December 2010

The St. Benedict's Prep 38th Annual Christmas Program, on Monday evening, December 20th, was, to say the least, a resounding success!

As usual, Fr. Albert Holtz, O.S.B., the inimitable creator and conductor this remarkable offering, outshone himself in evoking from our student singers a power and resonance that suggested forty voices rather than the actual twenty emanating from the risers.

Very noteworthy this year was the exceptionally clear and 'unified' diction of the singers - as well as their strong and enthusiastic physical bearing. They were 'in harmony' on every level. One also noticed the unusually focused attention of the group on their conductor; not one eye wandered from Fr. Albert's hands - such unwavering concentration being the basis of success in any musical performance. The maturity and self-discipline of the singers, including twelve and thirteen-year-old young men as well as experienced upper classmen, is to be applauded!

As usual, this writer is always most impressed by the old stand-bys of the Program: "For the Beauty of the Earth" - a gentle and reverent prelude to the slowly-building crescendo of the entire program - was exceptionally well-done this year, very dignified but with a fillip of lilt, fine legato and perfect harmonies.

Fr. Albert's bass-baritone solo of Veni Emmanuel in Latin Gregorian style was rousingly supported by the chorus singing in 'contrapuntal' Gospel mode - with equally rousing piano accompaniment from Rev. Winstead.

He Born, the joyous Caribbean carol in calypso rhythm, got the audience singing and clapping along - as Soon and Very Soon. I Always Wanted a Hero - a song regularly sung in morning Convocation during the school year - stimulated audience participation on an unprecedented level. And the brand new offering of Lord, You Are Good, which featured junior and senior soloists, and sung in a mixture of Gospel and 'fifties slow-dance' style, was deeply and unexpectedly inspiring.

Noteworthy as well was the strength and enthusiasm of this year's audience's singing of its 'own' carols - On Jordan's Bank, O Come, All Ye Faithful and Go Tell It on the Mountain. We could see, as Fr. Al conducted us, how very pleased he was with this unusual and well-voiced contribution of the audience to the Christmas Program!

Finally, worth accolades of the highest order was The Spirit is a Movin' - starting softly, rising to a powerful crescendo of full and focused voices in Conlin Auditorium - and then softly, ever so softly, flowing out in hushed tones, like the Holy Spirit itself, and emanating 'all over this world.'

The chorus' He's the King of Kings finale outdid itself in power and joyousness, coordinating beautifully with the spectacular slides of the glorious horsehead nebula in the heavens juxtaposed to the humbly human portrait of the baby Jesus reaching up to touch his mother's face - Heaven reaching down to Earth and the God-Child reaching up to his human Mother (and to all of us!), in the great miracle of Christmas.

In addition to the fine work of our student singers, the vocal ensemble of the monks from Newark Abbey, led by Fr. Albert, brought a 'happy seriousness' to the festivities in their joyful rendition of the French Venit Divine Messie and the deeply sacred Gregorian chant of Vexilla Regis. Our pit orchestra, under the superb direction of Dr. Jeremy Fletcher, gave a stand-out performance - with strong solos and perfect pitch - yet with enough modulation to keep it from drowning out the chorus. Piano accompaniment by Dr. Denis Lansang of our Science Department, as well as much rehearsing of the chorus by this multi-talented Chemistry teacher, gave indispensable support to the work of the singers and Fr. Al.

Last, but not least, to the students of the chorus, the strong clear readers, our orchestra and our technical crew: "Bravissimo!"

Notes: To all the 'Benedict's men' who gave of their time, their great talent and their unflagging energies amidst final exams and their own Christmas obligations, "THANK YOU, GUYS!!!" - from the heart of this writer and the teacher of so many of you! We know that we speak for all the Faculty and students of St. Benedict's Prep in deep admiration and appreciation of "all ye faithful" who came, so unflaggingly, to give the city of Newark yet another grand St. Benedict's Prep Annual Christmas Program! And thank you, Fr. Albert!

The weather was unseasonably warm and the sky was a brilliant blue on Saturday, Dec. 4, making the already beautiful Brae Burn Country Club a wonderful setting for our annual Boston Reunion.

Thirty-six alumni and friends enjoyed an intimate cocktail hour and a buffet lunch in two adjoining sun-drenched rooms. The group included six of St. Benedict's newest graduates who attend Boston College, one who studies at Roger Williams University and another who is a senior at Holy Cross.

The grads of St. Benedict's caught up with one another and mingled with other alumni ranging from men who graduated from Holy Cross as recently as 2005 to those from the Benedict's Class of 1953, including host Art Meehan and Bart Cilento.

After everyone sat down for lunch, Director of Development Kevin Moore '64 asked each college-age alumnus to tell the group a bit about his post-Hive experience and ambitions.

Tom McCabe H'02, author of the recently-published Miracle on High Street, The Rise, Fall and Resurrection of St. Benedict's Prep in Newark, N.J., followed, regaling the gathering by re-telling a few stories from the book.

Director of College Guidance Tony Carnahan then delivered an update on the current crop of seniors' college admissions outlook. Headmaster Fr. Edwin spoke last, telling the audience about the student successes this fall in the classrooms and on the fields and answering numerous questions from alumni.

After the official end of the event, many hung around to catch up with old friends, give advice to some of the younger alumni, or purchase a copy of Miracle on High Street and take advantage of having both the author and Fr. Edwin available to sign their copy.

December 2010

Ishmael Solomon never envisioned himself as a "serious" artist.

But, after working under the tutelage of Pam Wye-Hunsinger over the last few years, Solomon now appreciates himself more as an artist than someone who just dabbled as a cartoonist. So much more so that he plans a studying art in college.

"I was more a cartoon guy when I got here," said Solomon. "I never really thought about serious art or that I even had it in me. But just being in these classes has taught me so much about art and my own ability."

Solomon's newfound passion at St. Benedict's was transformed for public viewing on Thursday night, Dec. 2, when he and his fellow art students, along with other curriculums at The Hive, had their works on display for the school's Asia Project.

The Asia Project, an interdisciplinary event, focuses on different aspects of culture in China, Japan, Korea, Philippines and Tibet. It brought together, for the Fall Event, a number of school's infrastructure - Art, Music, Science and Martial Arts.

The gala offered exhibits in traditional Asian medicine display boards, martial arts demonstrations, sculptures, paintings, block-prints and haiku poems in St. Benedict's Cafeteria for the first half of the event.

From there, the festivities moved to Colin Auditorium where guests were treated performances of Asian music by the Choir and the Concert and Intermediate Bands, under the direction of Drs. Dennis Lansang and Jeremy Fletcher, respectively. The seven-member Choir, amazingly, serenaded the attendees in the dialect of each of their compositions - Japanese, Korean and Filipino (Ibaloi & Maranao).

This event came on the heels of other all-encompassing, year-long events staged by St. Benedict's and headed by Wye-Hunsinger, the Art Department Chairperson. Past projects have included numerous themes, including Billie Holiday, Romare Bearden, Destruction of Jerusalem, Sesquicentennial of Newark Abbey; Harlem Renaissance and Romanticism, to name a few.

Nov. 22, 2010

Critical reading and writing - increasing students' abilities in these disciplines - is the major academic goal set by the school's planning committee that prepared for the validation team visit on behalf of the Middle States Commission of Colleges and Secondary Schools.

Keith Corpus, a former English teacher and now consultant for St. Benedict's, and Michelle Tuorto, Chair of the Science Department, along with Paul Thornton '63, Vice President for Development, organized the required self-study for the accreditation process - an arduous task that took almost a year of planning. They said that they plan to measure students' improvements in verbal proficiency in these areas by PSAT and SAT test scores, among other measures, including internal evaluations the faculty will devise. The Middle States Association validation team, led by Rev. Msgr. Robert H. Aucoin of Ogdensburg, New York, Diocese, will recommended Benedict's re-accreditation to the commission, and now, like a high school senior awaiting his decisions from colleges, students and faculty alike must wait to find out what recommendations the Middle States has for Benedict's.

