Class of ’64 Builds Momentum for Reunion

The Class of 1964 was Molloy’s largest graduating class at 494. It has always proudly maintained that distinction, and that fact has heightened the excitement for what is anticipated to be a memorable and perhaps record-breaking 50th anniversary reunion this coming November. Several class officers, including Greg Spano ’64, Barry Mastellone ’64, Larry McNamara ’64, and Tom Kraemer ’64 have been working diligently for several years already in their attempt to track down as many of their classmates as possible. While their calls and emails have reached all corners of the globe, we’re happy to say that many of their classmates are still within a stone’s throw. Being in close proximity allowed eleven ’64 members to attend a special luncheon at Cafe Baci in Westbury, Long Island to reconnect and discuss further details and plans for their reunion. Greg, the main architect of the gathering, sought to get as many classmates together as he could to help build momentum for the big November bash as well as to recruit additional officers to contact classmates and spread the word.

At the luncheon the group discussed many of their fond memories from Molloy, including stories about the Marist Brothers and lay teachers that made an impact on their lives. “It was kind of like, ‘Hey do you remember this Brother…or do you remember that teacher,'” said Tom. “Then Frank remembered something that cracked us all up – when we were freshmen we were invited by seniors to buy elevator passes that would let us go to the pool on the fourth floor. There was no more ice to break after that story. We all roared with laughter.” Tom also said that his biggest surprise was discovering that several of the guys had also been classmates of his at SS Joachim and Anne Elementary School in Queens Village back in 1952, making their reconnecting in 2014 all the more special. While at times the group asked each other questions about careers, family life and travel, the main focus seemed to gravitate back to Molloy. Despite the fact that these men had not been in contact or visited the school for many years, Molloy still managed to hold a special place in their hearts that was rejuvenated that afternoon. It seems there’s something to be said for rediscovering old friendships. The luncheon was filled with laughter from start to finish, and all were even more ready to reunite with as many of the 494 as possible. (Pictured above: The 1964 yearbook saw seniors pose in front of many NYC landmarks. Here, seniors play ball on opening day outside Shea Stadium.)

“I completely lost touch with many guys after high school,” said Tom. “Frank Keppel ’64 and I did stay in touch, however we lost track of each other for a number of years. This luncheon was the first time I saw Frank in maybe 20 years. It was also the first time I’ve seen Gene McParland ’64 in nearly 50 years.” Tom has also been in recent contact with other classmates through Molloy’s website, and he is looking forward to catching up with many of them in the coming months. “With luck we’ll have some more classmates than we had at the luncheon come November,” said Tom. (Pictured left: Molloy as it appeared in 1964.)

Around the School

College Visit Pays Dividends

In November 2013, The Beehive shared the story of a group of Molloy juniors and seniors that embarked on a tour of colleges around the northeast. Among the schools that our Stanners visited included Drexel, University of Pennsylvania, St. Joseph’s University,  and St. Michael’s College. Featuring a beautiful 440 acre campus located in scenic Vermont, St. Michael’s is currently home to Katie Gribbons ’13 and Morell Gaskins ’12, two recent Molloy graduates. Katie and Morell spoke highly of the college when they met with our visiting students, encouraging each of them to give it plenty of consideration. Several months later it appears that St. Michael’s College is doing its best to make the decision easier for at least one of those students. The college awarded one deserving senior from the travel group a full-tuition scholarship worth over $154,000 in total based on her strong academic performance and service endeavors. “The important thing to note is that this scholarship, the Community Partnership Scholarship, was made available to this student in large part because we took the time to visit the campus last Fall,” said college guidance counselor Ted McGuinness ’81. “We are finding that the greater the connection we have with these schools, the greater the opportunity for scholarships like this to be awarded to our students.” This hard-working Stanner is to be commended for her great achievement, and her example serves as great motivation for Molloy to coordinate more college visits to St. Michael’s and other northeast schools in the coming years.

