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[posted 5.28.07]
STUDENT POETS IN PRINT

Students in Mr. John Pascal's English classes finid themselves themselves published in the annual Creative Communication's compendium of student poetry from across America. To see them and their work >>>

SPRING BAND CONCERT

 

[posted 5.23.07]
The SPRING BAND CONCERT or May 25 brought the Prep's 180 instrumentalists to the Giblin Auditorium stage, as well as the members of the A Cappella Chorus and the Jazz Band.  The evening's program included the usual wide spectrum of music— from classical pieces, to cartoon favorites and  medlies of rock hits by Queen, Chicago and the Doors. The chorus provided renditions of The Banana Boat Song, When I'm 64 and Bye, Bye Love. The program by the Jazz Band featured Here's That Rainy Day and The Monkey Song, among others.

The Band is directed by Joseph A. Neglia and the A Cappella Chorus, by Theresa Neglia.

SENDING IN THE CAVALRY
 

[posted 4.21.07]
In keeping with a strengthening tradition, a team of student and faculty volunteers spent six days of Easter break working at a Habitat for Humanity site.  This year, fourteen students, accompanied by Mssrs. Tim Brennan, Mike Hulsy and Justin Kiszek, traveled to the Potomac Highlands in rural Pendleton County, West Virginia. 
     Dubbed the "Catholic Calvary" by Pendleton Habitat's Project Manager, the all-volunteer group tackled the social justice issue of sub-standard housing.  Working next to the future owners of the houses and volunteers from the area and elsewhere, the crew worked tirelessly to improve the quality of life in the severely depressed area.  An entire roof was added to one house, a second was begun at another and new siding and insulation was put onto a third.
     Stunned by the group's progress, the Project Manager said that the Seton Hall team accomplished what is typically five days of work after only the first three on the job!  Invigorated by the praise, the crew moved on to a different site where the volunteers had fallen drastically behind schedule.  The "Calvary" wasted no time getting the project in shape.  By lunchtime of the final day, the seasoned Prep crew had the build back on track and was giving advice on how to maintain the solid pace. 
     The trip was undoubtedly one of the most successful in the Prep's Service Learning for Social Justice program.  Each student that went on the trip expressed his eagerness to address similar social justice issues in his own community. That kind of thinking is perhaps the most important goal of the Service Learning Program. 
     The Service Learning Program is co-directed by Mr. Tim Brennan and Mr. Justin Kiczek with Mr. Mike Hulsy assisting regularly.  
[-reported by Tim Brennan '99, photos by SHP students]

KAIROS RETREAT

[posted 3.25.07]
Two dozen Prep junors and seniors have just returned from a three-day Kairos Retreat held at the Loyola Retreat House in Morristown. Based on the "Christian Awakening Program" developed in 1965 by the Diocese of Brooklyn, and used by many Catholic schools and universities across America, the retreat is a time for the students to get away from the noise, distractions, and responsibilities of everyday student life in order to spend time concentrating on core relationships: their relationship with God, with others, and with themselves. The retreat gives an experience of community to the students while "they explore what it means to live a holy life in accordance with God's will." Highly structured with various presentations, large and small group discussions, the Kairos Retreat offers ample opportunities for personal and group prayer and includes Celebrations of the Eucharist and the opportunity for individual Confession. The schedule does provide a recreation period each day for the retreatants, who otherwise would be inside all day.
    Kairos is one ot two Greek words for "time." Kairos emphasizes "the Lord's time" rather than the simple succession of moments characterized by the word "chronos." Kairos is time "judged, not by its succession or duration, but by its value, the intensity of the experience of God's presence in the midst of a Christian Community."
    Led by a team composed of former Kairos retreatants and Prep staff members, the students attended major talks followed by discussion in small groups. There were other activities to promote and build community, to foster trust and openness, and to encourage reflection. The key themes of Kairos retreats are: knowing oneself, discovering Jesus in a personal way, recognizing and responding to Jesus' call, and living the message of Christ.
    Student leaders and presenters were Travis Miller, Chris Zarkoskie, Nick Mikula, Will Maione,  and Stephen Prisk. Other presentations were made by Prep teachers David Giarusso, Janet Kentworthy, Fr. Bruce Janiga, Bill Ward, Deacon Richard O'Hara, Msgr. Edward Bradley and Tom and Sue Cregan. A few of the topics included "Know Yourself," "Piety," Sacramentals and Prayer," "Results of God's Friendship," and "Love in Action."
    The entire program was coordinated by Director of Campus Ministry Sharon Rondinella. The students spent the three nights and three and a half days at the Loyola Retreat House in Morristown, operated by the Society of Jesus since 1927.