The Middle State team was at St. Benedict's from Monday, Nov. 15, until their departure on Thursday, Nov. 18. Msgr. Aucoin was joined by other Catholic school educators, Sr. Anne Toner, Julia Tutino, Karen Falco and Michael Griffin in their evaluation process at The Hive.

The validation team spoke to members of the school that make up all the facets of life at St. Benedict's - including Headmaster, Fr. Edwin, all the Department Chairs, administrators and even students.

According to Thornton, the Middle States Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools, of which the commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools is a unit, ensures that member schools live up to their stated missions and provide the highest quality education for students.

Accreditation is a means of showing confidence in a school's performance, according to the Middle States Association's official website. Every seven years a Middle States Commission team visits and examines the school to determine (or renew) accreditation.

"It's the generally accepted 'gold standard' for schools and colleges since it indicates that a school meets standards of excellence beyond the normal or average," Thornton said.

During the accreditation process, a school works through a self-study that examines all aspects of the school's programs such as courses offered, facilities available, student grades and test scores, and the general organization of the school.

"Various school committees of teachers and other staff, with assistance from students, parents, alumni and board members, probe each area and make a report as to whether the school meets, or falls below, a set of standards," added Thornton.

The Middle States Commission requires schools to meet clear, fundamental standards to be accredited, but preparing for the Middle States visit can take more than a year and must involve teachers, administration, parents and students - all the school's "stakeholders."

Tuorto and Corpus oversaw the school's 300-page self-study, which was presented to the Middle States Association. Though the self-study took 11 months to complete, the accreditation process has allowed faculty to work with different people.

"I have really enjoyed working with colleagues with whom I don't usually cross paths," said Tuorto.

Thornton said the re-accreditation process is very important for St. Benedict's. It tells colleges and graduates' future employers that the school's diplomas mean something. It also makes Benedict's eligible for grants and gifts from different organizations.

"Some companies with matching gift programs will help only schools accredited by agencies like Middle States," Thornton explained. "We receive significant support from these foundations and corporations each year."

By Stanley Guthrie

Nov. 10, 2010

Eighteen students from St. Benedict's spent this past weekend at the United States Naval Academy as part of a Science Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) program.

The STEM program, which is usually only offered in the summer, was held exclusively for St. Benedict's students, who spent part of the first day in a classroom setting studying 3-D computer programming, biometrics, Naval architecture and lighting diffraction. They also navigated the surrounding waterways around Annapolis in a Yard Patrol (YP) boat - some students even got to steer the vessel - before taking part in a Sprint (150-pound) Army/Navy football game Friday evening.

After each student was housed overnight with a Navy Plebe in their dorm rooms, members of SBP had morning breakfast at King Hall, a 55,000- square-foot "cafeteria" that seats more than 4,000. From there, the students where treated to a campus tour, which included visits to the copper-domed Chapel and the Naval Museum. Also included in the tour, given by a Lieutenant at the Academy, was a visit to Memorial Hall (part of Bancroft Hall, the largest dormitory in the world), which houses its rolls of honor that include lists of academy grads who were killed in action or who received the Medal of Honor.

Nov. 1, 2010

Tom McCabe stood alone in his own thoughts on the beach in Venice, California. After spending much of his adult life enamored with the story of St. Benedict's Prep, he found out that his book about The Hive was finally being published.

"I welled up," recalled McCabe of that day in the Summer of '09 when Fordham University Press informed him that they were going forward with his manuscript. "I put in over 15 years of work on this story and now it was finally going to be published. It was an emotional moment."

Nov. 1, 2010

Paul Chavart '12 probably spoke for most of the student body when he said last week at the Fourth Annual Vocation Awareness Day that before joining Fishers of Men he thought "becoming a monk seemed absurd."

Fishers of Men, an organization started by Br. Patrick Winbush O.S.B. to help students explore the meaning and possibility of religious life, sponsored VAD and hosted guest speaker, Br. Ernest J. Miller, Jr. F.S.C. of the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools, popularly know as the De LaSalle Christian Brothers.

Br. Ernest energetically challenged students to consider the life of the religious person as absurd only in the sense that it is a radical response to a culture where "market values" are seen as the yardstick of success.

Speaking in the cadences of a seasoned preacher and referring to the student's as, "My Brothers," Br. Ernest outlined his own journey to the brotherhood. Born in New Orleans, he said he was a "church child," the son of a religious Methodist mother and a non-practicing father. He attended Catholic schools and was influenced by the religious sisters who taught there. But the thought of joining a religious order didn't become actualized until much later.

In eighth grade he made what a called a "lateral move' and joined the Catholic Church, influenced by his teacher, Sister Juanita, who gave him "a dose of encouragement that a boy of color could make it in religious life."

He said his calling to religious life was hardly dramatic, but rather a developed inclination that strengthened over the years and came to him through "God's presence mediated through ordinary people."

A graduate of Loyola University in New Orleans, Br. Ernest has advanced degrees from George Washington University, La Salle University and Georgetown University.

Br. Ernest told the students that discerning a vocation took prayer, faith, trust and most of all, patience. He noted that he did not join the brothers until 1993 after he had completed advanced degrees and contemplated political work in Washington, D.C.

After Br. Ernest's talk, Br. Patrick and the students of Fishers of Men hosted a reception for the priests, brothers and sisters who attended in the monks' Hospitality Center.

--By Noreen Connolly
--Photos by Dennis Lansang

October 2010

St. Benedict's had its National Honor Society induction ceremony earlier this week.

Eighteen new members from St. Benedict's chapter of the NHS were sworn in at the ceremony in Radel Library on Tuesday night, Oct. 5.

The new members are: Jared Boone, Paul Chafart, Isaiah DelRios, Antonio DeSousa, Josdanson Exume, Gianfranco Giammatteo, Wilfrid Hilaire, Okhumale Igetei and Louis Laine.

Also inducted were: Deontrae McGee, Mark Molder, Prince Okafor, Seun Oke, Robert Pires, Kevin Remy, Joe Sgroi, Jeffrey Vazquez and Yasin Williams.

Sept. 24, 2010

Hall of Famer Hubie Brown has been the headliner since the inception six years ago of the Garden State Coaches Clinic at St. Benedict's Prep.

But on Friday, Brown, the two-time NBA Coach of the Year, bid adieu to the place he fell in love with soon after holding court at the first GSCC in 2005. He announced his retirement from this clinic and any further speaking engagements.

"I made up my mind last year that this would be the last clinic I would ever do," said Brown, "I could have gone overseas or anywhere else in North America, but I turned them all down and wanted St. Benedict's to be it."

Brown, who was enshrined into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2005, capped off his final appearance to a standing ovation from the crowd in Dalton Gymnasium.

"The fact that Hubie gave his time to us every year since we started this just symbolizes what type of person he is," said St. Benedict's Headmaster Fr. Edwin Leahy. "He is a very special guy who has become a very good friend to St. Benedict's and we couldn't be prouder to say that."

Brown was once again the main drawing card of this year's event when he was joined by Boston Celtics assistant coach Kevin Eastman, television commentator and former NBA coach Mike Fratello, college basketball analyst and former collegiate coach Fran Fraschilla and St. Benedict's strength and conditioning coach Joe Paglia.

Brown's love affair with St. Benedict's and its little sanctuary in the heart of Newark began soon after his first appearance at the Garden State Coaches Clinic back in 2005. Fr. Edwin presented him with wooden Rosary Beads that had been blessed by Pope John Paul II during the Headmaster's visit to Rome with Abbot Melvin in 1992.

