her as the kick line
coach, Sociology and Global teacher;
now you can add this new adventure to
her list.
In this club, you will not only
learn about the ancestry of Caribbean
Culture, but also its food, music, film,
literature, and traditions. Mrs. Joyner’s
favorite holiday is Christmas, because
on the island of Montserrat the natives
throw a huge carnival that lasts for a
few days.
Her favorite tradition on
Christmas night is before the family
heads to mass, they set a table to honor
their deceased relatives called ‘The
Table of the Dead’. Your family makes
the deceased members favorite foods,
drinks and desserts, then lay them out
on the table; along with their photo
and scented candles. After that the
whole family gathers around the table
to welcome them back home for that
night.
Many are unaware of Caribbean
Culture even though it is a multicultural
heritage that includes Irish, Chinese,
Arawak, Indian, and of course
Caribbean.
Mrs. Joyner said the most
beautiful trait about the Montserrat
people is ‘their religious tolerance
and big hearts.’ When she visited the
island she loved how close and friendly
everyone was. She said “It was like they
were all one big happy family.” That is
what Mrs. Joyner wants to bring to this
school, the closeness that the people of
Montserrat share.
Her own heritage is a major
influence in bringing this club to SJB. If
anyone is interested in joining, meetings
are held every other Thursday in room
322. Please stop by to come learn, live,
and enjoy Caribbean culture.
“Partner Up”
SJB Media News Network & St. Vincent De Paul
Team Up
By: Liana Rosado ’16
The Society of St. Vincent de Paul was founded by Frederic Ozanam
in 1833 in Paris, France. With the help of two mentors and many classmates,
Ozanam started the society in order to give back to the poor. Twelve years
after the initial start, the organization expanded to St. Louis, Missouri where
their headquarters are currently located. What makes the organization unique
is that it is an international Catholic lay organization. Women and men can
join together and grow spiritually through offering person-to-person service.
The Society of St. Vincent de Paul has numerous locations in the Midwest,
Southeast, and throughout the entire country. The organization has been on
Long Island for 67 years with their central office in Bethpage, and thrift
stores located in Huntington, Huntington Station and Garden City Park.
Last year, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul established their first
annual Youth Media challenge. The challenge was to create a video from their
stills and footage to capture the activities Young Vincentians participate in.
These activities include collecting items for struggling families, providing
meals to the homeless and hosting parties for people with disabilities. Two of
our alumni, Victoria Martin ’15 and Matt Considine ’15, created the winning
film. “SJB won the video challenge by a landslide! All of us at SVDP were
super amazed by how the Young Vincentian video truly encompassed what
we are all about.” said Nora Aufiero, Donor & Community Engagement
Coordinator for SVDP. After speaking with Mr. Coulanges, the moderator of
the SJB Media News Network, the two came up with starting a partnership.
“It is a win-win situation,” said Mr. Coulanges, “we get to grow from this
experience and give back to the community. I am very excited about this
partnership and what is to come.”
The Media News Network’s role in the partnership is to help the
society with their media-based projects. This includes reporting, filming,
and photographing at various events. Recently, the Media News Network
had two members go to the seventh annual Friends of the Poor Walk held
in Bethpage Community Park. The two members filmed some footage,
interviewed those at the walk, and took photos as well.
On November 18th the society will be partnering up with the
Huntington Chamber of Commerce, the Veteran’s Committee, and the
Women in Business Committee to provide clothing for women and veterans.
The society also has an event called Giving Tuesday where they try to collect
goods in the midst of Black Friday and Cyber Monday. In the past they have
been able to raise $13 million in goods to provide for over 205,000 people.
We are encouraged to help others by donating money, clothing, furniture,
and possibly a car. If these things are not feasible, students in grades 7-12
can volunteer as Young Vincentians. Young adults, college students and
adults can sign up to be a Vincentian where one can travel to parishes and
get involved on a deeper level.
SJB Students Witness Pope Francis! SJB Students Witness Pope Francis!