CANDIDATES' DAY

[posted 01.31.07]

Seton Hall Prep hosted Candidates' Day on Sunday January 28— an open house for students who have been accepted for the Class of 2011. The day offered an opportunity for families to nail down information about the school, to aid in their decision-making process relative to their high school choice.

Kicking off the presentation was a mini-concert by the Seton Hall Prep Band, introducing the guests to the talents of largest extracurricular group in the school.

Students and families heard presentations from the Admission Director, and from the various academic department chairpersons, who explained course offerings and placement possibilities. Additionally, seniors David Kirchheim and Matt DeLuca spoke to them about their own Seton Hall experience. In the Dining Hall families met with teachers from the academic departments, reviewed the students' entrance and placement test scores and discussed courses for freshman year. They also were treated to refreshments provided by the Mothers Auxiliary and to more music offered by the A Cappella Chorus.

The day has evolved over the past five years into an important aid for families in making the decision about the academic future of their sons. Registration Day follows a week later.

PIRATE ACADEMIC TEAM
 

The "A" Team:
Mike Gerini, Robert Campana, Kris Salazar and Tom Riley

[posted 01.13.07]

The Prep Academic Team is off to a great start in their year-long schedule of high-powered competitions. Under the direction of Latin teacher Michael Zinsmeister, the Pirates set sail on their season on Saturday, October 21, at the Blake High School Academic Invitational Tournament in Silver Spring, MD. The team of Mike Gerini, Tom Riley, Kris Salazar, and Robert Campana posted a record of 4-1 in the preliminary rounds, earning themselves the 12th seed entering the playoff rounds. In the round of 16 they lost a nail-biter to 5th seeded Walter Johnson High School from Bethesda, MD, landing themselves a final rank of 11 out of a field of 48—a respectable first outing among the elite teams at the national level.
    A week later Gerini, Campana, Riley, Salazar and Chas Stewart competed in the sixth annual Long Island Fall Tournament in Northport, New York. With a record of 7-2, they finished in seventh place out of a very competitive field of fifty teams from the Mid-Atlantic region. This finish guaranteed the team a spot in the NAQT National Championships next June in Chicago.
    On December 9, a sixteen member squad traveled to Wilmington, Delaware to compete in the seventh annual Delaware Fall Open. With two teams in both the varsity and junior varsity divisions, competing against thirty-five teams from five states, the "B" team of Chester Eng, Anthony Papetti, Brian and Bobby Goodacre finished tied for fifth place, losing to the Prep "A" team in the quarterfinal round. Because of their advancing to the quarterfinals, the "B" team has also earned a spot in the NAQT National Academic Championships.
    The "A" team of Gerini, Riley, Salazar, and Campana finished in third place, losing to only one team in the course of the day. Special honors go to Robert Campana who finished second in individual scoring on the day.
     In the first ten days of 2007, the Quiz Bowl team got even busier!  On January 6 the team made its annual trek to Dix Hills, New York to compete in the fifteenth annual Half Hollow Hills Academic Invitational Tournament. Facing a field of 90 teams from the Northeast, the team of Gerini, Dan Bobo, Riley, and Campana was in first place from the start.  Going undefeated throughout the preliminary rounds, the team was the number one seed in the playoff field of 32 teams. However, in the round of sixteen, the team was shocked by a young team from Edgemont, NY, but still managed to finish in 9th place overall.

