xavier alumnews feb 2008

Saving LivesSaving Lives

F E B R U A R Y 2 0 0 8A L U M N E W S O F X A V I E R H I G H S C H O O L

In this Issue

February 2008 Vol. 11 No. 1

XAVIER HIGH SCHOOL

Rev. Daniel J. Gatti, S.J. ’59 President

Michael LiVigniHeadmaster

Office of Advancement and Alumni RelationsJoseph F. Gorski Vice President for Advancement and Alumni Relations

Eric Lamar RiversDirector of Annual Giving

Michael L. Benigno ’00 Managing Editor of AlumnewsDirector of Alumni Relations and Public Information

Loual Puliafito ’00 Advancement Officer

Helene Strong Parents’ Association Coordinator

Barbara CiullaAdvancement Office Manager

Norma PiecykAdministrative Assistantto the President and to the VP for Advancement

Contributing WritersMr. Richard Duffell Benjamin HammEric Lamar RiversLoual Puliafito ’00

PhotographyAnthony Gochal ’08 Paul Rindone P ’09 Loual Puliafito ’00

Alumnews, the Xavier High Schoolmagazine, is published three timesa year by Xavier High School.

Correspondence and addresschanges should be mailed to:AlumnewsManaging EditorXavier High School30 West 16th StreetNew York, NY 10011-6302

Or by email to [email protected]

The “Octopus” and the “Starfish,” along with several of our notable Xavier doctors.

16 My Heart is in Your [Plastic] HandsDr. Joseph McGinn ’73 explains how the use of modern tools made Off-Pump Coronary Artery Bypass surgery a viable choice for thousands of patients that might otherwise be deemed inoperable.

20 Beyond Skin DeepDr. Dom Gadaleta ’78 sees patients that are desperate to do somethingabout their weight on a daily basis, but it’s sometimes a struggle tohelp them view Morbid Obesity as more than just a physical problem.

22 Xavier Knights and NeuroblastomaWhen the daughter of Bill Kelly ’91 was diagnosed with a rare form of pediatric cancer, he had no idea the search for a physicianwould lead him to another Xavier graduate.

24 Fifty Years in MexicoRev. Thomas Lavelle ’43 left Xavier with such a profound view of service that he knew he would do anything to have an impact on others—even if it meant giving his life.

D E PA R T M E N T S

1 President’s Message2 From the Headmaster3 News from the Quad

26 ReuKnighted

27 Class Notes29 Mileposts24 From the

Advancement Office

Maroon and Blue Day filled the street with fun!

The 2007 Turkey Bowl capped off achampionship season for the Knights.

9

8

14

James Cronin '08 is fitted with the Knightcostume on Maroon and Blue Day.

1FEBRUARY 2008 — ALUMNEWS

The Internet is a marvelous thing, andso is the mighty search engine Google.An offshoot of Google is Google Earth.Have you been there lately? Well, let’sall take a trip there together. Click, andthere’s planet earth, the beautiful blueplanet, turning and floating in cyber-space, then coming to rest, showing usNorth and Central America. Double clickon the United States and we’re zoomingin; double click twice on New York andnow Yonkers appears, as well as JerseyCity; keep clicking and zooming in andwe can see this church and Xavier HighSchool right here on 16th Street.

It’s easy to find and recognize whatwe’re familiar with; we have our own little world and we’re comfortable in it, and often perhaps, entertain thetemptation to simply put up a sign:“DO NOT DISTURB.”

Now what if Mary had behaved thatway? “No way, Gabriel; you’re freakin’me out! You’ve got the wrong woman!My cousin Elizabeth is pregnant andcould use some help? Sorry, I’m nomountain climber; she lives too far away;try someone else in the family who livescloser; I’m busy right now with my ownstuff.”We know that Mary acted quitedifferently. She was not the center ofher own universe. She accepted God’sloving and gracious plan for her. Sheresponded to the needs of others, andmade the rough journey to be of helpto Elizabeth. Mary was most certainly a “woman for others!”

Elizabeth is delighted to see hercousin and says to Mary,“Most blessedare you among women.”

Do we ever stop to reflect on howblessed WE are? Let’s become a littlemore aware of others; let’s jump backinto Google Earth, and now zoom out,leaving in the distance the comfortable,familiar world of our own. How do westack up with the rest of the world? How

truly blessed are we? Someone thoughtabout that and answered this way:

• If you have food in the refrigerator,clothes on your back, a roof overhead and a place to sleep—you are richer than 75% of the world.

• If you have money in the bank or in your wallet, and spare change in a dish some place—you are among the top 8% of the world’s wealthy.

• If you woke up this morning withmore health than illness—you aremore blessed than a million who will not survive this week.

• If you have never experienced thedanger of battle, the loneliness ofimprisonment, the agony of torture orthe pangs of starvation—you are aheadof 500 million people in the world.

• If you can attend a church servicewithout fear of harassment, arrest,torture or death—you are moreblessed than 3 billion people.

• If your parents are still alive and still married—you are very rare,even in the United States.

• If you hold up your head with a smileon your face, and are truly thankful—you are blessed because the majoritycan, but most do not.

• If you can hold someone’s hand, hugthem or even touch them on theshoulder—you are blessed becauseyou can offer a healing touch.

• If you see this message in print andcan read it, you just received a doubleblessing—more blessed than 2 billionpeople who cannot read at all.

COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS EVERY DAY OF THE YEAR; BE THANKFUL FOR WHATYOU HAVE.

A week ago yesterday we were gath-ered in the gym for an assembly, andwe heard from two remarkable people.They could easily have died years ago;they were both shot. They could havebeen pathetic, but turned out to beinspiring; they could have thrown in the

towel, but they took up a cause and theyproclaim a message of forgiveness, loveand non-violence. Detective StevenMcDonald and Hashim Garrett counttheir blessings every day. And what do their lives say to us? It is the samemessage we see in Jesus’ life! Jesus wasbeaten, mocked, spat upon and led tohis death, a criminal’s death on a cross.He could have chosen violence andrevenge, he could have wiped us allout—but no, that’s OUR way, not GOD’Sway. Judas betrays him, his disciplesabandon him, yet, before he dies, heprays to his Father “forgive them”! Christpassed through death and rose to life inglory. Detective McDonald and HashimGarrett in their remarkable lives teachus that Christ-based message of loveand forgiveness.

We celebrate in this Eucharist God’slove for us personified, Christ’s sacrificethat forgives our sins and helps us toshow our love in return. We celebrate inthis season the joy of Christmas, not onlythe joy of presents, good food, familyand friends—but at the heart of thematter, the great heart of God, that Godshould so forgive and love the world andus, that God would become one of us,that Jesus, Son of God would be bornof Mary, would become Emmanuel,God with us!

Let our hearts and our voices singout with great joy today:“O Come, letus adore Him, Christ the Lord.”

Have a wonderful Christmas! Be safeand be good to your family and friends,and ALWAYS, ALWAYS, be thankful forwho you are and what you have:amazing blessings from God!

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

“Christmas at Xavier” December 21, 2007

Mass in the Church of St. Francis XavierHomily by Rev. Daniel J. Gatti, S.J.

2 ALUMNEWS — FEBRUARY 2008

As many of you probably remember, Xavier High School is not always an easy place to go to school. I suspect it never has been. There are many reasons for this, some ofthem, while unavoidable, are not necessarily desirable. For instance, the fact that we are a landlocked school in New York City limits our physical growth, making some thingsmore difficult here than would be the case in many other schools. I often think (usuallyafter visiting one of the many Jesuit schools of the mid-west) that it would be great tohave 100 acres of land and space enough to create facilities for our teams and activities;but that is not the reality of New York City.

However, our position in Manhattan ensures that our student body is diverse andcomes from all parts of the New York Metropolitan area. This makes Xavier unique amongJesuit schools, and I believe gives each one of our students a true gift. But this also meansthat students from different backgrounds, neighborhoods, and traditions need to learnto cope with each other, to get along with each other, and to grow together. Sometimesthis is not easy, but doing this is exactly what we mean when we ask our young men to be “open to growth.”

Xavier students come to learn that the challenges they face in attending Xavier havethe power to transform them into men who grow beyond the limitations set upon themby others. Never was this made clearer to me than in the remarkable accomplishmentsof our football program. The team had a record-breaking year in virtually every category:Catholic High School Football League (CHSFL) Division Champions; CHSFL Division PlayoffChampions; Thanksgiving Day Champions; most victories by a Xavier football team ever;most yards rushed in New York State—the statistics go on and on. I told a gathering ofparents at our Rugby Dinner last year after our team won the National Championship,that athletics at Xavier is in some ways a miracle, but as I think on it, it is a miracle in onlythe most superficial way. Our students learn to overcome obstacles here. They learn tobalance their time in such a way that many of them come back to us while in collegethanking their teachers and coaches for teaching them the art of time management.While I certainly would love to have more space, and would be thrilled to have an athletic field, being a student at Xavier teaches our young men the value of being dedicated to something greater than themselves.

Some of the challenges in attending Xavier are planned. Ours is a school that takesrules seriously, yet not to frivolous effect. We hold fast to the tradition that personalresponsibility will help our students grow into good men and solid leaders. Our world isnot a place where personal responsibility is cherished, but generations of Xavier studentscan attest to the fact that by holding them accountable, Xavier helped fashion them intothe leaders they have become. Many times, teaching personal responsibility means hold-ing our students to task for their actions. But while our students are held accountable fortheir actions and for following school rules, it is always done with an eye toward the daythat they will hold themselves accountable for more important things.

Dear Alumni and Friends of Xavier High Schoool,

FROM THE HEADMASTER

Turning Challenges into Assets

MIKE LiVIGNIHeadmaster


Three wonderful donor eventscelebrated the success of the2007 Annual Fund, which brokethe $2 million mark for thefirst time…

The fall Open House drew inover a thousand prospectivestudents, family members andguests, as over a hundredJROTC cadets and Xavier students showcased all thatXavier has to offer…

Thirteen Career Day speakersinformed and entertained ourjuniors on November 9th,sharing their personal experi-ences in the work force andwhile students at Xavier…

One of the biggest, boldestand best new events at Xavier,Maroon and Blue Day kickedoff to a great start this year.Also, we have a mascot again!…

The Fr. Larkin Super Raffle gavestudents the chance to makea contribution to the AnnualFund, and a few lucky studentwinners walked away withgreat prizes for their efforts…

We hit the road again for ourannual fall regional receptions,holding receptions for alumniin Washington, D.C. andPhiladelphia. Were youthere?!...

QuadNews from the QuadNews from the

The Xavier Society and Loyola AssociatesReception, the President’s Council Reception, and the President’s Council Dinner took place during the months of September and October, ringing in the start of a new academic year as Xavier thanked many of its generous donors.

The Xavier Society and Loyola AssociatesReception was held September 19th at Moran’sRestaurant, as over eighty guests came together tohear updates on life at Xavier, including the success of the 2007 Annual Fund, which broke the $2,000,000mark for the first time in the school’s history.

