June 2011

Zack Rosen, St. Benedict's Valedictorian from the Class of '08 and now a senior-to-be at the University of Pennsylvania, was among 14 Penn students chosen for a two-week Interfaith Service Trip to Rwanda last month. Rosen and teammate Dau Jok, members of the Quakers basketball team, each blogged for ESPN during their stay in the African republic. Here is Rosen's final blog entry from the trip:

KIGALI, Rwanda - Spending time at the Agahozo-Shalom Youth Village in Rwanda has been an enlightening and overwhelmingly unbelievable experience. My heart is connected to this place and that feeling will consume me until my days are through. I have learned more than I can describe and I have grown as an individual. I would like to leave you all with some final thoughts and impressions from East Africa.

Before departing, the group gathered under the mango tree in the center of the village. One of the leaders of the village who has been here since its inception shared with us that the worst thing in the world is to go through life as a taker. He commended us for being givers and asserted that the world could use more givers. When you really give of yourself it is so rewarding and people appreciate it deeply.

As we were nearing our time to leave, the people around the place got sad, but they sincerely thanked us from the bottom of their hearts. From the staff, to the kids, to the workers, to the administrators - they saw what we had built (a canteen, fire pit, benches, laying grass and gravel, etc.) and they appreciated the time and effort that we invested in helping them. Seeing another person smile and get emotional and knowing that you are the cause of that response is quite possibly the greatest feeling in the world. Taking is easy; giving is difficult. Choose the hard path.

After the Holocaust, the world pledged "never again." This vow didn't just apply to the Jews, but somewhere, somehow, it wasn't understood. The world obviously hasn't fulfilled its pledge. Since the Holocaust, many other genocides have been planned and executed, including the terrible Tutsi genocide that happened right here in Rwanda, which is the reason why this group is even here in the first place.

Massacres are occurring right now as you're reading this, despite the lack of awareness and the fact that it hasn't been given the title of genocide (look up the situation in the Congo). Will humanity ever learn its lesson? What can we do to prevent this from happening?

The Tutsi genocide will never be forgotten and because of it, the county of Rwanda will constantly have to battle an image of danger and hostility. Perception is different from reality. One of the counselors in the village sat me down and asked, "What will you do when you get back to America?" Concerned about the impression of Rwanda, he proceeded to implore me to share what I've seen in this country and to express the images to the people in America.

Rwanda is a beautiful, recovering, developing, SAFE place! Rwanda is characterized by beautiful landscapes, friendly people, community and faith (not to mention an abundance of President Obama clothing). It is a country that foreigners shouldn't fear traveling to and visiting. We must learn from what happened here and no better way than to go and actually see it. The hope is that the country will one day be developed and thriving. ASYV promises to play a crucial role in the realization of that hope.

Lastly, I would like to talk about the people here and the village as a whole. Sitting in Newark International Airport on May 18, I expected to go to Rwanda and inspire the kids at ASYV to do better than they thought possible. I was gearing up all of my inspirational juices and planning ways to motivate.

So much for expectations.

As I sit at the gate here in Kigali International Airport waiting to board a plane back to America, I am the one who has been inspired and it's all because of the kids at Agahozo-Shalom. I am beyond inspired. The youth here are unbelievable: They are intelligent, talented, loving, caring, energetic and they work excruciatingly hard with curiosity and without complaints. This isn't just one kid or even a small portion of kids; it's the majority.

They wake up at about 5:45 a.m. every day and are in school by 7:15. They are in class for about seven hours straight, operating on whatever small amount of bread and porridge they ate for breakfast. Lunch is at 2 and after lunch (which one of the girls at Table 7 sometimes skips to stay at school and learn some more), the kids are usually involved in some kind of activity - be it EPs (Enrichment Programs like art, music, carpentry, etc.), clubs, sports, tikkun olam, or career skills. When they aren't participating in their activity, you can find them studying inquisitively.

The dining hall is packed at 8 for dinner and the meal is followed by family time and more studying (sometimes music and dancing). The youth then rest their heads on their pillows and dream about the opportunities that await them tomorrow. The morning alarm sounds and the process is repeated.

The youth here are filled with love and belief. They genuinely attack each day with energy and excitement and this is something we all should strive to do in our daily lives. Because of their approach and the example that they have set, I am energized and inspired to do more.

