Explorer Autumn 2005 Summer 2007 EX P LO R E R the Official Magazine of La Salle College High School
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
1 Explorer Autumn 2005 Summer 2007 EX P LO R E R The Official Magazine of La Salle College High School EX PThe OfficialL MagazineO of LaR Salle CollegeE HighR School EX P LO R E R The Official Magazine of La Salle College High School 2 Explorer Spring 2006 Together with Mount Saint Joseph Academy Saturday, August 4, 2007 For additional information or to purchase tickets, please call the Office of Institutional Advancement 7:00 – 10:00 pm at 215.233.2350 or visit www.lschs.org The Golden Inn Avalon, New Jersey $30 per person La Salle College High School 8605 Cheltenham Avenue Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania 19038 www.lschs.org All attendees must be twenty-one or older. EX P LO R E R The Official Magazine of La Salle College High School EX PThe OfficialL MagazineO of LaR Salle CollegeE HighR School Features At The Wall Page 7 You Can’t Beat The Man Downtown With Four Clocks At His Feet Page 11 Graduation – Class of 2007 EX PPage 16–19LO R E R The Official Magazine of La Salle College High School Live Travis In Our Hearts…Forever Page 35 Departments From The Hip Page 2 Letter From The President Page 3 Happenings At La Salle Pages 4–6 Photo Gallery Pages 20–27 Class Notes Pages 29–34 Announcements Page 36 2 Explorer Summer 2007 From The Hip! EX P LO R E R On the ride to the Philadelphia Catholic The Official Magazine of La Salle College High School League Championship Football game, I asked my wife if I could paint our son’s room blue and gold if La Salle won the game. Mary Jean was at the earlier meet- President ing between La Salle and The Prep and had Brother Richard Kestler, FSC ’60 witnessed first hand the lopsided defeat. Principal Needless to say, the last place she expected Joseph L. Marchese me to be the following morning was the Vice President of Institutional Advancement Sherwin-Williams store. Confidently, she Gail A. Evans, CFRE agreed to a change in the color of A.J.’s Alumni Association President room in the event that the underdog Robert J. McCreight, Jr. ’71 Explorers were able to defeat the No. 1 Editor ranked team in the area. Three hours later, Christopher M. Carabello ’82 Mary Jean found herself having to uphold her end of the agreement. After all, Editorial and Production Assistance a promise is a promise. Barbara Franks Florence Ward La Salle College High School has recently Cathleen P. Winning A.J. Carabello ’20 and Christopher Carabello ’82 embarked on one of the most ambitious Contributing Writers initiatives the school has ever undertaken. visiting Washington, DC during La Salle’s 50th class trip to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall Christopher M. Carabello ’82 The $25 million capital campaign, Fulfilling Paul D. Colistra ’00 the Promise, is the largest fundraising effort in the history of the school. David C. Devine ’90 The campaign is aptly named after our founder, St. John Baptist de La Salle, and Joseph F. Lynch ’61 his promise to educate young men of various backgrounds. The success of the Sean D. Kent ’99 campaign will rely on support from the entire La Salle community and the results Kevin M. Merlini ’99 of these efforts will benefit the school’s greatest asset – our students. Kevin M. Noone ’99 A commitment to provide the best possible education and facilities for these Lt. John P. O’Hara, USN ’99 young men continues to be at the forefront of our mission and vision. Photography La Salle College High School is an institution rich in history and tradition. The John J. Burns Christopher M. Carabello ’82 “promise” is not limited to the mission of our Founder and, in fact, is evident every Mark D. Chesnik day: the dedication of our faculty and their promise to develop each student’s Davor Studios unique God-given talents; the commitment of our school administration and their Anthony J. Gillespie ’68 promise to foster academic excellence, service, and leadership; the faithfulness Michael Maicher of our parents and their promise to provide their son(s) with the best possible Brother James Rieck, FSC ’57 education; and the loyalty of our alumni and their promise to take ownership in Artwork and Design the school’s future. John Burns Graphic Design The “promise” is at the core of our very being. In the 149 years since our founding at St. Michael Parish in North Philadelphia, our greatest resource has been our Address mission and vision and our willingness and commitment to share it with the entire Explorer La Salle community. Today, La Salle College High School continues to fulfill its La Salle College High School promise by providing an education that