The first annual President’s Council Reception tookplace September 25th at the Manhattan Penthouse, on 5th Avenue at 14th Street. Theevening was a celebration of all things Xavier, bringing 100 guests back to the familiarstreets surrounding the school. The event was also attended by a number of Xavieradministrators, including Mr. Michael LiVigni, Xavier’s headmaster, Mr. Joseph Sweeney ’85,Xavier’s assistant headmaster, and Brian McCabe, Xavier’s dean of students.

The President’s Council Dinner took place October 4th at the Union League Club,as 120 graduates, supporters and their guests arrived for an elegant evening of cocktailsand dinner. Guests were addressed by Fr. Dan Gatti ’59, Xavier’s president, Joe Gorski, vicepresident for advancement and alumni relations, and Thomas Conniff ’52, chairman of Xavier’s board of trustees. Finally, following long-standing tradition, Frank Gregory,former dean of students, led a rousing rendition of “Sons of Xavier.”

The Advancement Team would not only like to thank all those who attended thereception and dinner, but also to acknowledge the continued generosity of those whocould not attend. We enjoy the opportunity to thank our donors each year, and we lookforward to your attendance at events in the future!

Donor Events Celebrate Xavier’sMost Successful Annual Fund

I N B R I E F :

Fr. Gatti with some of the newest members of the President’s Council.

On Saturday, October 27, 2007, Xavier held its annual fall Open House.Over 700 fifth and sixth grade students from all five boroughs and New Jerseyvisited Xavier, and in total, we had over 2,000 guests walk through the hallwayson this rainy and humid day. Despite the weather, the day was a great success,and feedback from the visiting families was overwhelmingly positive.

One of the distinctive characteristics of Xavier’s Open House is the individualattention prospective students and familiesreceive. Each family is paired with a currentXavier student and gets an individual tour of the campus. Members of the JROTCRegiment and National Honor Society graciously volunteered to be tour guides,as did many other eager students. Every year,I am always reminded on this day how muchpride our students have in their school;it is apparent not only in what they say to prospective families, but also in theirdemeanor and the way they conduct themselves throughout the day.

On the tour, Mr. Gregory Harkness, theCadet Colonel, and President of the StudentCouncil welcomed families in the studentchapel and spoke briefly about what a Xavierand Jesuit education truly means. The tour proceeded through the Libraryand Learning Center, the Chemistry and Physics laboratories, and many of ourSmart classrooms where student ambassadors and teachers were available for questions and brief discussions. The tour eventually finished up in HurtadoHall and the gymnasium, where teachers from all departments and membersof clubs and athletic teams had presentations set up. Such great attendancewas a clear sign of our strength as an institution.

—Mr. Benjamin HammDirector of Admissions

Fall Open House Welcomes Thousands


News from the Quad

Hurtado Hall.

16th Street entrance.

Fr. Gatti and Joe Gorskipresent the $10,000 prizefrom the student raffle toDr. Louis DeSantis, fatherof Joseph, Class of 2011.

Fr. Larkin FundraiserStarting in September, students sold raffle tickets for the Fr. Larkin

Raffle, a student fundraiser that builds on giving back to Xavier to helpother students. This year, students raised over $55,000. The raffle drawingwas held at the annual Turkey Bowl Rally, with three winners. The first prizeof $10,000 went to Dr. & Mrs. Louis DeSantis, parents of Joseph, class of2011. Second prize, a 32” LCD TV & Home Theater System, was won bySofia Stec, the mother of Jimmy, class of 2009. The third prize, a new 20”Apple I MAC, was won by Suet Kan Wong, the grandmother of Ray Chan,class of 2011.

In addition, all students who sold at least one raffle book were eligiblefor the student raffle drawings, one of the incentives that aimed at helpingto motivate the students. The first prize, an XBOX 360, was won by ErikPoldroo ’11. John Young ’09 won the second prize, a Four GB Ipod Nano.The last winner, Martin Cebula ’11, won a digital camera.

Baseball Alumni Top the Varsity Team

Xavier’s second annual AlumniBaseball game was held on Sunday,September 16, 2007. The day was filledwith fun and high spirits as new and old friends came together as a community again!

The Varsity Baseball team playedagainst the alumni in a friendly game of nine innings. The alumni used alu-minum bats, and the varsity team usedwood bats for the first time to get a feeling for how the rest of the seasonwould be.

Derrick England ’90, the St. Peter’sCollege Baseball coach allowed us to use his team’s field so that this event couldtake place. Everyone who attended feltstrongly about the event and would liketo make this event an annual affair. All theplayers had a great day and enjoyedeach other’s company.

In the end, Joe DeSapio ’86 pitchedthe complete nine-inning shutout 1-0victory for the alumni.

Let’s all come out and support theKnights this spring. Check future issuesof Alumnews and the school’s websitefor updates on future alumni games and the spring baseball season.

—Mr. Richard DuffellHead Coach,Varsity Knights Baseball Team

Ray Chan ’11.

Over a dozen dedicated alumni were back in the building on November 9,2007 to speak to members of the Junior class at Xavier’s annual Career Day.The speakers were asked to explain what led them toward their respective professions as our Juniors are beginning their college search and are in theposition to make early decisions on their future careers.

Students heard from Dan Rodriguez ’58, who contributed the keynoteaddress, speaking on his work as a partner in a major architecture firm and his ongoing work at Xavier as a trustee and supporter.

In collaboration between the Guidance Department and the Office ofAdvancement, Juniors chose three lectures they wished to attend. Alumnispeakers used props, videos and Powerpoint presentations to explain theircareers in interesting, entertaining ways.

This year’s speakers included:

Evan Barnes ’93News and Sports Photography, New York Post

Frank Comerford ’73 President and General Manager,WNBC Television

Hon. John Countryman ’50 U.S. Ambassador (Ret.) to Sultanate of Oman

Pete Dowling ’68 U.S. Secret Service (Ret.),Sr. VP Security at AXA Equitable

Jerry FitzGerald ’58Aviation Engineering,Pres. Aviation Perspectives

Dominick Gadaleta, M.D. ’78Gastrointestinal Surgery,North Shore University Hospital

MAJ Tom Hutton ’86U.S. Army

Daniel McCarthy, Esq. ’71 Chief Trial Counsel,Bronx District Attorney’s Office

Charles Mulham ’84 Special Agent, ATF

Dan Rodriguez ’58 Montoya-Rodriguez Architects

Michael Sheehan ’66 FOX 5 News

Vlad Wolynetz ’88 Emmy Award-Winning TV Series Producer

Don Gross ’72 Accounting


News from the Quad

If you are interested in speaking at an upcoming Career Day event, please contactMike Benigno ’00 at 212-924-7900 x.1435 or [email protected].

Maj. Hutton dresses a student in body armor.

Evan Barnes ’93 speaks on his work taking photographs for the New York Post.

Mike Sheehan ’66, former NYPD homicide detective and current FOX 5 News reporter addresses a group of students.

Maj. Tom Hutton ’86summarizes his work

as an Army officer.

To Teach by Example: C A R E E R D A Y 2 0 0 7

News from the Quad


Leaving a LegacyThis is a very special year—the final year of the

historic eleven year tenure of Fr. Daniel J. Gatti, S.J. ’59as president of Xavier High School. For the past elevenyears Fr. Gatti has been the voice of Xavier’s educa-tional aspirations for its students, the cautious stewardof Xavier’s resources, the tireless cheerleader of allthings Xavier, the faithful alumni chaplain, the quietfriend to many parents, the champion of buildingimprovements, the first fan of Xavier sports, amongother things. He has constantly challeneged us to joinhim in committing ourselves to Xavier. The sincerityof his invitation has been enthusiastically embracedby so many alumni, parents and friends.

In humble gratitude for Fr. Gatti’s selfless commit-ment and to honor his many accomplishments onbehalf of Xavier, the Board of Trustees authorizedthe establishment of the Mary B. Gatti P’56, ’58, ’59Memorial Fund forXavier as a permanently endowedfund in support of the annual operating expenses ofXavier. As part of the 2008 Annual Fund, each dollarcontributed to Xavier in excess of $2,000,000 will bedeposited in the Mary B. Gatti Memorial Fund as theinitial funding for this endowment. If we acheive our2008 Annual Fund goal of $2,500,000, the initial fundingfor the Mary B. Gatti Memorial Fund will be $500,000.

To date, $1,346,323 has been contributed in cashand pledges by our generous alumni, parents, andfriends, including a $250,000 pledge from John C.Meditz ’66, a member of the Board of Trustees. Joinus in honoring Fr. Daniel J. Gatti, S.J. ’59. Contact the Advancement Office at 212.924.7900 x1465 for more information.


News from the Quad

Alumni and friends gather at the 2007 Washington, D.C. reception on December 5, 2007.

On the road for Xavier…in Philadelphia on December 4, 2007.

Loual Puliafito ’00, John Khinda ’00,Anthony Ciaffone ’03, and TimothyWilliamson ’00 at the GOLD reception.

Young Alumni Reunion, November 21, 2007

Were You There? This Season’s Alumni Events…

The GOLD reception invited young graduatesback to Xavier on November 29, 2007.2007.

Thanks again

to our many donors

for making the 2007

Fiscal Year our most

successful yet. The

following individuals

were mistakenly left

off the 2007 Annual

Report. We extend our

sincerest apologies

for the oversight.

Michael R. Andrews ’85 Memorial ScholarshipMichael Egan ’85

Rev. Joseph A. Novak, S.J. ’44Anonymous

Coach J.“Pat” Rooney Memorial ScholarshipLawrence P. Brown, Jr., M.D. ’55 A. N. FinnJohn K. Hurley, M.D. ’61Daniel G. McDonald, M.D. ’59Roy T.Van Brunt ’63 Patrick A.Yuen ’70

15 Years of Continuous GivingRaymond Lustig ’64

Annual Fund GiftsPresident’s Council—Distinguished MembersDr. & Mrs. Paul Piccione P’09

Xavier SocietyJoseph F. Acosta ’87

Loyola AssociatesFrancis L. Hanigan, Ph.D. ’53 Joseph E. Ross ’92

Century ClubMr. & Mrs. John R. Stefandl P’11Michael Cruz ’81 Thomas J. McCarthy ’45 Lee E. Schneider ’70 Leon V. Stanisz ’67 Mr. 7 Mrs. John R. Stefandl P’11

General ContributorDon P. Hooper ’97


News from the Quad


A building overflowing with schoolspirit and Xavier pride—that’s the bestway to describe the newest addition to the school calendar, Maroon andBlue Day, held September 28th.

The result of a collaborative effortbetween school administration and a newly formed event committee consisting of Mr. Ben Suro, Mrs. EileenCarty, Mrs. Margaret Gonzalez, Mrs. JenKennedy-Orlando, and Ms. Anne Happel,the day replaced previous year’s SpiritDay celebrations and exceeded all prior expectations.

“We wanted it to be fun like Spirit Daywas, but we wanted to focus all of theevents of the day around the goal ofincreased school spirit,” Ms. Happel said.

