The Beehive – 4/1/16

Upcoming Events

Men’s Soccer 40th Anniversary – 2 Weeks Away! 

• When: Saturday, April 16th, 2016 | Alumni Games 2:00pm | Cocktail Reception 6:00pm | Formal Dinner 7:00pm
• Where: Archbishop Molloy High School
• Who: Men’s Soccer Alumni
• REGISTRATION NOW CLOSED

There are just two weeks left to register for our 40th anniversary men’s soccer reunion! Coach Andy Kostel and other members of the coaching staff through the years will be in attendance, and we’re hoping to have representatives from our many championship teams as well. It’s shaping up to be a great day, with alumni soccer games starting at at 2:00pm (weather permitting, flat shoes only). Later, a cocktail reception will begin at 6:00pm followed by a formal dinner at 7:00pm – all right here at Molloy. We’re expecting a great turnout so please don’t wait to register! In addition, if you would like to connect with your former teammates please consider searching “Archbishop Molloy Men’s Soccer Alumni” on Facebook and join our group!

Stanner Players Alumni & Parent Reception – 2 Weeks Away! 

• When: Friday, April 15th | 5:00pm
• Where: Archbishop Molloy High School (Library)
• Who: Stanner Players Alumni & Parents
• REGISTRATION NOW CLOSED

Molloy invites its Stanner Players alumni and parents to a casual reception prior to the start of this year’s spring performance of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee on Friday, April 15th. Guests will enjoy a reception with food, beverages, and other refreshments as well as the opportunity to catch up and reminisce. Stanner Players Director Ms. Shannon Winters ’06 will be in attendance to meet and greet our alumni. The cost of each admission will include a VIP ticket to that evening’s performance beginning at 7:00pm. A limited number of reception tickets will be available so don’t wait to register!

Stanner Players Present: 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

• When: 4/15 @ 7pm | 4/16 @ 7pm | 4/17 @ 2pm
• Where: Molloy’s Ralph DeChiaro Theater
• Admission: Adults $10 | Students & Kids $5
• CLICK HERE TO RESERVE TICKETS

The Stanner Players present their spring show: an adaptation of the 2005 Tony nominated Broadway production The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. The Stanner Players are excited to perform this musical comedy documenting the trials and tribulations of six kids competing against each other in the quirkiest spelling bee around – and they’re being judged by even stranger adults. Show times, how to reserve tickets, and other information is listed above. We invite all members of our community to come out and support our talented Stanner Players!

International Day 

• When: Sunday, April 10th | 10:00am – 1:00pm
• Where: Archbishop Molloy High School
• Who: All members of our community
• Admission: Adults $10 | Students & Kids $5 (Under 5 years old free)
• Tickets can be purchased at the door

We invite our community to participate in the return of International Day on Sunday, April 10th. International Day is an opportunity for our students to celebrate their diverse cultural backgrounds through song, dance, and homemade ethnic foods – and they’re excited to share this celebration with you! Performances are scheduled to begin at 10:30am. Food will be served beginning at 11:45am. Tickets will be sold at the door and are $10 for adults and $5 for students. Children under age five are free. International Day is a wonderful family event as well as a great occasion to reconnect with your alma mater. We hope to see you!

30th Annual Stanner Golf Classic – 1 Month Away!

• When: Monday, May 2nd, 2016
• Where: North Hills Country Club & Plandome Country Club
• Contact: Matt Rizzotti | (718) 943-3186 | mrizzotti@molloyhs.org
• More Details: www.molloyhs.org/golf
• REGISTRATION NOW CLOSED
• The 30th Annual Jim Kinnier Stanner Golf Classic is just one month away! Over the past several weeks we’ve shared a great deal of information about the outing, which is one of Molloy’s most important events of the year. We’d like to take this opportunity to recap some of the most important details in this week’s issue of The Beehive:

