THE UGUSTINIAN IssueA 6 May 26, 2017 “TolleSt. Lege” Augustine High School Saints Celebrates Commons Grand Opening the statue’s unveiling, all in attendance were led into the new gym. The appear- ance of the gym was immaculate: not a smudge to be seen, no warp in the wood, and no malformed minuscule bit of metal could be mentioned. Fr. Kevin Mullins gladly and duti- fully did his part to ensure that the cere- mony was as memorable as it deserved. Fr. Mullins celebrated Mass, and of this President Hearn said, “I thought Fr. Kevin was outstanding; his homily was great. I really think he added to the sacred nature of the space, and actually blessed the space. It was really very moving to me.” Hearn was quite moved indeed, evident in his tearful expres- sion of gratitude which he delivered as a closing to the ceremony. It is clear that the administration had high hopes for the ceremony, as they had postponed the officiation mul- tiple times to ensure that it would be all that anyone could hope for. This con- cern for perfection paid off, as it would be hard to find a single soul dissatisfied with the commencement. This was not an easy event to plan, and it was harder still to manage. “There are two things to keep in mind,” Mr. Hearn said, “One, it is re- ally the first time we’ve done anything big like that in this new structure. Two, The St. Augustine Commons, now complete, has opened its doors to the public. Andrew Tran ('19) we just had to say theoretically, ‘This By Liam Brucker-Casey ('19) is how we are going to do this,’ and it enjoyed Mass celebrated by the very and alumni alike anxiously waited for EDITOR definitely shifted quite a bit, the ground Rev. Kevin C. Mullins, O.S.A, who is the blessing of the statue “Saint Augus- just kept shifting on us as the number of On April 26, 2017 the Saint the provincial of the Augustinians in the tine the Teacher.” On a day equally as guests kept growing and growing.” Augustine Commons was officially West. Before getting their first look in- warm as it was joyous, Saintsmen stood That aforementioned shifting neces- opened with a well attended, and well side the Commons, Saintsmen, parents, strong against the bright, hot sun. After SEE Ceremony, pg. 3 Deac Concludes Marvelous Teaching Career By Carlos Lopez-Tenorio ('18) STAFF WRITER Deacon Richard Hardick, OSA will be retiring from his teaching duties at St. Augustine High School after nearly half a cen- tury of service. One does not have to attend Saints for long before realizing who “Deac” is. He is known for his record-speed quick draw (too fast for the human eye), his secret handshake (which cannot be described here because it’s a secret), and for his stories about his 1936 Ford which he used to drive to school daily as a Saintsman. When he arrived to Saints as a freshman in 1953, little did he know that he would for- ever be bound to that all-boys school on Nut- meg Street. It was during his senior year that Fr. Pat Keane asked him to consider joining the Augustinian Order, and after prayer and encouragement from teachers, he decided to take the plunge into his greatest adventure yet. Deac presides over New Testament presentations. Ian Haliburton ('18) After his graduation in 1957, he attended the Mother of Good Counsel in Los Angeles and do what I love,” Dn. Hardick said. “My years tinuing teaching the Aquatics Intersession class Augustinian academy in Staten Island. The the following eight months on an early sabbati- were very rich in blessings, especially with the with Mr. Eric Dent, guiding the Saints Surf following year he travelled to the Augustinian cal, he rejoined the Saints community in Sep- privilege of guiding marvelous young boys in team with Coach Julia Mekrut and Jim Shaw, Novitiate in New Hamburg, New York. Af- tember 1968, only now as a teacher. He taught their search for God and manhood. Saints was and as often as possible assisting Fr. Kirk at the ter taking simple vows, he entered Villanova math for most of his years, but he transitioned where I wanted to be. It was my home. I loved liturgy,” Deac said. University in 1959 for four years to earn his to the Religion Department nearly a decade every minute. Every day was a joy!” He doesn’t care for the word retirement Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy. In the follow- ago, teaching freshmen and sophomores. He Although he will be retiring from teaching though. ing years, he studied for his Masters in Sacred was also the Intramural Director