During the days before the event,all students, faculty and staff weregiven either a maroon or a blue Xaviert-shirt and broken into two rival teams.Throughout the day, the two teamscompeted against one another in activ-ities ranging from street-side sports topie-eating, water-balloon tossing, andeven a team color-themed gymnasiumdecorating contest. Scores were recordedby faculty and staff moderators spread

throughout the event, and the winner of the competition was set to receivebragging rights until next year.

The day got off to a great start, andstudent activities throughout the build-ing and on 16th Street were divided byscheduled times when all participantswould regroup in the gymnasium forlarger events and to hear updates onteam scores. Special highlights of theday included a “Xavier American Idol”competition judged by special in-houseguests including Mr. Mike LiVigni, Xavier’sheadmaster, and a mascot competitionthat culminated with the unveiling of anew Xavier Knight costume won by thelucky winner, James Cronin ’08.“We reallyhaven’t had an actual school mascotcostume in years, and we wanted tobring that tradition back by hosting thecompetition and getting the wholeschool involved,” Ms. Happel said.

The day enlivened students andstaff alike, and the Blue Team emergedas the winners of the first annual Maroonand Blue Day games. With the entireschool population taking part in somefriendly Xavier competition, the daywas truly a team effort!

News from the Quad

Maroon and Blue Day: A Team Effort

Maroon and Blue Day activities:• a faculty tug-of-war

in the gymnasium• a mascot competition• video games set up in classrooms• a pie eating contest in the quad• a “Xavier American Idol”

karaoke competition

• a homeroom door and gymnasiumwall decorating contest

• maroon and blue face painting in the school lobby

• sports and amusements on 16th Street.


Meet the New TeachersThe September 2007 issue of

Alumnews profiled a group of “Xavier

Legends” that retired last June after

mentoring and educating literally

decades of Xavier men. Readers

responded to the profiles at an

unprecedented level, and at the

start of the academic year, Xavier was

pleased to welcome a number of new

faculty and staff members to 16th Street.

In this issue and the spring issue,

Alumnews will be profiling each new

staff member, beginning with the six

men and women you’ll read about on

the following pages. From little-known

facts to their initial thoughts on being

at Xavier, our new staff members spoke

on their personal lives and professional

backgrounds. They lead interesting

lives and use their experiences to guide

our young men each day in their class-

rooms and offices, and we are proud

to introduce them to our alumni

and friends alike.


Jonathan CambrasEnglish

Where are you from?I grew up in Stratford, Connecticut, andattended Fairfield Prep. After high schoolI attended Penn State, where I studiedspeech communications and creativewriting. In 2006, I began my educationalcareer by working toward and receivingmy Masters degree in English Educationand teaching certification at New YorkUniversity. I was a student-teacher at twopublic schools in the city: New DesignHigh School and Brooklyn School of the Arts.

Fondest Xavier memory:Though my time at Xavier has beenshort thus far, my experiences coachingfreshman football have already madesome lasting impressions. The mostmemorable thing I’ve experiencedoccurred when our freshman team wasplaying a home game at Aviator Field.It was a tough, close game and BishopFord was winning 16-14 late in the fourthquarter when one of their players wentdown with injury. While their playerswere waiting for the trainer, our teamcalmly took a knee in two neat rows atthe line of scrimmage, being respectfulto the injured player but intently waitingfor play to begin. It was a special momentthat demonstrated the discipline andrespect that we strive to teach our students. That is what separates Xavierfrom the other schools.We lost the game,but this was one of the best momentsI’ve experienced as a coach.

Suggestions for wintertime reading:• The Time Traveler’s Wife

by Audrey Niffenegger• A Curious Incident of a Dog

in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon• The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

Jillian WaldmanScience

Where are you from?I grew up in Rochester, New York, whereI attended an independent school fornine years. I went to Swarthmore Collegein Swarthmore, Pennsylvania., where Istudied physics, Russian, and linguistics.I graduated in 2006 and moved to NewYork to teach. I spent last year teachingninth-grade math at a public school inthe Bronx. I’m working on a Master’s inmathematics education at City Collegeof NY and anticipate being dual-certi-fied for math and physics.

What are your initial thoughts on being here at Xavier?I’m learning a lot, and enjoying it.My students have a lot of energy, a lotof curiosity. I thought teaching classesconsisting entirely of boys would beweird, but it turns out to be a lot of fun, even if I don’t know the names of the sports teams they follow. My colleagues have been amazingly caring and supportive, besides being incredibly nifty people.

Suggestions for wintertime reading:I’m a science fiction addict; right nowI’m reading Kim Stanley Robinson’s Red Mars series. It’s good wintertimereading because its descriptions of theMartian surface make you realize howwarm it is outside on earth with thesnow and freezing rain. Also good reading for a science teacher, becauseyou accidentally memorize all thesefacts about Mars.

James O’HaraGuidance

Where are you from?I was born and raised in northern New Jersey, in the shadows of theGeorge Washington Bridge. I graduatedfrom Leonia High School and movedon to The College of New Jersey whereI received a B.A. in English, with a minorin Professional Writing. After contem-plating a career in teaching, I decidedthat I wanted to be a guidance coun-selor and enrolled in Manhattan Collegeto pursue my Master’s degree. I haveexperience as a counselor intern inpublic schools in the Bronx, and I havealso worked for Manhattan College.

Fondest Xavier Memory:As a counselor, I see and experiencemany memorable moments on a weeklybasis with our students. But by far themost memorable school-wide event hasbeen Maroon and Blue Day. The prideand enthusiasm displayed by the stu-dents is something that I will not soonforget. It seemed like the perfect com-bination of school spirit, competition,and fun. The best part was the karaokecompetition, where we learned aboutthe talented and not-so-talented singersthat we have here at Xavier!

What is the best advice you’ve heard about teaching?One of my colleagues told me when Istarted that the most important thingis to just be myself. Most kids, especiallyNew Yorkers, can see through a fakefaçade and will have more respect for a staff member when they are honest and just being themselves.

Nygel Roach ’02Assistant Dean of Students

Where are you from?I have spent most of my life in NorthBergen, New Jersey. It’s a great place to live. I’m a 2002 grad of Xavier and a 2006 graduate of St. John’s Universitywith a B.S. degree in finance. In the past,I’ve worked for [“Saturday Night Live!”producer Lorne Michaels’ entertain-ment company] Broadway VideoEntertainment, the 1199 NationalBenefit Fund, and for St. John’s.

What is the best advice you’ve heard about working in a school?I’ve always sensed that it is veryrewarding helping others understandnew things. I was once told that it’s better to try at something and fail,then not to try at all. I can accept failureif I have given my best effort in tryingto reach my goals, but couldn’t accept it if I knew I was unwilling to take a risk and try my best.

What are your initial thoughts on being here at Xavier?It’s great working here as asst. dean of students, and as the asst. basketballcoach for the JV and Varsity teams. It wasalso exciting coming back to work withpeople who were faculty members whileI was a student here. I take a lot of pridein being part of such a wonderful tradi-tion as Xavier.

Fondest Xavier memory:The most memorable thing I’ve experienced at Xavier was actually my own graduation ceremony at St. Patrick’s Cathedral.

A little-known fact:I played Division I basketball for St. John’s University’s “Red Storm”from 2003-2006.

Jan HerschelMathematics

Where are you from?I was born in Stamford, Connecticut, andlived in Norwalk until we moved to NewDelhi, India when I was eight. We werethere for three years, then in Londonuntil I went off to college at Harvard,where I earned a Bachelor’s degree in philosophy. Since college, I have (in rough chronological order): taughtskiing at a ski academy, worked ininvestment banking as an analyst,gone to graduate school, and taught in New York City public schools as partof the NYC Teaching Fellows programwhile earning my Master’s in educationfrom Pace University—all before coming to Xavier.

Fondest Xavier memory:Seeing the Church of St. Francis Xavierpacked to the gills is pretty impressive.How we manage to get 950 boys downthere and back to class in a matter ofminutes is just as impressive and acredit to the staff organization.

What are your initial thoughts on being here at Xavier?The sense of community, collegiality,and camaraderie among both the staffand students is palpable and tremen-dous. I am extremely impressed by thecommitment level of the boys to theirextracurriculars. I’ve been involved withthe chess club and look forward tocoaching the tennis team in the spring.

Suggestions for wintertime reading:For some reason, I tend to read contem-porary fiction in the summer, and classicsor historical novels in the winter. In thelatter category, you can’t beat War andPeace, by Tolstoy, and there is a newtranslation that is getting rave reviews.

William PaceFine Arts

Where are you from?I grew up in South Florida and becameinterested in jazz while taking bass lessons as an elective at a local college.The highlight of my career was a two-year stint with jazz organ legend, Dr.Lonnie Smith. Other notable perform-ances were with Lou Donaldson, RichieCole, Marcus Strickland, the Palm BeachPops and the New World Symphony.I earned masters and doctoral degreesat the University of Miami on full schol-arship, while teaching there and at MiamiDade College. In New York for about sixyears, I’ve performed regularly with theavant-garde clarinetist, Perry Robinson,and with singer, Allan Harris, includinghis concerts at the Kennedy Center,TownHall, Jazz at Lincoln Center, and the BlueNote jazz club.

What is the best advice you’ve heard about teaching?I am thankful for the constant reminder to live a Christian life by our work here at Xavier and with the Jesuit Community.

What are your initial thoughts on being here at Xavier?Practice doesn’t make perfect,only permanent.

A little-known fact:I saw the lady that became my wife on the Manhattan-bound F-train mostmornings for six months before I actuallygot the courage to ask her out.

If you took up a profession other than teaching,what would it be?I would want to make documentary films.



Alumnews: How is today’s military program structured? Cdt. Col. Carlos Galletti ’08: Today’smilitary science program is a cadet-runprogram. Cadets are responsible fororganizing and running activities onand off the drill floor.

A: How many weeks do freshmen haveto take the program? What happens if they opt not to take it? G: The military science program is with-out a doubt the backbone of Xavier HighSchool. Prior to 1972, every young manwho entered Xavier High School had to enroll into the military science pro-gram. After 1972 the program becameoptional; however, freshmen are requiredto join the program for their first quar-ter. After first quarter, freshmen decidewhether to remain in the Regiment forthe duration of ninth grade.

A: When can students begin to join the optional teams and activities theregiment has to offer?G: Once a freshman decides to continuewith the military science program, hecan pledge for any of the Regimentalteams: X-Squad, Raiders, Rifle Team,and Academic Challenge Team or any of the activities: Sabre Guard and Military History Club.

A: Today’s program is at the highestlevel of participation it’s been since the military went optional here after

the 1971 class graduated. Why do you, personally, think the program has been growing?G: The current Senior Army Instructor,LTC Roy Campbell USA (Ret.) came toXavier High School four years ago, atthe same time that I entered Xavier.Since then the numbers have gottenbigger and bigger every year. I can honestly say without the slightest hesitation that the reason why thenumbers have been getting bigger isbecause of the fact that LTC Campbellis the freshman Instructor. When I con-gratulated him on the fact that we havethe largest enrollment (160 freshmencadets) this year since the program wentoptional, he said something along thelines that the Regiment is about qualitynot quantity. It is because of his philos-ophy that LTC Campbell can so humblyteach the freshmen about the programand get high numbers.