• Money raised by the Stanner Golf Classic (SGC) directly benefits students in need through Molloy’s scholarship program.
• Over 330 golfers who participated in the 2015 SGC helped raise over $155,000 for students facing extraordinary circumstances.
• All golfers receive a shirt, hat, bag, golf balls, ball markers, and tees. Door prizes and hole contests create an opportunity to take home great items all day long.
• All golfers will enjoy breakfast, food and beverages throughout the course, a cocktail reception, dinner, dessert, and more.
• Raffle tickets are on sale now through the evening of May 2nd. Prizes include a 55” HDTV, 4 days and 3 nights in Las Vegas for two (airfare and hotel included), and two tickets to Super Bowl 51 (airfare and hotel included). Raffles are $25 each or 5 for $100. If you received your five tickets in the mail but would like more, please see contact information listed below.
• Silent and live auctions items will include gourmet dinners, concert and sports tickets, vacation getaways, exceptional spirits baskets, and much more.
• Joe Papavero ’04 is this year’s Golf Chairman, and he has been hard at work recruiting new golfers and sponsors. We encourage our community to support Joe by congratulating him with an ad in this year’s golf journal (see contact information below).
• Volunteers are needed! There are many areas of need throughout the SGC that require the hard work of volunteers. All volunteers will enjoy breakfast, lunch, and dinner and receive a complimentary shirt. For those looking for ways to get involved at Molloy, this is a great place to start!

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Download our 2014-15 Annual Report

The Stanner Alumni Center encourages you to download its Annual Report for the 2014-15 fiscal year (September 1, 2014 through August 31, 2015). This report highlights the names of each individual, family, and corporate sponsor who so generously supported Archbishop Molloy High School during the 2014-15 fiscal year. This includes donations made to The Fund For Molloy, Named Scholarships, our annual Walkathon, and several other areas of need around the school. You will also find information about Molloy’s legacy giving program, The Zephiriny Society, as well as an informative “By The Numbers” feature. If you have any questions or thoughts about the report please contact the Stanner Alumni Center at (718) 441-9210 or email alumni@molloyhs.org.

DOWNLOAD THE 2014-15 ANNUAL REPORT (High Resolution)

DOWNLOAD THE 2014-15 ANNUAL REPORT (Low Resolution)

Champagnat Society Reaches Out in Jamaica

Members of Molloy’s St. Marcellin Champagnat Society (SMCS) embarked on another service mission in 2016. SMCS, founded over 10 years ago by Br. Pat Hogan and Mr. Chris Dougherty ’91, is a service society that facilitates opportunities for students, alumni, and faculty to serve ill, needy, and disabled individuals in the United States and abroad. The society has volunteered in France, Peru, Nicaragua, and Jamaica as well as here in the US in South Dakota, Boston, New Orleans, and Rockaway/Breezy Point following Hurricane Sandy.

This year, SMCS returned to Jamaica for one full week to once again team up with Mustard Seed Communities, a non-profit organization dedicated to “caring for the most vulnerable populations in society.” Children and adults with disabilities, teen mothers and their babies, those in need of proper nutrition and education, and others are all assisted by Mustard Seed. SMCS was asked to fulfill a number of responsibilities during their visit including organizing and stocking food pantries, landscaping, assisting in the building of new facilities, and spending time with the residents. Sometimes a simple smile, a laugh, or a hand on the shoulder is all that is needed.

Students captured moments from the trip in photos and video, which are embedded below. Congratulations to all students and faculty who made the journey to Jamaica to provide assistance to Mustard Seed Communities. Judging from the photos and video, there is no doubt that your work meant a great deal to many. Special thanks to teachers Mr. Dougherty, Ms. Danielle Choo, and Ms. Catie Massowd ’07 (a longtime SMCS member and representative) for accompanying the group.

Around the School

Nine Stanner Athletes Honored as All-Americans

by Coach Kawan Lovelace ‘94

Over the past 55 years there have been 26 Indoor All-American performances by Molloy’s Track and Field athletes. Three of those performances occurred last week at the New Balance National Indoor Championships in Manhattan. First, the Boy’s Shuttle Hurdle Relay Team (pictured L-R: Liam Rock, Andres Echeandia, Oluwatomide Alao, Ikpechukwu Obayi) captured 4th place with a time of 30.59 – a new school record. Second, the Girl’s Shuttle Hurdle Relay Team (L-R: Jenna Piller, Cristina Giannelli, Isabelle Poptean, Petra Stiglmayer) placed 6th with a time of 33.54 – also a new school record. Finally, Sarah Kowpak (center w/Coach Lovelace) placed 6th in the high jump with a leap of 5’6″. The top six finishers in all events at the National Championships earn All-American honors. It was an exciting and historic day for our Track and Field program, the athletes, their parents, and for myself to have had the good fortune to coach these young men and women to attain the seemingly impossible.