"That blew me away," recalled Brown, a devout Irish Catholic, who also learned more about the school by reading Downtown Monks, a book about SBP and the Newark Abbey written by Fr. Albert Holtz. The book was presented to him at the same time as the Rosary Beads.

"Once I read Downtown Monks, I was converted," said Brown. "It really touched my heart - touched me not only for the type of students you have today, but for the mothers and fathers who are trying to get the kids through school."

The demonstrative Brown was skeptical of the Clinic being a success, but when he came that first year, he knew the event founder Dan McLaughlin '70, was on to something special.

"The first year I came, I didn't think the clinic would go because it was a Friday, a one-day event and in Jersey," he said. "I was shocked at the attendance. So every time McLaughlin would call me after that, and with the feeling I now have felt for this place, of course I'd be here."

So after six years, on Friday, Sept. 24, 2010, Brown, one of the most respected coaches of his generation, called it quits after giving clinics and speaking engagements in over 70 countries for more than 40 years. He turned 77 a day after his final foray to SBP.

"Basketball has been very good to me and what you always want to do is strain the potential of the people in the stands," said Brown. "That's what I tried to do every clinic and for me it's gotten harder every time to crank it back up.

"I have feeling for education and for the commitment here at St. Benedict's. To me, coming here for 6 years was a joy."

Aug. 19, 2010

Jack Morado was all set to enlist in the Marines after graduating from St. Benedict's Prep.

Morado, however, had a change of heart, with a little urging from members of the U.S. Naval Academy, before reaching the podium to accept his diploma on Commencement Day in 2008.

"I didn't even know what the Naval Academy was," admitted Morado. "I've heard of West Point before, but didn't know anything about the academy until applying for the Summer Seminar."

Morado spent the summer before his senior year in the Naval Academy's Seminar, the same time as Fr. Edwin was forming the partnership that has since become an annual addendum into the curriculum at The Hive.

St. Benedict's collaboration with the U.S. Naval Academy's Department of Leadership, Ethics and Law (USNA-LEL) has enabled the academy to send interns to Newark each First Term and Spring Phase since the program was instituted in the summer of '07.

The Summer Seminar and the hands-on connection Morado had with the Midshipmen and their Leadership training during his senior year is what swayed him to change his mind. Instead of enlisting right away, he would enroll in the Naval Academy Preparatory School (NAPS) in Rhode Island.

He has since made his way to Annapolis and the Naval Academy, where he has reached Third Class (sophomore year). He hopes to graduate in two years as an officer, majoring in English with a minor in Arabic and then gain his shot as a Marine while being commissioned as a Second Lieutenant.

"The connection I developed with the Midshipmen through the Summer Seminar and at St. Benedict's is why I'm at the Naval Academy now," explained Morado, who was Group Leader during his final year at The Hive. "It's amazing how it all came about."

Morado reconnected with his alma mater, as did fellow '08 classmate, Joseph Kessopha, when the Naval Academy sent 10 Midshipmen to St. Benedict's for Leadership Training during the current First Term. Kessopha, like Morado, spent a year at NAPS before heading to Annapolis, where, he too, is a Midshipman Third Class.

Morado applied to his superiors for his internship at St Benedict's and when he got the call, was more excited to be coming back to his alma mater rather than going on his recent Leave.

"This was incredible" said Morado, whose nearly month-long stay at SBP ended with the rest of the Midshipmen on Aug. 18. "It was everything I expected it to be and more. The kids that were freshman here when I was a senior are now leaders. It's amazing to look at them and see how much they have matured."

Morado said the lessons he learned as a senior at SBP helped him immensely when he moved on. But he also feels the rapport that has been built between the Midshipmen and the students has gotten much stronger than when the Leadership Program was first initiated.

"It's more hands-on now than when I was here. We were intimidated by them," said Morado. "By having them - I mean us - around more, I think the experience allows the kids to brainstorm with the Midshipmen now instead of sitting back and being scared."

Morado would love to keep coming back to The Hive, as long as the academy allows him.

"I will never forget this place," he said. "and I want these kids to never forget where they came from. It molded me into who I am today and gave me guidance. I wouldn't be at the academy if it wasn't for St. Benedict's Prep."

--By Ron Jandoli
--Photos by Mike Scanlan

Aug. 11, 2010

Ralph Alphoncio Jean's plight looked dim after the devastating earthquake hit his homeland of Haiti.

But because Jean gave of himself after the Jan. 12 quake, he now finds himself in America and at St. Benedict's Prep.

"We're trying to help a kid carve out a life for himself," said Fr. Edwin, who noted that Abbot Melvin was the one who got Jean connected to The Hive. "What happened in Haiti is just devastating and we're here to help in any way we can."

Jean's journey began shortly after the fifth deadliest earthquake in history hit his hometown of Port-au-Prince.

Although his home and immediate family were safe after the 7.0 magnitude quake and the subsequent aftershocks, Jean's life as he knew it - his house was uninhabitable and his school was closed - came to a crashing halt.

Jean, however, wasn't about to sit back and watch the overwhelming despair that gripped the entire Caribbean nation bring him down. He sought refuge in helping out wherever he could.

His quest to lend a hand took him to the makeshift hospital set up in the city. There, he met a Swiss doctor and offered his assistance as an interpreter, which, in turn, led to another assignment in the same capacity with Dr. Daniel Hirsch.

Dr. Hirsch, a neonatal specialist from the Bronx, who works at Robert Wood Johnson and Somerset Medical Center in New Jersey, planned his trip to the ravaged nation through an advertisement he saw in the Medical Society of New Jersey.

"I don't think it really hit me at first," said Dr. Hirsch of volunteering his services. "But the more I thought about it, the more I thought I could be of some help."

Dr. Hirsch broached his plans to his wife, Lisa, and colleagues at Robert Wood Johnson; they, along with his Rabbi, Avi Weiss at the Hebrew Institute in Riverdale, were fully supportive of his effort.

He headed to Haiti on Feb. 13 to begin a 7-day sojourn as a relief worker. That's where his relationship with Jean began to take shape.

"Ralph was not only intelligent and mature, but patient and sensitive," said Dr. Hirsch. "He was able to express his feelings. I was impressed that someone was so willing to help and cared about others."

Dr. Hirsch had Jean by his side and used the young man as his go-between to interact with his pediatric patients and their parents in the pseudo hospital setup, which consisted of 18-hour days in tents that served as departments of the medical site. Dr. Hirsch knew little French, but Jean helped decipher the Creole dialect spoken by the Haitians.

"He learned a lot about my life," said Jean. "I told him everything about me and my family while he was in Haiti."

"We got along very well and he had a sense of humor," said Dr. Hirsch. "He wanted to help and be productive, but he was there to learn as well."

When it was time for the good doctor to leave the island of Hispaniola, he saw that Jean's school had yet to be re-organized and the haphazard conditions in Haiti didn't look like they'd return to normalcy anytime soon.

After Hirsch left, he called Jean about a week later and asked if he'd be interested in coming to the United States to finish his secondary education. "My mother said, 'Of course,' " said Jean. "Everybody in my country was happy for me. They all want to come here."

Once Hirsch was sure of Jean's interest and commitment, he began the long process of clearing hurdles.

"Ralph was stuck in a country that had been going nowhere for decades and now the devastation of an earthquake only made it worse," said Dr. Hirsch. "Here you have an honest, thoughtful young man that I was trying to get an opportunity for."

Dr. Hirsch, through a number of intermediaries, eventually linked up with Dr. Patricia Bratt, a Director of the Academy of Clinical and Applied Psychoanalysis in Livingston. Dr. Bratt knew Hirsch's wife, Lisa, a clinical psychologist with her own practice.

