Featured: St. Ann’s Communion Breakfast
On Sunday April 10th, more than 50 St. Ann’s alumni were welcomed to Molloy to take part in the St. Ann’s Communion Breakfast. Grads from the 1940s, 50s, and some from the 60s (who attended both St. Ann’s and Molloy during the transition) walked the halls of Stanner High and felt the spirit of their alma mater that is still alive today. The Stanner Hall of Fame and St. Ann’s display case were popular points of interest and topics of discussion as the original Stanners mingled and reminisced. Following initial greetings, Mass was served by Father Pat Flanagan in the first floor chapel and readings were done by several enthusiastic Stanners. Following Mass, guests were invited into the faculty café where they engaged each other in some great stories from their days on east 76th street and Lexington Avenue. The special theme of this year’s breakfast was paying tribute to the Marist Brothers who taught at St. Ann’s Academy.
President Richard Karsten ’81 greeted the boys from St. Ann’s and extended an invitation to all St. Ann’s graduates to share their stories with the Stanner Alumni Center. “These stories are the invaluable roots of Archbishop Molloy High School,” Karsten said. “From these stories, present and future generations can fully appreciate what it means to be a Stanner and can better understand why their school motto ‘Non scholae sed vitae’ is so important. The legacy of St. Ann’s Academy is integral to the Stanner Spirit at Molloy, and who better to share that legacy than those who lived it?” Karsten added, “I am inspired by your stories, and your love and passion for St. Ann’s and the Marist Brothers.” Karsten then asked that Br. Jogues and Br. Robert stand so they could be presented with special certificates commemorating their service as educators at St. Ann’s. After the award presentation, guests enjoyed a wonderful breakfast, a photo all the Brothers on the last faculty at St. Ann’s Academy, and yearbooks representing all those in attendance at the event that were on hand, which brought back many fond memories. Stanners found their graduation photos and pointed out the Brothers that meant the most to them. Br. Philip and Br. Jogues graciously spent time with as many alums as they could, and felt blessed to be a part of the day. Smiles were abound (pictured: Victor Zupa ’59 with wife Mary as he proudly shows off his St. Ann’s Class Ring), and a genuine comradery between the original Stanners reinforced the importance of reuniting and looking back on the golden days. Thank you to everyone that attended the breakfast. There are plenty of photos, which you can view in the St. Ann’s Communion Breakfast Photo Gallery. Pictured below: President Richard Karsten ’81 with Br. Jogues Cormier, and Craig Katinas ’93 with Br. Philip Robert.
Around the School
The Stanner Players Present… “Playing With Power”
This weekend is your last chance to see the outstanding Stanner Players show “Playing With Power”, an evening of scenes and songs about people’s relationships with power. This musical and dramatic review, created specifically for the Ralph DeChiaro theater, features scenes and songs from some of the world’s most beloved theatrical pieces, including Les Miserables, Pygmalion, 1776 and more. Dates for the remaining performances are April 15th and 16th at 8pm. Have you been back at Molloy lately? Do you look back fondly on YOUR days as a Stanner Player? Come back and support your fellow Stanners! Tickets are $12 and can be purchased at the door or reserved by emailing stannerplayers@gmail.com or calling the ticket hotline at (347) 441-0015. Please click on the accompanying poster for more info.
Math Appreciation Week
As Molloy prepared for Spirit Week, the math department was busy giving students the opportunity to think a little bit differently about logarithms and quadratic equations. Every day of the week was dedicated to a different event that helped bring out students’ creativity and encouraged them to see the new applications of some of the problem solving they are routinely tasked with everyday in class. Monday included a SuDoKu challenge (everyone’s favorite morning newspaper brain teaser), followed by student presentations of original poems, songs, and videos on Tuesday, a “Math Bowl” for teams of enthusiasts on Wednesday, an Internet scavenger hunt on Thursday, and a math-inspired art contest to finish out the week (pictured left: winning artwork drawn by student Karlovy Cruz). The events all received a great response from students at Stanner High and no doubt got them thinking outside the box. Special thanks to Mrs. Jeanne Longerano, Mrs. Adele Solari, Ms. Kelly Early, Ms. Lauren Kemmerer, Mr. Brian Klimas ‘94, Mrs. Kathleen DiPasquale, and Mr. AJ Power ‘84 for all their hard work in making math appreciation week a big success.
