In Memoriam: Jonathan Torres ‗05

All that students of La Salle Academy were told at this year‟s orienta-tion about Jonathan Torres, the former student at La Salle Academy was that he was murdered after gang mem-bers attempted to rob him in the streets of his hometown in Ecuador. To most stu-dents, and a few new teachers as well, this name was exactly what it was…just a name. But to some, who had the pleas-ure of teaching Jonathan in his senior year of school, re-membered him as something more: a quiet, respectful young man who worked dili-gently, and had the heart and soul of a champion. This is the side which the Cardinal hopes to present to you in this article, the side of Jona-than Torres which few people knew. These are a collection of memories of Jonathan Torres life in La Salle from those that knew him. Of all the teachers at La Salle, the teachers of the senior classes knew him the most. His personality was that of a gentleman, according to all the teachers I spoke to. “He was quiet and soft spoken, a very private young man” said Mr. Kerrigan, who taught Jon in Spanish. “He was a hard worker, and never had any problems with anyone. He was well on his way to becoming a suc-cessful young man.” Mr. Aberer agreed with Mr. Kerrigan‟s statement, saying “He was very enthusiastic, he was a kid who really tried very hard, both athletically and academically. Athletically, he was a killer He played his heart out and put every-thing out on the field. He did a good job in the classroom as well. In his first years he was a little weak, but he became very strong at the end. He was a kid who co-operated to the fullest, you never had any problems with him. What happened to him was very sad. He was a good kid.” Jonathan‟s prowess at soccer was further praised by Mr. Raymond Polanco who coached Jonathan for 4 years. “Jonathan was one of the hardest working people

I‟ve ever met on the field. He was one of the nicest, yet the toughest, individuals one could ever meet. He was always will-ing to do the extra to help his teammates. As far as I‟m concerned he was part of an

extended family outside of soccer. He was a good student, and my heart goes out to the family.” There were those who only knew one side of Jon, and were surprised at the circumstances to which he met his tragic end. But nevertheless they still had kind words about him. “Jonathan was a gentle-man.” said Ms. D‟Agostino. “He was very soft spoken, very congenial. My observa-tion was that he got along well with his peers, and he was respected by them. He went about his business in a very quiet manner. You might say he was an intro-vert, he kept his thoughts to himself unless you invited him to say something. I always viewed him as a decent person. There were things that I‟ve heard but I‟ve never experienced. For instance I‟ve heard that sometimes he did have the ability to be aggressive and outspoken but I never saw that side of him. And I was very surprised when I heard that he did not yield when he was approached in his fatal end, I thought he would be more

docile. But then I heard from other peo-ple that he would be an individual who would stand up for his own rights.” Ms Straub also shared some memories of Jon with us. “I don‟t remember so much

about him in class actually, I remember him more as a sen-ior. Stopping in, observing intently. He used to work in the school, and I found him very conscientious in terms of the work that he did. He was quiet, but seemed anxious to do, correctly, what he had to do. ” Of all the interviews taken of the teacher, the most interesting was that of Mr. Stephen Spear, who was ru-mored to know the most about Jonathan out of all his teach-ers. It was so important, and so informative, that it was re-corded and repeated verbatim for all of the Cardinal‟s read-ers. The following was re-corded on October 18, 2006: Justin Lokossou: So what do you remember about Jon Torres‟ personality? Mr. Spear: I remember Jon being really quiet, a really nice guy who was really willing to

stand up for himself. He had a really strong personality, especially if he thought he was being treated unfairly but he was always polite about it. JL: “Can you give me an example of that (his strong personality)?” Mr. Spear: “An example would be that he would never misbehave in class, never gave him a hard time; always did his work…until somebody made fun of him. And if somebody made fun of him, that person needed to watch out, because he was really, really adamant about standing up for himself.” JL: “And um, as far as grades?” Mr. Spear: “Got good grades, passed the Regents exam, and did all his work.” JL: “Excellent.” Mr. Spear: “I remember one really important story about Jon stands out, and it‟s actually something that I feel almost guilty about. And that is that when he graduated from La Salle, his plan was to join the Army. And I told him not to do it, because my reason was that he would

(Continued on page 2)

New Faculty Members Arrive at La Salle

p. 4—5

What Member of Our Faculty Was Lucky Enough to

Marry this Woman?

(Answer on Page Two!)

Cardinal Special: A Look Back at Old La Salle. Part One of a Two-Part Series.

p. 6-9

Justin Lokossou ‗08 Staff Reporter

Weight Room Completed!

p. 3

New Year, New Rules

p. 4

Actor Barnard Hughes, Class of „33, Dies

p. 3

2 1st Quarter 2006

(Jonathan Torres continued from pg. 1)

―Try not to become a man of success b u t a m a n o f v a l u e . ‖ ~ Albert Einstein It‟s already December, and there are signs that the holiday season is in full swing. The store windows down Fifth Avenue are decorated, the Rockefeller Tree is lit, and Salvation Army Santas are ringing their bells. This time of year usually involves an upswing in the number of people doing community service. While this should be applauded, the bigger issue at hand is what happens to the people that are helped after the holidays? Too often these people are forgotten once the holi-days are over, and this can‟t be. People such as the homeless and others who benefit from charity also need suste-nance before and after the holidays, 365 days of the year. What can you do to help? There are a number of ways to try and alleviate the social problems that are faced everyday by millions of people. Spend one day each month volunteering at a food pan-try or a homeless shelter. Tell your par-ents to spend an extra five or ten dollars when they go shopping and buy some canned goods for these needy people. It doesn‟t have to be a major project, but the feeling of pride knowing that you did a good deed for someone else is well worth any trouble that you went through. Learning to be a man for others, and not a man of self-indulgence, is a task that takes time to accomplish. But in the end, the only way to truly be happy is to know that you are a contributor and active participant in your society, not just a bystander. The people around the world who suffer are crying out for you, pleading that you will help them through their difficulty. Answer the call, and become a servant for justice., striving to ensure that every-one has their basic needs met, even if that means a sacrifice from yourself. A man of virtue is a man who is re-spected, and a man who can have self-respect because he knows that he has done the right thing. If you don‟t have self-respect, how can you ever expect anyone to have respect for you? Remember to give, not just during this holiday season, but all throughout the year. A day of your time, even an hour, can be all it takes for a life to be changed, and that very life could be your own.

