The Beehive – 5/1/15

Stanner Golf Classic – Sunshine in the Forecast!

• When: Download Plandome Schedule | Download North Hills Schedule
• Contact: Maria Ford | (718) 943-3186 | mford@molloyhs.org
• List of Auction Items
• Download 2015 Golf Journal

The Jim Kinnier Stanner Golf Classic is SOLD OUT! We are looking forward to two full courses of golfers on Monday, and the forecast is in our favor so far. For our registered golfers, please download the schedule for your course via the links above. If you have any questions or thoughts prior to the outing, please contact Alumni Relations Director Maria Ford via the information above. For those in our community who purchased raffle tickets, the winning tickets will be announced next week on www.molloyhs.org/alumni and in the next issue of The Beehive. Remember you need not be present to win.

Many of you sponsored ads in this year’s Golf Journal. We extend our sincerest thanks to everyone who donated a sponsorship, and would like to share the 2015 Stanner Golf Classic Journal with you today. The journal features many Stanner owned and Stanner friendly businesses, and we encourage you to take a look. You just might find a business you’d like to support. The journal will be available throughout the year at www.molloyhs.org/golf.

Download the 2015 Golf Journal

As the Stanner Golf Classic prepares for its 29th installment, we would like to remind you that over $2 million has been raised through this event since 1987 thanks to the generosity of our community. We would like to thank all of the alumni, parents, corporate sponsors, and volunteers for their support over the past 28 years as well as in anticipation of this coming May 4th. Here’s to a great day on the greens!

DC Alumni Chapter a Vibrant Community

On April 8th, Stanners living in and around the Washington DC Metropolitan area came together at the Mets Vs. Nationals game at Nationals Park to reconnect with friends and make new contacts in the region. A core group of alumni, namely Don Erickson ’90, John Mangan ’82, Andre Forte ’87, JC Coffey ’94, Kenneth Kelly ’71, and Brian O’Connor ’82, banded together to plan and promote the gathering, contact and invite alumni, and prepare arrangements for a tent and meeting place near the stadium. These alumni are passionate about maintaining a strong Stanner network in the DC Metro area, and the opportunity to attend the game couldn’t be passed up. “We always thought a baseball game would be a good setting for a Stanner event. I met quite a few people that I plan to stay in contact with, and I hope to build upon those relationships further,” said Andre Forte, who practices law in Maryland. “We were happy with the turnout. It was great to see people spanning several generations, and I was excited to see our group photo go ‘viral’ on Twitter among the Molloy network.” Stanners working in government, law, and even Iraq and Afghanistan veterans made up the diverse set of attendees. “I would love to build the network to the point that we can all readily reach out to each other for business or personal reasons. I also look forward to more group gatherings. We’ve discussed a tour of DC landmarks as well as other sporting events to consider for our next event,” said Andre.

“It was great to see Stanners representing 6 different decades of graduates come together,” said Alumni Development Director Craig Katinas ’93, who joined the group in DC. “It is special when nearly 50 years of alumni connect, especially under the same mission and values. We are so grateful to the alumni leadership in DC that made this social event possible, and we look forward to planning more in the future.” The Stanner Alumni Center encourages other alumni living in the DC Metro Area (DC, Maryland, Virgina, etc.) to contact us at (718) 441-9210 or email jsommo@molloyhs.org for more information on the DC Alumni Chapter including future events or to contact local Stanners.

Around the School

Screening Set for Film “Permission” by Alum McCarthy

• When: Thursday, May 7th, 2:15pm
• Where: Ralph DeChiaro Theater at Molloy
• Admission: Free
• REGISTRATION NOW CLOSED

In spring 2014, Patrick McCarthy ’12 and Thomas Ashton ‘12 embarked on an ambitious film project using Molloy as its backdrop. The film, Permission, is directed by the two friends and stars McCarthy – a teacher who struggles to defend his right to teach history to his students without censoring its sometimes gruesome realities. The majority of the film was shot in and around Molloy and features students as extras in a number of scenes. It’s a gripping, dramatic piece, and Pat and Tom deserve congratulations for a job well done. Molloy is planning a free screening of Permission in the Ralph DeChiaro Theater for students, faculty, alumni, and any other members of the community who are interested. Did we mention there will be free popcorn as well? Come out to Molloy on May 7th at 2:15pm and help us support this great alumni project.