10th Annual Blood Drive
Once again Mrs. Kathy Forgione encouraged Molloy get in the “giving spirit” by helping to set up the 10th annual Blood Drive in the Jack Curran Gym. Students and faculty trickled in all day as the Long Island division of the New York Blood Center collected donations to help individuals with specific medical needs. Snacks and refreshments were provided to give donators a boost to their systems and also to thank them for giving the gift of life to someone in need. Thanks to the Molloy community for donating 183 pints of blood!
Molloy Wins “Battle in the Big Apple”
Congratulations to the Boys Step Team, who won the Battle in the Big Apple Step Competition hosted by Hot 97 Radio at Baruch College in Manhattan. Playing the part of “the nerds”, the Molloy boys delivered their routine with confidence and precision, blowing away all other competitors. The team received a check for $1,000 and a trophy perhaps better suited for Andre the Giant. Following their dominating victory the team received numerous offers for paid appearances around the city. Mrs. Lonergan, coach of the team, even received a call from a city council member looking to hire the Molloy boys to help celebrate the opening of the new addition to the west side’s Highline Park in style. Even Nike is interested in using the team for an upcoming promotion. If you watch their performance here you’ll see exactly what all of the buzz is about.
Softball Teams Thanked
Varsity softball coach Ms. Maureen Rosenbaum and JV coach Mr. Lou Santos received a thank you from the executive director at The Ronald McDonald House of Long Island for their recent volunteer work. The Ronald McDonald House is a home-away-from-home for families (over 14,000) of seriously ill children – an important cause to say the least. The Varsity and JV teams provided and prepared baked goods for residents at the Ronald McDonald House, which helped support the community, spread a little more joy, and let the people in need know that they have friends at Archbishop Molloy High School. Thanks to Ms. Rosenbaum, Mr. Santos, and our softball teams for exhibiting true Marist spirit!
Upcoming Events
Inaugural Molloy Women’s Alumni Network Event
Online Registration is now available! On Wednesday, April 27, 2011 we invite all of our women alumni and spouses of alumni to Archbishop Molloy High School for our first Molloy Women’s Alumni Network event. Come enjoy an evening of networking and panelist discussion, led by several women acting in leadership roles in finance, law, medicine, and other industries. We are very excited to give a forum to the women of Molloy to network, build relationships, and gain insight from leaders in the professional landscape. The event will begin at 6:30 PM and include light refreshments/hors d’oeuvres. For more information on attending please click the logo to the left, check in with friends on the Facebook event page, call the Stanner Alumni Center at (718) 441-9210, or contact Craig Katinas at ckatinas@molloyhs.org. Please spread the word!
Jack Curran To Be Honored
Coach Jack Curran will be honored by “metroBASEBALL” as part of their First Annual “metroBASEBALL” Ambassador Awards. “metroBASEBALL” is an entity dedicated to recognizing NY area individuals and organizations who’ve demonstrated a life-long commitment to service and our community, and who represent the game of baseball with exemplary class and integrity. It also publishes a local magazine showcasing Little League, high school, and college baseball programs, coaches, and players. Also being honored with Coach on this special evening are 1986 NY METS World Series champion Ron Darling and THE RON DARLING FOUNDATION, an organization dedicated primarily to juvenile diabetes research; and husband and wife Phil and Denise Galasso, the architects behind the GREENPOINT LITTLE LEAGUE in Brooklyn.