From all of us at The Cardinal!

The Editor‟s Column...

Wedding Bells Toll at La Salle

Sean P. Vera ‗08 Editor-in-Chief

Celebrations ensued as English teacher Frank Schiazza wed Jennifer Marzella on October 28, 2006. The wedding occurred at St. Athana-sius Church in Brooklyn. With loved ones and friends as witnesses, Frank and Jennifer became husband and wife. The reception occurred at the Villa Barone Manor. The happy couple‟s first dance was to John Lennon‟s “Grow Old With Me”. The highlight of the reception was the couple‟s en-trance. Instead of the usual walk-in to the reception, Mr. and Mrs. Schiazza rose up from to the dance floor by use

die in Iraq. A few days later he came back to me and said, Mr. Spear you con-vinced me not to go to the Army. In-stead I‟m going to go with my parents back to Ecuador. He went back, and was killed. And I‟ve always felt guilty about that.” We hope that from reading this arti-cle, you may realize that Jonathan Tor-res was not just another faceless name in the obituaries. He should not be just an unfortunate victim of fate, who we‟ll forget about as the years go by. Jona-than was a young man who truly shined with the Lasallian spirit. He was a hard worker, quiet but intelligent, who was already ready to defend his morals and beliefs. If there is one phrase that you should remember about Jon, it is this: ―I knew that when he was in his final moments he refused to hand over his wallet, because that was the kind of person he was. He was a fighter, and he believed in standing up for his rights.‖ Men like these do not come along often. They are born with a brav-ery that many admire. They become successful, and are seen as leaders to those who know them. Jonathan Torres was a star whose life was darkened be-fore he received his chance to truly shine. Some people never knew who he was until they lost him. We never knew who he was until he was gone.

of an elevator, with the song “Final Countdown” marking their entrance. Best wishes to the happy couple! Another faculty wedding is soon to oc-cur, as guidance counselor Ben Papa r e c e n t l y b e c a m e e n g a g e d . Congratulations to both of these faculty members!

3 1st Quarter 2006

Actor, Alumni Barnard Hughes ‗33 Dies

1933 graduate of La Salle Academy and famous actor Barnard Hughes died over the summer. One of La Salle Academy‟s claims to fame, Hughes was a Tony and Emmy Award winner and a star of stage, screen, and film. He was 90. Barnard Hughes died at New York Pres-byterian Hospital on July 11 after a brief illness. Hughes, whose movie credits include Midnight Cowboy, began his act-ing career with the Shakespeare Fellowship Repertory Company in New York. He had over 400 theatre roles to his credit, his most famous being Hugh Leo-nard‟s Da. He won the 1978 Tony Award for Best Actor for his role, and recreated the role for the 1988 film version. His television credits included Blossom, Homicide: Life on the Street, Naked City, and perhaps his most notable television ap-pearance as a Catholic priest on All in the Family. He also had recurring appearances on day-time dramas including Guiding Light and As the World Turns. Among the many movies he starred included Oh, God!, The Lost Boys, Doc Hollywood, Cradle Will Rock, Cold Turkey, The Hos-pital, The Odd Couple II,, and Sis-ter Act 2. Hughes was born in Bedford Hills, New York, and attended Manhattan College. Before his entry to the acting scene, he worked as a department store salesman and a copyreader on Wall Street. He was

Antonio Rivera ‗10 Staff Reporter

Help Our Christmas Toy Drive!

Please donate new gifts for young children and teens during this month‟s Christmas Toy Drive. The toys will be donated to Hour Children, a family service provider estab-lished by the Sisters of Saint Joseph to provide support to incarcerated mothers and

their children.

Many of these children often receive nothing for Christmas. Help bring a child some joy, and donate a gift today.

For more information, see Mr. Hayes in the Campus Ministry Office, room 5-B.

married to actress Helen Stenborg, who was his wife of 56 years. He died 5 days before his 91st birthday, and is survived by two children, Doug and Laura. All who spoke of him mentioned his warmth and kind personality, includ-ing Development Director Andrew Leary, who commented that he was “as humble as pie.” We extend our deepest sympathies to Barnard Hughes‟ family at this diffi-cult time.

Veteran actor and La Salle graduate Barnard Hughes died this summer at 90.

This school has been around for a pretty long time and, sometimes, if you take a close enough look, you can tell. In the spirit of new beginning, however, LaSalle began work on mod-ernizing the school weight room and, after months of work by the mainte-nance staff, has finally finished the job.

The weight room, located on the base-ment level, is one of La Salle‟s many facilities open after school for use by the student body. The track team often utilizes the equipment to stay in shape when it‟s too cold to run outside. The baseball team, whose season doesn‟t begin until the Spring of 2007, has al-ready begun using the weight room for informal workouts, and will utilize it during the season to stay in shape when East River Field is too crowded. And the teams of other sports, such as bas-ketball, soccer and even handball, will use the room to keep themselves fit as well.

In years past, the room has suffered some severe wear and tear and the school, preoccupied with other necessi-ties, was forced to put weight room renovations on the backburner. How-ever, one of the school‟s benefactors, Mr. Coady, agreed to match whatever amount of money the school could

raise, up to $10,000, which helped the school renovate the weight room, and gave the students an invaluable physical and social resource, which has already attracted many patrons.

The problems of the weight room of old are a thing of the past; there are new ma-chines that students can utilize to stay in shape, including treadmills, weight ma-chines, free weights, and other callis-thenic machines.

The weight room will be open to stu-dents after school, until 4:00 pm, and some gym classes will be held there as well.

The man responsible for the renovations is Mr. Andrew Leary, the director of the Development/Alumni Relations Depart-ment of our school. Mr. Leary worked close with the school‟s Administrative body and Mr. Coady, to help makes this possible.

Mr. Schiazza, the new Varsity Baseball coach and English teacher at LaSalle, had the following to say:

“The weight room will be a great meeting ground for students who wish to spend their time after school doing something constructive. Teachers, too, can utilize the room; specifically to work out some aggression after long days of keeping their students in check.”

Raymond Morales III ‗08 Assistant Editor

School Weight Room Open for Business

4 1st Quarter 2006

...In With the New.

