ASPA 1st-Place High School Newspaper 2016, 2017 The Guardian€¦ · ASPA 1st-Place High School Newspaper 2016, 2017 By Daniel Soter ‘18 The 2017-2018 school year will be the opening

Vol. 55 Issue 2 Saint Joseph Regional High School, Montvale, NJ Thursday, September 21, 2017

The Guardian1st Parents’ Guild Event, Freshman Dinner

ASPA 1st-Place High School Newspaper 2016, 2017

By Daniel Soter ‘18The 2017-2018 school year will be the opening year for the new Saint Joseph Regional High School Parents’ Guild. Years ago, St. Joe’s had similar organization called the Mothers’ Guild. The reason for the new name, the Parents’ Guild, is that it will be open to all parents.

This reformed parents association will be led by Mrs. Valerie Kohn and Mrs. Mary Ellen Breen. Mrs. Kohn is the mother of three SJR alumni: Alex ‘10, Joseph ‘14, and Patrick ‘16.

When asked what lead her to lead the Parents’ Guild, Mrs. Kohn said, “I responded positively to Mr. Don-nelly’s request to bring back the Parents’ Guild because I wanted to give something back to the SJR commu-nity. My sons each had an incredible experience at St. Joe’s. Even though they each had unique interests and talents, SJR provided them with opportunities to develop into fine young men. I am grateful for their experiences and want to make sure St. Joe’s continues to be able to provide the same thing for others.”

The mission of the Parent’s Guild is to build a greater sense of community among SJR parents and students. “Friend-raising” as opposed to fundraising will be the new focus of this organization. This means that all meetings and events will free of raising money and collecting donations. Instead, the main objective of every meeting will be to help members of the St. Joe’s community connect by creating a comfortable environment for open dialogue.

The Parents’ Guild Formation Committee, in collabora-tion with administration, is looking forward to host school events that have an atmosphere of respect, communication, and fun. The committee is also hoping to provide SJR fam-ilies with information and support that will encourage the growth and development of Saint Joseph Regional and the young men who attend. The guild will be focusing on posi-tive discussion directly among members of the organization and SJR administration, faculty, staff, and coaches.

The Parents’ Guild will be hosting four main events throughout the year. Each one will consist of two parts.

The first will a be a free dinner for a particular class. This will be an opportunity for parents and students to socialize and meet new people. Each dinner will be followed by a program event with a different theme for every meeting. These programs will be open to parents of all grade levels. Some of the topics include student success, drug abuse pre-vention and awareness, safe driving, and the college applica-tion and search process.

The first Parents’ Guild event of the year will be held on Tuesday, September 26th. The meeting will begin with a pizza party for freshman students and their families. A brief welcome program for just freshmen will also be held during the dinner. Following the pizza party, there will be a presentation featuring various speakers.

These speakers will discuss a variety of subjects such as fo-cusing on having a successful school year, building a college resume, and navigating the school’s technology. These three topics will be essential for freshmen during their first year at SJR. While freshman year can be exciting and overwhelm-ing, it is important to think about staying focused and being successful. When it comes to college resumes, it is useful to get involved in various extracurricular activities early on in your high school career. With the chromebook program and other important things like Genesis, it is necessary for new students to understand how to use this technology. The remaining three meetings will be held on November 8th, January 24th, and April 11th.

Mrs. Valerie Kohn (L) and Mrs. Mary Ellen Breen will head the Parents’ Guild for the 2017-2018 school year.

Photo by Patrick Breen ‘18

2 The Guardian, Thursday, September 21st, 2017

OpinionDACA Fix Win-Win for Trump, Democrats

By Luke Brouwer ‘18

Editors-in-Chief: Scott Dickson, Zach Epstein, Alec GoodmanManaging Editors: Patrick Breen, Luke BrouwerPhotography Editor: Jared MartinezSports Editors: Ryan WindramEntertainment Editor: Luke BerningerStaff Writers: Alex Birchwale, Patrick Buckley, Kyle Clark, Tyler Conroy, Andrew Delpriore, Davis Gallagher, Ryan Hilliard, Andrew Hliboki, Gianni Lisa, Luke Plescia, Ryan Sodora, Daniel Soter, Kieran WoodsModerators: Mrs. LoBianco, Mr. Mackie

The Guardian StaffPlease email Letters to the Editor to [email protected]

President Trump gathered with Democratic congressional leaders to dinner last week to discuss a deal to protect chil-dren brought to the US illegally.

Under the agreement, Congress would pass the Dream Act along with measures to enhance border security, but not funding for the controversial wall on the Mexican border, sources said.

In a joint statement, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said they had a “very productive” dinner meeting with the president. at the White House. “We agreed to enshrine the protections of DACA into law quickly, and to work out a package of border security, excluding the wall, that’s acceptable to both sides,” they said.

Despite a positive and winning message from the Demo-crats, Trump contradicted their statements the following day, saying that no official deal had been made. A White House statement on September 13 was much more vague and less positive regarding what exactly transpired in the meeting. It mentioned that DACA was one of several issues discussed, including other issues such as tax reform and infrastructure.

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders seemed to reinforce the idea that no final agreement has

been made, tweeting, “While DACA and border security were both discussed, excluding the wall was certainly not agreed to.”

Although many believe that bipartisan compro-mise is a sound choice by the president, Trump risks losing a major component of his base if he changes his hardline stance on immigration.

Conservative commentator Ann Coulter an-grily tweeted, “Put a fork in Trump, he’s dead.” She added. “If we’re not getting a wall, I’d prefer Pence.”

This seemed to be the last straw for many Trump supporters following his caving on the budget deal just a few weeks earlier. “This is not what we voted for,” conservative radio host Lau-ra Ingraham said on her program. “We voted for someone who could do a good deal for the

American man and woman.”

One of Ingraham’s callers, Michael from Georgia, lamented that Trump had “duped us.” “That swamp he was gonna drain ... he has jumped into that swamp,” the caller said.

A caller from Arizona named Jody told Ingraham that she was suffering from PTSD — “Pelosi Trump Schumer Disor-der. I am done if they don’t build the wall.”