Winter Sports Recap

We are proud to congratulate all of our athletes and coaches on another outstanding winter season. See below for notes from around the world of Stanner sports.

Boys Varsity Basketball – Regular Season B/Q Champs, Reached Finals of the B/Q Tournament., Advanced to Semi-Finals. Issac Grant scored his 1000th point during the B/Q Tournament Game vs Xaverian | Boys JV Basketball – Reached Semi-Finals of City Playoffs | Boys Freshman Basketball – Reached the second round of the City Playoffs | Girls Varsity Basketball – Reached Quarter-Finals of the Diocesan Playoffs | Girls JV Basketball – Reached the Semi-Finals of the Diocesan Playoffs | Track – Molloy won the 4×800 meter relay at Millrose Games and has a time ranking of 5th in the Nation. The team members are Kieran Rock, Andrew Garabito, Alex Goldberg and Michael Reddy. Andrew Garabito broke a 50 year school record in the 400 meter dash | Boys & Girls Varsity Track – Won Sectionals and finished second in NYC | Boys Freshman Track – Won Sectionals | Boys Sophomore Track – Finished Second in Sectionals.

Molloy Pipes & Drums Celebrates St. Patrick’s Day

February and March are the busiest months for Molloy’s Pipes & Drums band, and the St. Patrick’s Day Parade up Fifth Avenue is by far the largest and most exciting parade of the season. This year, our Stanners, accompanied by Molloy’s alumni band Pipes & Drums band, stepped off at 2:40 pm and performed for thousands of spectators along the route. “The band was great,” said Mr. Jim Sheldon ’88, who moderates and leads the band. “We had good volume and looked sharp. I was very proud of everyone, including our alumni who have helped throughout the season. Without them, our season would not have been as positive as it turned out to be.” We plan to share more about our alumni band in an upcoming issue of The Beehive.

Steven Wody ’13 Takes His Act to Broadway

A recent Molloy grad has his sights set squarely on Broadway and beyond. Steven Wody ’13 is pursuing a stage acting career and has already enjoyed success. “After seeing a Stanner Players show at Molloy I instantly fell in love with the live, breathing theater and all of its possibilities. That’s when I decided to train and pursue it. Ms. Petschauer (Class of 2004) and Ms. Safrey were my first theater mentors. They helped me discover my own natural strengths on stage. Eventually I broke into the art form and discovered how an audition process works, how a production rehearses, and how a show runs,” explained Steven, who is close to completing a BA in Drama and Theater at CUNY Queens College.

Steven’s early success on Broadway came through networking. A QC professor connected him with the founder of the 24 Hour Plays Company, which brings a network of directors, writers, producers, and actors together to compose and perform a brand new play in just 24 hours. Plays are written the night before, rehearsed the following morning, and performed that evening. “A casting opportunity came up during finals week, and though I was tired and under the weather, I submitted my 12 page application just in time. A few weeks later I got the call for a physical audition. It was a blast, and I ended up getting cast. I never foresaw getting invited to perform with the company on Broadway just a few months later.”

Steven has enjoyed other memorable moments so far in his young career. “Nationals networked me with people my age and taught me to be my own artist in a room full of them. I also met accomplished actors I’ve seen on TV.  I bounced jokes back and forth with SNL’s Jay Pharoah for 10 minutes. I learned that Law & Order’s Diane Neal is the biggest clown – in a good way. Edie Falco, Ashley Fink, and Ari Graynor were other actresses I worked with. Their expertise and eased, fun nature reminded me that all actors are human and have the same process and habits as any other actor.”

Looking ahead, Steven noted “I’ve been taking voice and articulation classes, and becoming a better singer is something I want to do to open myself up to a wider range of roles. I also have interest in writing. The key is versatility.” Steven is seeking opportunities to connect with other Stanners in the performing arts. Please email alumni@molloyhs.org if you’d like to connect with Steven.