Pierre-Richard Severin ‗10 Staff Reporter

Ah September… the month we all dread. There are essays, projects, pres-entations, and many other time-consuming things that nobody really wants to do, but we all have to, regard-less. The start of the 2006-07 school year, however, brought even more apprehen-sion, as LaSalle‟s Administrative body instituted a large number of new rules and regulations. Here is a brief list of some of the most important ones: N o e a r r i n g s o f a n y k i n d . LaSalle is trying to make the school as professional as it can be, and earrings don‟t pro-ject a professional image.

No electronic games are allowed i n s c h o o l . Many stu-dents had their elec-tronic devices stolen last year; not just in school, but outside as well. LaSalle also wants students to spend more time focusing on their studies, and making new friends, and that means taking their noses out of their PSP‟s and putting them into their books.

Cell phones must be off and in locker or pocket. k Unfortunately, cell phones can also go off during class, and students sometimes use their cell phones to cheat on exams. But, not anymore!

If a student is more than ten minutes late for school, he must spend first period in the cafeteria. Gone are the days where stu-dents can stroll up to class whenever they get in the building. Now, students must get to homeroom before 8:00, or they will spend the first period in the cafeteria, missing their first class and all work they were given, in the process. When I spoke to Ms. Hammonds about the school rules she replied that “the new school rules are important to the success of our students upon graduation. It is my belief that stu-dents will appreciate our rules upon en-tering our competitive society.” Dr. Drozdek, Dean of Student Life, added that he pushed for the new school rules “to give the students an idea of what the

real world is really like.” As for the Class of „10, Dr. Drozdek thinks the group is a bright group of young men that he looks for-ward to seeing graduate. Ms Hammonds also thinks that the fresh-men are a dynamic group of young men with a lot of great things to offer LaSalle Academy. On my first day of school, I, being a member of the Class of ‟10, was more than ten minutes late, and was a victim of LaSalle‟s new lateness rule. Many freshmen have similar memories or recollections of their first couple weeks at La Salle Academy. Ei-ther way, each freshman has taken the

big step at starting high school. They have already com-pleted the hardest part of their school life which is the foundation. Now it is time for your foundation to take the weight of high school and beyond. Hopefully, they will help every year around the school and do little things like commu-

nity service and fund raising. The fresh-men will become alumni of La Salle Academy and help their sons and grandsons understand the spirit that is found at LaSalle. I asked Ms. Hammonds where she saw LaSalle Academy, academically, in five or ten years, and her response was, “I see LaSalle Academy going to-wards an even more rigorous academic program. I foresee an increase in the number of Regents diplomas. In 10 years I see an increase in LaSalle high schools globally because of LaSalle‟s mission.” She also thinks the freshman class of ‟10 will be great contributors to their communities. I think there will be many successful students in our fresh-men class. We all have great things to offer with our talents but it is our re-sponsibility to bring them into effect. Ms. Hammonds‟ advice to all freshmen is, “To spend time out of the classroom reviewing material from each subject on a daily basis. It is the time to develop good study habits. With hard work and perseverance, you will achieve success.”

By the end of last year La Salle Academy ended with the job of Campus Minister filled by Mr. Jason Velasquez. By the beginning of this year the job of Campus Minister was left vacant. In a search for jobs in min-istry sending out resumes and a gift from God Mr. John Hayes ended up at La Salle as the new Campus Minis-ter. When asked what his duties were as C a m p u s Minister Mr. Hayes re-s p o n d e d , "Well I am still trying to figure out exactly what my duties are but, over all, I am trying to foster the personal and s p i r i t u a l growth of the students and faculty of La Salle. I am also trying to provide service-hour opportunities." Mr. Hayes has lots of experi-ence with being around teenagers, but he is actually a musician and worked with kids in a parish in Brooklyn in social services. He describes his day in detail. "First I come in and get myself settled and centered, and then I do morning prayers over the PA system. I come back to get myself ready for my relig-ion class in period B. I try to call peo-ple for a lot of service opportunity ready for the students. Then I try to move around the halls and stay visi-ble." Mr. Hayes continued: “I at-tended the opening mass and I was impressed with the sense of order, respect and diversity among the stu-dents,” regarding his first impression of the school. His favorite part of his job is being an impact on students. “I love it all: the fact that I have the chance to have an impact upon people lives as well as being taught by students how to use our creative vision." In this position Mr. Hayes would like to see an increase of a community of spirit among the students. So far, Mr. Hayes has loved his first days here at La Salle and he is energet ic to come back each and every day. Ms. San-dra Sanchez joined the LaSalle Acad-emy community at the start of this year as the LaSallian volunteer in the Academic Support Center. Her influ-ence to begin teaching began when she joined the AmeriCorps program in College in San Francisco. Her first year, she worked for AIDS services. Nevertheless, at the time Ms. Sanchez was a little unsure of what field she wanted to really be a part of. Her stud-ies took her abroad to Cape Town,

South Africa; where her knowledge about the Apartheid Movement sparked her interest to begin a study in the field of education. Ms. Sanchez saw the injustices in the education sys-tems in South Africa resulting from Apartheid, which influenced her to take up teaching. When Ms. Sanchez returned to the United States, she began her career as an educator. She began working as a volunteer at the Demarillac Middle School in San Francisco, which led her to find out about the LaSallian volun-teer program.

When asked how it felt to be in a different place with different types of peo-ple, Ms. San-chez said that she had never been to New York City before in her life. “It is very different

than California in the sense of cultural norms, and the sense of style, it is big, compared to California. Cultural norms are very diverse in New York City com-pared to that of San Francisco,” she replied “what surprised me most about LaSalle is the tight knit community with approximately 450 students”. Ms. Sanchez also told the Car-dinal that, when she is helping another student, she believes she is also learn-ing. “If I don‟t remember, the students will help. I‟m trying to keep up with the social lingo, new vocabulary, and ultimately, what‟s in style in this culture. I like the sense of community in the school, in the sense that the teachers care about the students and see them as an individual”, she says. When she was asked what she felt the most challenging part of the day was, Ms. Sanchez replied, “after school is the most challenging because all the students come, so the [Academic] Support Center becomes very crowded; we definitely need more space”. Ms. Sanchez has been helping students at the Academic Support Cen-ter since the beginning of this year.

T h a n k you, Ms. S a n c h e z for all the hard work and dedi-cation you have put in. We hope you can con-tinue to be a part of the LaSalle C o m m u -

nity, not only as a teacher, but as a learner to more information every day. Our new teachers are a wel-come addition to La Salle, and their impact on the students lives will be felt for years to come. We are thankful for the jobs they have done so far in their brief LaSallian careers, and hope that we can grow with them as the years progress. Thank you both, Mr. Hayes and Ms. Sanchez!