Despite the backlash from some of his most ardent support-ers, many praise the deal Trump was able to get done as it shows he is truly willing to compromise with the other side of aisle on not only smaller things, but major issues too. Trump was able to get what he desired in more enhanced border security while the Democrats were able to deliver on their promise to find a quick solution to DACA. This deal was a win-win for both sides.

President Trump met with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (at lectern) and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (left) on September 13.

Trump, Schumer, and Pelosi discussed the Dream Act and funding for increased border security at a White House dinner.

The Guardian, Thursday, September 21st, 2017 3

OpinionWill Washington Agree on Healthcare Bill?

By Patrick Breen ‘18Over the last two weeks several health care plans have been introduced as a means to either fix or replace the Affordable Healthcare Act. The most prominent plans being brought forth this week are from Democrats and Republicans alike. After failing to pass the Obamacare repeal bill by a singular vote, the Republicans are hoping to emerge from 2017 with some semblance of a health care plan for the future. Democrats are hoping to capitalize on the Repub-lican’s failures by introducing their own healthcare provi-sions.

The first and most notable bill to come about this past week was Senator Bernie Sanders’s “Medicare for All” plan. This bill is the epitome of Republican fears, for they would never agree to the concept of complete government control. How-ever, Sanders’ bill is garnering support from many Demo-crats, 15 of whom signed on to the bill. The basic idea of the bill is the elimination of private medical insurance. Pa-tients would receive a “universal Medicare card,” which would cover hospital expenses, doctor visits, and even substance abuse therapy. Many Republicans fear that this puts government in con-trol of another large facet of the life of an American citi-zen. They also have criticized the added taxes that would go along with this single payer healthcare system. In response Sanders said, “To my Republican colleagues, please don’t lecture us on health care. In the last few months, you, the Republican Party have shown the American people what you stand for,” meaning their inability to produce a solution to the problems associated with the Affordable Healthcare Act.

The second healthcare solution on the table is a bill proposed by Republican senators Lindsey Graham and Bill Cassidy. This bill would return much of the healthcare power to state governments, and give governors more control over their systems. Although states can choose to keep in place Obamacare policies, they are encouraged to implement their own legislation. Many on the Left criticize this bill saying that millions will lose health care. They feel that red states may strip away Obamacare and leave patients with bare bones health insurance.

With this new conservative bill waiting in the shadows, the Republicans will once again try to repeal the Affordable Care Act in the Senate. Senator Cassidy said, “We’re trying to set up good policy. Whether it’s done now

or later, the good policy will still be there.” However with no Democratic support, the Senate must get 50 votes from Republicans, a task that has proved difficult in the recent past. In July the Senate repeal bill was turned down in dramatic fashion when Senators Lisa Murkowski, Susan Collins, and John McCain turned on their colleagues on the right and sided with the Democrats. Many other Republicans across the country are dissatisfied with the Senate bill including popular Ohio Governor John Kasich: “They think that’s great? That’s good public poli-cy? What, are you kidding me?” Kasich has sponsored a health care bill of his own with Democratic Governor John Hickenlooper of Colorado. The bill calls for the rescue of Obamacare and a stabilization of the private health insur-ance systems. The governors hope that their bipartisan bill will be taken seriously by both political parties, for it provides a solution to the stalemate in Washington. While the fight for healthcare will continue among the nation’s most powerful politicians, many Americans await a reasonable solution. Most Americans are concerned about their health, not which party is supplying the poli-cy. If Washington wants to regain voter trust, they must act quickly to come up with a bipartisan solution.

Senator Bernie Sanders introduced his “Medicare for All” plan this week. This bill stands behind his belief that “health care needs

to be recognized as a right, not a privilege.”

Faculty InterviewMr. Jacob Rabinowitz - Geometry, Calculus Teacher


By Andrew DelPriore ‘18Where did you go to college and what did you study?

I went to Columbia University and I studied History there. I then went onto Brown University to study Classic Lan-guages. I then decided that I wanted to be a teacher and got a degree for teaching math. I cherish the time that I spent studying at such fine schools and will try to pass the knowl-edge that they taught me to the current Green Knights.

What made you become a teacher or was there a teacher that influenced you?

As a child, I was always fascinated by learning new things and being able to express that information with other peo-ple. As I grew up, I started to realize that I could turn this passion into a career. Even though I did not go to college to study to become a teacher, I found my calling after I fin-ished my studies at Brown. I do not regret going down this path and my passion will live on through my teaching days.

Where did you teach before coming to St. Joe’s?

Last year, I taught at Academy of Our Lady in Glen Rock where I taught math to 7th graders. I am grateful for the opportunity to have taught there and hope to have influ-enced the Academy of Our Lady students as much as I will influence my students now. I want to bring what I learned about teaching at my last school to SJR.

What drove you to come to St. Joe’s?

When hearing that the administration from Saint Joseph Regional High School wanted to hire me, all I could think was, “Here I come!” I couldn’t have been more excited to accept the position at an institution like this. When talking about St. Joe’s with my peers, we all agree that it is an ab-solutely first class facility, with first class students and first class teachers.

What do you like about SJR so far?

Though I like almost everything about St. Joe’s, I’d have to say my favorite part of this school would have to be the peo-

ple. The staff welcomed me with open arms and the students made my transition to a new school easy. Also, walking through the hallways and seeing the connections that some of these boys have with each other really interests me because I have not witnessed this close of a brotherhood in a student body in my career. I want to stay a part of this community for as long as I can. I want the opportunity to tell people proudly that I am a teacher at Saint Joseph Regional.

What advice would you give to the current Green Knights?

If there is one piece of advice that I could give it would be to always do your best. It may seem simple and cliché but it has always been a stick-ing point in my school days. My parents always taught me that if you put your best foot forward and always do your best, there will be nothing but rewards to come out of it. I always want to tell the students that first impressions are very important, so get a 100 on that first test and get the home-work in on time.