To the people of the village, I just want to say thanks to all of you. You have inspired me and I don't think a day will pass from here on out that I will not think of you and my time in your home. Merakoze! (that's "thank you" in Kinyarwanda, the native language)

The concept of time has characterized a lot of our group conversations here. Walter Bond, the prominent motivational speaker, says that time is not something that you spend; it is something that must be invested as your most valuable asset. Our time here was undoubtedly a great investment and I feel beyond blessed to have had this opportunity. I would encourage each and every one of you to seek out similar opportunities to serve and to invest your time in a worthwhile cause. As the saying/song/dance goes here on the basketball court in the Village, "Dunbugu, Dunbugu, Du, SESSA!" (That's it!)

--By Zack Rosen '08

June 13, 2011

Noreen Connolly has been teaching students how to become successful reporters for the better part of a dozen years at St. Benedict's Prep.

Now it's her turn to be the journalist.

Connolly will be spending the next 10 days chronicling her time in Africa - reporting and blogging as part of being selected as the recipient of the "Win-A-Trip" contest sponsored by The New York Times.

Connolly, the Adviser of school paper, The Benedict News, was chosen from over 1,100 entrants and will join two-time Pulitzer Prize columnist Nicholas Kristof on assignment in Northwest Africa.

"I tell my students all the time that stories are about the people. Now it's my time to show that," said Connolly. "It's quite a daunting experience for me - I'm excited and nervous at the same time."

Connolly will join Kristof, a columnist for the Times for the last decade, and a student from Atlanta, Saumya Dave, for the trip to Morocco, Burkina Faso, Niger, Senegal and Mauritania.

They will be spending time in Burkina Faso and Niger at the Helen Keller Institute reporting on maternal and child health issues. They will also stop along the way in Mauritania where they are expected to have dinner with Jo Ellen Powell, the American Ambassador there.

June 6, 2011

The Commencement Ceremony on Sunday, June 5, included its usual pomp and circumstance as cheers and tears of joy filled Colin Auditorium.

But, there was also a solemn, yet uplifting tribute by the Class of 2011 for the Rev. Peter Winstead. It was learned only hours before the 137th Commencement that "The Rev" had passed away after a long illness.

"We knew he was sick and that he wouldn't be here," explained graduate Khris White. "But it was a shock when we found out that the Rev. had passed. He's been with us our entire time here and not having him at the end was very emotional."

Rev. Winstead H'08 has been a staple of St. Benedict's musical scene since 1989, most notably during the Christmas Program performances with Fr. Albert Holtz and during his bi-weekly appearances at Convocation. His inspirational musical renditions on the piano breathe life into many "sleepy students" during Convo in Shanley Gym before they headed to class on the mornings he performed.

"Although The Rev. has passed away, you can see how much he is alive," proclaimed Fr. Edwin during the proceedings.

The Class of '11 paid tribute to their mentor with a musical array that was right out of Rev. Winstead's Convo playbook.

With Chris Reynolds leading the way on piano - the same seat Rev. Winstead had presided on for two-plus decades during graduation - the Class of '11 shared with the audience a moving six-song tribute, including memorable titles such as "Miracle," "Hero" and the always spirited "Flashback."

Not to be lost in all the emotion of the day was that diplomas were handed out to 102 graduating Seniors. Kieran Lenahan, who graduated with a 3.92 grade point average and will be attending Davidson College in North Carolina, gave the Valedictorian Address, while Senior Group Leader, Ryan Rhodes, gave the Farewell speech.

"Being a part of Benedict's is something you can not fully understand unless you've experienced it yourself," said Lenahan, who lives in South Amboy and endured the 40-minute commute to school each morning. "Benedict's is the only place where I could be pushed beyond my limits and encouraged to try things that I never thought I could do."

"I owe Benedict's my life," said Rhodes, who is headed to Lehigh. "I will miss this place dearly and take all the values it has built for me next year to college."

Tom McCabe, Ph.D. H'02 gave the Commencement Address, quoting numerous passages from his book, Miracle on High Street, The Rise, Fall and Resurrection of St. Benedict's Prep in Newark, N.J. McCabe also told the graduating Seniors to, "Work hard, stay connected to your roots and develop your relationship with God."

Besides the diplomas given to the graduating Seniors, the Class of '61 and Class of '86 were given "Golden" and "Silver" anniversary diplomas, respectively, while celebrating their 50- and 25-year reunions during Commencement Weekend.

--By Ron Jandoli

June 3, 2011

Shocked and overwhelmed.