Michael Alston ‗10 & Nick Albergo ‗08 Staff Reporters

Two New Teachers Arrive at La Salle

Interested in writing, editing, or photography?

Join The Cardinal !

For more information, see Mr. Schiazza in room 505 or Sean Vera in room

403.

“Electronic Spirits, Be Gone!” Imagines like

this—of students losing themselves in their

gadgetry—are a thing of the past.

New Rules, Freshman Class, Mark New Era for LaSalle

5 1st Quarter 2006

Veterans‘ Day Ceremony a Memorial for All Sean P. Vera ‗08

Editor-in-Chief

On November 13, 2006, La Salle stu-dents piled into the gym to celebrate Veterans‟ Day, a memorial for all those who have served in our county‟s armed f o r c e s . f f l a Set up with the help of Ms. Straub, Mr. Spear, Mr. Aberer, Ms. DeRosa, Mr. Dackow, and Brother James, the cere-mony featured a reading of the Gettys-burg Address and the Preamble to the Constitution. A video showing major stars reciting the Declaration of Inde-pendence. Was also shown. Awards were given to several alumni of La Salle Academy who served in the armed forces, including La Salle‟s own s taf f member Tony Mora les . La Salle also recognized several seniors who plan to enter military institutions at the completion of their high school career. An essay and poster contest were held

Juan Pedroza ‗09 Staff Reporter

Mr. Ben Papa joined our staff this Sep-tember, after the departure of Mr. Wil-liams, last year‟s Freshman Counselor. Mr. Papa wasted no time, though, in winning his Freshmen (and Sopho-mores A-M) over with his kindness and dedication. The Cardinal had a chance to sit down with Mr. Papa: THE CARDINAL: Tell the students a little about yourself. MR. PAPA: I went to Metthen College, where I received a Bachelor‟s Degree in Economics and a Master‟s Degree in Counseling. I am from upstate New York and I currently live in Yonkers. I enjoy counseling and I enjoy working with the students. TC. What school did you work at before you came to La Salle? MP: I worked In the Berkshire School system in upstate New York. TC: Why did you come to La Salle? MP: I chose to come here to La Salle because it is a great school I like the fac-ulty, which are a few things I saw when I came over the summer.

Q & A With Mr. Papa

TC: How long have you been a guid-ance counselor? MP: I have been a guidance counselor for six months and I am enjoying my job so far. TC: Have there been any problems in your job as a guidance counselor? MP: No. As of yet I have not experi-enced any problems. TC: What do you think the future holds for you here at La Salle? MP: I think the future is bright and will offer a lot of experience & insight.

Welcome to La Salle!

We also welcome Mrs. Kathryn Iver-son, the new com-

puter teacher! Welcome!

(An in-depth story will be provided in the next issue.)

in conjunction with this event. Junior Justin Sosa won the essay contest, while sophomore Julian DiIorio and junior Sean Vera claimed top prizes in the poster contest. Afterwards, the various alumni who ap-peared went into the classrooms to dis-cuss their experiences in the armed forces. The armed forces of the United States were memorialized in video, speech, song, and art.

One of the posters submitted for the Veterans’ Day Assembly.

Our next assembly will be the Christmas Assembly held on

December 22nd.

Mr. Al Barbosa is a school coach who may be familiar to some students of LaSalle, but new to many, especially the class of 2010. F o r those unac-quainted, Mr. Barbosa has c o a c h e d sports at this school for a long time, but was recently named La Salle Acad-emy‟s new Head Varsity B a s k e t b a l l coach after the retirement of Mr. Bill Aberer, who held the job for 35 years. M r . Barbosa, who has an Associ-ate‟s Degree from the B.M.C.C. and works at a list o f o the r schools in the New York City area (most recently at Greenwich Village Middle School), was also named the Soccer coach for LaSalle. This year marks his fourteenth year coaching at La Salle Academy, which means that he understands what it takes to be a leader and, more importantly, what it takes to be a LaSallian. Most of the other schools Mr. Barbosa works at are public and run by the Board of Education. He feels that the only differences from this school than any other are the fact that it is pa-rochial and boys-only.

One of Mr. Barbosa‟s crown-ing achievement came when he was the Assistant Coach of the 2004 Varsity team that won the CHSAA City Cham-pionship.

H e c o m -mented that it was a “big highlight” be-cause La Salle was probably one of the “ s m a l l e s t schools to win t h e C i t y C h a m p i o n -ship”. For all that Mr. Bar-bosa knows about basket-ball, Soccer is a new venture for him, which means that coaching the team will be a challenge. H i s advice for the team is to just “let them play the game” b e c a u s e “they‟re pretty good.”

He feels that most of the play-ers on the soccer team have “a good understanding of the game” and “superior talent.” Hopefully that will lead to a successful run as coach. For all the students that are reading this article, Mr. Barbosa has words of advice for you, as well: “Take the opportunity to do things right while you‟re young.” He feels too many young adults develop bad habits at a young age and that they are inherited at later parts in life. We wish you luck with the sports teams and hope this season can turn out like 2004!

Coach Barbosa: Athletic Multi-tasker

Raymond L. Morales III Assistant Editor

Freshmen look on during the ceremonial presentation of the flag.

The ceremonial presentation of the flag.

6 1st Quarter 2006

Do you need to research the reaction of Americans to the attack on Pearl Harbor? What about finding out what New York's trolley cars were like? How about the shame of segregation in the South? The Great Depression or immi-gration to America by steamship? If you think you have to “Google” it or head to an encyclopedia you‟ve missed something important. There are still men and women around who lived those experiences and times. What you want to do is talk to “living history.” But, I warn you: they are vanishing breed so don‟t wait too long! You may have noticed the cornerstone near the entrance to our main building which says that the present LaSalle Academy was built in 1936. Well, what was there before then? To find out I spoke with one of the diminishing number of graduates from the “Old La Salle” and the only De La Salle Brother remaining that I know of who attended the school then: Brother Patrick Mar-tin. Brother Pat is now a resident of the Christian Brothers‟ Nursing Home in New Jersey. On a visit there this sum-mer he gladly accepted my invitation to tell me about the old days. Br. Patrick, 90, was born on November 1, 1916. 1916 was a year before the United States joined in the European war that we now call World War I and four years before any female citizen of our country had the right to vote. Henry Ford‟s affordable Model T auto-mobile was beginning to change life in America from horsepower to “cars.”