Mr. Jacob Rabinowitz teaches mathematics in Room 114. Photo courtesy of Image Art Studio


1st Lt. Luke Bijelic ‘11, Anchorage, AlaskaAlumni Interview

By Ryan Sodora ‘20After graduating from St. Joe’s, 1st. Lieutenant Luke Bijelic ‘11 attended Virginia Military Institute from which he was commissioned as a US Army 2nd lieutenant in 2015. He then worked for two months at Fort Knox in Kentucky before taking the infantry basic officer leader’s course and training in the airborne school at Fort Benning in Georgia for nine months. In April of 2016, Bijelic reported to Fort Richard-son in Anchorage, Alaska where he served a year as a scout platoon leader before becoming the chief administrative officer for a cavalry unit of 120 paratroopers. Later this year, he may be deployed to Afghanistan, where he would perform the same duties. Recently I had the opportunity to discuss his St. Joe’s experience and life in the U.S. Army.

RS: How did you come across St. Joe’s and why did you choose to come here?

LB: When I was deciding I was really among Joe’s, Don Bo-sco, and Xavier High School in New York City. St. Joe’s was the only school out of the three to offer the “small school” that I really wanted. Joe’s also was the only school that had this really cool family vibe. When I shadowed there, all the kids were joking around with each other and really wel-comed me in. I knew from that day on that I’d soon be a Green Knight.

RS: What were some of the highlights from your time at Joe’s?

LB: I ran cross-country for all four years and a couple years of track. I also did theater and mock trial with Mr. Coppola. Some of my best time memories watching our football team

dominate on Saturdays.

RS: Where did life take you after Joe’s?

LB: I went to Virginia Military Institute and majored in international studies and political science. After college I was dispatched to 1st Squadron (Airborne), 40th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division in Alaska. Up here it can get as cold as -60 Fahrenheit, but nevertheless I always enjoyed my job. While I’m here I love to hunt, fish, hike, follow international affairs, and read all I can.

RS: What has helped you more throughout your journey so far: your physical strength or your mental strength?

LB: Definitely mental. I’ve seen guys the size of refrigerators crumble down in panic and even cry. In my job, the guy that can lead when the going gets tough and can always bring out the positives in the worst situations are the ones that others rally around. RS: What are the coolest gadgets you’ve ever operated as a member of the armed forces? LB: My favorite aircraft is without a doubt the C-17, some-thing I jumped from but never operated. In fact, it flies so smoothly that it has earned the nickname, “The Cadillac of the Sky.” The favorite weapon I’ve ever shot is the Mark-19 automatic grenade launcher.

RS: Who were the most influential people at Joe’s who really helped you on your journey?

LB: Oh, man, there are so many! I’d probably have to say Mr. Kievit, Mr. Frank Devito, Mr. Ronald Sandgran [former SJR history teacher], Ms. Grillo, Mr. Kintish, and Mr. Malaterra just to name a few.

RS: How has “Vir Fidelis” (“The Faithful Man”) mindset help you throughout your life?

LB: I found this mindset at Joe’s and through my years in college and in the military it has really developed into something great. It really taught me how important it is to keep the people you care about close and how helping someone in need can really make a difference. This mindset has also kept me in touch with my friends from Joe’s. By going to Joe’s I was able to make relationships that last a life-time. Although I don’t get to see them as much as I’d like, I still consider them my best friends and I don’t know what I would do without them!

US Army 1st Lieutenant Luke Bijelic on pre-deployment training near Fort Richardson, Alaska. Chugach Mountains are in the background.

Photo courtesy of Luke Bijelic ‘11


EntertainmentCurtains, a Comedic-Mystery, SJR 2018 MusicalCurtains is the St. Joe’s musical for the 2017-2018 school year. SJR performed it for the first time in 2010. The show premiered on Broadway in 2007.

“I am so happy that Curtains is this year’s SJR Musical – a hilarious murder mystery comedy that will give so many students a chance to shine,” said Mr. John Asselta, the 25-year producer of the St. Joe’s performing arts programs. “This show is ideal for school like St. Joe’s because it has such a large population of students interested in the per-forming arts. Last year year there were 42 SJR students who participated in the musical alone. Not to mention the stu-dents on stage crew who don’t necessarily take to the stage but they are a critical part of an effective show. This kind of dedication cannot be found at any other school. Having not only the incredible staff but the whole support of the teachers and students is what separates St. Joe’s theater from anywhere else.

This year especially is a very important year for the many seniors who have been with the performing arts program all four years at St. Joe’s. The experiences and friends they have made will be hard to forget when mov-ing on with their college careers but theater skills are skills for life. Having the self-confidence to stand up in front of a crowd and deliver a moving line of dialogue or a motivational speech is important in life.

“I’m excited and sad at the same time to perform in my last show here at St. Joe’s,” said Chris Marzulla ‘18, who is an award winning actor at St. Joe’s and is looking to pursue acting in college as well. “Curtains seems like a really fun show to go out on, though, so I couldn’t really ask for anything more from my last show ever in high school.”

“I’m so excited for Curtains, the show is hilarious and the score is amazing. It’s sad to know that this will be my last year performing at saint Joe’s but I am glad it’s this amazing show,” Bill Fitzpatrick ‘18 said. Fitzpatrick is a Metro Award nominee and is looking at colleges to study musical theater.

For the past three years St. Joe’s has been taking on heavy musicals and some students are looking forward to

the change of pace having a comedic musical. “I’m excited to perform in a comedy as opposed to some of the more serious shows we’ve put on the last couple years. There are some great dance numbers in Curtains and I can’t wait to audition,” said Patrick Breen ‘18. Patrick is looking to study communications when he goes to college.

“I am extremely excited for this next musical on the SJR stage. There are so many fantastic male parts for students to audition for and the fact that it’s a comedy makes me pos-itive it’s going to be a fun experience for everyone involved,” said Vincent Simpson ‘18. Vincent is going to pursue film, cinematography and screenwriting in college.

Auditions are October 17, 18 & 19. Students only need to attend one addition. New students are welcome. There will be a part for every St. Joe’s student, whether in the cast or the crew.

SJR will perform Curtains on January 26, 27 & 28 and Feb-ruary 1 & 2.

By Luke Berninger ‘19

Taylor Popielarz ’11 as Lieutenant Frank Cioffi with Meghan LaFlam who played Niki Harris in SJR’s 2010 production of Curtains.

