Over 150 Remember of Inspector John Moore ’78 during Latest Badges Alumni Network Reception

“Family, service, honor, these qualities are typically the way we define our ‘Men in Black’, the Marist Brothers. But these qualities also describe our men and women in blue – our badges, our first responders. Family, service, and honor…these are the characteristics that describe Inspector John Moore, Class of 1978,” said President Richard Karsten ’81. Addressing over 150 alumni, family members, and friends, Mr. Karsten followed the presentation of a color guard by remembering the late NYPD Inspector as a remarkable and dedicated person. “At Molloy, our students have the opportunity to understand the power of putting someone else’s needs before their own. This is the hallmark of what makes Molloy alumni so special. John often spoke about the spirit of brotherhood that sprung up from his days at Molloy, and that he was so happy and proud that he could share this common bond with his son John, Class of 2010.” (Pictured: Richard Karsten ’81, Joanne Moore, John Moore ’10, Jennifer Moore, and Ed Shannon ’84)

Inspector Moore, who passed away suddenly in October, was an instrumental figure in the establishment of Molloy’s Badges Network several years ago. He was among the founding committee members who recognized that the traditions and camaraderie that are shared among Stanners creates a platform to connect young aspiring badges with veterans. “This is not just about connections, but rather making the right connections and providing genuine opportunities for each other. John was always enthusiastic and willing to step up, tout our traditions, and gain support for our events,” said Mr. Karsten. “The Badges Network will forever be stronger because of his commitment.” (Pictured: John Moore ’78 with former NYC Police Commissioner Ray Kelly ’59)

Mr. Karsten then awarded the Moore family, including wife Joanne, son John, and daughter Jennifer, with Molloy’s first “Man of the Year” award in honor of the beloved husband and father. The plaque read, “For exceptional dedication and distinguished service to the NYPD & Molloy Badges Alumni Association. A true gentleman and good friend. Non scholae sed vitae.”

“Inspector John Moore exemplified the notion that you never forget where you came from. He was a high ranking supervisor in the NYPD, but he never forgot that he was once a cop,” said Badges Committee member Ed Shannon ’84. “He was always looking to help out when it came to assisting neighborhood friends and fellow Stanner alumni. It was this type of attitude, and loyalty to friends and family that lent to the amount of people present and the great tribute we were able to bestow upon John at our “Man of the Year” Event.”

Following the presentation, the group of over 150 guests enjoyed a variety of refreshments as well as an exciting game in the Jack Curran Gym featuring Molloy’s boys Varsity basketball team versus Christ the King. Guests of the event benefited from VIP seating on the stage. Molloy led the contest early and fought hard to overcome a 2 point deficit at halftime. Ultimately the boys would drop the decision 95-81, but they received a nice hand from our Badges Alumni as well as the many family members and friends of John Moore in attendance.

View the full photo gallery from our Badges Network Reception.

Around the School

Students & Faculty Show School Pride as Molloy Celebrates “Spirit Week”

(The following article written by Joe Sommo ’03 was published in the Queens Ledger and its other local newspapers on February 19th, 2015.)

It has been said that Archbishop Molloy High School has a unique “family atmosphere” that has benefited its community for generations. As a result, students and faculty at the Briarwood, Queens school are often proud to consider their school to be like a second home. In an effort to celebrate the great tradition of school pride at Molloy, administrators and faculty founded “Spirit Week”. The goal of Spirit Week is to spark even more student and faculty participation around the school by organizing contests, games, and academic and athletic events that champion creativity, teamwork, volunteerism, and charity.

Throughout the week, students submitted original artwork, presented their musical abilities in front of a packed theater during “Molloy Idol”, and dressed in Molloy gear from head to toe. An afternoon full of athletic events, billed as “Spirit Games”, included basketball, relay races, soccer, and a tug of war. Those students participating in the games showed great enthusiasm, while many others filled the stands to show their school spirit by cheering on their friends. “During Spirit Week you see everyone come together to celebrate our school,” said senior Janet Narain ‘15. “It’s a lot of fun because it really shows how much we all love Molloy.”