Alum Establishes Lacrosse Team at Quinnipiac

Julia Watters ’15 made many lifelong friends and memories as a leader on Molloy’s very first lacrosse team. Julia also made history as one of the program’s first four year players. When she began her college career as a freshman at Quinnipiac University last fall, Julia wanted to continue playing lacrosse, but realized that the school did not have a women’s team. Surprised, Julia decided to take action by petitioning school administrators to establish a women’s lacrosse team. The university quickly responded by not only signing off on the team, but also by naming Julia the head coach based on her experience and passion for the sport. Julia soon began fielding offers from numerous companies to sponsor the team while also overseeing recruitment. With everyone on board, Quinnipiac’s new women’s lacrosse team faced Hofstra in a double header earlier this month and came out victorious in both contests. The wins immediately validated what Julia had worked so hard toward and gave the team confidence as they prepared to tackle their first full season. (Julia pictured back row far right)

Ms. Alison Scalice (pictured left with Julia), math teacher and inaugural lacrosse coach at Molloy, expressed her excitement over Julia’s outstanding achievement. “I could not be more proud of how far Julia has come from her freshman season at Molloy to now,” said Coach Scalice. “I think it is amazing how her love for the sport has given her this drive to continue to play and make sure that others who enjoy playing have that same opportunity. Starting up a new club is not easy, especially when you are not being funded, so it is even more impressive to me that Julia has taken charge and has made sure that despite any obstacles she and the team remain focused on success.”

Class Updates

Dr. Brian Fallon ’73 is the director of the Lyme and Tick Borne Disease Research Center at the Columbia University Medical Center. Dr. Fallon joined the radio program Conversations with Allan Wolper on WBGO 88.3FM in February to discuss the ongoing dangers of tick borne diseases as well as areas and situations in which the risk of contracting a bite is greater. Dr. Fallon also spoke poignantly about Molloy and the ways in which his alma mater shaped his life. The segment is still available to stream online at http://www.wbgo.org/wolper. Simply click the preceding link and scroll down to Dr. Fallon’s entry from February 12th. (Photo courtesy of Columbia University Medical Center)

Ryan Harrington ’07 has penned a very personal blog post about his years in Molloy’s SMILE program. In the blog Ryan describes his 9th grade self as a shy yet opinionated kid who had trouble fitting in. After initially being disappointed with his transition to high school, he would experience a turnaround midway through sophomore year thanks to the efforts of Mr. Glen DaGrossa and Mr. Chris Dougherty. Mr. DaGrossa and “Doc” offered advice, acceptance, guidance, and the opportunity to be a part of the ever-expanding and all-inclusive SMILE program. “As time progressed, I was no longer the scared, apologetic boy that needed reassurance. Rather, I had developed a deep confidence that allowed me to take initiative in many aspects of my life,” notes Ryan. The blog is a great read, and a reminder of just how powerful the program can be for our students as well as our alumni years later. | Read Ryan’s Article “Something to S.M.I.L.E. About”

Bob Kennelly ’77 currently lives in New Hampshire and plays roughly 100 rounds of golf every year. Bob played Ultimate Frisbee in college and still enjoys a reunion game every year on the Saturday after Labor Day. “We all run and have fun, even if we are all in our 50’s now,” said Bob. In 2001 he appeared on an episode of Jeopardy and finished 3rd. “Third sounds a lot better than last,” he joked. Bob is a professional with Ameriprise Financial, a company Bob says, “Lets me help people have their financial lives in order. That makes me feel good.” Bob is also a proud father to four adult daughters: Jacqui, Caitlin, Christin, and Samantha.

We are deeply saddened to share the passing of Kathryn M. Pollner, daughter of Len Pollner ’52. Please keep Kathryn and the Pollner family in your prayers.

It is with sadness we share the passing of Raphael Agnew ’43, step-father of Jon Allaire ’87. According to family, Raphael was proud to be a graduate of St. Ann’s academy throughout his life. Please keep Raphael and his family in your prayers.