for 40 years, in the classroom, he will still be a presence at “I have relished hard work all my life, so Theology at the Augustinian College in Wash- and is an Aquatic Sports instructor during In- the school. “Because of my own affection for please let’s not use [that] word,” he said. “I ington D.C. tersession. the Saints community and at the request of our prefer to think of future unscheduled days as After spending a year serving at Our “I am so very grateful for the opportunity to principal, Jim Horne, my plans include con- opportunities and occasions to enjoy new and SEE Deac, pg. 6 Page 2 SAINT AUGUSTINE COMMONS May 2017 Showcasing the Commons By Matthew Anguiano ('19) EDITOR When beholding the newly con- structed Saint Augustine Commons, it is hard to believe it is technically con- sidered only one building. Consisting of three levels (court, plaza, and terrace) and a sky deck, it accommodates doz- ens of our school needs. What follows is a verbal tour through the new facilities. One of the first things one notices standing in front of Commons is the shiny new statue of St. Augustine the Teacher. Handcrafted in Italy, the stat- ue features Augustine teaching a boy sitting next to a pile of books (one of which is a 2017 yearbook). The statue itself is made out of bronze, and is painted in Saints’ signature gold. Not too far away from the statue of St. Augustine is the Food Service building for the students called Marty’s Kitchen. The kitchen sells breakfast and lunch during school hours, and one can readily taste and appreciate the great food. The stairs from the statue of St. Saint Augustine the Teacher reaches out to take you on a tour of the Commons. Andrew Tran ('19) Augustine lead up to the main terrace. paign wall which recognizes the individu- three sets of remotely controlled bleach- P.E. classes. In an effort to make it easier There, people may either go past the als whose donations were essential to the ers located to the left, right, and directly in to get to the fields, Locker Room A has gym to the new grass field or head up to completion of the gym by preserving their front relative to the entrance. an exit leading to the staircase up to the the roof where the three new basketball names in glass. Below the wall of banners is the en- main patio. Locker Room B is the new courts for intramurals are located, along Just past the concessions booth in trance into the new wrestling room, which football locker room. Locker Room C is with the elevator. Right before reach- the lobby waits the John Sanders Gym. can also be accessed from staircases on ei- designated for the basketball team. Lock- ing the roof level, there is an entrance As spectators step into the gym, they find ther side. Across the other side of the court er Room D is the final locker room, and is to the VIP Lounge, which will be used themselves directly behind and above The are the new offices and locker rooms. Fit- intended to be for additional P.E. classes. by very important persons at the many Pit with a full view of Court ’64, which tingly, Coach Haupt’s new office has a After nearly a year and a half of con- Saints events to come. was named after the Saints class of 1964. perfect view of the new court. struction, the new Commons is here. Be Down in the main lobby, there is From this vantage point the League ban- In the back hallway there is the train- sure to explore and make the most of this a fully working fireplace along with ners stand out, proudly displayed on the ing room. Just past the new training room facility, a cornerstone for life at St. Au- plenty of seating to surround it. Another opposite wall. To the left, a walkway pass- are four new locker rooms. The first is gustine High School. feature of the lobby is the capital cam- es by the glass trophy case. There are then Locker Room A, which is meant for future “The larger space is going to make rallies Future Functions of the Facilities much more fun. Imagine glow in the dark dodgeball or Bubble Soccer in such a huge space compared to Dougherty gym,” Mr. Inzunza said. The basketball program is very excited about the new gym, and is optimistic about what will come from it. Saints basketball has the best fan base in the county. The new gym can host 1,500 of these fans, 800 more than the fire marshal allowed in Dougherty gym, which will electrify the atmosphere. Saints can now host major games such as playoff games or games against Cathedral, whereas Dougherty gym could not suffice.