Those were just a couple of the sentiments that raced through the mind of Jose Santamaria when his name was announced as St. Benedict's 2011 Presidential Award winner.

"When I first heard that I was nominated, that was good enough," said Santamaria, the morning after winning the Award. "I thought there were more deserving candidates. But the feeling I had when they announced my name was unbelievable. It's still hard to put into words."

Santamaria, who was selected over nine other finalists, was lauded as the Presidential Award Winner at the conclusion of the Annual Awards Dinner Honoring the Senior Class on Thursday evening at The Hive.

"I guess being involved in so many things around school helped in my selection," admitted Santamaria, who, among other things, was a Section Leader, Backpacking Project Commander, Co-President of the National Honor Society and a Model UN member.

Santamaria, who owns a 3.38 grade point average and plans on studying Political Science at Boston College, turned and embraced his brother, Juan '04, and mother, Delia, after Vice President of Development and former Presidential Award winner himself, Paul Thornton '63, called his name as the winner.

May 24, 2011

When the freshmen hit the "Trail" in two separate waves on Sunday and Monday, May 22nd and 23rd, it was the 38th year since Fr. Edwin first took a group of students into the woods back in 1973.

The Appalachian Trail will not only test the mettle of the freshman as they try to become full members of the St. Benedict's community, it will be a formidable challenge for members of the United States Naval Academy.

The Midshipmen have been coming to The Hive since the Summer of '07 as part of their leadership training. This will be the fourth successive year that members of the USNA will join the freshmen on their 50-mile trek in Northwest New Jersey, which has become affectionately known at the "Backpacking Project."

"This is a great opportunity for me. I'm just here to reinforce the kids' want to succeed," said Midshipman Mike Brant, a rising senior at the Academy, who is an Information Technology major. "A lot of St. Benedict's students are out of their comfort zone on this hike. I'm just looking to offer them guidance and leadership to make it easier on them."

The collaboration between St. Benedict's and the U.S. Naval Academy's Department of Leadership, Ethics and Law (USNA-LEL) started taking shape in the beginning of '07. St. Benedict's alum Donald Laurie '60, a member of the school's Board of Trustees, and members of the Academy hashed out a plan with Fr. Edwin and Mike Scanlan H'97 to begin sending Midshipmen to St. Benedict's.

"It was actually a no-brainer," said Dr. Donald Horner, Jr., who was the Distinguished Professor of Leadership Education at the Naval Academy when the program first took shape. "It was a great way to give our Mids leadership opportunities and, at the same time, expose the Naval Academy to the students of St. Benedict's."

The program, which started with four members of the Academy coming to The Hive during the "Freshmen Overnight" in the Summer of '07, has blossomed into a major part of the curriculum at St. Benedict's and at the Naval Academy, where it has become a huge draw for their internship program.

"It's a very unique program - the only one the Naval Academy has with a high school in this capacity," sad Fr. Edwin. "It's grown tremendously since it first started and it's re-shaped a lot of what we do. A lot of their ideas have turned into things we now do."

There are currently 15 Midshipmen on hand during the school's Spring Phase and 15 more will be coming aboard during First Term this summer - a huge jump from the four Midshipmen who started it all just four short years ago.

The program has become such a huge success at Annapolis - over 130 Midshipmen applied for the 30 spots available this year.

"I applied last year and didn't get in," said Brant, who was relegated to YP (Yard Patrol) duty last year. "The reputation of the program has spread through word of mouth and is a really big deal for us. I'm so glad I got it this time around. I really want to be around kids and working with them has really been a great experience for me."

Unlike past years, not all the Mids will go on the "Trail" during the "Backpacking Project." Brant will join eight other Midshipmen on the Appalachian Trail, while the remaining Naval Academy members, including Natalie Crow and Alex Trujillo, will be spread out to other areas of the school.

Crow, a junior-to-be from San Jose, Cal., and Trujillo, a rising senior from Fairfax, Va., will be shadowing Fr. Edwin for two weeks as part of a new program called the "Newark Experience."

"It's bittersweet," said Trujillo, a history major who is planning on becoming a Navy pilot. "We won't get as much one-on-one opportunities with the students. But I wouldn't want to change places. This whole program aims to build men and women of high character and honor, and just being around Fr. Edwin for a couple weeks is a very exciting opportunity."

Dr. Horner, who is now the Director of the Leadership Center at Jacksonville University, is proud to see the program flourishing the last two years under the guidance of his successor at the Naval Academy, Commander Kevin Haney.