Then and Now: A Lasallian‘s Recollection Br. Timothy Jones, FSC

Faculty Contributor

Woodrow Wilson was President of the United States. He was born in the Tremont section of the Bronx, but at age 10 his large Irish-American family moved to the North Bronx area called Woodlawn at 237th Street. This area was practically country compared to the rest of the city and I im-mediately wanted to know what he was doing attending La Salle Academy all the way down on Second Street in Manhattan. He doesn‟t remember who introduced him to the idea of attending La Salle and he shrugged off the long commute each day as no big deal. Two closer high schools, the now nonexistent Manhattan College Prep and the existing All Hal-lows were unaffordable for his family. To get to La Salle he had to get a bus at 6:30 AM to the subway and take it down to Bleecker Street and walk the few blocks to school. From 1930 to 1932, when he attended, he “was never late.” With all that time riding to school, doing homework was out of the question as the trains each day were “jammed.” In the middle of his first year his younger brother Edward entered La Salle. After two years at La Salle Patrick was re-cruited to attend the “Juniorate,” a high school upstate run by the Brothers for

young men who had potential interest in the Brothers voca-tion, so he didn‟t graduate from La Salle. In 1930 La Salle was affordable at a hefty $10.00 a month tui-tion. Very similar to today, school began at 8:15 with the first class meeting at 8:30. The day finished at 2:15. When school activi-ties were done he

headed over to Third Avenue to take the “El” back uptown into the Bronx, passed Yankee

Stadium, and to another bus across town. (The Third Avenue Elevated train line was torn down in 1950.) His first year he held back from activi-ties, probably because of the long com-mute, but in his second year he placed on the baseball and basketball teams and joined the Glee Club, the school singers. If you think our present gym is small, the older version was even smaller! It had diagonal wooden beams holding up the ceiling. Many league games were held at other locations such as the God-dard Gym at 32nd and Second Avenue. The school Glee Club was an impressive ensemble of young men and their per-formances for family and friends were held at Town Hall, a performance space still in use today at 123 West 43rd Street. One of his favorite memories was when

he visited the office downtown where his older sister worked. Baseball legend Lou Gehrig was often there on busi-ness and he got to meet him. With one or two exceptions all the teachers were Christian Brothers who wore the black robes or religious habits to class every day. Despite folklore to the contrary he doesn‟t remember any instances of corporal punishment. The atmosphere in the school was strict and the students realized how important it was to get their education and what it meant for future employment. Students did not have lockers. They carried what they needed in school bags along with their lunch from home — they “brown bagged it.” Brother Pat thinks at the time there were between 600 to 700 students in the school. There were about 28 in each class for periods 45 minutes long. Students stayed in the same room and the teacher came to the class. The original school building and the adjoining resi-dences added to the school were all built before the Civil War so the wooden stairs were slightly slanted from age and wear, which necessitated classes being carefully dismissed one at a time. No wonder a new school build-ing was needed! Brother Patrick is still amazingly mobile and mentally sharp for his advanced age. We are fortunate to have graduates like him who are living links to our past. I thank him for sharing his story with today‟s students.

Tale of the Tape

1930 2006 $10 per month Tuition $557.28 per

month

Around 700 Number of Students

Around 480

Nearly 100% Percentage of Brothers

Approximately 4%

Herbert Hoover President George W. Bush

48 Number of States

50

Br. Pat Martin, FSC, at-tended La Salle Academy

in 1930.

7 1st Quarter 2006

Over the past 158 years, La Salle Acad-emy has enjoyed a wonderful educa-tional, spiritual, and social tradition that has fulfilled its mission to educate all who walk through the front door of the school. This tradition of excellence has been experienced by many generations of students who have had the privilege of calling themselves La Sallians. Edu-cators from all backgrounds, whether they be lay faculty, or members of the Brothers of the Christian Schools, have dedicated themselves over the years to contribute to this force that we are all held together by. The school has served as host to young men of all cultures and backgrounds, from its roots as a predominantly Irish and Italian school, to the ethnic diversity of students in which we hold true today. The average student, regardless of race, creed, or color, or even the con-temporary teacher may not real-ize how much our school has changed throughout its rich history. To comprehend this message of change and com-parison, we will take a look back at the history of the La Salle of old, and the La Salle of new, and recall some observations and experiences along the way.

La Salle holds a different message and meaning from person to person, for our experience and personal perception play a major role in how we view our student community. We asked a few people who have been around long enough to have seen these changes in La Salle from when they began their tenure here with us, many years ago.

We all identify Mr. John Quinn today as our school‟s principal. But in January of 1970, the “pre-contemporary” Mr. Quinn was a teacher without all of his administrative duties. When he arrived at La Salle, he immediately identified it as a “Manhattan school”, as he was a man who has lived in the Bronx for most of his life. In fact, he walked past the building 3 times before actually realizing where the school building was, just by looking up.

During his time as a full time teacher at La Salle, Mr. Quinn has taught a wide spectrum of subjects including; Social Studies, American History, American Government, Global Studies, Geogra-phy, World History, Current Events, Economics, all 4 years of Religion, and English 9, 10, and 11. You would think that after more than 35 years in the same place that some noticeable changes would have altered his perception of the school build-ing. For Mr. Quinn, that is not the case, as he sees only two no-ticeable changes; the fact that the hall ways are not as crowded, and that the main office and 4th floor have undergone much renova-tion and change. At one point, he says that in 1970, the original annex had a room which was used as a walk-in freezer, but later was converted into a class-room.

As for the integrity of the school itself, La Salle has stayed focus

on its mission all the years I‟ve been here to educate young men of diverse cultural , ethnic, and socio-economic backgrounds-this is who we are and what we do. One of the things Mr. Quinn enjoyed about La Salle when he first arrived were the teachers he worked with. “I taught with an excep-tional group of teachers and learned much over the year s . ” The “contemporary” Mr. Quinn is three generations removed from his student days, and says that within all of this, the experience is the difference, not the years. He points out that “The lessons I have learned as a parent have made me a better educator.” When asked what was the one thing he misses about La Salle of the past, he exclaimed “My youth.” The concern for each student as an individual is something Mr. Quinn wishes existed back then, for the emphasis was on the class as a

whole, not the student. He believes that La Salle has kept him young, and that it has kept h im in touch with himself and others. In

the future, his hope is that, “When I visit in 2025, that I‟ll still remember that I was a part of this school-La Salle.”