The First Annual “metroBASEBALL” Ambassador Awards will take place Monday APRIL 25th at RED STAR in Greenpoint, Brooklyn (37 Greenpoint Avenue in Greenpoint, 718.349.0149). Cocktails are from 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm, with dinner and the Ambassador Awards to get underway at 8:30 pm. Your co-emcee for the evening’s festivities will be Brooklyn’s own Ken Dashow, the much-beloved Q104.3 Classic Rock disc jockey. To purchase tickets, please head to BrownPaperTickets.com (KEYWORD: Darling) or click Metro Baseball Ambassador Awards to Benefit The Ron Darling Foundation. Please click the flyer above for more details.
25th Anniversary Jim Kinnier Stanner Golf Classic – Raffle Tickets
The 25th Anniversary Jim Kinnier Stanner Golf Classic is in full swing. The outing will take place on Monday, May 16th at North Hills Country Club and Plandome Country Club, two prestigious courses on Long Island. Reservations are filling up, journal ads are being placed, and a ton of raffle tickets have been sold. Joe Smith is back in the building to drum up raffle ticket sales among the students. Joe, along with AJ Power ‘84, are going from class to class filling students in on how they can support Molloy by selling as many raffle tickets as possible. Joe, one of the “three amigos”, started the outing along with Jim Kinnier and the late John Gibbons in 1986 and it has never disappointed. The outing and the raffle have continued to grow significantly every single year with no signs of slowing down.
For $20.00 you can have a chance to win one of 3 great prizes:
- 1st Prize – Two Super Bowl Tickets (Airfare and Hotel Included)*
- 2nd Prize – 7 Day Caribbean Cruise for Two (Airfare Included)*
- 3rd Prize – 4 Days/3 Nights in Las Vegas, NV for Two (Airfare and Hotel Included)*
Last year 2 of the prizes were won by Stanners, with tickets sold by 2 students. We received this photo of Richard Saracino ‘73 and his family enjoying the vacation they won – it certainly looks like $20 well spent. The outing serves as the largest reunion and networking event for Stanners and parents from all class years. Visit www.molloyhs.org to download the invitation, view golf sponsorship and journal ad opportunities or to make a golf reservation. Whether you are a foursome or a single golfer, come out and join the fun. All monies raised this year will support the Jim Kinnier and Joe Smith Scholarships. If you haven’t already received your tickets, please give Maria Ford a call at (718) 943-3186. Completed invitations can be mailed to Archbishop Molloy High School, Stanner Alumni Center, 83-53 Manton Street, Briarwood, NY 11435. Don’t forget to “like” the Jim Kinnier Stanner Golf Classic on Facebook!
Online registration is now available! Come out on June 18th for a day of wine, food, music, and relaxation at the Diliberto Winery in Jamesport, New York. Alum Salvatore Diliberto ‘63 and wife Maryann have been gracious enough to open their venue to fellow Stanners looking to reconnect and enjoy each other’s company as the summer commences. Guests will enjoy award winning wine, cheeses, lunch, and music provided by Molloy faculty members Frank Gambino ’74, Eric Stoltze ’86 and Jim Sheehan ’75. The mic will also be open to any guests interested in playing a few tunes of their own. A single admission ticket can be purchased $45 while a couple admission costs $80. For those looking for alternate transportation, the Hampton Jitney provides service in close proximity to the Diliberto Winery while liwines.com may have helpful information regarding hotel accommodations. If you have any additional questions about the Afternoon at the Vineyard, please contact Craig Katinas ’93 at ckatinas@molloyhs.org
Mario Magnan ’56 sent us a photo of a mini Class of 1956 reunion that recently took place at Reno’s Trattoria in Yonkers. Joining Mario for dinner were Tony Sirotka, Edward Ackerman, and Louis Brusco. The group enjoyed reminiscing about stories from their days at St. Ann’s Academy. Of course as ’56 grads Tony, Ed, Lou, and Mario were among the last to graduate from the school before its transition to Briarwood in 1957. We’re very happy they were able to reconnect with each other despite not being able to attend our recent St. Ann’s Communion Breakfast.