By: Billy Smith ‘17
Several SJB students were given a tremendous opportunity on September 24th and 25th – to
travel to New York City and be a part of Pope Francis’ visit to the United States. The Archdiocese
of Rockville Centre presented SJB with several tickets to attend special events on Thursday and
Friday. A lottery was conducted at SJB to select interested students to be the lucky winners.
On Thursday many students attended a Live Stream event of the Pope praying the Evening
Prayer at the Vespers Service on at Our Lady of Good Counsel Church in Manhattan. The church is
near St. Patrick’s Cathedral where the Service took place. At the service the Pope spoke about the
two pillars of the spiritual life – gratitude and hard work. He reminded the crowd to ask themselves
if we as God’s people had truly counted our blessings, or had we forgotten how to do that and show
our gratitude to God. Among the group of students who attended was Seniors Martin Moellendorf
& Brigid Fitall, Juniors Katie Garvey & Erin Winslow.
On Friday evening, Pope Francis celebrated Mass in Madison Square Garden. It was an
incredible experience for 20,000 people who witnessed the Holy Father help to transform Madison
Square Garden into a wonderful spectacle of God’s love. Four students from SJB chosen to attend
this once in a lifetime event were Juniors Ian Mullaney, Cameron McCauley, Isabelle Teston, and
Brianna Russo.
The students were also accompanied by Father Rob, our school Chaplain, and Campus
Minister Ms. Maddelena.
Students and teachers shared their reaction about attending both events. Seeing the Pope in
person was a life changing event for them. Isabelle Teston stated that it was so special, “everyone
at the Mass was crying” at having the chance to see the Holy Father. Ms. Maddelena said “you
SJB Students Witness Pope Francis! SJB Students Witness Pope Francis!
could feel the Pope’s presence around you”. She was especially touched with Pope Francis’
homily in which he reminded those in attendance that Jesus still walks the streets of New York
City and is part of the lives of His people.
Ms. Hall was among the 80,000.00 people who saw the pope in Central Park. She said “It
was an overwhelming experience to be in his presence and I will be forever grateful to be given
this opportunity to see the Pope”. Cameron McCauley and Ian Mullaney believed the trip to see
Pope Francis has helped to “Reaffirm their faith by providing a perfect example of what you are
supposed to do in your life.” Brianna Russo sees the Pope as “A real person because he asked the
congregation at Friday’s Mass to pray for him.”
The Pope’s visit to New York was part of a nine-day trip to Cuba and the United States.
In addition to Friday’s Mass at MSG, Pope Francis addressed the 70th annual meeting of the UN
General Assembly. He spoke about environmental destruction, poverty, and human suffering.
Pope Francis also spoke at the National September 11th Memorial and Museum at the site of the
Twin Towers. Before Friday’s Mass, he toured Central Park, along with thousands of excited
followers. Everywhere he went, Pope Francis gave countless blessings and embraced the people,
and those present responded with love, amazement and adoration. This was a once in a lifetime
experience for those fortunate to attend any of the events. Congratulations to those receiving an
opportunity to go, and we hope you had a wonderful and uplifting experience!
“SJB is Full of Cougar Pride” Spirit Week and Homecoming Recap
“By: Cynthia Dezalon ’16
“Everybody do the Cougar Rumble! Everybody do the Cougar Rumble! Cou-gar, Rum-ble! Cou-gar,
Rum-ble!” If you do not know this famous cheer, you must not be a member of the SJB Community.
It was that time of year again, Spirit Week and Homecoming. This was exciting because as a school,
a community, and as a family, we came together to celebrate St. John the Baptist. The week was filled
with thrilling events happening each day.
On Monday, September 28, 2015, students and faculty came in with their team jerseys. People were
proud to wear their team jerseys from SJB teams to the Islanders, New York Knicks, and the New York
Giants. Tuesday was Holiday Craze. There were many red shirts, striped socks, and ugly Christmas
sweaters. There were even bunny sweaters and someone dressed as Uncle Sam for the Fourth of July.