Mr. Steve Kerrigan has worked at La Salle for most of his adult life, since he began teaching here in 1969. He has, and still continues, to teach the lan-guage of Spanish to this day. This eve-ryday interaction in dealing with his students is something that brings him great joy and happiness. When he ar-rived at La Salle more than three dec-ades ago, the commitment the teachers had to their students, and the students‟ commitment to their education were two things that really stood out in his mind about the school. As for the school building itself, he says that com-pared to the 70s and 80s, the structure is more used, and is starting to show its “age spots”. He also points out that back then, the Brothers‟ Residence was filled with Christian Brothers, with only 10 lay teachers in the entire school. This is a considerable difference when you take into account that the faculty today is mainly made up of lay teach-ers.

In terms of La Salle over time, he says that, “La Salle has always tried to meet the needs of the present school popula-tion.” He adds that it has always taken a “proactive approach to survive and thrive.” Like many who have been around to see La Salle grow over the past few decades, Mr. Kerrigan says that the school has evolved from when he first began in terms of diversity. “Back in 1970, La Salle was mostly Irish, Italian, and Ukrainian, and has since changed to reflect the population of New York City to include more stu-dents of Hispanic, Asian, and African-American heritage.” One thing that he wished existed more today is the spirit and camaraderie between the students and teachers, an aspect which was more prevalent in his early teaching days. For him personally though, “Some of the best people I‟ve met are members of the faculty at La Salle over the past 40 years, including some teachers that are still teaching at LaSalle today.” Al-though the course of almost 40 years will bring a considerable gap in genera-tions, he says that their really isn‟t much of one, and that the students to-day need more, or exactly the same guidance as the kids of 40 years ago. As a person, the spirituality of Mr. Ker-rigan has been further enriched by his experience as an educator at La Salle. “It is like a realization of God‟s hand over my shoulder-it‟s one of the things that has grown within me since I began teaching at La Salle.” In telling of his own experi-ence, Mr. Kerrigan says that he wasn‟t always 100% positive or negative, but that “a lot of what we do is directed by a loving God.” His personal vision for our school in the future is quite comprehensive, but at the same time, holds so simplicity. “That they may have positive forces that help them grow into the world around them, and that they too may have the hand of God in their l ives as well .” Mr. Bill Aberer has been a fundamental part of the athletic and teaching com-munity that La Salle has fostered since he started here in 1972. One of the things he identified with La Salle was its great school spirit, a major factor in his decision to teach here. Over his 35 year career at La Salle, he has taught Accounting, Business Law, Criminal Law, World History, Business Math, American History, Economics, and

Government. Through his perspective, La Salle has always tried to have “the highest Christian standards through the principles of St. John Baptist de La Salle.” Over the years, Mr. Aberer says that the school building itself has changed through the addition of the annex, and improved technology. He also makes a point in saying that the school is much cleaner today compared to when he first started teaching. Al-though the diversity of the student body has changed greatly, he says that the kids are the same in every way pos-sible.

Two of Mr. Aberer‟s favorite things about teaching at La Salle back then were the attitude of the students, and the camaraderie of the teachers, things which have not changed over the years. As for the ever evident difference in generations, he explains that: “I have had many sons of students that I‟ve taught come through the school, and that hasn‟t affected my teaching.” In terms of anything that he misses about La Salle, he says that the school is basi-cally the same, just with new faces. The technology that we have become accus-tomed to today is something he wished existed when he began teaching. “We used to teach with manual typewriters and we were lucky to have chalk- today we have the availability of the internet t o l o o k u p t o p i c s . ”

He believes that through his ex-perience at La Salle, it has made him more aware of the younger genera-tion. Being part of a place like La Salle helps

you develop as a good Christian, and it helps you to have a better understand-ing of the world in which we live in. Mr. Aberer would like to have La Salle continue to provide the same service it has provided over the past 160 years. His hope is that “it continues to pro-vide an education to the average kid, and that tuition will not be an issue for those who need what LaSalle offers.” There are so many stories that can be told about individual experiences that people have had at La Salle. They could practically go on forever. You can hear about the same thing over and over again, and the story would still be new because of the way in which they re-membered and interpreted it. This is just the effect that an institution like La Salle has on people.

No matter who you are, or what role you play, you are still a part of the tra-dition. Over 158 years, and two build-ings later, the impact that La Salle has had on the students, faculty, sponsors, and everyone else in between cannot be explained in words. As we approach yet another milestone in the history of La Salle, the 160th Anniversary, we look ahead to the future, and the promise it holds. If the first 158+ years are any indication of what‟s to come in the years ahead, then we are to be sure that La Salle Academy will always stay true to its mission: “to live Jesus in our heart forever.”

...to be continued in next quar-ter‟s edition of The Cardinal.

Old La Salle: A Blast from the Past (Pt. I of II) Brian Antolin ‗08

Associate Editor

“Some of the best people I’ve met are members of the faculty at La Salle over the past 40 years.” - Mr. Stephen Kerrigan

“[La Salle] has had the highest Christian stan-dards through the princi-pals of St. John Baptist de la Salle”

- Mr. Bill Aberer

La Salle’s Biology Lab in 1973.

8 1st Quarter 2006

Mr. Bill Aberer

Mr. Steve Quinn

Ms. Pat Toney

Principal John Quinn

9 1st Quarter 2006

Ms. Ann Straub

Ms. Lorraine D’Agostino

Mr. Mike Dault

Mr. Steve Kerrigan

10 1st Quarter 2006

The following students where honored with awards for their achievements in the First Quarter.

