The WALRUS The time has come, the Walrus said, to talk of many things: Of shoes and ships and sealing wax, of cabbages and kings. - Lewis Carroll Vol LXIV, No. 4 St. Sebastian’s School February 2011 Sebs Celebrates Catholic Identity By Thomas Keefe‘11 stories of St. John Vianney and testa- few hours and were not found until ment of faith provided a fabulous the close of school. In truth, there S E N I O R E D I T O R conclusion to Catholic Schools week. was no such phenomenon, but each From January 31st to Throughout the week, student received their own mod- February 4th, 2011, St. Sebastian’s National Honor Society members erately-sized sundae, which was a celebrated the 38th annual Catholic ran numerous events to foster a major treat and way less dangerous. Schools Week and paid tribute to celebratory spirit among the school On Friday, we honored the its rich Catholic identity. Started in community. Due to the Blizzard of teachers in Faculty Appreciation Day. 1974, this year’s theme was “Catholic ’11 (which was a treat in itself), many Members of National Honor Society Schools are A+ for America”. Because of the activities were postponed, but assisted the effort by delivering of their traditionally high academic thankfully not canceled. $10 gift cards to Dunkin’ Donuts to standards, high graduation rates, and Thursday saw the arrival of every faculty member. As I made the strong moral values, Catholic schools Student Appreciation Day. On this rounds, I witnessed some surprising are indeed an added value (“a plus”) day, the student body saw the rare reactions. Mr. Wilbur bear-hugged for the nation. occurrence of Mr. Nerbonne at work, me, Mr. Ryan wept tears of rapture, The 7,094 Catholic elemen- as he donned on an apron and per- and Mr. Richter went so far as to tary and secondary schools make up formed work duty tasks such as wip- show his card to all of his junior 44.4 percent of the private schools in ing the tables and washing dishes. Honors English class and holler, the United States. I was not present to witness the “Booyakasha!” To be sure, the faculty At Sebs, we gave this spectacle, but I bet his little minion enjoyed their gifts. momentous week the celebration it Mr. Deschenes was helping him out The faculty was also treated deserves. We both began and ended by agreeing to collect the little vases to a few moments of rest when the week with striking reminders of with bamboo plants at each table. members of the National Honor our Catholic heritage. During Mon- What a team! Society volunteered to teach a select day’s Corporate Chapel, Fr. Paris kick- Joe the Chef and the rest number of classes. This has been an started the week by talking about our of the kitchen staff had even more esteemed tradition throughout my call to be leaders in the world, using preparations in store for the fes- years at St. Sebastian’s, and I hope it Marlon Matthews ‘11 regales the audience with ardent singing at the Black History Assembly our Catholic education for the benefit tivities. When students scampered continues for many years to come – of all. His words of wisdom laid down down to lunch, they were greeted it is quite the neat experience. Back a solid foundation for the week as by a giant brownie sundae in the my popular demand, I led a Latin 1B a whole. On Friday, we gathered for middle of Ward Hall that was as class of 8th grade students, a lively Sebs Honors Black History mass, where Fr. Hennessey, a visiting tall as the balcony attached to the bunch of squid-like pubescents, and football player Jim Brown (a long- Toward the end of the priest, delivered a trenchant homily library. Many seventh graders were it was a blast. After cruising through By Thomas Nunan‘11 time player for the Cleveland Browns assembly, those gathered were privi- about the importance of vocation. His actually lost in whipped cream for a Continued on Page 3 February is Black History and one of the NFL’s most accom- leged to hear from Mr. Ron Burton, Month, and St. Sebastian’s has a tradi- plished athletes), Ron Burton, Sr. (of Jr., Children’s Athletic Manager for tion of celebrating its beginning the Patriots and also Northwestern, the Boston Red Sox Foundation. Mr. by holding a Black History Month founder of the Ron Burton Training Burton told a compelling story about Assembly at the end of the day on the Village, and father of the assembly’s his father as a child. When Ron Bur- first Monday of the month. This year’s keynote speaker), Buffalo Sabres ton, Sr. was growing up, he was quite assembly, organized by Men with player and St. Sebastian’s gradu- untalented