Honestly, there should have been representation for Arbor Day, Earth Day, or Groundhog Day. The
groundhog cannot be forgotten. The following day, Wednesday, was the traditional Color War Day.
Each grade was assigned a color to represent. The freshman class was assigned purple, sophomores
were assigned orange, juniors were green, and seniors were pink. For the first time ever in SJB history,
students were allowed to spray paint their hair and wear face paint. One sophomore had half of his face
painted orange and the other half clear. The seniors were the pinkest of pinks. There were pink shoes,
shirts, and hair. Some came in looking suave and casual in pink.
Thursday was the highly anticipated Decades Day. Almost similar to the Color War, each
class was assigned a different decade. The freshman had the “Snazzy” 60’s; the sophomores had the
“Boogie” 70’s, the juniors had the “Fresh and Gnarly” 80’s, the seniors had the “Fabulous and Classic”
50’s. Many students were very creative that day. There were students dressed as characters from Star
Wars and Grease. There were hippies and flower children. With the clank of heels, some students
were dressed as 1950’s housewives; there was even a James Brown, Audrey Hepburn, and a Rosie the
Riveter.
The final day of the school week before Homecoming, was our Pep Rally Day. Sadly, it was
pouring rain outside, but that did not stop the spirit out of the school. The day was still a delight.
As the morning began, students received their class shirts. The competition between the four classes
commenced. Different activities were done that day. One of the first activities was the physical
competitions involving Tug-A-War, Can Jam, and Rock, Tree, Bridge. Emily Brierly, part of the class
of 2016, won Can Jam after multiple attempts at throwing the Frisbee into the slot of the can. The
seniors also won Rock, Tree, and Bridge.
After the physical challenges came the mental challenges. Intensity was rising as Trivia was
being played. Who would press the button first? Were the buttons working well? Who would answer
the question and would they answer it correctly? Questions were racing and people were wondering.
Then there was a new formation of groups. The freshmen and the sophomores were placed in one group
and the juniors were with the Seniors in the auditorium. In the auditorium, the pep band played songs
such as “I Feel Good” and ““Watch Me (Whip / Nae Nae)”. They did an amazing job. Well done Pep
Band. Also, the class banners were presented for the first time. The theme this year was Disney Pixar.
The Class of 2019 presented Up, the Class of 2018 had Finding Nemo, the Juniors presented Monsters
Inc., the Seniors presented Toy Story. The banners looked wonderful this year. As the total scores for
each class were being read, the juniors found out that they were not in the lead and yelled out “Can’t
let you win!” The senior class discovered out that they were in the lead and responded with “You can’t
see me!” John Cena’s name, and any reference to him, was being yelled constantly. It was humorous.
Obviously, there was a snack break, but the last event of the day was the actual pep rally. Because
of the rain, the rally was held inside the gym. The performances from the Cheerleaders and Kickline
were fantastic. A roar of applause came for each football team member as they ran into the gym. Jose
Guzman, Class of 2016, suddenly walked out clutching a football in his hand. He had wandering eyes,
just scanning the crowd for a potential target. Then out of nowhere, he threw the football and Connor
Reilly, Class of 2016,who caught the ball while sitting on the bleachers.
What’s the perspective of a senior who is participating in spirit week for the last time? Well one
senior, John Tama, said, “It’s really sad, but hey, what can I do? I’ve gone all out for the past four years
with every event and that’s all I can ask for. I’ve made the most out of everything and I will miss it so
much next fall. I’ll have to stay posted with my sister to see how’s everything’s going.” The Pep Rally
Day was great. Spirit Week was great. Now all that was left was Homecoming.