Randy Lee Jossiel Cruseta Aren Douglas Pajtim Ziba

Carlos Salzman Andrew Sweeney

Kashief Staten Garbiel Ramos-Currah

Ruben Acosta Victor Cortes Francis Nunez Tyler Austria

Max Reyes Dayton Cleveland

Michael Lee Raymond Estrada

Joshua Correa Axel Chardon Derek Jeffry Kevin Valera

Antonio Rivera Steven Diaz

Anthony Hernandez Steven Cruz

Arron Vassel, Jr. Quinton Moore Felix Flores, III Andrew Saliba

Andrew Gomez Malik Autry

Michael Alston Jonathan Lopez

Bennett Camacho Michael Sanchez

Third Honors

First Honors

Shemar Simmons Carlos Andrickson

Dylan Farrugia Travis Tam

Donald Moy Brett Sheingold Joshua Jusino

Jarret Chatham Lawrence Hagler

Jose Piguave Carlos Recio

Devon Morgan Bryan Fein

Pierre-Richard Severin Langston Parkins-Edwards

Dymetri Cleveland Christian Sullivan

Second Honors

Class of 2010

Honor Roll

Class of 2009

Javier Bosque Juan Mafla

Christopher Ketant Bryan Paredes

Michael Moscicki Carlos Galvez

Marc Kruithoff

Bohdan Vitenko Titsky Daniel Caban Justin Murray

Jean Carlos Valentin Juan Gomez Paul Rivera

Alfonso Bravo Jeuris Grullon Trevor Paul

Matthew Chao Tajh Doumbia Mark Santos

Johnson Yong Arton Baledimaj

Leanord Biba Mikias Pinset

Michael Coccovizzo

Juan Pedroza Daemion Evans Alphonso Muniz

Reginald Lancaster Misay Barcia David Tash

Andres Gonzalez Bryan Pacheco Ricardo Urena

Ramon Concepcion Christopher McEvoy

Ronald Baez Anthony D‟Agoston

Kenneth Perez Chris Collado Tommy Pichl

11 1st Quarter 2006

Honor Roll

Congratulations to all our Honor Roll Members!

First Honors Edgar Gonzalez Brian Antolin

Franklin Jusino Sean Vera

Daniel Capella Edward Klein Mark Masullo

Justin Lokossou

Second Honors Jeffrey Ta

David Taveras Kelvin Lam Kyle Morris John Malave Xavier King

Matthews Del Salto Raymond Morales, III

Brayan Then Johnathan Riordan

Eric Estevez Juan Sanchez

Erik Perez Christian Tejada

Third Honors

Class of 2008 Class of 2007

Nicholas Albergo Raymind Morales

John Ibarra James Seda

Devon Melendez Luis Herrera

Alejandro Serrano Justin A. Sosa Abdiel Tirado

Xavier Mogollon Joseph Ullauri Giannini Davis Suneet Kumar Khallid Utley Ruud Vericain

Ryan Simons Oliver Williams IV

Jorge Ng-Wu Matthew Ryan Edward Pagan Leonel Abreu George Parker Oscar Feliciano George Crespo Nicholas Cozzo

Stephen Sea Andrew Rivera

Michael De Balko Nich Saintilus (Nduku)

Franciry Santana Kenneth Ortega

Jed Staszyn Daniel Rosado

David Kong William Rosario

Jacob Wong Ranjit Sukhu

Andrew Ganeev Pedro Rivera, Jr. Jovan Rosario

Brandon Alvarez Eduardo DiOliveria

Dimitri Jean Danny Santana

Giancarlo Castillo Jonathan Banegas

Steven Saliba Isa Abney

Joshua Burgos Emmanuel Payano Santiago Gomez Shohidul Islam

Jordan Soler Joseph Vera

Kelvin Nunez Daniel Sanchez Gianni Javier

Ronnie Holcomb David Brennan

Matthias Thomas Carlos Castilla Richard Kluz

Roberto Vasquez Joel Rosado

Jonathan Iturralde Michael Pena

Alexander Saint Hilaire

Richard Martinez Franklyn Bello

Charron Matthews Sean Liston

Pedro Estevez Jorge Quezada Andrew Diaz

Brandon James Robert Kukulski

Krzysztof Olszewski

Kenneth Espinal Nikolas Denic Brian Gonzalez

Andy Alban Hodges Richardson, III

Brad Davis Amir Trent

Steven Rodriguez Bryant Epps David Cheng

Kristen Greene Gary Velasquez John Clarson

12 1st Quarter 2006

ART

13 1st Quarter 2006

LITERATURE

Home sweet home it is the best It‟s better than all the rest. Great too farun out in the puzsolv type of world, But all the movous things out there can just make you hurl. Vexalkers and erratalkers are all annoying outside But the creetness goes away inside You chug down a cokeprite in the comfroom And forget all that marhaps your home which is smeood. Hopefully you won‟t have a dirdofe to relax But if you do then don‟t be cryous about that. Try to puzsolv a newspaper crossword or Sudoku Or just be smilous and enjoy it just being you. Outside you listen to so much babalk. But inside you don‟t get so much vexalk. The outside world can definitely be fun and smilous You definitely have to be creet and talkous. Home sweet home it is the best It‟s better than all the rest. Great too farun out in the puzsolv type of world, But all the movous things out there can just make you hurl.

- Francis Nunez

As the trancernible winds swirl The entaster of a new season Brings joy to young kids. Who still subtan the warmth of the Summers heat lives relosive. I look far out amage the depudent Waters of the Caribbean Sea. Though no signs of crumping From any irktic sea creatures I still fick a flick. The onquility of clouds flows As I comgare the past I shall Be plutanic to those who dares Threaten my close love ones. Life‟s here life goes as it all Becomes malleable to me The tansters of all tansters Who feel the need to consoul The well being of those just out there.

- Arron Vassel

Frabberwocky!

Mr. Schiazza‟s Freshmen wrote poems in the style of Lewis Carrol‟s Jabber-wocky, which used made-

up words in a poetic style.

Life is complicated thing to understand, It‟s like when you do a siand. Your grow and grow, Until it time to stop, You will wtop. Life will be sorony, Like a brunny. You have to really look inside to see your talents, To make them all stilts. You have to take care of yourself, Go eat by yourself at McKing. Okay by yourself baskootball, When you start growing up you have to do stuff by yourself. You have to dig your way to the top, Or even malk to the top. You might act very bamish, As well as fainy. When your born you can be nice or act like a lion, Like a bunny or a tion. You can be a beargoues person, Or you can be ugly. You can be parker worker, Or a bum. But wait, can you afford a CD Conditioner, Or do you know what that is?