consists of academic challenge, intellectual 8605 Cheltenham Avenue openness, emotional security, and environmental safety. Wyndmoor, PA 19038 After I finished touching up the paint and putting up the last roll of dinosaur 215 233 2350 Phone wall border, I called A.J. upstairs so he could see his new room. He was quick to 215 836 4502 Fax point out that the wall border had two blue dinosaurs, two gold dinosaurs, [email protected] and an allosaurus that was Prep-colored. I don’t know what made me more The Explorer is published by La Salle proud – that he identified the dinosaur as an allosaurus or was upset because College High School. it was Prep-colored. Either way, the Class of 2020 can’t get here soon enough. The Explorer welcomes letters to the It is one promise that I will keep at all costs. Editor concerning alumni, school, and topics published in the magazine. The Editor of the Explorer reserves the right to make all decisions regarding the content and information published in the magazine. Christopher M. Carabello ’82 Editor 3 Explorer Summer 2007 Letter from the President Dear Fellow Alums and Friends, I can’t believe that it has been two years since my return to La Salle College High School. The last few months have found me consumed in a number of important projects. As the school year began, we launched Fulfilling the Promise, a $25 million capital campaign to increase our endowment and expand our academic and athletic facilities. Needless to say, I have been actively involved in completing the purchase of the thirty-one acres of land that adjoin Paper Mill Road and Route 309 as well as securing the approvals and permits necessary to begin development of our new fields. In late March, the Middle States “Accreditation for Growth” Validation Team wrapped up its visit and recommended our reaccreditation. The visit was the culmination of an almost two-year preparation stage under the direction of Mr. Nick Coggins. I would like to thank Nick, along with his Planning Team, for constructing a detailed plan that allowed us to reach our goal. In May, we broke ground on a 40,000 square foot academic expansion that will provide for an even greater learning environment for our students. I am pleased to report that the efforts of our capital campaign for this project continue to be successful as we have reached several of our benchmark goals. Our students have been equally as busy. Academics continue to rise and our athletic teams made their mark in school history by finishing first or second in eleven of the fourteen sports sanctioned by the Philadelphia Catholic League. Our seven championships should allow us to contend when we move to the PIAA in the fall. Our Forensic and Chess teams won their respective championships, while our Music and Fine Arts programs continued to excel and show why they are some of the top programs in the area. The year culminated with the awarding of 266 diplomas to the Class of 2007 who are now enrolled in 97 colleges and universities in twenty different states. The class earned over $18.1 million in documented scholarships and grants and produced eighty-seven Senior Members of the National Honor Society, twenty National Merit Commended Students, and five National Merit Finalists. La Salle has much to be proud. The year was not without loss. In April, Lt. Travis J. Manion, USMC ’99 was tragically killed while serving our country in Iraq. Travis was a remarkable student leader and athlete while at La Salle and a hero to all who knew him. In June, Martin W. Stanczak ’60 retired after forty-one years of service to his Alma Mater. We thank Marty for all he did for La Salle and wish him and his wife, Lois, a happy retirement. La Salle will miss you. I would like to thank each of you for making 2006-07 one of the most successful years in school history. Next year should be equally as exciting. In September, we begin the eighteen month celebration of our 150th Anniversary. The new academic wing and athletic fields will open during this same time period; so needless to say, there are a lot of things happening at La Salle. The Sesquicentennial Anniversary should be celebrated by all members of the La Salle community and I encourage you to help us commemorate this milestone event as it speaks to our history and traditions. La Salle is a place that is very much alive and never will this be more evident than during the upcoming celebration. Look for details in future publications. Sincerely, Brother Richard Kestler, FSC ’60 President Mission Statement adopted by the Middle States Evaluation Team March 2006 La Salle College High School, a Catholic independent college preparatory school for young men of varied backgrounds, is conducted in the tradition of St.