Popielarz is currently a news reporter for FOX TV in South Bend, Indiana.

Photo courtesy of John Asselta


FeatureGreen Knight Mascot Returns to SJR

We all know St. Joe’s for its great school spirit, and tremendous pride in being the Green Knights, but SJR has been lacking one thing that could boost school spirit to a new level. That is a real mascot at the games cheering on the team.

This lack of mascot was not always the case. Over St. Joe’s 55-year lifespan there have been a few mascots, many of them being very informal, just students making themselves look as close to a knight as possible. Other times the mascots have been more formal, at one point the Green Knight was joined with two other students in a horse costume. However, any current student wouldn’t know of a mascot, as it has been some time since the last iteration.

Don’t worry – the Green Knight is coming back, and it’s better than ever. The 2017-2018 school year will see a new Green Knight costume, one that is modeled after the new rebranded SJR Knight.

Director of Development and Alum-ni Relations Mr. Scott Donnelly ‘02 has worked with Keystone Mascots in Pennsylvania for a more formal look-ing knight costume. Keystone Mas-cots produce mascot costumes for many high schools and colleges, and even some professional teams like the Cleve-land Cavaliers and Washington Capitals. Keystone designed boots, gloves, a helmet, and shield for the Green Knight, but SJR’s own Mrs. Thomasina Hyland, who assists with cos-tume design for the Performing Arts program, designed the main torso of the costume. She handmade a tunic that goes perfectly with Keystone’s design.

“A mascot is an immediately recognizable symbol of the school,” said Donnelly. “In many cases, the mascot is the most recognizable figure in an organization with appear to students, young fans, alumni and parents alike. A casual fan might not be able to pick Mets owner Fred Wilpon out of a lineup, or even recognize Jacob deGrom or Yoenis Cespedes on the street, but there’s no mistaking the reaction when Mr. Met walks in the room.”

The Green Knight made its first appearance during fresh-

By Scott Dickson ‘18

man orientation on September 6th, but was also seen at Back-to-School Night on the 14th. The Knight will also be making appearances at the remaining home football games, and then will transition into basketball season. However, the mascot will not only be seen at sports events going forward. The Green Knight will continue to make appearances at Open Houses and other more traditional school events. Mr. Donnelly added, “The versatility a mascot can provide for SJR, appearing not only at athletic events, but also at Open Houses, graduations and other activities is key in continu-ing to develop the brotherhood and family atmosphere that is so important to us.”

Who’s behind the Knight costume? That remains a mystery, but Mr. Donnelly is hoping it will not just be one student. The more students that want to be the Green Knight the better, as many will have conflicts with certain events, so anyone interested in wearing the costume should see Mr. Scott Donnelly as soon as possible.

St. Joe’s Principal Mr. Michael Bruno ‘05 with the Green Knight. The SJR mascot will be a mainstay at football & basketball games.

He also appeared at Freshman Orientation & Back-to-School night.

Photo by Mr. Scott Donnelly ‘02


Alumni RemembranceSteve Adams ‘70 - A King Among Men

Steve Adams, a graduate of class of 1970, passed away on August 27, 2017. He was 65 years old.

In the pantheon of star athletes who have competed as Green Knights over the decades, Steve was, without doubt, one of the most accomplished. He was the 1969 state champion in the shot put, and finished second in the state to classmate Bob Brady in 1970. 47 years later, he still ranks second all-time in Bergen County for the shot put and sixth in the discus. His throw of 63 feet, 1 inch remains a Parochial A group record, the oldest existing group record for any event in the state record book. He was a Bergen Record “Athlete of the Week” on February 18, 1969 when he shattered the N.J. indoor track shot put record for juniors by an astonishing 13.5 inches. And with teammates Bob Brady and John Long, he combined to throw 179 feet, 1 inch in the three-man shot put relay, a feat that is still the Bergen County and New Jersey State record. Along with Brady, Steve qualified for the Golden West Track Meet (the ‘Olympics’ of high school track), where he placed second in the nation and was named a High School All-American. Adams went on

By Mr. Barry Donnelly ‘71to win the Penn Relays in college discus while attending the University of Michigan. Adams was also an integral part the 1969 SJR track team that won the Bergen County and State Parochial A Cham-pionships and remains, the greatest boys track team ever assembled in the state of New Jersey, named the “Team of the Century” by the Bergen Record in 2000.

Those are the accomplishments that made Steve Adams famous.

But they are only a small part of what made him great.

In his eulogy, classmate, teammate and life-long friend Bob Brady ‘70 recalled Adams’ remarkable athletic accom-plishments, but also told the story of the rest of his friend’s exemplary life.

Sometimes overlooked in the avalanche of accolades for his track and field prowess was the fact that Steve was also an outstanding student and earned a full scholarship to the University of Michigan, where he set a school shot-put record which lasted until two years ago. He was also a

four-time Big Ten Champion, and a College All-American.

After graduating from Michigan and earn-ing his Master’s at Seton Hall, Adams began teaching and coaching at Ramsey High School, but shortly thereafter was diag-nosed with hairy cell leukemia and told he had just a few months to live.

As Brady observed, “That was over 30 years ago, by the grace of God and Steve’s will. However, the really amazing thing was that during all that time, and all that struggle, I never heard him complain, not even once, to say ‘why me?’ He just picked himself up and continued on with his life.”

“Unable to work full time due to his illness, Steve worked as a permanent substitute and coach at Bergenfield High School for many years,” said Brady. “As a testament to his dedication to his students and his col-leagues there, Steve was selected as ‘Teacher of the Year’, an utterly amazing honor for a substitute teacher, and an unmistakable indication of that community’s respect for a truly remarkable individual.”Steve Adams with SJR’s legendary track coach Mr. Bob Murphy. Adams, a shot

putter and discus thrower, was an integral part of the 1969 St. Joe’s track team, which was named “Team of the Century” by the Bergen Record.


Alumni RemembranceRemembering A ‘Faithful Man’

Steve also spent many summers at Camp Regis on Long Island, work-ing with special needs kids. “It was one of the great loves of his life,” remembers Brady, “and yet another demonstration of his caring nature.”