A: What are the responsibilities of the Cadet Colonel? Who does hereport to and who reports to him?Does the Cadet Colonel have power to demerit/merit cadets?G: The Cadet Colonel is accountableand responsible for the regiment. He is granted his power by the Presidentof Xavier, and the Army Instructors.The military program at Xavier is run by cadets; therefore the Cadet Colonelessentially runs the program, with the guidance of the Army Instructors.The Cadet Colonel reports to the ArmyInstructors, and the administration ofthe school if needed. The RegimentalExecutive Officer, Battalion Commanders,and the Regimental Command SergeantMajor report directly to the CadetColonel. The Cadet Colonel does havethe power to assign demerits to cadets

which can affect the grades of cadets.This authority can be delegated to cadets in key positions like the Battalion Commanders andCommand Sergeant Majors.

A: What is it like to still be a young man in high school and charged withleading students through a programthat teaches citizenship, responsibility,discipline, and values?G: It is a great feeling knowing that I have a role in helping to teach valuesto my peers. Sometimes, however, it is aburden because not everyone catcheson right away. I am responsible for thesuccess and for the failure of the regi-ment. I experience both, and I believethat this helps me mature as a personmorally. Success is excellent; however,before you learn how to succeed, youlearn how to fail. Once you have failed,you know how to succeed.

A: What are your plans for the future at this point? G: I have narrowed down my options to two: I will either be a civilian workingin the business world, or an Army Officerleading troops.

A: What kind of impression do youhave of the military program here in a school that has such a long history?G: I believe that the military program isthe backbone of Xavier High School. Itis because of the military science courseof study offered that so many studentsleave Xavier with many values and aprofound understanding of what itmeans to be both a “Man for Others”and a Unites States citizen. Both under-standings are taught within the firstquarter of Military Science for thefreshmen, however, it is reinforced for those who remain in the program.

Meet Xavier’s Cadet Colonel, Carlos Galletti ’08.A native of Ridgewood, Queens, Carlos exudes Xavier pride each day as he heads

the current Xavier regiment. In this issue of Alumnews, Carlos answers some of the

most frequently asked questions by alumni while touring the school, and he offers

his own interpretation on what he’s learned about leading his peers.

The 2007 Varsity Knights Season

Most wins in a single season: 10

Most points scored in a single season: 410

Highest average points scored per game: 37.3

Most points scored in a single game: 61

#1 Ranked rushing team in NY, NJ, CT & PA: 334.6 YPG

The Knights Earn Their

Spot in the SunThe Knights Earn Their

Spot in the Sun


Since 1882, Xavier has put a footballteam on the field. From a meager start of just three recorded games against St. John’s College, Xavier’s football pro-gram endured changes in the city, theschool, and within the other Catholicschool teams that would eventually make up the Catholic High SchoolFootball League (CHSFL).

What better way to celebrate 125years of football at Xavier High Schoolthan to have a championship season?That’s exactly what the 2007 XavierKnights (10-1), CHSFL Division AChampions, did this year, capturing theirfirst division title since the fall of 1999.

The 2007 Varsity football season tookoff to a strong start, with four straightwins. Xavier’s running game went on to steal the show, and at the end of theseason the Knights had racked up 3681rushing yards—well over 500 more thanany other team in the division—averag-ing 8.1 yards per rush, with over 53touchdowns. The Knights also scored410 points this season, more than anyother Xavier team in the past.

On November 18th, Xavier faced St. John the Baptist (6-4) in a bout forthe division championship. Trailing St.John’s 27-14 with only 7:20 left to playin the fourth quarter, the Xavier offenseexploded for 31 points during those finalminutes, beating St. John’s 45-33 andclinching the playoff title.

The championship win marked thestart of what would go on to be a magi-cal week of Xavier pride. On November21st, over 200 alumni and guests packedthe Xavier gymnasium alongside theentire school community for the annualTurkey Bowl Football Rally. Coach ChrisStevens ’83 readied the team for thefollowing day’s battle, and each playerwas cheered by students lining bleacherson both sides of the gym.

The Knights did not disappointXavier as they slammed the FordhamPrep Rams (8-3) in the Turkey Bowl the

next day by a score of 20-14 in front of hundreds of loyal fans and alumni,walking off the field with the covetedMike Dunn Memorial Award. This year’sgame made use of the new AviatorSports Complex, which Xavier has usedas a home field for the past two seasons.This was also the first season in the history of Xavier football that the teamhad 10 wins in a season!

News of the phenomenal seasonand the Turkey Bowl victory traveledfast, as Coach Stevens and the Knightswere featured on all the major New Yorktelevision networks. Several reportsmentioned that many of Xavier’s Varsityfootball players were part of last spring’sVarsity Rugby team that won the U.S.Rugby High School Championship in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Over the past 125 years, Xavier hasbeen the home of football legends likeLeo Paquin, who coached Xavier’s teamfor thirty-two consecutive years and wasa member of the famed “Seven Blocksof Granite,” helping to make Xavier’sfootball program one of the strongestin the city.

“The hallmarks of the 2007 champi-onship team were Rugby swagger andfitness, bone crunching offense that woredown the opposition, great communi-cation and halftime adjustments, and a young defense that grew up with the scheme during the course of everygame,” Coach Stevens said.“We had an iron will to win, and this allowed theVarsity Knights to deal with high pres-sure situations and to take control ofmost games in the second half.”

“This season was a great accom-plishment for the entire student body,”said Rod Walker, Xavier’s athletic director.“Especially toward the end of the season,there was a lot of buzz about the games,and a lot of kids have seen the mediacoverage. It really brought us together.”

Here’s to the Knights!

A legendary football program achieves a triumphant accomplishment: The Xavier Varsity Knights

win the CHSFL Division A Championship, the Playoff Championship

and the Turkey Bowl in the 125th year of Xavier football!

Fr. Gatti, Xavier’s president, Tony Paolozzi,Xavier faculty, and Mr. LiVigni, Xavier’s headmaster, at the Turkey Bowl.

My heart is in your

hands

My heart is in your

[Plastic] hands

By Michael Benigno ’00


Six weeks into my freshman year at Saint Joseph’s University, I received a phone call from my mother, tellingme the news that my father’s stress testhad gone worse than expected. He wasslated to undergo emergency heartbypass surgery as early as the next day.

That Thursday night, after hangingup the phone, I did what any youngstudent would do: I Googled it. Andthen I tried not to let what I foundkeep me awake in fear that night.

My crash course in bypass surgerytold me that my father, 49 at the time,had probably undergone a stress testthat showed some blockages. Anangiogram was probably performed to see where the blockages were andto judge the extent to which theblockages interfered with the functionof his heart. The description of theactual bypass was what I wouldremember most. The terms alonesounded like something from a madscientist’s laboratory, combinations of verbs and nouns I had never heardbefore. The splitting of the sternum.The stopping of the heart. The harvest-ing of the blood vessels. The attachingof the grafts.

As it turned out, my father had got-ten used to his heart functioning with95% of its bloodflow being constrained.Five bypasses would be needed, andhis entire chest would be cut, his ribsdeliberately broken. When I visited himbefore the surgery, it seemed like hewas comfortable in a bed before me,but the surgery—while it would save

his life—would put him through thephysical trauma of someone in a majoraccident or a serious car crash.

* * *

The patients of Dr. Joseph McGinn ’73,a heart surgeon at Staten IslandUniversity Hospital, sometimes havesimilar stories—vague family histories,different indicators of heart trouble,and maybe even nervous childrenaway at college.

But for the past nine years, McGinnhas been perfecting an innovativetechnique of performing coronarybypass surgery using simple tools thatdelicately adjust a patient’s heart whileit is still beating. Combined with a min-imally invasive approach, McGinn hasbeen able to use the tools to performbypasses through a small incision in a patient’s side, instead of using a sternotomy, which opens the entirechest cavity

McGinn was one of the first surgeonsin the New York metropolitan area toperform Off-Pump Coronary Artery Bypass(OPCAB) surgery after working withMedtronic, a medical device companybased in Minnesota. Medtronic’s toolsaimed making bypass surgery and otherheart procedures easier by enabling aphysician to manipulate and stabilizethe heart. In the past, this was animpossible task, and the only way toperform a bypass was to place the patienton a heart-lung machine and halt thefunction of the heart altogether.

Joseph McGinn ’73 performs bypass procedures on patients while their hearts are still beating. New technology has opened the surgery to older, sicker patients…

and it’s simpler than you’d think.

Dr. Joseph McGinn ’73


The first tool developed was a type of heart positioner. Dubbed the“Starfish,” the positioner consists of a metal rod topped with a small plastic cup, like something that wouldscoop up an egg. The cup has threeappendages each lined with tiny suctioncups, barely visible. If the affected veinor artery faces the center of a patient’schest, the starfish is able to grip theheart and rotate it with great ease sothat surgery can be done, in the caseof a minimally invasive approach,through an incision cut into thepatient’s side.

A second tool acts as a heart stabi-lizer. Dubbed the “Octopus,” this deviceappears to be another long, metal rodtopped with two small, stationary plasticbars. It gets its name because theundersides of the plastic bars are alsolined with tiny suction cups, which grip onto the outer wall of the heartand hold the exposed tissue beingoperated on in place. The octopus canbe attached to a stationary object likea wall or the side of a gurney and lockedinto place for impeccable support.

These two tools are two of the mostinnovative tools to enter the world ofcardiac surgery in recent years. As farback as the 1940s, doctors were begin-ning to take on the general notion thatthe best way to repair a vein or arterywithin a human heart was to circum-navigate the damaged or blockedareas. In the 1950s, bypasses were firstattempted, but there was no way tokeep the beating heart still while aprocedure was being performed. Earlyoperations were overflowing with dan-gers and difficult for patients to recov-er from. While different techniquesdeveloped over time, the basic proce-dures involved in bypass remained thesame for years.

The first cardiopulmonary bypassmachines, known more commonly asheart-lung machines, were developedin the late 1950s, enabling the heart tobe stopped while keeping oxygenatedblood flowing to vital organs. This wasa major achievement toward helpingdoctors perform a safe, stabile bypass.Today’s heart-lung machines have thecapability of replacing the heart and

lung functions, inducing dramaticmetabolic changes while a patient is on the operating table. The heart is then stopped, making it easier forthe surgeon to create bypasses.

In the 1990s, doctors began chasingdown ways to perform bypass surgerywithout stopping the heart. Early devicesthat attempted to stabilize the heartwere clumsy to use, and McGinn hadbeen working with Medtronic as theystruggled to supply more efficient tools.