“Beyond just having fun, we wanted to raise consciousness among our students as to why Molloy is a special place,” said Brother Thomas Schady, the school’s Principal. “We believe we’re among the best schools in New York City, but with that belief comes a responsibility to lead and give back. In that sense we wanted to challenge our students to not only have fun, but to show their school spirit through charity and giving. That is at the heart of what makes Molloy special.” Students and faculty wore colored shirts that spread awareness for several causes including green for literacy, pink for breast cancer, orange for the prevention of animal cruelty, gray for Parkinson’s disease, and light blue for autism. The shirt designs also read “Be ______”, which prompted students to fill in the blank by writing their own positive word or idea. “The thought behind the shirts was two-fold. The cause colors encouraged students to think more about doing good for others, while the designs helped them internalize who they are and then express that by writing it on their shirts,” explained Brother Thomas. Students embraced the campaign, wearing phrases such as “Be Giving”, “Be Confident,” and “Be Yourself”.

“The service and giving opportunities that were offered during Spirit Week were a great way for the school to put its Marist Catholic spirit into action,” said Ms. Elizabeth Murdocca, who is the school’s Director of Student Activities. In addition to raising awareness for causes, the school also participated in the Jeans for Teens campaign, which saw over 1,200 pairs of jeans collected for homeless individuals in need in just five days. “I was pleasantly surprised by how our students responded to each activity,” said Richard Karsten, the school’s President. “They were excited and in full support of spreading awareness through their shirts as well as donating their clothing for people in need. That is what Spirit Week is all about.”

Sports Update

The boys Varsity swim team placed fifth out of 16 at the CHSAA City Swimming Championships last week. All of the swimmers who qualified for the meet recorded their best times of the season. Notably, junior Ruben Cerri-Droz ’16 finished 8th in the 50 Freestyle and third in the 100 Breast Stroke.  Junior Brendan Woods ‘16 finished 8th in the 100 Back Stroke. Both Ruben and teammate Harry Ortof ‘16 will be a part of the CHSAA state swim team and will swim at the State Championships held on February 27th and 28th at Ithaca College. In addition, Coach Dennis Wresch received the coach of the year award for Division II.

SMILE 50th Anniversary: Alumni Reflections

• When: Saturday, March 21st | 4:00 PM
• Where: Archbishop Molloy High School
• Admission: Free
• REGISTRATION NOW CLOSED

In anticipation of SMILE’s 50th Anniversary Celebration here at Molloy on Saturday, March 21st, we asked several of the event’s committee volunteers and other former SMILE members to share their thoughts about the program they hold dear.

Ryan Harrington ‘07: “I entered Molloy as a young, insecure freshman with low self-esteem, but somehow fate brought me to Mr. Chris Dougherty. He immediately placed me in the SMILE program. Through SMILE meetings, events, and gatherings over the course of my four years at Molloy I was inspired to slowly come out of my own shell and put myself out there for others to see. Not only did the principles of SMILE show me how to be a more confident person by my senior year, but it also taught me to be a better human being.” (Pictured: SMILE Group in 2007. Chris Dougherty ’91 far left, Ryan Harrington ’07 second from right.)

Shannon McLoughlin ’09: “From the outside looking in, you can never understand it. From the inside looking out, you can never explain it.” That’s the best way that I can describe the impact that SMILE has had on my life. When Mr. Dougherty, or “Doc”, asked me to be a part of the committee I answered yes without any hesitation, and my involvement has since proven the above quote to be true. I may not have known the other committee members well, but I didn’t need to because we share the same appreciation and love for this program. I’ll never forget the day that Doc asked me if I would be interested in a bereavement group, similar to one that he had been a part of in high school. I nervously said yes, not knowing what to expect, and what followed exceeded my expectations. What started as a group of about eight of us in Doc’s office expanded so large that by my senior year we had to relocate twice – first to the chapel and then to the theater. We often joked about how unreal it was that such good could come from our terrible losses. It helped me truly believe the saying, “everything happens for a reason.” All of this would not have been possible without Doc’s influence. SMILE, Peer Groups, and leaders like Mr. Dougherty shaped me into the person I am today without a doubt, and there is definitely no way to express how thankful I am for that.