Sunday, October 4, 2016 was Homecoming Day. It was very windy and cool, but the sun was out and people were
lining up to see the big game. The Pep Band played and the cougar mascots were dancing. “The cougar is awesome”,
mentioned Lacey Troy and Jessica Trifoli, Class of 2016. The nominees for Homecoming King and Queen were announced
and present, Nicholas Malderella, Grant Mak, Liam Vita, Michael DeStefano, Valerie Farfan, Kyraleigh Zinnel, Kelly
Fielder, and Natalie Distler. Drumroll please. . . And the winners for Homecoming King and Queen were Nicholas
Malderella and Natalie Distler. The applause and cheers were heard as the king and queen were driven off in the golf
cart. On her way back, Distler said “I am very excited and honored. I’m excited to be here. So many great people were
nominated.”
As more people were getting settled, Nick Zotto, alumni from the Class of 2015 said, “It’s good to be back. There
are so many memories. It’s nice to catch up with classmates from 2015.” The Bel Canto Chorale did a fabulous job
singing the National Anthem. There were many seniors in the crowd, especially since it was their last Homecoming as
a student of St. John’s. Marla Hasin, Gina Spigonardo, and Matthew Migliore, all seniors, agreed that being at their last
Homecoming game was, “Sad and bittersweet.” Lily Crosman, also a senior, added, “It’s pretty sad as a transfer because
St. John’s feels like a family community. It might not be my last, yet it is as a student.”
The game started, SJB vs. Cardinal Spellman. As soon as the timer began, Nicholas Malderella kicked a
touchdown. A second touchdown was then made by Patrice Legagneur. All of this was done durning the first half. The
SJB crowd went wild. The time then came for the Cheerleaders and Kickline to perform. To describe their performances,
Ghessell Horam, Class of 2018, said, “Kickline was amazing. I wish I could be in that squad. Best performance ever!”
Evan Irizarry, Class of 2018, added, “I was impressed with the Cheerleading squad. They were great!” Both Cheerleading
and Kickline did an astonishing job. The second half was ending, the crowd was pumped.
Why? Because SJB had defeated Cardinal Spellman 38-14.
Congratulations SJB and Happy Homecoming!
Great New Year, Great New Faculty
By: Luke Solak ’16
The 2015- 2016 school year welcomes seven new teachers to the St. John’s faculty. Two Science
teachers Mrs. Anzalone and Ms. Revello, as well as two Math teachers, Mr. Dulovic and Mr. Martorelli, a new
Religion teacher, Mr. Murphy, and Mr. Veneziano is the newest member of the Social Studies Department. Ms.
Joseph joins our guidance department. The new teachers come from a variety of different colleges. Mr. Dulovic attended the University of
New Haven earning his Bachelors in Mathematics and his Master’s Degree in Education. What he wants more
than anything as a teacher at SJB is to help all future graduates get ready for the real world. Mr. Veneziano
graduated from Stony Brook. His hopes, as a teacher, are to impact his students in a way to help them grasp
an understanding of the subjects they learn. All in all he is grateful for the opportunity to educate Saint John’s
students.
Our new religion teacher, Mr. Murphy, attended Saint Joseph’s College and is still attending classes
at Fordham University. He wants to bring joy to his students by teaching them about God. Mr. Martorelli
attended Saint Thomas Aquinas College and Stony Brook. As a teacher, Mr. Martorelli says that he is greatly
looking forward to learning all about SJB and becoming an influence both academically and athletically.
Ms. Revello has been coaching swimming at Saint John’s since 1999, for the last few years she has
been a substitute teacher. Coming from Green Mountain College and Dowling College, Ms. Revello wants to
meet many new people during this year and continuing to help SJB grow in many ways.
In addition, Mrs. Anzalone is actually a returning teacher who left St. John’s a few years ago and
has now returned to our family. Lastly, Ms. Joseph, graduating from Saint Joseph’s College and Long Island
University desires to help guide students. She would like to work with a club, either starting or helping an
existing club grow.
Overall the new faculty members have a similar goal which is to help Saint John’s grow in many ways,
through sports, academics, or extracurricular activities. The entire Saint John’s community stands behind the
newest members of our family and is surely looking forward to meeting all of the new additions to our school.
Fr. Rob blesses the new teachers during opening mass