"I'm a firm believer that if you choose good people to do some good things, it eventually will blossom. This program has just taken off," said Dr. Horner. "It has allowed these great young men and women at the Naval Academy to go out and get hands-on experience as leaders, and St. Benedict's has allowed it to prosper. It's been a wonderful payoff for the St. Benedict's kids and the Midshipmen."

--By Ron Jandoli

May 13, 2011

St. Benedict's has been graced by some of the greatest coaches New Jersey has ever produced - Jim Cavanagh, Ernest "Prof" Blood, Joe Kasberger and Jack Dalton.

They were not only the legends that made up the Gray Bees' athletic programs, they were pillars of the monastic community throughout the early and middle sections of the last century.

You can now officially add Mike DiPiano and Rick Jacobs to that list.

DiPiano and Jacobs have carried on the tradition from the old school mentors into the modern era and carved out a niche of their own that has become legendary in there own right.

So much so, that both DiPiano and Jacobs may someday have a spot earmarked for them alongside the portraits of Cavanagh, Blood and Kasberger in Jack Dalton Gymnasium.

DiPiano H'82 and Jacobs H'90, along with the man who chronicled all the exploits and history of St. Benedict's, Tom McCabe H'02, were honored on Thursday, May 12, during the Annual St. Benedict's Dinner.

All three were feted before a packed house in Dalton Gymnasium where they were bestowed the prestigious Medal of St. Benedict's.

"It's a dream - tonight is a very special night for me," said DiPiano before the Dinner. "I've had a bunch of honors in my lifetime, but this is obviously the greatest honor that I've ever had and I'm very proud to get this award."

DiPiano began his journey at St. Benedict's to take over the wrestling program in 1976, a year before he was appointed Athletic Director. His wrestling teams won five state championships, seven North Jersey sectional titles and the 1992 National Prep championship.

DiPiano, who has held numerous coaching and other positions throughout the school during his tenure, which he says "is too many to count," built a 274-88-2 dual meet record in wrestling. He was named the Coach of the Year by the Star-Ledger in 1987 and is a member of the St. Benedict's Hall of Fame, as well as the USA Wrestling Hall of Fame in Stillwater, Oklahoma.

"Mike DiPiano helped build this place," said Fr. Edwin. "He is the reason our athletic programs are where they are now."

May 2011

St. Benedict's chapter of the National Honor Society had a banner year in fundraising.

The efforts of the NHS produced $1,700 for a number of different causes.

The students raised money through bake sales, collecting pull tabs from the community and even by passing a jug around during lunch time in the cafeteria. They also used a dance held at school to collect funds.

The charities that have benefited through the students' efforts were: March of Dimes, St. Jude's Children's Hospital and the Ronald McDonald House. Some of the proceeds also were earmarked for Carmen Rivera, a member of the St. Benedict's community for over 20 years, who was struck by a car back in January and is still recuperating at home.

"On behalf of our staff, the children and especially parents of St. Jude, thank you for your tender compassion and very kind support," said St. Jude's representative Esther Ashford in a letter to St. Benedict's NHS. "Together, we can make a world filled with healthy, happy children a reality."

The NHS also collected Box Tops for Education and sponsored a food drive to benefit Newark Abbey's food pantry during the holidays.

April 4, 2011

Noreen Connolly exemplifies the extraordinary teaching that graces everyday student life at St. Benedict's.

She understands the psyche of her high school pupils and has the wherewithal to bring out their best with an unwavering, yet demanding style that has translated into many success stories during her dozen-plus years at The Hive.

Connolly was recognized - and humbled - for of her efforts inside the classroom and beyond with a very emotional and deserved day over the weekend. It was first revealed early Sunday morning that Connolly, long-time English teacher and adviser of the award-winning student newspaper at St. Benedict's Prep, had been picked as the recipient of the "Win-A-Trip" contest sponsored by The New York Times.

Connolly, who was selected from over 1,100 entrants, will join two-time Pulitzer Prize columnist Nicholas Kristof on assignment next month or early June to the developing world, and they'll blog for NYTimes.com and post videos along the way. The trip with Kristof will most-likely take them to North Africa.

She was then feted later Sunday morning as the Honorary Alumna at St. Benedict's Annual Communion Breakfast. She was lauded along with Claudio Reyna '91, who received the Distinguished Alumnus Award, Dan McLaughlin '70, honored for Distinguished Service, and Fr. Luke Edelen '68, who was touted as the Distinguished Monk/Teacher.

