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posted 5.21.084

Spring Band Concert
The annual Spring Band Concert last night announced the semi-officlal kick-off to the "stretch run" for students at Seton Hall Prep. The 160 members of the Band, under the direction of Joseph Neglia, presented a wide-ranging program, including pieces from Mozart to Mussorgsky to Hoagy Carchmichael, Elton John and Irving Berlin.
     The A Cappella Chorus, directed by Theresa Neglia, perfomed four numbers, including Shenandoah, Up a Lazy River, What a Wonderful World and Just a Gigalo. Adding to the night was the exciting performance of the Jazz Band; their contributions included Fly Me to the Moon and Alexander's Ragtime Band, among others.

posted 5.12.084

Academic Team- Wrapping it up!
2008 comes to a close with the SHP Team near the top of the heap...>>>

posted 4.24

Francis Bok— 21st Century Abolitionist
The striking figure of Francis Bok, 29 years old and already possessed of a lifetime's experience, stood before the roomful of Prep students and described a world as far from theirs as could be imagined— his Southern Sudanese village of Gourion wiped out by northerners, his parents and siblings massacred before his eyes, his being captured and sold into slavery at age seven. Mr. Bok described his horrific treatment at the hands of his masters, and his three attempts to escape, after the second of which, his master, having run him down on horseback, told him, "If you do that again I will shoot you on the spot." At age 17, deciding "I am a man, not an animal. I can defend myself," he made his final, successful, escape, which led him to Egypt, to a United Nations organization and, after years of waiting, to an eventual re-location to, of all places, Fargo, North Dakota.
      Mr. Bok's new experience of freedom, his coming to understand how freedom is embodied in America, and his decision to work for an end to slavery throughout the world, have all led him to the forefront of the modern day abolitionist movement. He has spoken before the US Congress, at the United Nations, and scores of universities. "Nothing is impossible," he says. "I lost my childhood. All decisions about me were made by others." Now it is different.
     When he returned last year to his village for the first time, the people there thought he had been killed, or that he was still a slave. Now he has decided to make a difference in the lives of those still in Southern Sudan. He works tirelessly to bring attention to the international slave trade and the genocides in Darfur and in Southern Sudan.
     In his current travels Mr. Bok works to raise funds to complete his first quest— to build the first school in his village, and then others. Now an American citizen, he has set up a website to educate visitors about the plight of his country of birth and the issues that plague that area of the world. [www.sudansunrise.org]
     Mr. Bok spent part of the afternoon visiting the Freshman Seton Scholars World Geography class.

 

posted 4.20.08

Bio Class Experiment: Students as Predators
See the action as frosh and sophs take on the role of birds searching for food on the front lawn... and learn the math and science that makes worms the colors they are. >>>

posted 4.20.08

World Cultures Feast
Normally it's the aroma of pizza and potato chips that wafts from the Dining Hall each afternoon, but students enjoyed some new culinary treats last Thursday as the Language Department sponsored a food festival which featured scrumptious delights prepared by members of a variety of language and cultural clubs. The menu included

Students from Cultures of the World Club, Spanish Club, Iberian Club, and John Slevin's Global Studies Class participated in the 2nd Annual Culture-fest on April 10. Some of the many homemade "tasty treats" included flan (from Senora Sanchez, mother of Senora Santoliquido), Spanish tortillas (from Bryan Costeira), Peruvian cookies (from Eric Naranjo), chorizo and Portuguese rolls (from Mr. Giuffra), lots of empanadas (from Matt Gorski, Victor Vazquez, John Landi, Mark Vitale and Senora Gibson), collard greens and smoked turkey (from Jamal Martin), Portuguese and Spanish pastries, pierogies and cheese and bean dip with corn chips.  Adding to the menu were Global Studies class members Kendrick Monestime, who provided Haitian cakes, and Dan Bianco, provider of Chinese dumplings.
    Michael Zebrowski provided guitar accompaniment for a Spanish song-fest.
    A poignant historical note that surfaced was the appearance of the receptacle for Senora Santoliquido's flan, an old pot  (una olla vieja), which had escaped with her parents from their home in Cuba when Fidel Castro took over the country in the late '50s, and once been used to boil baby bottles for the family's children.