Father John Ga-briel, the pastor of St. Paul’s Church in Ramsey where Steve was a long-time parishioner and a member of the

Knights of Columbus, was struck most by Steve’s humility.

“I only had the pleasure of knowing Steve for the past year since I arrived at St. Paul’s,” Father John said, “but I had no idea about all his accomplishments, all the records he set. I admit I’ve been a little surprised hearing of all these things this week. I wasn’t aware of how humble Steve was.”

“When I remember him, I won’t remember him playing a sport or throwing a discus,” said Father John. “Instead, I will remember him doing one thing – sitting. Sitting in that same pew, every morning, sitting in God’s house, well before mass began, in the presence of God in prayer.”

Father John went on to talk about the many accomplish-ments and passions of Steve’s life – Hall of Fame Athlete, Grand Knight of Knights of Columbus, parrot-fancier and Beatles fan – but said that “the one word I’ve heard said most often about Steve was ‘gentle’. He was a gentle giant. It wasn’t just the size of his 6’7”, 250 pound physical presence, but rather the size of his soul.”

And as Steve’s SJR coach, Bob Murphy, and his wife, Judi, observed, “Some people die too soon, regardless of their age, because they are so valuable, so respected, so charitable and so very kind and humble. Steve was known as a ‘gentle giant’, but to those of us who knew and loved him, he was a King among men.”

Nearly 50 years after their graduation, dozens of SJR alumni offered remembrances and turned out to pay their respects to Steve Adams, many of whom travelled from hundreds of miles away to be there. They came to remember and pay

tribute to a man whose legacy was forged, not just (or even most importantly) by the reputation he earned on the ath-letic field, but by the character he displayed on a daily basis throughout a life lived in service to God and those around him.

Adams was, without doubt, the embodiment of the “Vir Fidelis,” the faithful man, someone whose simple decency, unassuming courage, faith in God and generosity of spirit touched the lives of so many people so powerfully for so long.

Who among us could ask to be remembered for more? This article includes information that appeared in The Re-cord obituary written by Joshua Jongsma and Paul Schwartz. Additional thanks to Bob Brady, Father John Gabriel of St. Paul’s, Ramsey, and Judi and Bob Murphy for sharing their thoughts and comments.

Adams’s 1970 yearbook photo.

Adams, who still owns the Parochial A record for the shot put (63’ 1”), was an All-American & 4-time Big Ten Champion

at the University of Michigan.


Alumni Spotlight

After graduation the first thing I thought about was what I would do this summer. Of course it was filled with some vaca-tions but I felt I wanted to do more. So when I was given the opportunity to go on a mission trip to Tohatchi, New Mexico with some of my friends I couldn’t decline the offer. We were traveling to a Navajo Reservation. The parish there (Saint Mary’s Mission) is one of the poorest in the country. While participating in the mission trip and being in New Mexico I kept a journal. The experience – of being in New Mexico and the mission trip itself – was the best week of my life.

Saturday, July 15:We woke at 6am for a 9:35 flight. Our layover flight was in Atlanta. I met Markelle Fultz, the number one pick in the 2017 NBA draft, while waiting for our flight to Albuquer-que. The flight was three hours and the time difference made it exactly a 3 o’clock landing in Albuquerque. From there it was unbelievable, speechless, breathtaking to say the least. The mountains and flat land were amazing to stare at. They really do have a lot of space out here in New Mexi-co. We stopped at a place called Jerry’s Café in Gallup for dinner after a two-hour ride through the flat lands of New Mexico. After dinner, we stopped at Wal-Mart to get groceries to last us through Wednes-day until we made a bigger grocery run later week. It then took us a half-an-hour to get to Tohatchi. Sister Pat and Sister Sophia greeted us. They explained to us their culture and the reason why the hogans (where we resided) face the East. It has to do with the direction of the wind because they are firm believers in that we are all connected to Earth and the winds have significance. We later said our goodbyes and got settled into our hogans, which are simple and livable. The one noticeable difference at night was the sky. I was so taken aback by the beau-tiful sight because it was the first time I have witnessed stars like that.

Sunday, July 16:After breakfast, we attended mass at 10 am. Everyone there was welcoming and kind. Following mass we went down to have some lunch and talk to other people. Dj, my friend who was a part of the group, and I talked to three sweet women. Elouis spoke the most and two other woman added insightful and humor-ous comments. They mainly talked about the Navajo tradition, the Tohatchi area compared to back then, the residency dilemma involving birth certificates with older woman, and places they have traveled. It was awesome to listen to

what they had to say. Next, we prepared for our excursion to The Painted Desert in Arizona, a two-hour car ride. I got to check off another state to visit on my bucket list and I got to see the beautiful land in Arizona. The scenic views spanned 43,020-acres. The silence combined with the elegance of nature said it all.

Monday, July 17:Day 3 of our trip and it feels like a week went by already. It was the first day of work assignments so we got down to the garage at 8. We met Calvin and Vernon, who maintain the garage at Tohatchi. Calvin said our work for the day was to clean the vans that Saint Mary’s Mission would take on a trip to South Dakota. There was a Navajo gathering there, and they were going to stop by spiritual places such as Mount Rushmore. The cleaning and washing of the cars took us till after we got back from lunch. 5:30 rolled around after a long day of work and that is when a special guest, named Randy Roberts, came to eat supper with us and give us a presentation about the Navajo tradition. He talked to us about the Navajo culture, language, history, and jewelry/clothing. It was interesting and we enjoyed the night.

Mission Trip to Tohatchi, New MexicoBy Anthony D’Apolito ‘17

Anthony D’Apolito ‘17 visited The Painted Desert, Canyon De Chelly & Four Corners Monument where Arizona, Utah, Colorado & New Mexico meet.

Photo courtesy of Anthony D’Apolito ‘17


Alumni Spotlight

Tuesday, July 18:Staying in a Navajo Reservation is a humbling expe-rience. There isn’t accessibility to things like everyday life in New Jersey. The hogan had one light bulb in the entire house.