Winter Sports Recap

Molloy athletes have enjoyed much success so far this winter, producing excellent team records and memorable seasons. We begin with the girls Varsity swim team, which went 8-0 during the duel season and won the Individual Championship. The boys Varsity swim team put up a solid 6-2 record and finished the Individual Championships in 5th place. In bowling, the Varsity team earned a solid 10-3 record and reached the semi-finals of the diocesan playoffs. It was the JV bowling squad, however, that stole the show this winter, going a remarkable 16-0 en route to the diocesan and city championships. In hoops, the boys Varsity basketball team went 19-6 and reached the quarter-finals of the city playoffs. Boys JV basketball achieved a 17-7 record and reached the semi-finals of the city playoffs. The boys Varsity “B” basketball team finished 19-8 and reached the city championship game. The boys freshman basketball team doubled up on their losses with 16 wins and reached the semi-finals of the city playoffs. On the girls’ side, the Varsity hoops team went 13-11 and advanced to the Brooklyn/Queens diocesan championship game. They will compete in the upcoming Girls High School “AA” Basketball Tournament. The girls JV team finished a bit better, going 17-4 while entering the playoffs and also advanced to the Brooklyn/Queens diocesan championship game. Elsewhere, our boys step team has been very successful this year, earning championship trophies at the 8th Annual Daily News Youth Step USA Brooklyn and Queens Borough Championships. The boys also took home championship hardware for their outstanding performance at the Break The Stage competition for the high school division.

In track, our Varsity boys and girls teams have both secured Brooklyn/Queens championships. Standout performances belonged to Jared Lovelace ’14 and Niamani Morrison ’14, who were both voted Outstanding Athletes this season. Niamani is also to be commended for setting the Molloy record for the 55m at 7.1, which also tied the meet record. MaryEllen Woods ’14 completed the 1600m in 59.6, which qualified as the fastest relay split for Molloy. Full results: Boys BQ Champs | Girls BQ Champs. At the Intersectional Championships, the boys finished in 5th place while the girls finished in 3rd place. In addition, Woods (600m), Sarah Kowpak ’16 (high jump), Lovelace (triple and high jumps), and Morrison (long and triple jumps and 55m high hurdles) all qualified for the state championships (Full Results). More recently, our boys earned Track & Field Team Champion honors for the Brooklyn/Queens CHSAA, with Lovelace being named team MVP for his outstanding performances in the triple and high jumps. Check out some more photos of our teams in action below (Photos courtesy of the Yearbook Staff).

Ashley Regazzi ’04 is proud to have her work published in Nature, the world’s most highly cited interdisciplinary science journal. Nature is further described as “a weekly international journal publishing the finest peer-reviewed research in all fields of science and technology on the basis of its originality, interdisciplinary interest, timeliness, accessibility, elegance and surprising conclusions,” (source). Ashley, as a member of The Cancer Genome Atlas Research Network, contributed to the first-ever comprehensive molecular characterization of urothelial bladder carcinoma. Though bladder cancer is the fifth most common type of cancer in the US, it is difficult to treat and no new drugs have been approved in over a quarter of a century. By studying genetic differences between healthy cells and tumor cells, the researchers identified 32 common gene mutations in bladder cancers, as well as 9 mutations never before associated with any type of cancer. The discovery of these mutations is a turning point in research, as they are now possible targets for molecular treatments for this cancer. No such treatments currently exist. Ashley is a clinical research specialist at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.

Tom Stanton ’93 is proud to announce the birth of his daughter, Cecilia Duffy Stanton, at 8:30pm on Tuesday, February 25th. Cecilia weighed in at 8 lbs, 15 oz! Mom and baby are both doing well in the days since, but everyone else is exhausted! Congratulations to the Stanton family.

We are saddened by the passing of Mrs. Marie Cevasco, grandmother of Keith Hahn ’02. In Keith’s words, “I can write a novel about my beloved grandma and it still wouldn’t be enough or give justice to what an amazing person she was. Simply put, she was the best, and anyone that has ever met her would agree.” We ask our community to please pray for the repose of Marie’s soul as well as her family during their time of mourning.

We are saddened to share news of the passing of Steven Wagner  ’72 after a valiant battle against cancer. Members of the Class of 1972 ask that the Stanner community pray for Steven and his surviving family.

Please pray for the repose of the soul of Thomas Corrigan, brother of John Corrigan ’77. Please also keep wife Denise and three children Devin, Patrick, and Rory in your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time.

The Stanner Alumni Center were recently informed of the passing of Donald Wiegand ’62. Donald passed away on February 4, 2013. Please keep this lost Stanner in your thoughts and prayers.