"This is over-the-top," said Connolly as she prepared to accept her Award at the Communion Breakfast. "What an overwhelming day - it's surreal."

One possible itinerary for Connolly in her travels with Kristof, along with a student winner from Atlanta, is Morocco, Mauritania and Senegal. Another is South Sudan and Ethiopia; or the Ivory Coast and Liberia.

"It's really a great way to show everyone what's going on in other parts of the world," said Connolly. "I'm excited about the opportunity, as much as I was honored to be picked as the winner."

April 1, 2011

The St. Benedict's community came together Friday afternoon to congratulate Candace Bradsher for 25 years of service at The Hive.

Ms. Bradsher started her career at St. Benedict's back in 1986. She's been the long-time secretary to Abbot Melvin Valvano, President of St. Benedict's, and continues to work in the Development Office as the Director of Donor & Alumni Relations. She is also an Honorary member of the Class of '99.

A host of faculty and staff, including Abbot Melvin, Fr. Edwin and a number of other Monks, came together to honor Ms. Bradsher in the school's board room. She was presented with a cake, balloons and the Jubilee Medal of St. Benedict.

March 24, 2011

Pam Wye-Hunsinger, the Chair of St. Benedict's Art Department, has had a whirlwind month of March.

And it's not about to slow down.

The month started out with Wye-Hunsinger accompanying her students to the "Teen Arts Jam" Reception and Awards Ceremony at Caldwell College.

The "Teen Arts Jam" was comprised of nearly 400 works of artwork from 22 area high schools, including the display of four murals and fifteen clay sculptures from St. Benedict's students from their Asia Project.

March 2011

Ten members of The Benedict News staff and adviser Noreen Connolly visited the Wall Street Journal and Fox News Studios on Ash Wednesday. WSJ reporter Barbara Martinez, who has been helping St. Benedict's journalism students for 13 years arranged the visit. She made it possible for every student to have an e-mentor, a staff reporter from the WSJ with whom the student journalists could converse about their own stories for The Benedict News. Co-Editor-in-Chief Fritz Bondoa (pictured below with Martinez) wrote an Editorial about what the trip meant to him and his fellow student journalists:

The Benedict's News staff recently visited the Wall Street Journal to tour the facility and meet with our mentors, all professional reporters for the WSJ. The trip was made possible by Wall Street Journal staff writer Barbara Martinez. First, we went to the Fox News Channel New York Studios, where we met Francisco Cortez, Senior Producer of Fox News Latino.com and received an unexpected greeting from "Happening Now" anchor John Scott. We toured the Assignment Desk, Media Desk, International Desk, Edit Suite and the Control Room.

It was the first time many of us were in a news channel studio and I could hear my Benedict News colleagues talk about wanting to pursue careers in broadcast journalism as we walked through the state-of-the-art Fox facility. I have spent a lot of time with these guys and, trust me when I tell you, I have never heard any of them ever mention a career in broadcasting.

Next, we went to the Wall Street Journal newsroom and met Managing Editor Robert Thompson, Economics Columnist Kelly Evans, Art Directors Manny Velez and David Bamundo before sitting down and enjoying pizza with our individual mentors at the newspaper.

Throughout the tour at the Wall Street Journal, I kept hearing the guys saying the same thing as they were saying at Fox, but this time they were talking about a future in print journalism.

After hearing all morning from my peers about the endless opportunities in journalism, I realized that this trip had opened their minds to the possible career path. For many of us - kids in the inner-city - it's hard to dream of being something else other than an athlete, musician or actor. It's difficult to think of some other profession when all you see praised are celebrities.

But we learned that other careers like journalism are just as, if not more, interesting and fulfilling than celebrity careers. I believe that more schools should follow the lead of St. Benedict's and have programs that organize trips to professional environments, like law, investment, real estate, insurance and engineering firms. They could even arrange trips for students to visit hospitals, city halls and even to the NBA, NFL, MLB, NHL, or PGA front offices. These trips will enable kids to dream beyond their television screens.

It's hard to dream about something you don't know anything about.

By Fritz Bondoa
Editor-in-Chief,
The Benedict News

February 2011

You could say that Fr. Albert Holtz' latest book, Walking in Valleys of Darkness: A Benedictine Journey through Troubled Times, has stood the testament of time.

Fr. Albert's book, his sixth, has been in the making for more than 11 years - he abandoned working the manuscript a three separate occasions - mostly due to his writing on his other five books that are still in circulation.