[photos by RCM/SHP]

posted 4.09.08

Easter Break in Guatemala
Renewing a long-standing tradition, Bio teacher Michael Metelsky accompanied a group of Prep students to a far off destination to explore the flora and fauna to be found there. This year the group visited Guatemala. See his photos of their eight-day excursion >>>

3.20.08

Easter Break With Habitat for Humanity, in Buffalo

Twenty students, along with faculty members Tim Brennan, Lisa Traum, Mike Hulsy, and Justin  on insulating the house and hanging drywall, installing electrical wire and heating ducks, and removing siding.  
    The group stayed at the Harvest House, a renovated church and retreat center. After the workday ended, the students played basketball and cards for recreation, while the chaperones cooked dinner. 
    On Wednesday, the group took the afternoon off and traveled to Niagara Falls, touring both the American and Canadian sides. At the end of the day, they treated themselves to  "original" Buffalo wings at the Anchor Restaurant in Downtown Buffalo.


photos courtesy of Tim Brennan '99 and Brian Maher '08

2.20.08

A Day Off Working for Habitat for Humanity
On a day when most Prep students rolled over in bed and made plans for how to spend their Presidents Bonus Day off, a hearty group of students made their way to Edgewater at 7:30 in the morning to offer their day to Habitat for Humanity, and their local partner AHOME (Affordable Homes for Municipal Edgewater). On a narrow and crooked little street, halfway up the cliff on the west bank of the Hudson, in the shadow of multi-million dollar condos a hundred feet above them, the Prepsters added their sweat to a project which began last June to renovate 18 units in the neighborhood to ready them for sale at extremely affordable prices. The group was accompanied on this trip by English teacher Justin Kiczek and Assistant Dean of Men Tim Brennan.
     The Prep's association with Habitat for Humanity goes back to the year 2000, with a Chris Barnitt-Mike Hulzy led trip to Appalachia. Other early trips included visits to work sites in Kentucky, West Virginia and Tennessee. More recent work made an impact on  local neighborhoods, including one in Buffalo, and a Central Ward street in Newark. A Summer 2006 group of 18, under the direction of Hulzy and Brennan brought student volunteers to Pendleton County in West Virginia, where they joined up with 60 others from a Lutheran Church in Alabama to dry-wall single family homes in the town of Franklin.
     Over the past year our students have been working nearby with several local Habitat affiliates. Groups have headed off to Denville, Englewood and Edgewater, as well as to Newark. This coming Easter plans are afoot to bring 20 student volunteers back to Buffalo to work on the foundation of a new house.

[photos by RCM/SHP]

[last year's trip >>>]

[top] The Mock Trial team, about to leave for their Semi-Final match agains Columbia, [above] The team in an early practice session, with Mark Tallmadge helping to fine tune questioning techniques.

2.6.08

Mock Trial Team Finishes
as Essex County Runner-Up
Since September, the SHP Mock Trial Team has been preparing for the Vincent J. Apruzzese  2007-2008 High School Mock Trial Competition, sponsored by the New Jersey State Bar Foundation. This team is unique among the academic activities: this annual tournament is the one and only for which the students prepare. The team members divide into plaintiff and defendant sides, with three witnesses apiece, and are given a statement of facts and witness testimonies. The teams then develop their arguments and lines of direct and cross examination questions, as well as opening and closing arguments. They hone their acting skills as well—  the witnesses are judged on how well they perform in character. The particulars in this year's case involve a hypothetical prep school swim coach and former Olympic star "Doc" Fisher, who faces charges of aggravated and reckless manslaughter in connection with the death of his child, Chris Fisher, a promising 16-year-old swimmer who died after using a performance-enhancing drug.

The team scrimmaged with Oratory, Oak Knoll, St. Elizabeth's Academy, and Villa Walsh, to get their skills ready before the final competition in late January. The state competition began on the county level, with evening competitions at the Veteran's Courthouse of the Essex County Superior Court in Newark. Both of the team's legal sides are guaranteed one competition in the Preliminary Round. If either side loses the team is finished for the year. Last year, the team placed third in a field of 19 competing schools.

The Prosecution Attorneys this year were Senior Dan Giamo and Junior Chris Galantich; Defense Attorneys: Senior David Seijas and Junior Michael Mineo; witnesses: Juniors Wils DeSonne, Paul Judge, and Senior Cesar Rainho, Sophomore Matt Gorski, Freshman Aymeric Vincenti, and Junior Bryan Costeira. Adviser John Pascal was assisted by Prep father, Mr. Mark Tallmadge, whose two sons Mark and Matt  graduated in 2004 and 2005, and whose son Tim is now a sophomore.