“I was asked to review the latestdevelopment, which was the endoscop-ic Starfish, by its inventor at Medtronic,a physician assistant I had becomefriendly with,” Dr. McGinn said.“At first thought it was a little absurd to be

operating on a beating heart, particu-larly through a minimally invasiveapproach, and I was very resistant to trying it.”

OPCAB, especially when it is per-formed in a minimally invasive tech-nique like going into a patient’s sideinstead of through their sternum, hadthe potential to allow different groupsof heart patients to have more medicaloptions than in the past.“We would beable to routinely operate on sickerpatients, also on older, more disabledpatients that can’t necessarily handlethe incision,” Dr. McGinn said.“It alsowould open these kinds of proceduresup to other kinds of sick patients, likepeople who have damaged immunesystems that might be too weak toundergo a sternotomy, but are in needof a bypass. At one time, it would havebeen very possible that these patientswould be overlooked or rejected forsurgery. Now they could have a bypassin a way that makes it much easier forthem to recover.”

In 1999, Dr. McGinn performed his first OPCAB procedure using theMedtronic tools on a patient with a traditional sternotomy. Since then,the Octopus and the Starfish have stabilized the heart so well that todayalmost all cases McGinn handles involvebypassing arteries of a regularly beat-ing heart. During the ten minutes he is actually removing one piece of veinor artery and placing in a new piece,blood is temporarily diverted away

The “Octopus” and the “Starfish”allow the heart to be stabilized so that McGinn can perform heart surgery through a window cut into a patient’s side.

When done in a minimally invasive manner, OPCAB surgery dramatically reduces the recovery time for heart patients.


from the affected area.The heart adaptsto the changes in blood flow and pres-sure, and before any damage can takeeffect, the bypass is connected andblood flow is resumed.

When OPCAB was able to be com-bined with the minimally invasiveapproach, the implications began toadd up. What started as a way to helpsave the lives of patients who wouldotherwise not be candidates for tradi-tional bypass surgery had such a strongsuccess rate that, if deemed a viableoption, minimally-invasive OPCAB beganto be favored by healthier patients.Given the choice, McGinn said that,for the same results and effectiveness,patients tended to choose an optionthat shortened the recovery time dramatically.

Major heart operations take betweensix weeks and three months to recoverfrom, but the results of OPCAB proce-dures done in the minimally invasivemanner are just a wound and somestitches to care for. For pain, patientsare often given infusions of Marcainefor a period of five days.“People gethome and they can get back to normalalmost immediately,” McGinn said.“In many cases, this is really thepatient’s preference.”

In September, McGinn invited meinto an operating room to observe amitral valve replacement procedure ona 71-year-old woman using the Starfishand the Octopus through an incisionin the patient’s side instead of her sternum. Flesh was still cut, muscle waseven sheared to allow ribs to be spreadgently, and padded clamps were putinto place to hold the incision. Themovement of the patient’s lungs wastemporarily prohibited to gain visualaccess to the heart. But on that sunnyday when I watched a pig’s heart valvetake the place of a calcified humanone, no bones were broken at all.The patient was wheeled out of theoperating room with a heart that functioned dramatically better,and with only stitches to care for.

In the past six months, McGinn hasdemonstrated minimally invasive OPCABprocedures to physicians across theregion, from several states in the

South, as well as from China, Japan and other countries.

Dr. McGinn and his partners andstaff have performed OPCAB surgeryon over 2500 patients since 1999; since2005, over 300 patients have undergoneminimally invasive off-pump bypassprocedures.

* * *

It took my father five months torecover from his life-changing quintu-ple bypass operation. His sternotomyenabled doctors to access his heart,and the broken ribs healed, leavingbehind a long scar and numbness he can still feel now, over seven yearslater. He was impressed to learn that

today’s heart patients are starting to have options that had the potential to improve their lives.

The tools Dr. McGinn helped todevelop and the modified minimallyinvasive approach have allowed himand his team to continue to operateon patients that would have had acompromised chance of recoveringfrom traditional bypass surgery.

Oliver Wendell Holmes, the notedAmerican physician once wrote,“thegreat thing in the world is not so muchwhere we stand, as in what directionwe are moving.”The face of progresswill always change, but, within theconfines of an operating room inStaten Island University Hospital,and now several other institutions,progress is visible in the use of mod-ern tools, and on the faces of patientson the road toward a healthy life.

People get home and they can get back

to normal almost immediately. In many

cases, this really is the patient’s preference.


Beyond Skin DeepSkin Deep

Dr. Dominick Gadaleta ’78 demonstrates surgical tools at this year’s

Career Day, November 2007.

Laser Skin Resurfacing

Collagen Treatment

The tummy-tuck There are lots of quick fixes in medicine nowadays, and the list goeson and on. But, working with NorthShore University Hospital in Manhasset,Dr. Dominick Gadaleta ’78, for thepast 11 years, has been working hardto combat the misconception thatSurgery for the treatment of MorbidObesity should be on that list.

In 1997, Dr. Gadaleta was given thetask of establishing a Bariatric andMetabolic Surgery team at NorthShore. Looking at the prospect ofspending an extended period of timeperforming Bariatric surgery, he triedto learn all he could about this newbranch of his career, at a time when no structured training programs were available.

Bariatric Surgery is the formal name for procedures available for thetreatment of Morbid Obesity and thediseases associated with being 75–100pounds overweight. The two proce-dures commonly performed are GastricBanding, and Gastric Bypass. GastricBanding involves the placement of a mechanical device high up on thestomach to restrict the volume of foodconsumed. Gastric Bypass is a procedurethat creates a small stomach pouchconnected to the small intestine by anarrow passageway. Patients not onlyeat less because of the smaller stomacharea, but they also feel full for a longerperiod of time, as their stomach emp-ties slower than normal. Combinedwith a healthy diet and regular exer-



cise, these surgical procedures canhelp patients lose significant amountsof weight safely.

Surgery for Morbid Obesity is not a cosmetic procedure like liposuction,where body fat is surgically removed.But Dr. Gadaleta recently spoke of thepopular misconceptions that sometimeslead patients to believe that these procedures are a one-time fix-all.

According to the guidelines thatDr. Gadaleta and his colleagues atNorth Shore have established, the bestcandidates for obesity surgery arepatients who have lost weight at somepoint in the past and who have a his-tory of enjoying physical activity.“Theyhave demonstrated that they can loseweight when they try. Obesity Surgerytakes that established behavior, andoptimizes the conditions so that oftentimes, there are very dramatic results,”he said.“They then have the ability toresume or continue behavioral changeslike exercising and watching what

they eat, and they are more likely to maintain long-term weight loss.”

Gastric banding and gastric bypasshave the potential to help people who have been dealing with massiveamounts of excess weight over a longperiod of time, Dr. Gadaleta said. Hispatients have been struggling withtheir weight for at least five years and,for many of them, weight issues gobeyond skin deep—beyond theweight-induced diabetes, hypertensionand sleep apnea. Often it affects theirself-esteem, confidence in the work-place, and personal relationships.

Patients seeking to take control of their weight by surgery need tounderstand that their body will only dohalf the work, Dr. Gadaleta said. Eachpatient that opts for surgery is requiredto be evaluated by a behavioral psy-

chologist to determine whether he or she is willing and capable of makingthe necessary changes their daily life.

“To maximize the potential for asuccessful outcome, the patient has to deal with the reasons why they aremorbidly obese before undergoingsurgery,” he said.

Many patients Dr. Gadaleta seeshave developed what he describes asa subconscious dependence on food.They eat as a way to cope with bore-dom, sadness, anxiety, and stress, ratherthan as a response to hunger.“It’ssometimes a question of how they are going to deal with life’s ups anddowns,” he said. Surgical patients arewarned about new habits that couldpotentially develop in the place ofunhealthy eating.

A small subset of patients return to smoking cigarettes; others becomeentangled with alcohol or other addic-tive behaviors.“Aside from the psycho-logical impact of initially being 300

or 400 pounds, a person’s well-beingdepends on their ability to cope witha new lifestyle. They need to developstrategies to handle not being able to go to food when they’re stressedout,” Gadaleta said. The point of thepsychological analysis is for patientsto realize that it’s not as simple as just walking into a doctor’s office and saying ‘operate on me.’”

Patients that refuse to undergo a psychological evaluation are notapproved for surgery, and in most cases,surgery is ruled out if a psychologistencounters a patient in denial of thebehavior that has been detrimental to their health, or appears to beunwilling to make the needed drasticlifestyle changes. To be fully sure thatsurgery is the right option, there isoften a three to six-month period

between the point where a patientfirst walks into Dr. Gadaleta’s office and the day of their operation.

Ten years after the establishmentof North Shore’s bariatric surgery program, Dr. Gadaleta, Dr. Gellman (a surgeon he has partnered with since2001) and the rest of the BariatricSurgery team were recognized as aBariatric Surgery, Center of Excellenceby the American Society for Bariatricand Metabolic Surgery. In additionthey head a program that trains othersurgeons to perform these proceduresusing advanced minimally invasivetechniques.

Dr. Gadaleta spoke to Xavier juniorsat the annual Career Day event inNovember 2007, sharing what he haslearned in respect to caring for thewhole person during his time at Xavierand beyond.

Now in his eleventh year, and after performing over 1600 of theselife-altering procedures, Dr. Gadaletasaid he continues to treat each newpatient with an understanding of themagnitude of the challenges facingthem.“For the surgeon, it should neverbe just another case, because for thatpatient sitting in front of you, whetherit’s an emergency procedure or aplanned one, chances are, they are facing one of the most importantdecisions of their life.

“Often a patient’s questions andconcerns stem from a lifetime of cul-tural, spiritual, and personal experi-ences that need to be acknowledgedfor “healing” to occur. These issues areoften more apparent with the patientseeking Obesity Surgery, rather thanhernia repair or gallbladder removal.The honesty with which many of mypatients’ face their issues contributesto their success and the satisfactionmy work brings to me. Through it all,I try to never forget that, the privilegeof being involved in someone’s lifeand somehow making a difference,is a gift that comes with tremendousresponsibility.”

The FaceliftBotoxLiposuction


Before Bill Kelly ’91’s six-month-old daughter, Maggie, had been diag-nosed, neuroblastoma didn’t mean athing to Kelly and his wife. They hadn’tever heard of the disease, much lesshow to treat it, or who might help them.A simple doctor’s appointment to checkon a fever that wouldn’t dissipate hadrevealed a mass in Maggie’s abdomen,and a CAT scan came back with startling results.

Neuroblastoma is defined as a disease in which malignant cancer cellsform in nerve tissue of the adrenalgland, neck, chest, or spinal chord.Each year, about 600 children, usuallyunder the age of five, are diagnosedwith neuroblastoma, and it representsabout 50% of the cases of cancer diagnosed in infants.

What had started as a mass inMaggie’s abdomen, had wrapped itselfaround her atrial and renal arteries. Ithad also spread throughout her body,affecting her bone marrow, skull, spine,and legs.