But, in early February, Walking in the Valleys of Darkness, was released by Morehouse Publishing. It comes in the heels of his 2008 release entitled, From Holidays to Holy Days: A Benedictine Walk Through Advent.

Fr. Al's latest book of meditations, invites the reader to walk with him through five periods of pain and difficulty in his own life, including, for example, the closing of St. Benedict's Prep in 1972, himself being diagnosed with cancer and dealing with the death of his brother a few years later.

"Sometimes I think that seeing your book in print for the first time has something of the feel of seeing a newborn child," said Fr. Albert, OSB, a graduate himself of St. Benedict's in 1960. "This book, though, was already more than eleven years old. The feeling this time was the one you get at the end of a long journey - a complicated adventure during which you got lost several times and grew tired and may even have quit once or twice, and yet now you're home at last and can put your feet up and relax."

In a series of twenty-four meditations, Fr. Al shows how during those difficult times he often drew practical help and spiritual strength from reflecting on certain New Testament words such as courage, compassion and trust.

The unique aspect of the book is that many of his insights come from studying the words in the original New Testament Greek. He presents his insights in the form of down-to-earth reflections that can be of help to anyone trying to cope with and even profit from life's inevitable struggles and sufferings.

Each meditation is followed by questions for reflection, further examples from Scripture, and a quote from the Rule of Saint Benedict to aid the reader.

"Ever since starting to study biblical Greek in college," said Fr. Al, who went to Saint John's University in Minnesota, "I've been intrigued with the nuances and new angles that I found when reading the New Testament in the original language.

"I have often based homilies on various insights or plays on words that are invisible to someone not looking at the Greek. These homilies have always received positive feedback from various people including those harshest of all critics, the men I live with. So I've long wanted to share those insights with others by writing a book."

St. Benedict's Alum Michael Gormally, the valedictorian from the Class of '07 and now a senior at Pomona College in California, has been awarded the prestigious Churchill Scholarship to continue his studies at the University of Cambridge.

Gormally was one of only 14 students nationwide to be named a Churchill Scholar, which is awarded by the Winston Churchill Foundation for students to pursue research and study in engineering, mathematics or other sciences for one year at the University of Cambridge.

"I was really happy when I found out about the scholarship," said Gormally. "It was really important for me to get this in order to pursue my career."

Gormally, who will graduate with a degree in chemistry from Pomona in May, will study for his Masters Degree at Cambridge. He hopes to continue on toward his Ph.D. at the esteemed institution in Britain by receiving a fellowship from the National Institute of Health in Bethesda, Md.

"It's really competitive in trying to get one of these scholarships," said Gormally. "The application process was pretty long, but worth the wait when it actually happens."

Gormally, who competed on the water polo and swim teams at St. Benedict's, the sports he continued to compete at the NCAA Div. 3 level at Pomona, recalled his time at The Hive and his arrival here from his native Mountain Lakes home in Morris County.

"It's hard to put into words, but I knew St. Benedict's was the place for me when I first came," said Gormally, who was also the Editor-in-Chief at The Benedict News while at SBP. "It's more of a community opposed to a school and the friendships I gained were much different and ones I won't forget.

"I still feel strongly about the place and someday I could see myself back there or eventually see my kids ending up there."

Gormally, whose lab works includes looking at the way small molecules work on the surface, will be under the tutelage of Dr. Shankar Balasubramanian at Cambridge. He hopes to combine his knowledge with that of Dr. Balasubramanian and someday develop a way to control tumor growth in cancer patients.

Jan. 20, 2011

While most students of St. Benedict's were home relaxing and enjoying the Christmas week off, the crew of the 520 Corporation was doing anything but taking a break.

The school's 520 Corp, a student-run maintenance operation, was busy clearing two feet of snow that descended upon Newark during the December blizzard.

As most of the city came to a standstill, some members of 520, along with a volunteer or two, managed to trudge their way to The Hive in order to work. Two of the student workers - Daniel Lyle and Roberto Abrantes - came in soon after the storm ended to begin digging out.

Lyle walked from his home in Newark and was at school by 7 a.m., while Abrantes came in a few hours later after making the treacherous drive in from Harrison. His usual 10-minute trek, took much longer after getting stuck in the snow on the way.

"Getting here is the toughest part," said Abrantes. "By the time the snow has fallen, we already know what we will have to be doing by the next day."