In the first week of February the Prosecution Team of Daniel Giamo, Chris Galantich, Wils Desonne, Cesar Rainho and Paul Judge defeated Montclair Kimberly Academy in the Quarter-Final Round.  And in the Semi-final Round,  the Defense Team of David Seijas, Michael Minio, Aymeric Vincenti, Matt Gorski and Bryan Costeira bested Newark Academy earning a spot in the finals against Livingston HS. There they finished as runners-up, their second-place finish the team's best in five years.

01.29.08

Prep Students In Support of
New Jersey Special Olympics
 

1.27.08

Candidates' Day

With Registration Day fast approaching, on February 2, the Prep hosted a day for eight graders who have been accepted for the Class of 2012, in order to help their families make the important decision. The afternoon offered a chance to talk about placement, activities, transportation and the myriad other topics on the minds of those about to make the critical decision on their investment in a high school.
     Providing an atmosphere helpful to the guests is a huge undertaking. Student Ambassadors, in addition to their event responsibilities, also took on the prep work, most of which was accomplished on Saturday: signs needed posting, windows needed cleaning, tables needed moving, chairs and flowers needed placing.
     On Sunday the visitors were welcomed to the Auditorium  by the Prep Band, under the direction of Joseph A. Neglia. Following the group's mini-concert, Admission Director Tom Cuomo introduced Headmaster Msgr. Michael Kelly and the department chairs, who gave a rundown on the subjects in their areas, and the choices that will be available to the students once they enroll. Seniors Dan Giamo and David Seijas also related their own stories, and the ways in which attending The Prep has impacted their lives.
     Following the presentations in the Auditorium, the entire group headed for the Dining Hall, where families could review the students' placement tests, have informal conversations with dozens of teachers and student Ambassadors, or take a tour of the building.
     The Mothers Auxiliary provided refreshments to the hundreds of guests on Sunday, and, along with the Prep Bookstore, did a brisk business in Prep shirts, sweats, hats, belts and the like.
     The energy in evidence gave every indication that Registration Day will be another success.
 

1.25.08

What's the Buzz?
Frosh Sacrifice Locks for Charity

In one of the more bizarre happenings of the new year, an SRO crowd gathered during Friday's activities period in room 201 to watch as, one-by-one, their frosh classmates stepped up to shed their locks in exchange for a buzz for charity.
    The event resulted from an exchange in Mr. Berman's English class something like: "Who thinks this guy here needs a haircut? In fact, who'd pay to see him get a buzz?" Hands shot up, money pledged, the gauntlet thrown down. More guys chimed in... "If he gets one, I'll get one too... I'd pay to see that!"... and so on. After permission was received from parents during the week, the action began at 8:15. A couple of dis-interested passers-by investigated the cheers and applause, asking to participate. They called home for permission, scoured the halls for pledges and returned for their own unanticipated shearing.
    The barbers were Prep uncle Dave Snyder and Prep moms Lori Berman and Nancy Scocozza.
    A sizeable crowd, which stretched into the hallway, coughed up their own contributions to merely watch the spectacle. By the end of things, Mr. Berman had collected $250 for charity, mostly in singles.


The money is earmarked for support of Newark's  St. John's Soup Kitchen. This well-known Newark outreach program was headed for nearly a quarter century by Prep graduate Rev. Msgr. James Finnerty '47. Every other week groups of 20-30 students gather in the Dining Hall to make sandwiches for distribution at St. John's to the city's homeless and destitute. St. John's is Newark's oldest parish, founded in 1826, 30 years before Seton Hall welcomed its first students to the South Orange campus.
 

<<< Guidance Counselor Chris Barnitt [r] swings into action with freshman Michael Peski [l] ] and senior Jason Gonzales, and a host of Prepsters, at an early January sandwich-making session.

1.5.08
Recent Grads Gather to Re-Connect

Another large crowd of recently minted alumni spent much of the day back with their Alma Mater on the 5th of January, in what has become a growing and popular tradition at The Prep. Proudly sporting dozens of college sweatshirts and the other lastest acquisitions from their first months at college, including beards, mustaches, the proverbial "freshman 15" and the like, nearly 200 college frosh and sophs, and even a couple of "old-timers" getting ready to graduate from their college, renewed friendships with their classmates, and checked in with their former teachers to let them know all the new things they had learned, as well as, in many cases, to thank them for the excellent preparation they had received in their classes. A number of the alumni also tracked down underclassmen with whom they had been friendly while at The Prep.
        A new wrinkle in this year's festivities, was the inclusion of a pair of competitions— a Quiz Bowl match-up in the auditorium featuring a faculty/alumni team against The Prep's highly ranked Academic Team, and a faculty vs alumnni volleyball game in the gym.