Dr. Bratt, who has also been involved in Haitian rescue efforts, contacted Abbot Melvin, who has been studying psychoanalysis at the Academy of Clinical and Applied Psychoanalysis, Livingston, NJ, for the past four years. He readily helped facilitate Jean's coming to The Hive.

"I was thrilled. A dream come true," said Dr. Hirsch. "At first, I didn't know where to turn and now my prayers were answered for Ralph."

Eight months after the earthquake, there are more than 1 million Haitians still displaced - most living in tents or makeshift structures. Meanwhile, Jean's family moved to the outskirts of Port-au-Prince to live with his grandmother.

Jean, however, has benefited from Dr. Hirsch's generosity and has a new home in Leahy House here at St. Benedict's. On weekends, he can be found sharing dinner and hanging out with Dr. Hirsch, his wife and their 3 children in the Bronx.

"I was very, very, very happy when I found out I was coming to America, but I did not know where I would end up," said Jean. "The first day I came here, I thought I was dreaming. I see myself to be very lucky."

June 2010

Dr. David Wolf, head of the English Department here at St. Benedict's, has announced the required reading list for all students.

Although classes are not in session, all St. Benedict's students - returning and new admits, including transfer - are responsible for reading an assigned book. Each student must read the book required for his appropriate English level.

Students are expected to acquire a copy of the book on their own. All books should be available in local bookstores (Barnes & Noble or Borders) or on the Internet (Amazon.com or Powells.com). It might also be possible to find these titles at the local public library.

There will be an assessment given during the third week of "First Term." The assessment will consist of from five to ten questions; students are typically expected to write paragraph long answers to each question. I strongly recommend that students complete the book before the beginning of "First Term" and then review the book the week of this test. The grade that students receive on their summer reading assessment will count; the grade will be calculated as part of students' Fall Phase first quarter English grades.

Too many students begin the year in the wrong way by overlooking this summer reading assignment and scoring poorly on the assessment. Return to school prepared. Reading remains the single best way to feed the mind. Complete the assigned reading, score well on the assessment, and start the year off the right way.

Here is the Required Reading List:
English I: The Pact by Drs. Sampson Davis, George Jenkins, and Rameck Hunt
English II: The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
English III: The Assistant by Bernard Malamud
English IV: Winesburg, Ohio by Sherwood Anderson

July 14, 2010

St. Benedict's community is saddened by the passing of Fr. Regis P. Wallace '51, O.S.B. on July 13. He was 76.

Fr. Regis graduated as Peter Joseph Wallace from St. Benedict's Prep in 1951, the place where he began to sense a calling to the Benedictine monastic life and to the priesthood.

After graduating from The Hive, Fr. Regis entered the Benedictine college of St. Vincent in Latrobe, Pa., from which he received the Bachelor of Arts degree in 1956. During that time, he made his monastic profession as a monk of St. Mary's Abbey at St. Benedict's Abbey in Atchison, Kan. on July 11, 1954.

Fr .Regis began studies for the priesthood at St. Mary's School of Theology in 1956 in Morristown, N.J., and was ordained on May 28, 1960. A year later, he began teaching at St. Benedict's, where he taught English and was the Adviser of The Benedict News. He later also served as co-moderator of the school yearbook, The Telolog. He was assigned in 1965 as the pastoral associate at St. Elizabeth's Parish in Linden, N.J., and remained there until 1967.

Fr. Regis, who pursued graduate studies at Columbia University, and New York University, receiving his Master of Arts degree from NYU in 1968, was retuned to the classroom at St. Benedict's in 1967 by Abbot Martin Burne. The day he returned to the monastery on High St. was the very day that the civil unrest of the summer of 1967 erupted, known since as the Newark Riots.

Fr. Regis continued to teach at St. Benedict's until the school suspended operations in June 1972. He then returned to St. Mary's Abbey and Delbarton, where he taught for a short time before returning to parish life for most of his career. In 1980 he was appointed pastor of Notre Dame of Mount Carmel in Cedar Knolls, where he served for 17 years, a time marked by the building of a new parish church and growing involvement and leadership from lay members of the parish.

Fr. Regis is survived his older brother, Francis of St. Benedict's class of 1949, devoted cousins and friends. He will be mourned by his many adult friends who were students of his at St. Benedict's and Delbarton.

Fr. Regis's body will be received at St. Mary's Abbey Church in Morristown on Thursday, July 15, at 4:30 p.m. Wake will be from 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday and on Friday, July 16, from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. in the Abbey Church. Office of the Dead will be said on Friday at 7:15 p.m. The Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Saturday, July 17, at 10:30 a.m. in the Abbey, with interment to follow in the Abbey cemetery. Arrangements are with William R. Dangler Funeral Home of Summit, N.J.

June 2010

June 4, 2010

Benedict's Hates A Quitter.

It's one of the school's mottos that make up the brotherhood seen day-in and day-out at St. Benedict's.

And no one epitomizes that school axiom as much as Nick Yulan.

Yulan came to The Hive as a soccer player with high aspirations. He never quite made it to his ultimate goal on the pitch, but as he explains it, "Soccer was only part of my life here."

Yulan knew varsity soccer may have been his initial goal, but it was hardly the only one. Instead of giving up and going back to school in his hometown of Howell when his athletic prowess wouldn't carry him to the top, he dedicated himself to becoming an all around member of the community at St. Benedict's Prep - one that that he flourished at.

"I'm not a quitter and that's what St. Benedict's is all about," explained Yulan. "I got attracted to this place because of soccer, but once here, I just made so many friends and really got drawn into the environment; the brotherhood."

Yulan not only adapted to his surroundings, he excelled, despite having to travel an hour on the train each and every day from Monmouth County just to make it to school on time.

His accomplishments are staggering - some of which include being a member of our Model UN delegation and Youth and Government, the ACE (Architecture, Construction and Engineering) Mentoring Program, a volunteer at a local elementary school and this year, he was Senior Group Leader while interning with the Brick City Development Corporation in Newark working on energy conservation.

On Thursday night, June 3rd, Yulan was rewarded for all he has achieved by being presented the 2010 Presidential Award by Abbot Melvin at the Annual Senior Awards Dinner.

"Nick epitomizes the ideals that we hope to instill in our students here at St. Benedict's," said Tony Carnahan, Director of College Guidance. "He is the personification of community. Selfless almost to a fault, Nick has always been willing to put the good of the school and his peers ahead of himself."

The 18-year-old Yulan, who owns a 3.97 grad point average and will study engineering at Notre Dame beginning this fall, is among the tri-Valedictorians in St. Benedict's largest graduating class since the school reopened back in 1972 under the guidance of Fr. Edwin. He was one of 10 finalists for the Presidential Award and was one of the Commencement speakers at Sunday's 136th Commencement, along with fellow Valedictorians Rodrigo Bergamasco and Preston Fletcher.

"There were a lot of guys that had as much a chance as I did getting this award," said Yulan, who, despite never making varsity, stuck it out and even captained the JV soccer team this year. "This feels pretty special. But I didn't look at it as just me winning this award; it was for everyone who had a chance. We all won."

It's this selfless spirit that guided Yulan. Even while most people would have retreated when things didn't go exactly as planned, the young man stared down adversity and found different avenues in which to shine.

"This was as much for my mom as it was for me," said Yulan, who thanked his mom, Susan, for driving him the half hour to the Matawan train station every morning before school. "I couldn't have done anything without her and my dad's support, along with my classmates and everyone else at the school."

Notes: Former Presidential Award Winners who were on hand at the Annual Senior Awards Dinner to pay homage to Yulan were Paul Thornton '63, Tom Leahy '77, David Carlo '99, Myles Gerraty '07, Dan Sheehan '08 and Dylan Knox '09.

Yulan, Bergamasco, who is headed to Carnegie Mellon, and the University of Pennsylvania-bound Fletcher are the first tri-Valedictorians in St. Benedict's history and were honored with the Headmaster's Memorial Award for General Achievement.