“As a parent, it’s a matter of instinctwhen your child doesn’t feel well, youcan help them; if your child gets a cut,you can put a bandage on it,” Kellysaid.“At first, my wife, Danielle, and I really felt as if we couldn’t do any-thing about it. You try to find the bestmedical treatment you can get, and we would have traveled around theworld to find it.”

Initially, it seemed like the optionsat the medical center Maggie wasdiagnosed at were limited; Kelly andhis wife spoke to a resident surgeonwho had done four such surgeries in his entire career.

“Going to a pediatric oncology section of a hospital for the first timewas a big reality check,” Kelly said.“When you see little feet in those beds,you just hope they can get better andthey can all get what they need.”

At the outset of the search for a

specialist, Kelly came into contact with former faculty member Fr. VincentBiagi, S.J. ’67, who recommended aphysician that had helped save the lifeof the son of another Xavier graduate,Mick MacDonald ’77, whenMacDonald’s infant son was diagnosedwith another form of pediatric cancerover a decade earlier. Dr. MichaelLaQuaglia ’68 works as chief ofPediatric Surgical Service at MemorialSloan-Kettering Cancer Institute, andhas published dozens of medical arti-cles on cancer and ways to treat cancerin pediatric patients.When Bill Kelly firstspoke with Dr. LaQuaglia, he learnedthat the doctor had performed threeneuroblastoma surgeries just in thatone week alone.

Dr. LaQuaglia first started operatingon neuroblastomas in 1982 atMassachusetts General Hospital andlater at the Boston Children’s Hospital.When he arrived at Sloan-Kettering in1987, he began working with doctorsin many other institutions, specializingin the treatment removal of often intricate tumors in pediatric patients.It isn’t uncommon for doctors treatingneuroblastoma patients in other partsof country to refer surgical candidatesto Dr. LaQuaglia for potentially life-changing operations.

Right away, Kelly said he felt asense of relief knowing that he and Dr. LaQuaglia had shared a similar pastat Xavier.“The fact that he was a Xavierguy helped a lot,” he said.“We had tofind the best medical treatment in theworld, and all the signs kept pointingtoward him.The fact that he was a Xaviergrad—I can’t even tell you how com-forting that was.”

“Having a shared Xavier backgroundcertainly made it easier to speak withBill and his family,” Dr. LaQuaglia said.“There are a host of intangibles that go along with that, I think, including a shared set of ethics, belief in God,


Healing Hands:Two Xavier Grads Meet to Save a Life

The fact that Dr. LaQuagliawas a Xaviergrad—I can’t even tell you how comfortingthat was.


To support neuroblastoma research and to follow Maggie’s progress, visit www.carepages.com, click “Visit” and enter “MaggieKelly.”

and concern for others, and we alsojust got to know one another byswapping humorous epithets. Thisreally helps in establishing trust.”

Maggie had undergone fourteenrounds of high-dose chemotherapy toshrink the tumor, and this past fall, Dr.LaQuaglia and the Kelly’s discussedmajor surgery to remove the mass.This would be a major operation, andthere was a chance that one ofMaggie’s kidneys and her adrenalgland would have to be removed. “Wemade the decision to go ahead withthe surgery,” Kelly said.“Dr. LaQuagliatook his time and walked us throughwhat he was going to do, and it kindof blew us away.”

Followed by a biopsy procedure,Dr. LaQuaglia performed extensive surgery on October 10th to extirpateMaggie’s tumor from its primary loca-tion in her abdomen. The proceduretook eight hours to perform, but in theend, her kidney was spared and theentire tumor had been removed.

A paraflu that Maggie came downwith before the operation had Kelly andhis wife holding their breath, hopingthat her challenged immune systemwould be able to fight off the risk ofinfection in her lungs. Maggie spent tendays on a respirator and, thankfully,made a full recovery from the opera-tion.“She underwent an additionalround of chemotherapy following the removal of the tumor, and beganradiation treatment.

Prolonged antibody treatment andhigh doses of Accutane, a retinoid pre-scribed as an anti-cancer chemotherapyaid, will help keep Maggie in remission.

A fundraiser was held in Maggie’shonor in November, organized by Felix“Flip” Mullen ’97 and Karen Perine,Kelly’s brother- and sister-in-law, andanother fundraiser took place a monthlater, hosted by Mike Minardi ’91 anda group of other Xavier classmates. Intotal, over $30,000 in donations wenttoward Neuroblastoma research atSloan-Kettering and toward the Sloan-

Kettering Family Fund, which helps theneedy families of children with cancer.“There was a great turnout from myXavier friends. They’ve helped Maggiedo so much to help raise awareness of this awful disease,” Kelly said.

The Kelly’s and Dr. LaQuaglia continue to be amazed by Maggie’sstrength and courage.

“It’s an amazing thing to see whatcan be done when you throw statisticsand mortality rates out the windowand have faith in God, support fromfamily and friends and trust in thedoctors and nurses who are caring forher,” Kelly said.“Maggie has been suchan inspiration to everyone who hasmet her.”

Maggie continues to recover at herparent’s home in Rockaway Beach, NY.

Dr. Michael LaQuaglia ’68with Maggie Kelly. In October

2007, Maggie underwent an 8-hour surgical procedure

after she was diagnosed with neuroblastoma earlier

in the year.

A magnified image of neuroblastoma cancer cells.

In 2nd grade, while in grammarschool at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Schoolin Astoria, Queens, his teacher and someof the other nuns would give talks aboutthe lives of the many famous martyrsand saints that were glorified by theCatholic Church.“We knew that themartyrs were in heaven, and I decidedthat’s where I wanted to go,”Tom said.

At the age of eight,Tom knew that hishighest goal would be to give as muchof himself as possible and to dedicatehis life toward helping others—even if it meant sacrificing his life.

But the way Tom remembers it, hisambitions weren’t shrouded in mysteryto everyone. His mother had a suspicionthat one day he’d do something to satisfyhis hunger to serve. In fact, through mostof high school, she hid the Maryknollmagazines that would come to theirhome, mostly because, he recalls, sheknew he would be too tempted to

enter the seminary.The middle child of nine, Tom grew

up the son of a doctor and a homemak-er, and by his own account, he and hissiblings lived a comfortable life. A maiddid the laundry, and summers werespent in a residence in the CatskillMountains, where, as a reprieve fromlife in Queens, they learned to ridehorses, milk cows, and pitch hay.

The event that lit the way for Tom’snext few steps took place one day atXavier when a Maryknoll priest visitedthe school and spoke to a group of stu-dents. Service, adventure, even dangerin foreign lands: life as a Maryknoll mis-sioner was the one path that seemedilluminated before Tom.

When a teacher at Xavier asked Tom whether he would ever considerbecoming a Jesuit, Tom insisted onentering the Maryknoll seminarybecause, he said, there would be more

of a guarantee that he’d be assigned to a foreign mission. His dreams werealmost shattered, however, when, afterinitially entering the Maryknoll seminaryin Ossining, New York, he was draftedinto the U.S. Army. World War II had justended and, after a year working in a messhall in Okinawa, Japan, he returned toNew York to learn that his reentry intothe order would be denied.

With the help of an influentialMaryknoll priest he had befriended,Tomreentered the seminary and in 1955,following his ordination, was sent to thecenter of a semi-rural parish in Mexico,an Indian village named Tihosuco. Aspastor of rural missions, Fr. Lavelle serveda ten-year old parish of about 10,000people, a tenure that would last six years,including three years when he servedas pastor.

Immediately, Mexico seemed a placeFr. Lavelle was well-suited for.


A Life of Servicein a Foreign Land


By the time Tom Lavelle ’43 attended Xavier almost fifty years ago,

he already held a secret that would dictate the course of his life.


Interviews takenthroughout hisservice by theMaryknoll staffreflected the col-orful culture he wasimmersed in. On aregular basis, prieststraveled five or six hoursaway on horseback to remote cornersof the countryside in order to mentorCatholics involved in religious instruc-tion courses. Fr. Lavelle absorbed theSpanish language and, later learned to speak Maya. Unlike other priests hejoined in Mexico who had problemsadjusting to the local diet, Tom grewfond of the many native dishes, andlearned to cook for himself using easilyaccessible ingredients.

“When we first got down there, wewould live like the natives and we’d gofrom the center of the parish and visitthe towns around it,” Fr. Lavelle said.“You would stay in that village some-times for a week and then go back tothe center.” On his weekly or biweeklytrips to the outskirts of the YucatanPeninsula, Fr. Lavelle mentored parish-ioners that had been baptized but did not practice their religion. He alsoconducted catechism classes whileorganizing nightly prayer meetings andsermons. Mass schedules were adjustedto meet the needs of the parishioners,and instruction was given to the youngand old alike. For four years, Tom servedas pastor of a church in Peto, anothertown on the peninsula, where he furtherexplored the problem of parishionersseldom attending Mass services.

Midway through what would go on to be fifty years of service in Mexico,Fr. Lavelle realized he would have tocome to terms with the fact that hiswork in Mexico was less harrowingthan he had initially anticipated. By the time he had arrived in 1955, mostof the resistance the early missionersexperienced had dissipated. While therewere governmental rules that imposedon public worship, fierce opposition toCatholicism was something Tom said he

never experi-enced directly.

“My workdid not resonate

with my idea ofself sacrifice,” he

said.“I enjoyed it toomuch, getting to know

the people. And my workdown there always seemed to

appeal to the part of me that wantedto get away, travel, and experience new things.”

Fr. Lavelle’s more recent assignmentsput to use the devotion he showedtoward young parishioners and school-aged children who often traveled milesfrom small villages to attend school.

In the late 1960s, Fr. Lavelle beganwork in Dzidzantun, near the northerntip of the Yucatan Peninsula, whereTom supervised a high school and amiddle school. Working under Fr. BillHagin, Tom initiated the construction of a residence for female students whowere frequently left unsupervised while staying with local families. In 1992,Fr. Lavelle was appointed the Superiorof Maryknoll’s missions in Mexico, over-seeing several different parishes thatwere each tailored toward the differentneeds of surrounding worshippers.

As a humorous side note, after aphotographer documenting the mis-sion work in Mexico accompanied Tomand another man on a fishing boat oneafternoon, his photograph appeared in one of the Maryknoll magazines hismother had once hidden from him as a teenager.

Today, Fr. Lavelle sits in a wheelchairin St. Theresa’s Hall—just down the roadfrom the large stone building formerlyused as Maryknoll seminary—a restedlook on his face and with straightforward,comfortable eyes. It’s November up inOssining, New York, and the wheelchairis the reason he sits in this room.

For several years after his retirement,aging into his late 70s, Tom had beenliving with a Mexican family he hadgrown particularly close to. When helost the ability to walk, they continued

to care for him and offered to househim indefinitely. But when he receivedinstruction to return to New York per-manently, he once again put his trust in those that suggested the move and had guided him all along.