athletically, and in his Positive Attitudes, under the direc- ate Mike Grier, the phenomenally seventh grade year was the only kid tion of Mr. Chambers and Mr. Jenkins, successful baseball player Willie not to receive a football suit. People took place on Monday, February 7 at Mays, track star of the 1946 Olympics cruelly called him “nothing.” Howev- 1:30 PM, and was titled Together as Jesse Owens, and of course, Jackie er, the coach eventually gave him a Brothers. We were lucky to have with Robinson, the first African American suit and he sat on the bench during us many people from the immediate to play major league baseball. games. In his eighth grade year he St. Sebastian’s community but also Interspersed throughout was put into the game because ev- many friends from outside the School. the readings about these athletes eryone else was hurt, and he actually Dana Hall’s Gospel Choir, directed and were splendid performances by the managed to run ten yards. A high accompanied by Mr. David Coleman, choir from Dana Hall, which amazed school coach who was scouting out made many wonderful musical con- me yet again with the contemporary future players for his team noticed tributions to the assembly, and the gospel selections that they sang. Burton and his determination, and keynote speaker was Mr. Ron Burton, Let me say here that their appear- advised him to run seven miles per Jr. ances at our Black History Month day if he wished to become a great The assembly opened with assemblies have consistently been athlete. When Burton returned to a mostly a capella selection (“I Need highlights of my time at St. Seb’s. football practice the next school You to Survive”) by the choir from The singers themselves produce year, he won every drill. Burton went Dana Hall. This particular song, with such a good sound and are so well on to become a staple of Northwest- its emphasis on community and supported by their super-competent ern football, the number one draft interdependence on one another, and lively director. I love Mr. Cole- choice for the NFL, AFL, and Canada, January 2011 will live in infamy as one of the worst winter months in the Boston area was especially instrumental in focus- man’s playing (the keyboard he uses and a hugely successful player for ing those gathered on the goal of seems to my ear to be a curious yet the Patriots. Ron Burton, Jr. empha- unity right away. Jordan Perry ’11, exhilarating combination of piano, sized the importance of determina- as President of MPA, then welcomed bass guitar, and percussion—a solid tion as exemplified by the shining The Snow Day Effect: everyone to the assembly, noting rhythm section contained in one example of his father, and the need that the assembly would be focused instrument) and also the way he for everyone to help the weak and on “honoring [the] ancestors” who himself occasionally sings in order to the poor, just as that coach helped are responsible for the increased direct the choir. The music they per- his father and just as his father Students Ecstatic, Teachers Wary unity in our country and world today form is packed with emotions both helped many young athletes during By Thomas Murphy ‘11 However, somehow days. Each storm that we receive compared to many years ago. Father soulful and joyful, and in general just his life. Mr. Burton closed by urging Arens then followed with an opening plain fun (this year I actually notated each person to “choose words very Just in case you’ve been through snow dances and prayers to proves worse than the one preced- prayer, during which he commented some of the rhythms on paper while selectively” to build unity because living in Florida for the past two the gods, we got the snow days we ing it. As result, each snow day has upon the “necessity of integrity,” and, I was taking notes for this article so “words can build or destroy.” Amen. months, or are completely ignorant so badly desired. Somewhere along been that much more satisfying. invoking our School-wide theme for that I would not forget them). I only The assembly closed with of all of your surroundings, we have the way, however, we must have Since the exam debacle, we have the year, asked God to “give us the wish that St. Seb’s students would the signing of the civil rights anthem had a lot of snow this year. In years done too much dancing and made had three snow days, and it is safe to strength to do what must be done” have been more receptive to their “We Shall Overcome” and with re- past, many of us, myself included, too many sacrifices, because we say that we all have greatly enjoyed for the sake of unity.