Other Senior Class members taking home honors were: Yauchin Lam, the Rev. Casimir Finley, O.S.B. Memorial Award for Achievement in Mathematics; Christopher O'Neal, the Rev. Laurence Grassman, O.S.B., '33 Memorial Award for Achievement in Science; Rob Ranalli, the John Richard McDonough '58 Memorial Award for Achievement in Humanities; Pedro Santos, the Abbot Martin J. Burne, O.S.B. '32 Memorial Award for Achievement in Religious Studies; Emery Ahoua, the Thomas J. Hooper, Sr. '37 Memorial Award for Journalism.

Also receiving plaques were: Paul Rejouis, the Rev. John T. Browne, O.S.B. '47 Memorial Award for Achievement in the Performing Arts; Teron Harris, the Rev. Maynard G. Nagengast, O.S.B. H '94 Award for Achievement in the Visual Arts; Akintayo Famakinwa, the John A. Conlin '41 Memorial Award for Service; Grover Mayo, the Carl Blake '80 & James Barnes-Hawkins '87 Award for Outstanding Improvement; Josh Ajamu, the Thomas E. Durkin, Jr. '43 Award for Benedictine Spirit; Nigil Whyte, the Thomas Huss '93 Memorial Award for School Spirit; and Chris Lands, the Rev. Mark M. Payne, O.S. B. '69 Award for Character and Leadership Development.

May 23, 2010

Rick Jacobs and Jim Wandling each had an inkling this day would come to fruition.

They just didn't know when - until now.

Wandling, who came back to St. Benedict's in 2000 after graduating from The Hive eight years earlier, is officially taking over the reins as the soccer coach of perhaps the most successful program in the nation.

"I would say as far back as high school that we had thrown around the idea," said Wandling, a successful player under Jacobs who graduated from St. Benedict's in 1992. "But certainly after graduating college, I knew this is what I wanted to do and it became serious way back then."

Jacobs, a prodigious motivator who has treated every player under his tutelage like his own son, is stepping aside as coach of the Gray Bees, after 25 years and six National Championships, to pursue a career as an executive for a professional soccer team. Terms of Jacobs' new position won't be released until later this month.

"You wouldn't have any idea how tough a decision this was," said Jacobs, who amassed a staggering 519-27-13 record, all at St. Benedict's. "I've been saying for 25 years that you don't feel like you're going to work when you are part of a place like St. Benedict's Prep. Typically, you're not looking around the corner for the next opportunity. This has been a very surprising turn of events - one that I could not and would not have predicted."

Jacobs, who was named New Jersey Coach of the Year in 1990, led his team to its 21st consecutive state title (23rd overall) and finished his final year last fall with a 17-2 slate. He felt the pull of the professional ranks, especially where he is at this stage of his life, made the move a sensible one.

"There comes a time when you're a certain age and you're presented with something that may provide for your family that's in a way lasting in the terms of the future for my children and for my wife," explained the 56-year-old Jacobs, who, with his wife, Teresa, have three teenage children.

"You need to consider those significant things that may not come around again. When other opportunities in the past have comes up, for one reason or another, the timing or opportunity wasn't right. The timing in terms of where I am in my life, the opportunity was too exciting a challenge to pass up this time."

Fr. Edwin, who loses his second high profile coach in as many months - basketball coach Dan Hurley moved on to the collegiate ranks - is sad to see a confidant such as Jacobs leave his nest, but excited about the new challenges ahead.

"In the last 2 months, we've produced a coach who has gone on to a Division 1 college and now another who is going to a professional organization," said Fr. Edwin. "It's a feather in our cap.

"Everything ends, but new things begin and come out of it. It's a great opportunity, not only for Rick, but for us here at St. Benedict's. I'm confident Jimmie will keep the soccer experience here full. I'm looking forward to working with him."

Wandling, 36, was an all-county and all-state performer for Jacobs, who went on to lead St. Peter's College to new heights. As a collegian, he was a conference Rookie of the Year before becoming two-time captain while at the Jersey City College, a place where he has since been elected into the Hall of Fame.

"It's almost too perfect," said Jacobs of his successor. "When you have a guy that's been here since 1988, played here, waited his turn - it's perfect. He helped us win our first national championship (1990), left to go pursue his college degree and came back to coach and teach and continues to do what great Benedict's men do."

"We've talked about him coaching for years as being 'What if?' But he's grown in so many ways over the years and is so ready. I don't think there are a lot of places that can say that with the confidence we can."

Wandling, who has a wife, Diana, and two young children with a third on the way, has been on a whirlwind tour since last summer. He took over the Athletic Director's job at St. Benedict's last July and took a year off from soccer to get acclimated to his new position after spending the previous seven years as assistant to Jacobs on the sidelines.

"When I came back here, my plan was to succeed Rick," said Wandling. "But in the course of those nine years, I put myself in position to potentially explore other opportunities because Rick was just as successful and motivated as ever.

"Then I became AD and now the new soccer coach - my feet haven't touched the ground in the last year. If you would have talked to me a year ago and told me I would be the AD and soccer coach, I would have thought you were crazy."

Wandling's life, however, may become even crazier now. Inheriting the job as the leader for one of the most recognized high school programs in the country comes with the pressure of having to succeed almost immediately. Not to mention his already highly-pressurized job of having to coordinate all the athletic functions at the school as AD.

But Wandling feels ready to assume the mantle, having played under or coached for Jacobs during 14 of his 25 years at the helm.

"The plan is to produce immediately. I'm aware of the success," said the new coach confidently. "I've contributed to that success both as player and coach, so I'm not all that intimidated by it. I know the secrets to our success and the way that we deal with our players and what we demand of them. I see the benefits of those types of demands.

"The idea is to take the best of what St. Benedict's has had to offer over the last 25 years and add my own stamp."

--By Ron Jandoli

May 15, 2010

Although Ken Boehl and Bob DiQuollo were drawn to St. Benedict's through different means, each has an unmatched affinity for The Hive.

Boehl H'97 was introduced to St. Benedict's by his former boss at MBNA America, Charlie Cawley '58, whose philanthropic ways have benefited so many young men who have passed through the doors at 520.

And once Boehl got acquainted with the monks and their service to the community and school, he was hooked.

"I didn't know much about St. Benedict's until I came here," said Boehl, who first stepped on campus 16 years ago. "Ever since then, I've loved every minute of it. It has become a very important part of my life; a very important part of my family's life. This is a magical place."

DiQuollo '65 has bled Garnet & Gray since his days as a student-athlete and soon thereafter, as a wrestling coach during his collegiate days at Seton Hall University. His love of the school has spanned over four decades now.

"This is just a special place that has been here for 150 years and not only giving the Newark area kids an education, it has given them a path to a better life. I was one of those kids," said DiQuollo. "You can't deny that this is a great place. It teaches you, educates you, mentors you and just gives you a nice start in life."

Boehl, now a retired Vice Chairman of MBNA America, who resides in Delaware, and DiQuollo, the head of a financial advisory firm in Madison, were honored on Thursday, May 13, at the Annual St. Benedict's Dinner.

Boehl and DiQuollo, members of St. Benedict's Board of Trustees, shared the stage with fellow honorees Barbara Bell Coleman and her husband, the Hon. Claude Coleman, before a packed house in Dalton Gymnasium, where all four honorees were bestowed the prestigious medal of St. Benedict's.

"What else can you say about a guy who cares about the students here so much," said Mike Scanlan of Boehl, who helped re-vamp the school's Business Office in the early 90s and in recent years, when the financial market imploded, directed the school's Annual Fund on a continued path of growth.

And he has done it all as a volunteer.