We had a prayer service at 7:30am in the smaller hogan with sister Marlene before we began work at 9:30. We painted a building that we scraped yesterday after cleaning the vans. The first side of the house was completely covered with white paint right before we went to lunch. It was a solid two-and-a-half hours of work. At 6:30 we went to the basement of the church again and some artisans sold us jewelry, paintings, and blankets. I got a necklace with a cross, a bracelet, and a rock with a painting of the mountains on it.

Wednesday, July 19:We woke up at 5:45 in order to watch the sunrise on the mountain. We started hiking with everyone around 6. It was picturesque and stunning, especial-ly from the mountain. We also saw all of the Navajo reservation from there. Unbelievable! Around 6:45 the others went back to the hogans while Dj and I hiked the rest of the trail. After the twists, turns, and slopes we finally reached the end of the trail. We both didn’t talk for 10-15 minutes because of how awestruck we were. We also wanted to take in the silence and magnificence. All I heard from there was the wind against my ears and a few dog barks. Today was day off to “visit the land,” so we went to Canyon De Chelly in Arizona. The car was about two-hours in duration. Once we got there we pulled up to a sign that said the trail was one and a half miles for one trip down the canyon (so three miles of walking in total). The distance didn’t matter because all we cared about was the beauty of the canyon. At 3:00 we got back up from the bottom of the canyon. Then we went to Four Corners, where Colorado, Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico meet.

Thursday, July 20:We started Thursday with a prayer service at 8. Around 10:00 we prepared the truck for community outreach with sister Marlene, Ed, and Dj in the morning while the girls worked on painting the house. We went five miles off of Highway 491 in order to get to the houses and distribute potatoes, onions, bread, and olive oil. The people we met in-cluded Theresa (who prayed in Navajo for us) and Thomas. We went to another house but they weren’t home. Although these houses were run down, the people we met were sin-cere and appreciative. We got back for lunch around 1. Later we flip-flopped, so we went to work on the Boys & Girls Club while the girls did the community outreach.

Friday, July 21:

We woke up and went to mass but it was no ordinary mass. After the prayer service, Sister Marlene and Calvin gave us Navajo crosses, basically as a thank you for our service and helpfulness. They both had extremely nice things to say. The last thing we did together was participate in a thing they call a “sweat” (a prayer service). It was incredible. It was like an outer body experience. We got in the “sacred sauna,” as I will call it for now at 10:30 and got done with the four rounds at 2:00. It was three-and-a-half hours of basically sitting in a sauna. During the sweat, Howard (the leader of the sweat) said prayers for us in English and in Navajo. He also told us many stories about various things. At one point I felt an omnipotent presence in the “sacred sauna.” It was an experience difficult to explain in writing. It was an expe-rience that you had to feel and see for yourself.

Later that night, we went to Gallup to see the rain dances, which was fun to watch them dance and exercise one of their Navajo traditions.

We got to bed early for our flight early the next morning. It was a quick week but filled with great experiences. I am definitely going back next year. Thank you Saint Mary’s Mission for welcoming us in and letting us help you.

7 Days on a Navajo Reservation

D’Apolito, a freshman at Drexel, volunteered for a week at the Tohatchi Navajo Reservation in western, New Mexico.

Photo courtesy of Anthony D’Apolito ‘17


Alec Goodman on FitnessFitness Runs Around SJR

As many of you know physical fitness is extremely im-portant in one’s everyday life. People who are fit are able to perform everyday activities more easily, have a much lower risk of getting life threatening diseases, and of course, look good in the mirror. Health and fitness is something that has become very important in my life over the past couple of years. It all started with some pushups in the seventh grade, and evolved into now keeping track of every single calorie that enters my body. I exercise and track my nutri-tion because I love to do it. With all of the great athletes and healthy people in the SJR community, I wanted to share my nutrition and fitness interest with the readers of The Guard-ian.

There are two main components that involve being in shape: exercise and diet. You can run for miles and miles, but if you go home and eat an entire pizza it will be like you never moved. On the other hand, you can have a diet full of fresh fruits and vegetables, but if your lifestyle is too sedentary there will be no way to get in better shape. It takes a good balance of both to live a healthy lifestyle.

The number one reason why people exercise is to be healthy. Mr. Oddi in the business office is no exception. In June, Coach Salvano challenged him to lose 30 pounds by the start of the next school year. Mr. Oddi accepted the test and bought a Fitbit. His routine to lose the weight was to begin walking around the track at SJR. He would walk an hour in the morning with Mr. Stoto, and hour in the after-noon with Mrs. DiFiore, and an hour later in the day during football practice. In total he was walking around 25,000 steps per day. At this rate he was losing nearly 2-3 pounds per week. Over the course of the challenge he walked over 760 miles in 80 days. When the school year started, Mr. Oddi had lost an amazing 31 pounds. In addition, his blood pressure dropped drastically. Now that the weight is off, Mr. Oddi continues to walk 15,000 steps per day. Mr. Oddi would like to thank Coach Salvano for inspiring him to lose weight and become a healthier individual.

Where are you at 4:30 in the morning? I bet 10 out of 10 of you would say you’re sound asleep in your bed. Not Mr. John Lanari. Mr. Lanari wakes up at 4:30 every single day to lift weights. The reason he does this is because it’s “his time”. Lifting weights can act as a huge stress reliever and getting it done early in the morning can help keep you focused the rest of the day. When the

alarm sounds at 4:30, Mr. Lanari either heads to the gym for a complete full body routine, or goes for some back-yard exercises. In his backyard are some heavy objects that undergo a lot of pushing, pulling, and moving from Mr. Lanari. Among these objects are bags of sand, tires, and metal plates. Some people break up their routine by work-ing different body parts on different days, but Mr. Lanari chooses another approach. “I like to hit everything in one shot. It’s high intensity, but I only workout for 30 minutes this way my body can recover and I can do it all again the next day,” he said. Mr. Lanari began exercising at the age of 12 and has been doing it ever since. He started just to be good at sports, but after his athletic career ended when he graduated college, he continued to lift weights because he had a passion for doing it.

There are numerous benefits to exercising and staying in shape. There are also so many types of exercises that will keep your routine fresh and exciting. Other than just your typical running or weightlifting, some other common forms include crossfit, yoga, kickboxing, and bike riding. Obe-sity rates in America have soared in recent years which is making it more and more important to develop good habits when it comes to diet and exercise. If you start young, you will never have a problem. My tip is to find a workout that you enjoy doing and stick with it the rest of your life.