Fr. Lavelle said he enjoys the community life of his later assignmentsresidence, but he admits he would stillbe living in Mexico if he had the choice.His fifty years of service in Mexico standsas an accomplishment on its own, buthis humble attitude about his selflessdedication is stunning. His return toOssining has brought him full circle.And while he may not be in as lush anenvironment or as warm a climate, he is still surrounded by individuals—otherretired priests—who share similar sto-ries of service and sacrifice, and otherswho, like Tom, may have had the chanceto see how their own dreams wouldplay out.


Teamwork with Results!About a week before Rodger Shay ’54 and his wife were set

to travel to Cairo, Egypt, in September 2007, he got an email from Al Griffith ’54 that would spark an out-of-the-country encounterwith another Xavier graduate! Al mentioned that he’d heard thatBrian Dugan ’54 would also be in Cairo that month to complete a telecommunications project for the Egyptian government.

Rodger and Brian grew up together in Brooklyn, and actuallyattended the same elementary school before Xavier, and college at Fordham University afterward. They hadn’t seen one another since an elementary school reunion in 2000.

They exchanged emails, and arranged to meet for lunch at arestaurant on an island in the Nile River.“It was very nice comingtogether, and it started to shock me when he started to speak Arabicto our guide,” Shay said.“We had a very nice afternoon and wereeven able to get to Mass in the American section of Cairo.”

Rodger said he enjoyed the chance to catch up on old times,and to reunite with one another before Brian had to head to Dublina few days later.

“It doesn’t surprise me, frankly,” Shay said.“With all the years of graduates, and all the people over the years that I’ve known fromXavier, I think the caliber of Xavier graduates puts them in positionsof authority here and there. I’m not surprised when I see them in different places throughout the world.”

Rodger Shay ’54

Brian Dugan ’54

caption

ReuKNIGHTed is a section of the Alumnewsthat runs in each issue,telling the stories ofXavier graduates thathave crossed paths withother graduates fromtheir class, members of other years, or evenmembers of Xavier’sadministration.

The ReuKNIGHTed section has run in manyprevious issues of theAlumnews, but is onlysuccessful with amplereader response. ContactMike Benigno with yourReuKNIGHTed story either by email at [email protected],or by phone at 212-924-7900 x.1435.

Reuknighted Reuknighted

1940Robert Rice, S.J. is spending his 52nd year as a Jesuit in the Philippinesand recently visited Xavier with JohnWalsh ’39 during a trip to the States.

1949Edward V. Atnally is now practicinglaw in White Plains after 45 years inDowntown Manhattan.

1953Leo Gafney published A Guide to theOur Father Today, a book containinginformative reflections on the Lord’s Prayer.

1956Anthony Borrello welcomed his firstgrandchild, Adrianna, in September 2006.Ludwig Deppisch published The WhiteHouse Physician, a narrative about thephysicians who have taken care of U.S.presidents throughout history. Ludwighas retired from his practice of pathologyin Youngstown, Ohio and has relocatedto Tucson, Arizona where he received a Masters degree in history from theUniversity of Arizona.

1957Joseph Juhasz has begun a phasedretirement and would love to hear from some of his old classmates.George Wenz is headed for retirementafter practicing law in Vermont for thirty-five years and would also love to hear from fellow classmates.

1958Norman J. Dauerer is enjoying retirement after thirty-six years withIBM and looks forward to his 50threunion in May.

1961William Borst has written a play called“The Memory of an Ol’ Brownie Fan.”

1965John Robinson owns a commercialreal estate firm, Americal Inc., and isinvolved in many civic organizations in the Jersey shore area.


Class Notes

What a photo opportunity! The Class of ’49 held a “Reunion in the Swamp” on theweekend of September 7th through September 9th, and over a dozen ’49ers and their wives had a lovely weekend in Washington, North Carolina, the home of Tom O’Brien ’49. The graduates had a great dinner at the Washington Yacht and Country Club, followed by a pig roast the next day.

Pictured here are Class of ’49 graduates (l.-r.) Bill O’Brien, Ken McGinity, JimBreininger, Tom O’Brien, Gerry Nappy, Charlie Walsh, Bill Bolger, Chip Cipolla,Jack Madaras, Louie Lopez, Dick McCauley, Harold Cronin, Bill Clarke, DickPotter, John Beglan.

The Class of ’44 recently held their annual luncheon to celebrate sixty-seven years of friendship! The gathering was held at the Spring Lake Golf Club, in Spring Lake,New Jersey on September 28, 2007. Pictured here are Class of ’44 graduates (l.-r.)

George Pavarini, Joe Dunn, Al Tattam, Jack McCrane, Joe Novak, S.J.,Frank Dwyer, and Bernie Carlin.


1966James F. Nagle published 1948—TheCrossroad Year, a book exploring howthe year 1948 and the struggle betweenWestern democracy and Eastern abso-lutism changed the history of America.

1972John Toolan, Brigadier General in theMarine Corps, has been assigned to theOffice under the Secretary of Defensefor Policy. Russell Warren is serving his11th year as Dean of Students at ProspectHigh School in San Jose, California.

1973Richard Krajewski and his wife, Liane,are in the process of founding a facilityfor autistic adults called Douglas Acres.They also plan on starting two onlinejournals, the National Civics magazine(political) and the Pocono ArmchairReview (literary), and would welcomearticles from Xavier alumni. BruceCaulfield and his wife Cathy welcomedhome their baby girl, Mary Catharine,from Guatemala, in July and are awaitingtheir son, Brian, in the near future.

1975Manuel Romero recently received the2007 Community Achievement Awardfor his efforts to promote diversity andunderstanding in the Hispanic commu-nity. Manuel was also appointed to theBoard of Directors of the BrooklynPublic Library.

1976Mike Riggin has relocated to Dallas,Texas where he serves as Senior VicePresident and Market President at the Highlands Bank of Dallas

1977Jose A. Aquino works for the law firm of Thelen Reid Brown Raysman &Steiner LLP, specializing in commerciallitigation, construction law and publiccontracts law. He is proud to announcethat his son, Jose, Jr., is a graduate ofXavier’s class of 2007.

1978Fr. David Bertolotti works as a Catholic chaplain at Woodhull Hospital,in Brooklyn, and resides at All Saints/Our Lady of Montserrate Parish. VincentKeogh is the president and owner ofthe Metropolitan Investigative Group,a firm specializing in investigative services over the past fifteen years.

1982Dennis Healy is retired as a detectivefrom the NYPD Emergency Service Unitand is the cofounder of The InvictusResource Group, a company that pro-vides instruction and support in thefield of domestic preparedness.

1983Jim McEleney is the Managing Directorfor the Bank of New York Mellon WealthManagement’s Family Office, in London.

1984Bill Kelly is a partner in the law firm of McCarthy & Kelly LLP, specializing in personal injury cases.

1985Gerard Onorato is a Senior Consultantfor Verizon Business Services.

1988Pascal St. Gerard sends his regards to all of his fellow classmates. Patrick J.Steffens works as a lieutenant in theNYPD and recently enrolled his son,Patrick, into the class of 2011. Matt Feblescompleted his 5th NYC Marathon in atime of 3:09:46, which qualifies him forthe 2008 Boston Marathon. Matt alsocoaches track & field and cross countryat Fordham Prep and helps operate aJesuit and CHSAA Alumni running club.Those interested in joining can reachhim at [email protected] Arlia is happily married with two children and works for CreditSuisse as a Mortgage Sales Assistant.

1989George Brennanwrites:“My secondpublished book,Bats, Brats, and Statswas released onChristmas 2007.In August 2007,I released the first original CD of music I wrote

and recorded. My Day is available atcdbaby.com. Finally, on September 12,2007 my wife Katie gave birth to two—our first children, twins Connor JackBrennan and Caroline Grace Brennan”.

1991Anthony Freire operates a real estatesales and consulting firm called PortraitRealty, in Manhattan.

1992Christian G. Meany manages his own graphic design business calledKrona Design.

1993Evan Barnes works as a freelance photographer for the New York PostSports Photography Department andwrites for other newspapers in the NewYork City area. Dan Castle and his wife,Marissa, are expecting triplets in May of 2008.

1994John Georges is pursuing his secondMasters Degree in Higher EducationAdministration and a graduate certifi-cate in marketing at Baruch College.Marc Palladino is a real estate attorneyat Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft,in Manhattan.

Class Notes


1995Christopher J. Geissler was promotedto Assistant Principal at Fairfield WoodsMiddle School in Fairfield, Connecticut.Ryan Quinn moved to Philadelphiaafter being promoted to ExternalWholesaler for the Retirement Divisionof MFS Investment Management. Ryanis also happy to report his marriage to Katie Jacobsen, a fellow 2001 BostonCollege graduate, in July of 2006.Eric Eschenauer received his MBAfrom the Fordham University GraduateSchool of Business Administration in May 2007.

1997John Murillo is an account executive at International Bond & Marine in Hoboken, New Jersey.

2000Jamie Mannina serves an aide toHillary Clinton in her New York CitySenate office.

2003Peter Faherty attends Albany LawSchool and plays for the school’s rugby team.

2004Jonathan DePierro, a member of the Dean’s List at Fordham University,is majoring in psychology and workingat the Institute of Basic Research.

2005Jacob Fountain is completing a semes-ter of his junior year of college at theRoyal Holloway University of London asone of 13 cadets chosen to participatein a program sponsored by the historydepartment at the Citadel.

2007Michael Chiaia has completed Cadet Basic Training at the U.S. MilitaryAcademy and was accepted into theCorp of Cadets during the AcceptanceParade on August 18, 2007.

Class Notes

An award-winning documentary film maker,St. Clair Bourne ’60 died December 15, 2007.Bourne began his career in American publictelevision in 1971, producing films for the TV series “Black Journal,” before establishinghis own production company, ChambaMediaworks. His work gradually extendedtoward educational films, network TV andpolitical films centering on the experiencesunique to African-Americans worldwide.

In “Let the Church Say Amen!,” (1974),at the request of a group of ministers,Bourne produced a feature that documentedthe African-American religious experience,signaling a break from traditional televisionjournalism that would continue throughoutthe rest of his career.“The Black and the Green”(1983), followed a tour in which African-American activists met the IRA in NorthernIreland, and Bourne achieved a level of success as a filmmaker.

Bourne went on to produce or direct over 45 films for HBO, PBS, NBC, CBS, BBC,Sundance Channel and National Geographic,including documentaries that profiled the historian and Pan-African activist, John HenrikClarke, the legendary black poet and writer,Langston Hughes, and the African-Americanactor/activist Paul Robeson, among others.His 2000 HBO documentary on the photo-journalist/filmmaker Gordon Parks earnedhim three Emmy nominations.

In a recent online message board, a friendand former publicist of recognized Bourne’skindness, and his sense of truth, balance andperspective and acknowledged his many eye-opening films that educated so manyviewers during his 36-year career.