Lovelace & Tammaro Sign

Molloy recently saw two of its outstanding Stanner athletes sign with major universities. First, Jared Lovelace ’15, the nationally ranked Triple and High Jumper, officially signed with Wisconsin. Jared has made quite a name for himself during his four years at Molloy. Following in the footsteps of his father Kawan Lovelace ’94, a former Olympian, Jared has amassed an athletic resume that is too long to list in full in this article (See Jared’s Resume). A few highlights include: winning 7 MVP awards across Indoor, Outdoor, Intersectional and City Championships, earning individual championships in the Triple and High Jump in multiple events for three consecutive years, setting a new meet record for the Triple Jump at the 2015 CHSAA Indoor Intersectional Championships, and acting as a main cog on Molloy’s JV City Champion Basketball Team in 2013. During the 2014-15 school year, Jared placed 3rd nationally at the Indoor National Championships, and he possesses the Catholic High School City Championship for the Triple and High Jump. He is also second all time for Molloy in the Triple Jump Indoor Season. Speaking of his son, Kawan said Jared’s focus was finding a school that would allow him to be himself. “You want to click with your teammates and mesh with all of the personalities involved. Jared saw that at Wisconsin, and I think it’s a great fit for him. They will offer him a productive environment and he will thrive.”

Following Jared’s signing, senior Michael Tammaro ’15 signed to attend and play golf with St. Francis College. Michael has been an outstanding golfer for Molloy, as Coach Bill Niklaus ’80 (pictured far left) describes him as his number one player for four years running. With Michael, Molloy’s Varsity golf team has won the Brooklyn/Queens Championship 4 straight years, and Michael has won the Catholic State Championship 4 years in a row as an individual. “As a player, Michael’s skills are top notch. As a person, I find him down to Earth, pleasant, and just a nice human being,” said Coach Niklaus. Michael ultimately chose St. Francis because he wanted to feel comfortable. His new coach will be Jeffrey Clarke ’93, who once served as assistant coach to Bill Niklaus at Molloy. “I believe Michael will fit with the team at St. Francis very well, and he’ll be under the guidance of my former protégé. Jeff has seen Michael play and already knows he has great talent, so I think it’s a good match.”

More Stanner athletes are expected to sign with universities in the coming weeks, including on Wednesday, May 27th during Athletic Awards Night here at Molloy. For more information please visit the athletics pages at www.molloyhs.org.

College Guidance Dept. Tours Over 15 Universities

Earlier this spring, college guidance counselors Mrs. Christine Loo and Mr. Ted McGuinness ‘81 and teacher Ms. Dyana Christie chaperoned a large group of students on a day trip to New Jersey. Our Stanners visited university campuses including Princeton, Rider, and Seton Hall with the goal to give them a better understanding of what these schools have to offer. “I benefited from this trip because I got a clearer idea of what I should look for in my future school,” said Lucia Leandri ’16. Classmate Rose Maisano ’16 also enjoyed the trip. “I learned that the college process focuses on students that are well-rounded. Recruiters don’t just look for students with good grades. They want to see students who get involved and are committed to things they enjoy. I would absolutely recommend trips like these to other students. They will get to see more schools and see firsthand which one is the right fit.”

In addition to the New Jersey tour, Mrs. Loo also had an opportunity to visit 11 private colleges in Maryland. Mrs. Loo toured the schools with college counselors from 51 other high schools – a group that consisted of people as close as Baltimore and as far as Hong Kong. “I was able to listen to students and faculty at each college and get a full sense of what they all have to offer,” said Mrs. Loo. “It is beneficial to establish contacts at these schools. The networking that Mr. McGuinness and I do is very important for Molloy, and the more contacts we have the more opportunities we have to advocate for our students.” Mrs. Loo was thrilled to make contacts at St. John’s College, Goucher College, Notre Dame of Maryland, Stevenson University, Johns Hopkins, McDaniel College, Hood College, Washington College, Loyola Maryland, Maryland Institute of Contemporary Art, and Mount St. Mary’s University.

Family Celebrates Final Tommy Ashton Tournament

The third of four children born to John and Kathleen, Thomas (Tommy) Ashton was a proud Stanner from the Class of 1997 and an active member in his community of Woodside. He was a vibrant person who was passionate about speaking his mind as well as helping others. After graduating from Molloy, Tommy attended St. Francis College to pursue a degree in Political Science. In July 2001, Tommy switched gears and accepted a position as an electrician’s apprentice with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW Local 3). On just his second day at his new work location, the north tower of the World Trade Center, Tommy tragically lost his life in the attacks on September 11th, 2001. A person of high character and integrity, Tommy left us all far too soon.