Workout challenge for the week:

Monday: 100 push ups, 1-mile run

Tuesday: 100 push ups, 1-mile run

Wednesday: 2-mile run

Thursday: 200 push ups

Friday: 150 push ups, 1.5-mile run

Saturday: 200 push ups, 2-mile run

Sunday: Rest

Alec’s fitness challenge for one week: There will be a new workout plan for each fitness article. Are you up for the challenge?


Zach Epstein on SportsMike Bonner ‘90, Notre Dame’s Scoreboard MaestroMike Bonner, SJR class of 1990, may very well have one of the more interesting jobs amongst SJR alumni. Bonner is the execu-tive producer of live events for Fighting Irish Sports Media, at the University of Notre Dame. Bonner is responsible for produc-ing the content on the scoreboard during sporting events, and most notably for the Fighting Irish ... football. Bonner is the first person at Notre Dame to hold that position, as the scoreboard is just as new as he is.

Bonner is a former Hillsdale, New Jersey resident, who grew up in an Irish Catholic home, learning to love his faith, as well as Fighting Irish football. While attending SJR Bonner was a member of the Green Knights hockey and baseball programs, and an altar server for school masses. Bonner then went on to the University of Scranton to get his degree in Broadcasting. Bonner got a job out of school working for NBC before landing his first big gig with the New York Yankees. Bonner worked his way up the ladder in New York to eventually be executive producer of live events there, and three World Series rings later decided to head out Denver to hold the same position for the Broncos. Bonner was with the Broncos from 2013 through their victory in Super Bowl 50 before being hired by Notre Dame.

Bonner wasn’t hired by Notre Dame perchance, as they had a pre-existing relationship from when Notre Dame played Army in the first football game ever held at the new Yankee Stadium in what is known as the “Shamrock Bowl” between the two teams. The game marked the first time that Notre Dame would have creative control of video and content for the in-game experience since they didn’t have a scoreboard. After running the show for Notre Dame during that game, he turned some heads amongst officials at Notre Dame to prove that the use of a video board could bring various new opportunities for the University. With that in mind, Bonner was sure to keep in touch with Notre Dame officials about any future endeavors.

The opportunity arose for Bonner to work in South Bend when Notre Dame announced an addition to its “campus crossroads” plan. The original plan, which began with construction in November 2014, was to make Notre Dame Stadium a hub within the campus, rather than being used a measly 10 times a year. The renovation added buildings to three sides of the stadium, allowing for a new student center, and two more halls to house different educational

departments. The plan really took the next step with the an-nouncement of adding a video board to the equation, which is where Bonner came in.

Throughout his time in Denver, Bonner made the Notre Dame well aware that he had experience within live pro-duction of football for any job opening Notre Dame would make available. With the scoreboard officially in the works, Bonner was hired and brought in before the 2016 season, after having worked the Summer Olympics in Rio for NBC. The scoreboard was not complete for the 2016 football sea-son, so Bonner spent the year observing and taking note of what an in-game experience at Notre Dame would call for, and producing live events for multiple Fighting Irish sports teams.

After the University shelled out over $600 million for the renovations, and by the time Bonner was fully acclimated, the 56-by-94-foot scoreboard was done and awaiting the use of Bonner and his arsenal of 19 different camera feeds.

Now with two games under his belt in his new home, Bon-ner has officially helped the Fighting Irish take that next step for in-game experience at their university.

Mike Bonner ‘90, has been the exectuive producer of live events for the New York Yankees, Denver Broncos and currently works for

the University of Notre Dame. Bonner is pictured above on Notre Dame’s new 56-by-94 foot videobaord.

Photo courtesy of Mike Bonner ‘90


Vlahinich Era Starts with 7-0 Win vs. PCSports

By Kieran Woods ‘19The soccer season is officially underway and the Green Knights are feeling good about their chances. The team has been impressed with the new management of Coach Chris-tian Vlahinich ‘07.

SJR opened the season away at Paramus Catholic, and it was a game to remember for the boys in green. A whopping seven goals and a shutout was an outcome better than they could imagine.

Gianni Lisa ‘20 had a hat-trick, J.P Rioux ‘18 scored two goals, and Raul Macedo ‘18 and Sean Lalley ‘18 each put one in the back of the net.

Senior Dan Soter started as goalie. The defense consisted of juniors Jimmy Lennox, Sam Odusote, Kieran Woods, and sophomore Angelo Pelosi. The midfield line was made up of juniors Raul Macedo, Ryan Hilliard, Rory Finn, and Senior Sean Lalley. Strikers Lisa and Rioux didn’t slow down as the game went on, and senior Conor Casey contributed hard work both offensively and defensively.

Days later the team played #1-ranked Bergen Catholic Cru-saders. In a well-fought game, the Green Knights lost 2-1.

“We are all working hard, and this is a step in the right direction,” said Rioux, who scored SJR’s lone goal on a classy one-touch finish from a Rory Finn assist. “We played our

style and the wins will come.”

Tuesday, the team faced Don Bosco but lost 3-1 after being tied 1-1 at the half. The Green Knights made some mistakes, and in the end the mistakes were fatal to the team’s suc-cess. Kieran Woods scored on a free kick for SJR.

The team is still very young. Many of the starters are still just playing varsity for the first time. The players are all faster and stronger, so the adjustment may take a couple games. Ideally, the nerves are now out of the way and the team can get back its form from opening day. The whole team is motivated to work for this season.

Senior Brendan Buck contributes a great deal on the field, but that is not all. Recently, he has taken on a role to get his fellow players excited before every game. The team huddles up, and Buck takes over. He pours his heart and soul into the team, and just wants to motivate everyone else to do the same.

These last couple games have been very difficult match-ups. The boys hope they can rebound back within the next couple games to lock a spot in the County Tourna-ment. This will not come easy as the next three games will all take place on the road. Next game is at Wayne Hills on 9/23 followed by West Milford on 9/26 and then De Paul on 9/28 to wrap up September.