IN MEMORIAM

Mileposts


Mileposts

DEATHSAlumniJohn P. O’Keefe ’29, June 12, 2004

Francis J. McCormick ’32, July 4, 2007

James W. Barrett ’34, June 11, 2007

James J. Rogers ’36, February 6, 2007

Christopher Karb ’40, May 26, 2007

James F. Skane ’42, October 20, 2006

John M. McCoy ’43, March 17, 2007

Joseph L. McElroy ’46, August 15, 2007

Donald P. Pascale ’46, May 4, 2007

John H. King ’47, April 22, 2007

Robert B. Beusse ’48, August 14, 2007

Victor J. Gioscia ’48, August 5, 2007

Richard J. Farrelly ’49, March 25, 2007

Joseph G. Fink ’49, November 1, 2007

Robert F. McGiff ’50, July 31, 2007

Joseph J. Clark ’52, July 23, 2007

Charles P. Murray ’52, January 10, 2007

Edward L. Burke ’53, September 6, 2007

Samuel A. Carrello ’54, May 1, 2007

Michael R. Aylward ’55, April 4, 2007

John L. Doyle ’55, February 20, 2007

John M. Armentano ’57, April 18, 2007

Stephen J. Spiro ’57, October 23, 2007

Michael T. Balsamo ’59, July 10, 2007

Joseph P. Marro ’61, February 5, 2006

Leonard S. Leaman ’64, June 26, 2007

Edward S. Kulesza ’70, September 25, 2007

John W. Reilly ’73, July 17, 2007

Robert J. Cacace ’79, October 10, 2007

Donald L. Magnetti ’57, February 2, 2008

FamilyPatrick Akande, father of

Segun ’03, July 5, 2007

Angela Balaschak-Ferrer, mother of Evan Ferrer ’10, July 9, 2007

Amy Cioffi, mother of Frank ’71, April 17, 2007

Duncan W. Clark, father of Duncan Clark ’71, August 5, 2007

Regina M. Dassaro, mother of Thomas ’09, October 29, 2007

Donald J. Dillon, father of Sean ’79,Scott ’82 and Donald ’82,January 7, 2007

Antonio Fabila, father of Edward ’87, May 12, 2007

Rosemary Gorman, mother of Vincent ’67, Neil ’69, Denis ’71,and Padraic ’79, June 23, 2007

Christian Guster, son of Edward J. Guster III ’89, February 19, 2007

Robert Hughes, father of Robert W. ’07 and Brennan ’09, May 4, 2007

Ellyn Iadarola, mother of Paul ’94, October 7, 2007

Daniel J. Keane, son of Kenneth ’70, July 26, 2007

Margaret Keyes, wife of Alan ’46, May 20, 2007

Anita E. Marro, mother of Joseph ’61, May 1, 2006

John McLaughlin, father of Kevin J. McLaughlin ’74, June 5, 2007

Giuseppina Mogavero, mother of Sergio Mogavero, Xavier faculty member,May 27, 2007

Bernard J. Rocco, father of Vincent ’63, July 21, 2007

William J. Varrichio Sr., father of William J. Varrichio Jr. ’62, April 28, 2007

FriendsHenry Long, father-in-law of

Margaret Gonzalez, Xavier facultymember, October 26, 2007

Dominick P. Mauriello, father of Thomas Mauriello, former Xavieradministrator, June 21, 2007

BIRTHSThomas Hugh Brady, January 3, 2007

Michele and Gerard Brady ’91

Joseph Daniel DePierro, December 19, 2006Kristen and James DePierro ’85

Andrew Farrell, May 28, 2007Ann and George Farrell ’82

Alexander Louis Gibson, May 4, 2007Marie and Robert Gibson ’87

Jack Martin Gibson, May 4, 2007Marie and Robert Gibson ’87

Andrew Thomas Israel, August 16, 2007Teresa and Andrew Israel ’85

Olivia Claire Lanzi, June 26, 2007Anne and Michael Lanzi ’93

Brady Nicholson Murray,November 6, 2007Heather and Brian Murray ’91

Robert Felix O’Grady III, August 2, 2007Nicole and Robert O’Grady

Luca Nikolas Palladino, May 23, 2007Olga and Marc Palladino ’94

Genevieve Purnell-Amaez, September 5, 2007Leana Amaez and Brian Purnell ’96

Leonardo Valentino Quacinella,February 1, 2007Lisa and Wayne Quacinella ’83

WEDDINGSJohn N. Frank ’71 and Carolyn Calzavara,

July 28, 2007

Brian Purnell ’96 and Leana Amaez,August 12, 2006

Michael J. Ramos ’86 and Kristi M. Schwindt,May 26, 2007

Michael T. Ryan ’90 and Mairin K. Dent,June 29, 2007

George P. Sinnott ’97 and Jessica Connors,June 9, 2007

Allan Suarez ’88 and Evelyn Gonzalez,May 25, 2007

Eugene Sweeney ’85 and Carrie McDaniel,April 21, 2007

PLACE PIER SIXTY at Chelsea PiersNew York, NY 10011

TIME Reception6:00 - 7:00 pm

Dinner7:00 pm

HONOREES

Amb. Vincent M. Battle ’58 Worked for over 25 years in theForeign Service, mainly in theMiddle East. U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon from 2001 to 2004.

Rev. Vincent M. Cooke, S.J. ’54President of Canisius College since1993. Recipient of numerous awardsfor civic and community service in the Buffalo, New York, area.

Rev. James Dineen, S.J. ’48 Guidance counselor and teacher at Xavier from the mid-sixties to the mid-seventies. Faculty chaplain and retreat minister at St. Peter’s Prep.

Constantine Katsoris ’49 Professor of Law at FordhamUniversity. Nationally knownexpert in financial, tax and arbitration law with a distin-guished list of publications.

John C. Meditz ’66Co-founder and Vice Chairman of Horizon Asset Management.Trustee of Xavier High School and Fairfield University; works with many non-profit groups.

Rodger D. Shay, Sr. ’54Founder of Shay AssetsManagement, Inc and pastChairman of the Board of Merrill Lynch Money MarketSecurities, Inc. Former Xavier Trustee.

XAVIER HIGH SCHOOL

Hall of Fame Dinner

Rev. James Dineen, S.J. ’48Rev. Vincent M. Cooke, S.J. ’54Amb. Vincent M. Battle ’58

Constantine Katsoris ’49 John C. Meditz ’66 Rodger D. Shay, Sr. ’54

Friday, November 21, 2008

Save the Date!

Please join us as

we celebrate our

“Men for Others”


This issue of the Alumnews focuses on alumni who have been instrumental in “saving lives” through their work in the field of medicine. Dr. Joseph McGinn ’73is a heart surgeon who has developed a less invasive procedure for bypass surgeryby not stopping the patient’s heart; Dr.Michael LaQuaglia ’68 is a world-renownphysician specializing in neuroblastoma and other forms of pediatric cancer; andthe class of 1978’s Dr. Dominic Gadaleta’s gastric bypass surgery has helped manydangerously obese people begin new and much healthier lives and lifestyles.Whether it is doctors on the front lines or research scientists like Peter Oates ’65working on a possible cure for diabetes, Xavier alumni are in the forefront of newmedical procedures and medical research, and they are working to better the livesof all Americans.

These men and so many other Xavier alumni who have chosen to practicemedicine began their career journeys on 16th Street. They were recipients of agreat college preparatory education, opportunities to develop all their talents and a need to serve mankind as “Men for Others.”They were all beneficiaries of the“living endowment” provided by members of the Society of Jesus who dedicatedtheir lives to educating bright young men of promise and who, by their service,kept that education affordable to all. As that “living endowment” has decreased in numbers, the number of lay teachers has expanded exponentially and theresultant increase in salaries and benefits has led to significantly higher operationexpenses. That makes it all the more necessary that alumni, parents and friendssupport the school financially to keep the opportunity of a Xavier education available to all who qualify for it.

Yet occasional conversations with alumni, family and friends sometime reflect a bias toward “more important” charities such as medical research or colleges, etc.Obviously, we at Xavier believe that your charitable dollars will work much moreproductively here than elsewhere. Certainly, I am not denying the importance ofmedical research. Finding cures for heart disease, diabetes, AIDS, cancer and all the other ills that afflict mankind today and in the future is very important to thewell-being of all who inhabit this planet. I also cannot argue with the importanceof a college education which has also become increasingly costly. I would stronglysuggest, however, that a generous gift to Xavier will pay an equal or greater dividendby assuring that the young men of intellectual promise educated here, amongwhom may be the doctor or researcher who finds the cure for a catastrophic disease or the diplomat/politician who brokers peace in a troubled world, continue to become men of action impelled to greatness as “Men for Others.”Your continuedgenerosity to Xavier, whether through yearly gifts to the annual fund or to scholarshipendowment and/or a deferred legacy gift to either, will ensure that the opportunityfor a Xavier education remains available to all who will qualify, regardless of theircurrent financial condition.

I urge each of you to consider where your gift can make the greatest impact.A major gift or continuous annual gifts to Xavier provide the best opportunity toform, at an early and impactful stage of their lives, men of competence, conscienceand compassion who will take their rightful place as leaders in every field of endeavorin this nation and the world. We cannot hope for more and we cannot afford to do less.

FROM THE ADVANCEMENT OFFICE

JOE GORSKIVice President for Advancement

Visit www.xavierhsalumni.org& click on Planned Giving Advice.Explore your legacy.

Give Us the Gift You Always IntendedPerhaps you have always said that once you are comfortable and secure, youwould like to help those causes near and dear to your heart. Only you haven’t yet implemented your philanthropic plans. Are you one of these well-intentionedpeople? If so, here is the easiest way to turn your good intentions into action.

A Gift in Your WillYou can make a charitable gift by including a bequest to Xavier High Schooldirectly in your will or revocable or irrevocable living trust. In doing so, you provide a pledge of future support for our mission.

We can help you and your estate planning advisors develop a plan best suited to satisfy family and philanthropic goals. Please give us a call:

Joseph Gorski 212.924.7900 Ext. 1539Loual Puliafito 212.924.7900 Ext. 1611

Various Bequest OptionsThere are many ways to make a bequest. You might discuss them with your attorney as you prepare to update your will.

A more detailed outline of the bequest options are outlined on the Xavier website.Please visit www.xavierhsalumni.org & click on Planned Giving Advice.

Explore your legacy.

Alumnews Calendar

3rd Annual Xavier Alumni 3-on-3 Basketball TournamentMarch 15, 2008

Boston Alumni ReceptionMarch 27, 2008

Parents Gala FundraiserApril 25, 2008

Reunion Gala and DinnerMay 2 and 3, 2008

Golf OutingMay 20, 2008

Baccalaureate Mass and DinnerJune 7, 2008

Senior BreakfastJune 10, 2008

Volunteer ReceptionJune 17, 2008

Xavier Society and LoyolaAssociates ReceptionSeptember 17, 2008

President’s Council ReceptionSeptember 24, 2008

Maroon and Blue DaySeptember 26, 2008

President’s Council DinnerOctober 2, 2008

Parent’s PhonathonOctober 20-23, 2008

Xavier High School Open HouseOctober 18, 2008

Non-Profit OrganizationU.S. Postage

PAIDManchester, NHPermit No. 206

30 West 16th Street New York, NY 10011-6302

xavier alumnews feb 2008

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