Scott Kuhner ’05: “SMILE meets your needs as a teenager when they can’t be met elsewhere. This stuff is not part of any curriculum. It’s as simple as that.” (Pictured: Br. Regis with SMILE students in 2005. Scott Kuhner ’05 pictured front right.)

Derrick Yuen ’13: “SMILE was the first club I ever attended at Molloy. It gave me the opportunity to learn and meet new people. High school can be difficult, but SMILE changed my life. I went from a shy, unsure person to a very confident, helpful person. It’s not just a club. It’s more like a family. It’s a social gathering that allows people to be themselves. We don’t need to hide anything. We can talk freely. We’re individuals with unique talents, and through SMILE we are able to share that with each other. Every experience we share can benefit each other and eventually ourselves. I would never be the Derrick everyone knows now without everyone in SMILE accepting me for who I am. I’m looking forward to the 50th anniversary because I want to meet others that have been helped by SMILE and hear why they joined and how it affected them.”

SMILE will celebrate its 50th anniversary on Saturday, March 21st here at Molloy. Admission is free. If you have benefited from the SMILE program, please consider attending this wonderful event. 

Dr. Frank Barile, Ph.D. ’72 was named Chairperson of St. John’s University’s School of Pharmacy and Health Services. Dr. Barile began his tenure at St. John’s in 2000. Previously he worked at Einstein College of Medicine as a Fellow as well as at City University and Columbia over the span of 16 years. “I was mostly doing research and teaching during that time,” said Dr. Barile. An alumnus of St. John’s, Dr. Barile has displayed leadership throughout his career as in addition to his normal duties he held numerous committee positions in each institution.

“The college of Pharmacy at St. John’s is divided into three departments,” explained Dr. Barile. “First is clinical pharmacy, which is mostly practicing pharmacists, second is administration and health sciences, and third is Pharmaceutical Sciences. As Chair I oversee roughly 35 faculty members and about 10 additional staff members. This is, of course, in addition to working with about 2000 pharmacy and allied health undergraduates.” Dr. Barile also works with about 200 Ph.D. students in the graduate masters program. It’s a big department, but he feels he has been up to the task. “It has required a lot of organization and managerial skills, but I have fine-tuned my priorities and learned how to best serve both the faculty and students,” said Dr. Barile, who likened the atmosphere to an ER at times. “Everyone’s needs are important, but not always urgent. Balancing everyone’s needs is a big part of leadership.”

Dr. Barile offered advice for other Stanners currently studying or planning to study pharmacy. “It’s a challenging field, but there are many positions opening up in healthcare around the job market. There is plenty of demand for professionals. The industry requires an aptitude for science and math, but it also involves interacting with patients, so mastering social skills is a key to success. Overall it is challenging, but very rewarding work.” Dr. Barile also named Toxicology, Medical Examiner, Investigation and Field Work as other jobs of the industry that are not often thought of, but offer great opportunities. “They may be less promoted, but they are just as exciting and worthwhile career pursuits.”

Molloy is saddened to share the passing of Priscilla Lee ’11 on February 15th, 2015. Please pray for Priscilla and the Lee family during this extremely difficult time. A wake service will be held on Sunday, March 1st from 8:30 to 11:00 am at Chun Fook Funeral Home, located at 134-35 Northern Boulevard, Flushing, 11354. Contact number for further details: (718) 353-2218

Please pray for the repose of the soul of Mary Whelan, mother of James Whelan ’81 and Therese Krische and mother in law of Paul Krische ’81.

We are saddened to share the passing of Betty Eikenbrod, mother of Tom Eikenbrod ‘82, mother in law of Peter Farrell ‘68, grandmother of Mike Farrell ‘04, aunt of Kenny Argent ‘83 and Andrew Petrovich ‘70, and a big fan of all Stanners everywhere. Betty passed peacefully at home surrounded by her family. Please keep her in your prayers.

We were informed that Richard Layer ’67 passed away July 3rd, 2014. Richard was a former track athlete at Molloy and went on to have great success running for St. John’s University. In recent years he had been living in St. Paul, Minnesota while working with an organization called Catholic Parents Online. He is survived by his daughters Molly, Emily and Abigail Layer. Please pray for Richard and the Layer family.