Gianni Lisa ‘19 fights off a Bergen Catholic defender. He scored a hat trick in the Green Knight’s win over Paramus Catholic.Photo by Karyn Ochiuzzo


Dalton Collins 5K in 18:18 Leads SJRSports

By Patrick Buckley ‘19At Darlington County Park in Mahwah, St. Joseph varsity cross country runners assumed their positions on the line for the Big North Batch meet, a race among five competitive schools in the Big North United Conference (SJR, Don Bos-co, Bergen Catholic, Paramus Catholic & DePaul). Follow-ing a fairly successful season opener, St. Joe’s cross country had high hopes for what was bound to be an exciting race.

Waiting for the gun, the Green Knights felt fully prepared to beat Bergen Catholic, a team that has given them difficul-ty in past races. St Joe’s varsity team featured an excellent group of seniors including: Luke Plescia, Alec Goodman, Jimmy Fitzpatrick and Dalton Collins. The team also stars promising underclassmen, Nicos Eftychiou ‘20, Patrick Buckley ’19 and Ryan Collins ‘20.

After the race had finished, St Joe’s found them-selves disappointed with the results losing to Bergen Catholic by 10 points. Despite the poor result, the team has high hopes for the rest of the season.

Dalton Collins who has led the pack so far this year said, “I’m looking forward to the rest of the season and I think we have a lot of potential to turn some heads throughout the season.”

Coach Nick DeVito ‘97 said, “It was good experi-ence for the team to see who they will run against at the league championship in a month. The team now knows the work they need to put in to get to the result they want.”

Fitzpatrick and Ryan Collins set a personal re-cord on the course running an 18:35 and a 19:28 respectfully. Fitzpatrick has had a great season thus far, improving his time from last year by a minute. Buckley and Collins have been shaving their times in the past few races but are still chas-ing the personal records they had set last season.

Runners Christian Sodora, Declan Henry and Aidan Kelly ran their first 5k as Green Knights, making the adjustment from the 1.7 mile race they ran as freshmen.

St. Joe’s varsity cross country also welcomed a new runner, Connor Tsikitas, who finished the race with a time of 25:42.

In the Freshman race, Chris Allen led Saint Joseph’s running a 9:47 over the 1.7-mile course and coming in sixth place. This was the first race

the freshmen had this year.

“It’s exciting to see a group of hardworking freshman come in. They’ve set a very solid base and now it’s important that they improve on their times throughout the year” com-mented Buckley.

On October 1st St. Joe’s cross country will run the “Go Nuts! 5k”, a charity race benefiting Camp Acorn, a special needs camp in Allendale.

SJR’s next competitive race will be on October 7th when they run the Brett Taylor invitational at Darlington County Park.

Dalton Collins ‘18 races to the finish line of the 5k at the Big North Batch meet at Darlington Park in Mahwah. His time was 18:18.

Photo by Mr. Donnelly ‘71

Patti Leads SJR Over Delbarton 48-016 The Guardian, Thursday, September 21st, 2017

Sports

By Davis Gallagher ‘18On Saturday, September 16th, St. Joe’s traveled to Morris-town and defeated the Delbarton Green Wave 48-0.

The game was all Green Knights from the get-go, with an offense that couldn’t be stopped.

In the first quarter, Nick Patti ‘18 found tight end Matt Alai-mo ‘18 for a 13-yard touchdown to make the game 7-0. Patti was unstoppable in the second, as he scored a one-yard run to take a 14-0 lead to start the quarter.

He then threw a five-yard touchdown to Evan Stew-art ‘18, who barrelled through two defenders for the score, making the game 21-0. Alaimo caught another 30-yard touchdown as well to extend the lead to 28-0. Jim Ciarlo ‘19 caught a 34-yard touchdown pass to make the game 35-0 while also giving Patti his 5th total touchdown of the day.

Jaden Budka ‘18 also returned an interception 40 yards for a touchdown, putting the game away entirely at 42-0.

In the third, Michael Alaimo ‘20 stepped in for Nick Patti and threw a touchdown to Brady Roark ‘19 to make the game 48-0 after a missed PAT.

The defense dominated throughout the game. Andrew Savino ‘18 lead the defense in total tackles with 8;

teammate Michael Marto ‘18 trailed just behind with 5, while Connor Grieco ‘19 and Jim Ciarlo both had 4. The defensive line applied lots of pressure, as Te’rai Powell ‘20 had two QB hurries, while Robert Jackson ‘19 and Justin Malvasia ‘19 both had one. Howard Cross ‘19 and Smith Vilbert ‘19 also had a sack each.

The Green Knights also forced a large amount of turn-overs. Budka had two interceptions; Marto had one as well. Stewart and Marto also both forced a fumble, while Justin Malvasia recovered one of them.

The offense was firing on all cylinders. Nick Patti com-pleted 12 of his 19 passes for 190 yards and 4 touch-downs, which led to a ridiculous 136 Quarterback Rat-ing. He had a rushing touchdown as well. Jaden Budka had 5 carries for 48 yards; partner Isaiah Hopkinson ‘18 had 9 carries for 56 yards. Andre Epps ‘20 also contrib-uted to the ground game with 5 carries for 40 yards.

Matt Alaimo led all receivers in receptions with 4, yards with 81, and touchdowns with 2. Jim Ciarlo, Evan Stewart, and Brady Roark all caught TD passes as well.

“It was a great bounce-back win,” said Matt Alaimo. “We prepared all week and came out focused and ready to attack.” With the win, the Green Knights kept its #1 spot on the NJ.com Top 20. They have a bye this week, but will face rival Bergen Catholic in Oradell on September 30th.

Nick Patti threw four TDs and ran for one agaisnt Delbarton. He completed 12 of 19 passes for 190 yards.

(L-R) Senior captains Nick Patti, Kyle Clark, and Evan Stewart walk out for the coin toss against Delbarton.

Photo by Karyn Ochiuzzo

Documents

ASPA 1st-Place High School Newspaper 2016, 2017 The Guardian€¦ · ASPA 1st-Place High School Newspaper 2016, 2017 By Daniel Soter ‘18 The 2017-2018 school year will be the opening