Non scholae sed vitae
Don Eustace, St. Ann’s class of 1952, has been in touch with the Stanner Alumni Center often in the last several months. He enjoys hearing about the latest news around school, and enjoyed the latest issue of “Stanner Life”. Don was also very excited to hear that “The Beehive” is emailed every two weeks to the Stanner community. Don quickly signed up to receive it and would like us to let you know that he and his wife Margaret recently moved from Peekskill, New York to Cumming, Georgia. He would like to reconnect with Stanners near his new home and hopes that anyone looking to do the same will email him at stanner52@comcast.net. Even if you are not in his immediate area, Don would love to hear from anyone else looking to reconnect or share as story. We appreciate Don’s enthusiasm, and wish him and his wife well in their new surroundings!
If you know someone that you think would enjoy The Beehive, don’t be shy! Let them know that they can register on Molloy’s alumni website and receive it every two weeks during the school year. If you or someone you know has not received our latest Stanner Life magazine, please contact jsommo@molloyhs.org to obtain a copy. It would also be a good time to update any change of address you may have made recently, if you haven’t already!
Class Updates
Steven Apostolo ’05, who recently served as guest judge for the Shakespeare Festival at Molloy, visited the Stanner Alumni Center and spoke about what he’s been up to. Steve graduated from Queens College in 2009 with a double major in Media Studies and Theater. “It’s all about taking what you learn from school to the outside world,” said Steve, who has worked with theater groups independently of school. Steve is also a musician, playing drums in a band and writing music. Steve became interested in producing music for film after helping a friend at 5 Towns College with a film project, which Steve acted in. The low budget film went on to win two awards at the New York International Independent Film and Video Festival (NYIFF). Steve hopes to transfer his music to similar projects in hopes of establishing another career option. Currently Steve is playing percussion with DJ’s for weddings, recording and currently playing in a Top 40 cover band throughout Long Island. Steve also has a few endorsement deals in the works and also may have an opportunity to go on America’s Got Talent. “I’m auditioning constantly,” said Steve on his usual routine. Steve is also currently finishing up writing a screenplay for film and a script for the theatre. He gained plenty of his inspiration from Molloy, saying it taught him that “you can do anything you want to do.”
Johan A. Obregon ’02 sent us the following message: “Molloy was such an incredible part of my life. I would like to inform you that I recently became engaged to my girlfriend of three and a half (3 1/2) years, Heather L. Aquino. We met in law school at St. John’s University. We are both currently young attorneys. She works for the firm of Wade Clark and Mulcahy and I work at the law firm of Furey, Kerley, Walsh, Matera & Cinquemani, P.C.. I am very excited for our engagement and future together. I wanted this good news be shared with all other Stanners, as again, Molloy holds a great place in my heart. The photo is from our recent trip to Disney World (where we got engaged).”
Danielle Mercado ’06 visited the Stanner Alumni Center and mentioned she recently graduated from Colgate University with a degree in molecular biology and a minor in writing and rhetoric. She is currently studying at the NY College of Podiatric medicine. Danielle also talked about traveling to Australia and New Zealand for an extended 6 week study on the stolen generation of the aborigines.
Kristine Mazzo ’06 recently attained a medical technology degree and minor in chemistry at St. John’s University. After graduation, she returned to St. John’s to pursue studies to help her become an assistant physician.
John Kingsley, class of 1979, informed us that his father John Kingsley passed away on March 29th. Please pray for Mr. Kingsley and his family during this difficult time.
We received a note on the recent passing of Jack Bernardone, father of alum John Bernardone ’75. Please say a prayer for Jack and his family.
Patrick Mitchell Sr., father of Pat Mitchell ‘90, has passed away. Please pray for the Mitchell family.
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