"Taking young men from the city of Newark and really making the difference in their lives - I just got caught up in it," said Boehl, who still can be found hanging out in the Monastery chatting with Abbot Melvin and the other monks who call Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. home. "I didn't graduate from here, but I feel like this is my home; my alma mater."

DiQuollo, the founder and President of Brinton Eaton, an investment advisory and financial planning firm, has had an hands-on role since becoming "reacquainted" at St. Benedict's a decade ago as a member of the Finance Committee, of which he is now vice-chairman. He has also been on the school's Board of Trustees for the last six years.

"(St. Benedict's) is about living the right life ethically and honestly," said DiQuollo. "I always believe that the best award you can get is an award that comes from a community you are part of. I'm part of the St. Benedict's community so this is the highest recognition I can get from anybody. I'm humbled and thrilled."

The Hon. Claude Coleman, a Superior Court Judge who rose through the ranks of a "beat cop" on the streets of Newark to the Director of the Police and Fire Departments in the City. He is also on St. Benedict's Board of Trustees.

"People always ask me if I am an alumnus of St. Benedict's," said Coleman. "I always tell them I'm not, but since I received this (Medal of St. Benedict's), I'm now going to forever call myself a St. Benedict's man."

Barbara Bell Coleman, whose son, Benjamin, graduated from The Hive in 1988, has worked tirelessly to improve the lives of children throughout Newark since the Civil Rights Movement in the 60s. She is currently President of BBC Associates, LLC.

"I'm just so impressed continually about St. Benedict's unwavering commitment to young men," she said. "The values they embrace are so important to me. St. Benedict's takes very seriously the people they hold up to the light and to be among those is very, very humbling and special."

NOTES: A showcase of this year's Dinner was once again a Silent Auction, which offered a number of items - from sports memorabilia to vacation packages and even a round of golf with Fr. Edwin. This year's auction boosted the total revenue of the dinner by nearly $15,000.

The Dinner also drew a very special guest in New Jersey's first Lieutenant Governor, Kim Guadagno. The former federal prosecutor, who worked U.S. Attorney's office in Newark, singled out during her brief speech St. Benedict's own Didier Jean-Baptiste '86, who was a student of Professor Guadagno's when he was in Rutgers-Newark Law School.

The St. Benedict's Chorus was also on hand to sing a couple of songs for the 400 dinner guests, including a stirring rendition of Bruce Springsteen's My City of Ruins, which featured the school's Director of Music, Dr. Jeremy Fletcher, on the saxophone.

--By Ron Jandoli

May 7, 2010

April 2010

Rafael Sanchez, the 1996 Presidential Award Winner, has devised an exceptional plan to give back to St. Benedict's in more ways than just by his teachings.

"Raf," a current English teacher and former track coach at The Hive, will be the lone participant in a "Dance Marathon" beginning at 9 a.m. on Friday, May 7. He will dance to the tunes of the venerable Rev. Winstead, whose music has reverberated during Convocation for over two decades.

"My performance will be designed to raise money for St. Benedict's Prep's current student population," said Raf. "It will also celebrate the music and talent of a man who has been inspiring Gray Bees for more than 20 years."

The length of Raf's performance will depend on you - St. Benedict's alumni, family and friends. The 31-year-old will dance one minute for every person who donates at least $10 to St. Benedict's Prep's future between now and May 7, and anytime during the performance.

All donations will go toward the 2009-2010 St. Benedict's Annual Fund and, for alumni, will count toward their Class's participation in the Annual Fund. Sixty donors will equal one hour of Raf's dance time; 120 donors will extend his time to two hours; and so on.

To kick off this marathon of rhythmic movement, Raf will donate $100 himself to sponsor his first minute of dancing. He is reaching out to all alumni and fellow supporters of The Hive - those who came before him, his classmates of '96 and those whom he has taught or coached during the last ten years - to support this performance.

Raf chose Rev. Winstead's music because of the memories that come flooding back every time he listens to the Reverend's tunes.

"As an alumnus and a teacher at the Hive, I reflect upon these memories and how they have shaped my life," Raf said. "I imagine that many of you can recall at least one Convocation where you left feeling better because of Reverend Winstead's motivating songs."

Why is Raf doing this selfless and entertaining act?

"My May 7 performance is one way of acknowledging the unique and powerful experience that the Hive provides to over 500 students every year," he said. "The Hive needs your help, and I am trying to use my talents and energies to hopefully draw attention to this issue and motivate others to help."

Raf hopes you will join him on his journey, which will be streamed live via St. Benedict's website from the beginning of his performance (9 a.m.) on May 7. It will mark the first of many "live" performances that the school hopes to become commonplace in the future.

April 15, 2010

St. Benedict's once again joined forces with Rutgers University-Newark to showcase some of the top writing talent in our Newark area high schools.

The 2nd Annual Newark High Schools Writing Contest culminated with an Awards Ceremony on Thursday, April 15, at the Robeson Galleries on the campus of Rutgers.

Dr. David Wolf, Chair of St. Benedict's English Department, along with Jayne Anne Phillips, Director of the MFA Program at Rutgers, have spearheaded this event since its inception.

This year, the competition grew from five to eight high schools. Students from those schools submitted entries in three genres: poetry, short fiction and personal essay.

The entries were submitted to each school's adviser by April 5 and the writings of the finalists from each school were forwarded for final judging to Phillips and MFA faculty and graduate students at Rutgers.

This year's competition was based on the theme, in response to Newark's continued Renaissance, challenges and diversity, Newark Now: Identities Past and Present. The theme was meant for students to draw inspiration in their poems, stories or personal essays embracing any subject likely to fit into the topic.

Sixty-one entries were submitted by St. Benedict's alone, and 15 of those made the cut and were selected as finalists and judged by Phillips and her staff.

All told, seven St. Benedict's writings took home honors - out of a total of 18 students who placed in the top six of each category.

"There were many, many deserving St. Benedict's entries," said Dr. Wolf. "Our students should be very proud of their work. In truth, the quality of creative and personal writing at St. Benedict's has never been better."

Winners from The Hive included juniors Thaddeus Williams (2nd place), Alejandro Betances (3rd place) and Ian Gyan (Hon. Mention #1) in the fiction category. Gyan also took home second place honors for his non-fiction writing, while Williams received an honorable mention nod in poetry.

Also grabbing honors among the non-fiction winners were sophomores Nicholas Yulan (3rd place) and Yauchin Lam (Honorable mention #3).

The event came to an exciting conclusion with the reception and readings - excerpts from the student winners themselves, which was held for participants, their parents and teachers on April 15, at the Robeson Center.

Dan Hurley has stepped down as the basketball coach of St. Benedict’s Prep to reacquaint himself with the college game.

Hurley, who played college ball at Seton Hall before taking on an assistant coaching role at Rutgers, will take over the head coaching chores at Wagner College in Staten Island after directing the Gray Bees to national prominence for the past nine seasons.

“I‘ve known for over four years now this day would eventually come,” said St. Benedict’s Headmaster Fr. Edwin Leahy. “I’m glad we got to hang on to him for as long as we did. I’m enormously grateful to Danny for all he’s done for the last nine years.”

Hurley, who became the fastest coach to reach 200 victories in New Jersey history, finishes his illustrious tenure at St. Benedict’s with a 223-21 record. He capped that with a 20-1 ledger this year when the Gray Bees wound up No. 4 in the final national rankings.

“Danny has given a tremendous amount of help to both his players and non-basketball players who he has come across,” said Fr. Edwin. “I wish him well.“

Hurley, 37, will formally be introduced as Wagner’s 17th head coach at an 11:30 press conference on Wednesday. He takes over for the recently fired Mike Deane, who posted a 5-26 record this past winter.

“We are excited to welcome Dan Hurley into the Wagner athletics family,” said Wagner’s Director of Athletics Walt Hameline. “Dan has been a winner at every level that he has played or coached and is someone who has thrived at schools that have excellent academic reputations.”