[for last year's success >>> ]
 

Alumni Office sponsors Young Alumni Day
January 4, 2007

January 4th's Young Alumni Day brought back the biggest crowd ever of recently minted alumni. Over 200 graduates...>>>


 

Christmas Band Concert-
December 20, 2006
 

The 150 members of the Band performed for a packed house in their annual evening concert just before the start of Christmas Break. Under the direction of Joseph Neglia they performed a wide-ranging program, the second half of which featured many Christmas favorites- their rendition of "Rudolph..." served as a warm-up for their performance of that all-time Prepster favorite for the student body at the following day's Christmas Liturgy and Concert, kicking off the vacation. The Headmaster's announcement of the addition of an extra day to the vacation was icing on the cake as far as the 950 students were concerned.
     The Band was joined in the program by the A Cappella Chorus, under the direction of Theresa Neglia.

[previous concerts >>>]

A Team Effort to Lend Support to those Most in Need  12.03.06

A Christmas tradition has sprouted up over the last half dozen years that is full of the Yuletide spirit and at the same time designed to offer students the chance to confront some of the more serious and heart-wrenching circumstances they have faced in their young lives. Michael DeCicco, brother of Lacrosse Coach Andrew DeCicco, has been a patient at the Hunterdon Developmental Center since he was two or three, when he showed signs of severe neuro-developmental deficits. He is now 48 years old- he can not walk; he can not see; he can not speak. He is a resident with 650 others at the Hunterdon Developmental Center, where a most caring staff looks out for them and try their best to help the residents reach whatever potential they may have. Annually, Coach DeCicco takes his team and a few other student invitees to see for themselves what life is like outside their own personal comfort zones, and to, for a day at least, serve those who most need the concern of others.

Read last Spring's Tower Revisted article by Lacrosse Co-Captain Peter Durning '06 about the Christmas visit with his teammates to the HDC. Pete is now at Trinity College.
(PDF format, 400K)

 

CAMPUS MINISTRY SPONSORS A DAY OF SERVICE TO A NEW JERSEY INSTITUTION
12.12.06

On December 12 the entire Prep sophomore class, joined by a dozen teachers and parents, spent a morning at the New Jersey Community Food Bank in Hillside, helping that organization in their important task of providing support to the needy and hungry of the state. The students' main task was to categorize and separate the items in the tons of donated food that the organization has received over the last few weeks. The work by the 230 students, though fast and furious, barely made a dent in the mountain of material; nevertheless they became part of a large group of volunteers that support the Food Bank, so the important but never-ending task will continue to get done.

One group of sophs worked in the mail room, collating and stuffing some of the thousands of letters and pamphlets that the Food Bank sends out to solicit the funds that keep the organization afloat.

 

PEER LEADERS— GETTING INTO THE
CHRISTMAS SPIRIT
12.11.06

"All work and no play makes the Peer Leader a dull boy." The daily work of Big-Brother-ing their freshman homerooms, filling out journals and talking out the issues surrounding team-building and leadership, around Christmas time is viewed as a fair trade for the fun and excitement the senior group gets to share in their day of service at the Meadowlands' Christmas Party for disadvantaged and handicapped children. The annual event, sponsored by the New Jersey Apartment Authority and hosting about 1000 highly charged and mostly screaming 5 to 11 year-olds, looks like more work on the surface, but the Prep seniors come back with great tales of singing carols for the kids, hugs from the children when they dance with them, and smiles galore for their costumes as Power Rangers, Cookie Monster, Dora the Explorer, Superman and Spidey. The Peer Leaders also helped serve up hundreds of hotdogs and sodas, painted faces and helped distribute gifts to the children.

They were accompanied by Program Directors Theresa Neglia, Matt Cannizzo and Steve Riccardi, as well as Director of Institutional Advancement Jason Makarow.

[ last year's party>>> ]

 

Thanksgiving Morning 5K Turkey Trot

Mother Nature has gotten a little testy over the last three years on Thanksgiving morning— wind and cold in 2005, and a steady rain in 2006. Nevertheless the stalwart band of T-Day regulars are not to be thwarted by such trivial obstacles. Nearly 100 hardy souls braved the morning showers, arriving for Mass, celebrated by Msgr. Kelly, Msgr. Joe Reilly '83, and Msgr. Edward Bradley, and following up with the 5K run-jog-trot-walk that has proven over the past nine years to be a great way to begin the day's festivities.
      The event is gaining popularity among recent alumni, particularly those who have been off at college for barely four months, some of whom return not yet showing the "freshman 15" and who turn the run into a friendly competition.