In remembering Tommy, and all that he meant to his family, friends, and his community, the Ashtons founded the the Tommy Ashton 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament in 2003 and subsequently the Thomas Ashton Foundation in 2005. For the past 13 years, the tournament has honored Tommy’s spirit and legacy by raising money to benefit a variety of wonderful charities (List of Past Donations). April 2015, however, marked the final tournament hosted by the family. According to the Ashtons, while the tournament was successful for many years, it became increasingly more difficult to coordinate year to year. The family can rest easy knowing that Tommy’s memory has helped make a difference in the lives of others through many charitable donations. “We are grateful to all of our participants, sponsors, and volunteers,” said John Ashton. Jim Mancari, our friend at Currents TV and The Tablet newspaper, produced a piece showcasing the final tournament and highlighting the Ashton family. Please take a few moments to view the piece below. If you would like more information on the Thomas Ashton Foundation click the link below. In addition, donations can be made to the Thomas J. Ashton Memorial Scholarship at Molloy, which awards a four year scholarship to one incoming freshman.

Thomas Ashton Foundation | Donate to Tommy’s Scholarship at Molloy

Dhanesh Binda ’14 and Benedict Harvey ’14 recently paid a visit to Molloy bearing a gift for their former college guidance counselor, Mr. Ted McGuinness ’81. Mr. McGuinness was elated when they handed him a Cornell banner for his office wall. Mr. McGuinness is proud to display banners from universities our Stanners attend, but he had yet to obtain one from Cornell until the ’14 grads dropped in. Both are studying in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Cornell with a focus on Biology and Pre-Med. Dhanesh is also considering an Applied Economics and Management minor. “I believe that Molloy prepared me for Cornell. Mr. Stolze, Mr. DeMarco, Ms. Gannon, Mr. McKenna, and many other teachers pushed us to excel,” said Benedict. Dhanesh agreed. “Molloy built us up as the people we are today, and that’s why we’re thriving at Cornell,” he explained. Benedict has aspirations of becoming a medical doctor in the future, while Dhanesh is hoping to apply to an MD Ph.D. program after Cornell and research neurobiology. “That or genetics. We’ll see how it works out,” he said with a chuckle. Mr. McGuinness encourages other young alumni to visit him to not only update him on their progress, but to drop off a university banner for his wall too!

Tom Pappas ’77, father of Kimberly Pappas ’06, is “The Baritone from Queens”. Once voted the best musician of the Class of 1977 by his classmates, Tom has lived up to that billing in the years since graduating from Molloy. Tom performs, what else, baritone vocals at many local venues and is preparing for a show tomorrow night, May 2nd, at the Metropolitan Room in Manhattan. Tom will take the stage with an elite four piece jazz band at 7:00PM. A sample of Tom’s music as well as ticket information can be found on his website http://baritonefromqueens.com/.

In what has become an annual ritual, a few former Molloy grads got together on the first Friday of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament in March to watch the games and share stories of their days at Archbishop Molloy. 17 Stanners and friends gathered at Edison Place in Glendale, Queens to watch the action. From left to right: Mark Kraweic ’86, Michael Trabold ’86, Gregg Tracy ’86, Michael McGuire ’86, Glenn Tracy ’75, Eric Olsen ’86, Gus Ladato ’86, Samantha Paez ’13, Brendan McGovern ’86, Mark Carver ’81, Billy Wicks ’76, Gary Tracy ’77, and Kevin Braster ’84. (Not pictured, but present – Vinny Caputo ’86, Tim Murphy ’86, Chris Rooney ’86, and Glen Taphouse ’87) Gus, along with Tim Sullivan ’00 and Shane McKeon ’95 are co-proprietors of Edison Place.

Mike Carney ’05 and family, in particular his sister Alyson Carney, were featured in a contest determined to find the most passionate NY Rangers fan household. A great video was produced by the team highlighting the Carney family and their unwavering allegiance to the Broadway Blue Shirts. Alyson took center stage during the video, but Mike and the rest of the Carneys make cameo appearances throughout. After a competitive fan vote, Alyson and the Carneys won the contest, earning an introduction on the ice prior to a game at Madison Square Garden in April as well as a party with Rangers VIPs later this year.

Steve Swihura ’55 contacted us after we published our article about the late Robert Stone two weeks ago. “I remember Bob Stone as he was most unforgettable,” said Steve. “Occasionally, I reflect on the good times at St. Ann’s and wonder about some of my classmates and what may have happened in their lives. About Bob Stone, I think that his life reflects how he was back at St. Ann’s. He was quite a character and I mean that in a good way. I am, currently, retired and living in Melbourne, FL with Emily, my wife of 54 years. We have 3 daughters and 11 grandchildren. The family is spread out in Arizona, New York and Florida.”

We are saddened to share the passing of Michael Stutzman ’67 on March 11th. Please keep Michael and his family in your prayers.