A successor for Hurley at St. Benedict’s will start immediately and Fr. Edwin doesn’t expect anything different from the Gray Bees in the coming years.

“We’re going to do our best to continue the tradition that we’ve built and continued with Danny,” said Fr. Edwin. “Danny followed some greats before him - like Jack Dalton, (Ernest) Prof Blood and Hank Cordeiro. My obligation is to find someone to replace him and continue the excellence that has been here for quite some time and I am sure it will continue in the future.”

There is speculation that Hurley was sold on the Wagner program when he was given the go ahead to bring his older brother, Bobby Hurley Jr., the former Duke star and NBA player, to the Staten Island school as an assistant.

Hurley, who was offered the Marist coaching job as well as positions at Pitt during his decade at St. Benedict’s, beat out Vanderbilt assistant coach King Rice and Texas A&M assistant coach Scott Spinelli for the Wagner job.

March 2010

The main boardroom was quiet with intent concentration. Twenty-five St. Benedict's students sat around the long conference table, listening as the scholar Frederick Brown read from his translation of political theorist Alexis de Toqueville's Letters from America.

"At this moment I am revolving many ideas about America," Mr. Brown read. Shortly after returning to his native France, de Toqueville would write Democracy in America (1840), the classic study of American political institutions that remains one of the most influential books on America ever written.

Standing at a lectern at one end of the room, a masterful Brown captivated the students for more than an hour on the afternoon of March 19 with de Toqueville's epistolary account of his eighteen months of travel in the United States.

Frederick Brown's visit to the Hive was the latest literary presentation at St. Benedict's to be sponsored by the eminent literary magazine, The Hudson Review, as part of the magazine's ongoing "Writers in the Schools" program. The literary magazine had previously sponsored visits by fiction writer and St. Benedict's alumnus John Van Kirk, poet Dennis Nurkse, and memoirist Jacqueline Brown.

Paula Deitz, the editor of the Hudson Review, has arranged the visits, coordinating with Dr. David Wolf, Chairman of the St. Benedict's English Department.

"I am always very impressed with St. Benedict's and its students," said Ms. Deitz. "Every time we come, the students amaze me with the caliber of their questions and insights and by how they carry themselves."

St. Benedict's students from Dr. Wolf's Poetry elective prepared for Mr. Brown's visit by reading in class a selection of the de Toqueville letters he translated and were subsequently published to critical acclaim in the Autumn 2009 edition of The Hudson Review. The students came to his presentation armed with questions: "What was your method in translating de Toqueville from the French," asked student Rob Ranalli. "How did you capture his style and voice in English?"

The prolific Mr. Brown, an author of biographies of the French novelists Gustave Flaubert and Emile Zola, as well as an upcoming book on the Dreyfus Affair, offered students the multiple perspectives of a scholar, critic and translator. He read from letters where de Toqueville described visits to New York City and Sing Sing Prison, his observations of the treatment of slaves in the south, and his witnessing the actual relocation of a Native American tribe, an example of the infamous Trail of Tears.

Afterwards, students crowded round him as Mr. Brown entertained more questions and signed copies of The Hudson Review.

"Every one of these visits has been a home run," said Dr. Wolf. "Their interactions with these writers make a unique contribution to our students' lives. And it flows the other way, too. These writers leave St. Benedict's feeling inspired by the warmth and intelligence of our students."

March 6, 2010

Gil Gaul graduated from St. Benedict's in 1969 and went on to establish himself as a renowned investigative journalist.

In his 35 years in the print medium, Gaul won two Pulitzer Prize Awards and was a finalist on four other occasions.

Yet, Gaul, a star track athlete in his time at The Hive and then at Fairleigh Dickenson University, never took a journalism class at St. Benedict's or, for that matter, in college.

That's why he told members of The Benedict News and Kayrix Magazine, "You guys are way ahead of where I was at your age."

Gaul was on hand at his alma mater on Wednesday, March 3, as the guest speaker when members of The Benedict News and the Kayrix, the school's literary magazine, were inducted into St. Benedict's chapter of the Quill and Scroll.

The Quill and Scroll is an international high school journalism society that recognizes and encourages both individual and group achievements in journalism. There are over 14,000 high schools in the United States that have established local chapters of the organization, which is based out of the University of Iowa.

"A good journalist learns to have an open mind," Gaul told the 15 student inductees. "Good interviewers are great listeners. They give their subjects space and sit back and let (those) subjects fill up space."

Gaul has lived by his advice. He has spent months, even a year-plus, between bylines to make sure he has all the facts straight and interviews in order before publishing a story. He spent most of his career at The Philadelphia Inquirer and The Washington Post.

He won the Pulitzer in 1979 for local investigative writing when he and Elliot Jaspin spent a year exposing the corruption of organized crime in the coal industry of Pennsylvania. Gaul won again in 1989 in the public service category with his series disclosing how the American blood industry operates with little government regulation or supervision.

"I got into journalism because I wanted to write," said Gaul. "A lot of younger reporters these days seem to be talking instead of writing. You can't learn if you don't listen."

Gaul, who retired from the Post last September to concentrate on his work as a novelist, gave his speech after Noreen Connolly, the Adviser of The Benedict's News, and Dr. David Wolf, English Department Chair and Kayrix mentor, held the inductions.

Students from the school's newspaper who were inducted included Emery Ahoua, Fritz Bondoa, Stanley Guthrie, Steven Abalo, Jose Santamaria, Quran Squire, Nick Yulan and Ramaad Williams. Kayrix inductees were Pragash Parararajasingam, Tyree Huey, Yauchin Lam, Javier Robles, Ian Gyan, Thaddeus Williams and Richard Vincent.

"Being a journalist is like being a student," Gaul told the inductees who gathered in the school boardroom for the ceremony. "With each story, you learn something new. Every year, you get a little smarter and learn a little bit more. "Not only have you learned how to write clear and simple sentences, but you've also learned how to think. You've learned how to gather facts and that may not seem terribly important at this moment, but, believe me, it really is. It's called critical thinking - you know how to be curious about the great world around us."

--By Ron Jandoli
--Photos by Josdanson Exume

February 2010

The city of Newark's Cotillion Program was started last year to enhance the lives of urban youth through social education, cultural exposure and enriching group experiences.

This year, five students from St. Benedict's - Joe Scroi, Preston Fletcher, Justin Copeland, Brandon White and Mushir Poole - took part in the 19-week comprehensive co-educational training program that teaches social and life skills at Essex County College.

The Cotillion Program exposes students to rules of social etiquette, interpersonal development, communication skills, leadership training and public decorum. Last year, 39 high school juniors and seniors from Newark, including seven from St. Benedict's, took part in the program. This year, 28 high school students from the city joined the program.

"Our Cotillion Program teaches our youth that manners and etiquette, cultural knowledge, public speaking and social skills combined with community service are critical tools in achieving personal success," said Newark Mayor Cory A. Booker, a staunch supporter of the program.

The students of the Cotillion Program performed a number of community service projects this year, including presenting boxes of gifts to children hospitalized at Newark's Beth Israel Medical Center and writing letters to U.S. service members at the Lanstuhl Medical Center in Germany who are recuperating from injuries suffered in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The program, which was held on Saturday's for almost five months, helped the students engage in public speaking, provided training in interview skills, letter writing and etiquette in all aspects of life. It concluded with a formal dinner/dance on Saturday, Feb. 13, at The Mezzanine.

"It has been an honor to be part of this program," said Copeland, a junior at The Hive. "This program has given me a wonderful foundation and fundamental skills that will help me later in life. The things I have learned here will help me wherever I may go."

Senior Leonard Auguste read from Psalm 4, "You alone Lord, make me secure," as Convocation began on Jan. 29. The restoration of the fragile security of the Haitian people, shattered in the recent earthquake, was in the prayers and exuberant songs of students and faculty that morning.

But the most moving part of the service came with the introduction of Yoleine Gateau and James Philamy, both founding members of the Nest for Educational Growth and Environmental Safety Foundation (NEGES), which has established a school in Leogane, one of the hardest hit towns in Haiti. Leogane is located just west of the epicenter of the earthquake in Port-au-Prince.

Frantz Brillant, father of Olivier'13, Philippe'07 and Armand'03, introduced the two who described the effects of the quake as recent photos of Haiti's devastation were projected behind them.

As she looked out over the assembled students, Ms. Gateau's voice broke recounting the horror in Leogane, a city of 160,000 that has lost 30,000 - many of them young, around the same age as the St. Benedict's students.

"In fifteen seconds, the lives of young people like you were changed irrevocably," Ms. Gateau said. Although the school in Leogane is still standing, it will need significant repairs. Its playing field is being used as tent city, and she and Mr. Philemy were departing shortly for Leogane to help with the relief effort.

Leogane, a city about 20 miles west of the capital, has suffered, at first estimates, as much or even more than that of the ruined Port-au-Prince. Relief efforts have been slow, like many other areas in the southern provinces, in reaching the devastated outskirts of the capital.

Ms. Gateau thanked the students for the assistance they had offered thus far - a collection of clothing and cash spearheaded by Stephanie Baker, Director of the Career Development Center at St. Benedict's, and Akintayo Famakinwa, a senior at The Hive. Famakinwa and other students helped stack the bags of clothes donated by students and staff that Ms. Gateau Mr. Philemy took with them to Leogane.

Ms. Baker said nearly $1,000 has been raised for NEGES by students, parents, faculty and staff at St. Benedict's Prep and that Famakinwa is still collecting donations.

--By Noreen Connolly

Below is the Homily given by Abbot Melvin, O.S.B., at the Mass of Christian Burial for Br. Gereon, 79, on Jan. 5, 2010 in St. Mary's Church at Newark Abbey. Brother Gereon Johannes Helmet Reuter, O.S.B., a Benedictine Monk of the Newark Abbey and a Fulbright Scholar, died on Jan. 2, 2010.

Dear Brother and Sisters in the Lord and Thomas and Amy, Eva and Leonore, Brother Gereon's Sister Inge,

May I begin with Brother Gereon's own written words: "Gereon Johannes Helmut Reuter, born 18 October 1930 in Cologne, Germany. My early youth was marked by the turbulence of the "Third Reich" and the terror of the Second World War. For most of the war time (1939-1945), I lived in cities subject to continuous air raids; my family suffered the fate of homelessness, deprivation and hunger. I entered the Dominican Order in May, 1951 and left in May 1955. Important and serious studies in Philosophy and Theology were completed during this fine period of Catholic and spiritual formation." I might remark that the Dominican order is renowned for preaching and Gereon's rich baritone voice would have moved many.

The next years were productive and rich ones for Helmut in Germany, attaining several advanced degrees in science and the Doctorate in Geo-Chemistry in 1961. The vocation of marriage and nurturing three wonderful children began in 1959. Thomas, Eva and Leonore were born in the early 1960's. Our dear confrere, Gereon, remained very much the proud father and grandfather. It was always very beautiful for me to experience and to speak about with him.

Br. Gereon was a Fulbright scholar and a member of the faculty of the California Institute of Technology from 1961-1964. He returned to Germany for three years and then came back permanently to the United States. He taught at the Georgia Institute of Technology beginning in 1967, remaining a professor there in Atlanta until 1984. In the Fall of 1984 he received a sabbatical leave, left Atlanta, and he joined the Benedictine monastery of Mount Savior in New York State.

But turn back for a moment with me to the late 1960's. One absolutely must note his active and remarkable engagement in the Civil Rights movement right away in 1967, and his profound veneration of that singular saint of Civil Rights, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Providentially Professor Reuter's single-minded pursuit of justice for all that he fought for so forcefully in Atlanta, and that he modeled by his deep respect of all God's children/people, everywhere, would lead him in God's good time, 20 years later to a Monastery and School in Newark, New Jersey.

We rejoiced then in 1987 at his arrival into our community from Mount Savior monastery, so that now he would ably man his monastic choir stall, his place at the Eucharist and table, and his new chemistry classroom in St. Benedict's Prep. We experience real joy this morning at this Eucharist, confident that this courageous German civil rights advocate and warrior is even better positioned today in heaven to assist this small community of monks and the dedicated Prep school faculty, friends and staff to continue God's work of liberation and equality for all Americans. How could I forget his unbounded excitement the day of the election of President Obama! One of his life's dreams fulfilled before his eyes.

Gereon was and remained all his days, in his own words "a professional scientist," but equally a lover of the arts, especially music and the theater - quick to comment on his good friend Pat Flynn's excellent drama productions in St. Benedict's. He was a sensitive man who valued every display of nature for its intrinsic beauty and grandeur and for its mysterious interconnection with the Divine.

All his life he highly prized good health and his own physical and emotional well being - enjoying for many years our indoor pool, his bicycling, nature walks and bird watching. Healthy food was important to Gereon, as was orchestrating meticulously the creation of his daily special supper time salad. Until Gereon, I had not appreciated the art of cutting fresh garlic and onions! It was a mouthwatering pleasure to watch. I marveled at his discipline. He could wait towards the end of the entire meal before slowly sipping his one glass of red wine. I do not know if he did the same on a Sunday afternoon at Father Philip's family home, visits and friendships Gereon cherished.

Gereon was a first class scholar and a dedicated teacher. An intellectual who did not live in an ivory tower but very much on our soil and of all places in our beloved City. He loved nature, the outdoors, the seashore, but could revealingly describe this glimpse into his soul in 1989 when he officially sought admission into our monastery, and I must quote him: "I do experience life here in the city of Newark as a hardship. The exposure to so much misery around us in the form of poverty, of violence, of filth, of destruction at times, leaves me dispirited, groping for hope. However, Hebrews Chapter 13 expresses for me very concisely a convincing reason why I should expose myself to the harsh circumstances of life here: "Let us go to him, then, outside the camp, and share his degradation. For there is no eternal city for us in this life but we look for one in the life to come." And then the biblical author follows with two verses which [for me] comprise in a nutshell the essence of our Benedictine life: "Through him, let us offer God an unending sacrifice of praise, a verbal sacrifice that is offered every time we acknowledge his name. Keep doing good works and sharing your resources (!) [he adds an exclamation point after 'sharing your resources'], for these are sacrifices that please God." So Brother Gereon the monk and theologian! He lived real sacrifice.

My brother monks have profited spiritually and intellectually by the single-minded focus and humble and ready obedience of this remarkable man, father, and friend who goes into God's complete presence with the name and identity he eagerly and devoutly sought: "monk."

Twenty years ago and still today I pray that Gereon's own personal and positive assessment of our desire to live a monastic way of life here in Newark serves me and my fellow monks as a great validation and encouragement. Gereon wrote: "What I have discovered in these last years, is that the community of Newark Abbey is living in a convincing way what is expressed in these two verses from Hebrews: "offering God an unending sacrifice of praise" and "doing good works and sharing your resources."

DEAR SISTERS AND BROTHERS, Gereon's earliest youthful experiences were marked by acts and sights of unspeakable violence - bringing him to understand sacrifice in ways most of us simply can not. The monks often remarked how he could be so quickly moved to tears by a story of violence any where in the world. His last two years of life were a constant summons and personal response to sacrifices that he had not anticipated I am sure. His transparent example of simplicity and humility confirmed our longstanding sense that here is truly a faithful and very holy man and monk.

We thank God for his witness and ask his intercession.

God be praised! Amen.