- Jose Piguave

The original

Jabberwocky, by

Lewis Carrol:

14 1st Quarter 2006

Searching the Stars with Julian DiIorio

Odds and Ends Aries (March 21 – April 19) This is the month that you will achieve your dream. That's right, you know, the one where you are on a beautiful Caribbean island, surrounded by lush jungle and tropical flowers, being fanned by natives and waited on hand and foot by gorgeous island creatures. Enjoy the dream...no matter what you achieve; it's still just a dream. Sorry. Taurus (April 20 – May 20) Many people say black is slimming on you, but everyone knows that mauve enhances your appearance most. Gemini (May 21 – June 21) While cracking your knuckles today, you will be a bit startled to hear a "ping" sound rather than a "pop". If that annoys you well then too bad because it's a bad habit, any-way. If you think it's cool and keep doing it your future is in for lots of arthritis medi-cine. Cancer (June 22 – July 22) You will think of something hysterically funny, but not have anyone to tell it to be-cause you'd be in an isolation chamber. But don't get too upset; at least you can tell the wall. Leo (July 23 – August 22) Not a good time to go forth and conquer. Try going fifth, and hover in the back-ground and just maybe you'll get a nice shiny metal. Virgo (August 23 – September 22) An apple a day will keep the doctor away. Another tip you should consider is that fresh figs can be used to avoid plumbers. Libra (September 23 – October 22) You will be followed by people who look suspiciously like shoe salesmen. Try to re-main calm! --- They can sense fear and not to mention a bad case of Athletes foot. Scorpio (October 23 – November 21) You need to get more exercise, but can't force yourself away from the computer. Here's a helpful hint: Glue your keyboard to the ceiling, and get yourself a mini-trampoline. Keep in mind to watch out for those ceiling fans…especially if they're on! Sagittarius (November 22 – December 21) Today will be one of the most spontaneous days of your life. You will learn to make a really killer recipe for Szechwan noodles, which will contain both chili-garlic paste and whole peanuts. Capricorn (December 22 – January 20) You want some extra cash for movies because you've already used up your allowance. You decide to gather a group of friends who are outgoing and spontaneous. You de-cide to perform in the subway and let the tourists take care of your need for extra cash. After splitting the money up you realize the day was a big success so you decide to make this a weekly thing. Aquarius (January 20 – February 18) Relationships are difficult for you right now, but if you want a friend I hear they sell "Grow a plant" in Barnes and Nobles. There you have it someone who is always quite, doesn't ask for much… just some water every other day, will listen to your thoughts, and you can tell them all your secrets without thinking twice about it. Pieces (February 19 – March 20) You will win the National Spelling Bee for correctly spelling out the word: Pneu-monoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanokoniosis.

Across

4 Merry ______________! (9) 7 Brings presents to good boys and girls. (5,5) 9 These are made of wax and have wicks. (7)

Down

1 A sock filled with goodies on Christmas day. (8) 2 Circular decoration often hung on doors (6) 3 A red and white treat (5,4) 5 A gift (7) 6 The sound bells make. (6) 8 Ice crystals (4) 10 A vehicle mounted on run-ners and pulled by horses or dogs; for transportation over snow. (6)

Christmas Crossword Puzzle

Trivia Contest!

What did baseball player Charles Waite wear onto the field in 1875 that had fans ridiculing him as a sissy?

Submit answers to Mr. Schiazza in room 503

15 1st Quarter 2006

Odds and Ends Those Silly Lasallians!

Junior Mike DeBalko loves to “raise the roof”!

Ed Klein on a bad day!

Mr. Dackow recognizes the pain of the thought process.

Ms. Guevin being….Ms. Guevin! “I wasn’t sleeping...I was in deep meditation!”

“Ahh...more homework!”

Jimmy Seda discusses life over a bowl of chesse doodles.

Guess who!

Mr. Podell — member of the Mickey Mouse Fan Club!

Every so often, Lasallians are caught making goofy faces or in embarrass-

ing situations when a camera is nearby. This quarter, The Cardinal

hit the jackpot with these pictures.

That‟s why it came as such a shock when it was announced last June that he would be taking over for Mr. Purtiz as the new Varsity Baseball Head Coach. However, after sitting down with Mr. Schiazza, we learned that he has a whole lifetime of baseball experi-ence that he can pass on to the 2006-07 defending champion La Salle Cardinals Varsity Team.

“I‟ve been around baseball my whole life,” said Schiazza, whose grandfather, Tommy Montemarano, was a Brooklyn Dodgers farmhand in the 1940‟s.

His grandfather taught Mr. Schiazza many of the ins-and-outs of the game as they watched the Mets play, summer after summer, in their hometown of Brooklyn , NY . Mr. Schiazza got some playing experience in himself when, in 1990, he played in the Little League World Series baseball tournament in Ankeny , Iowa . Teams from around the world met up to play for the top spot. Unfortunately, Mr. Schiazza‟s team fell short against

Texas in a qualifying round, and never got to make it to the semi-finals. The experience was enough, however, to make him realize that he loved the sport of baseball, and wanted to pursue it further.

New Baseball Coaches Ready for 2007 Repeat Run

John Riordan ‗08 Head Writer

CARDINALS WIN 2006 CHSAA CITY TITLE!

For the first time since 1960, the La Salle Academy Cardinals won the Di-vision A City Title. The Cardinals were victorious by a 4-2 score over baseball powerhouse and perennial contender, Archbishop Molloy on Saturday, June 10, 2006 at Fordham Field. The Cardinals came back from a 2-0 deficit to win the game. Regis High School and Molloy battled the previous day to earn the right to play La Salle. In an improbable story reminis-cent of “The Bad News Bears,” the Car-dinals won game after game over heavily favored opponents. The La Salle Acad-emy varsity baseball team was the #8 seed, the last to qualify for the CHSAA playoffs in 2006. Once more, the team qualified for the playoffs without playing a single home game. La Salle is located on 2nd Street and 2nd Avenue in Manhat-tan, far away from a baseball diamond. La Salle was expected to have an early exit from the double-elimination city championship playoffs. Especially since the Cardinals first round draw was the undefeated and nationally ranked Monsignor Farrell of Staten Island. Inci-dentally, this was the same team beat up on the Cardinals three weeks before by the score of 16-0. Senior Andrew Varela pitched a brilliant shutout and La Salle stunned the #1 seeded Farrell by a 1-0 score. From there the Cardinals main-tained their confidence and rolled into the championship game without a loss. La Salle defeated Monsignor McClancy HS (6-2), Holy Cross HS (2-1), and Regis HS (4-2) on their way to the title. La Salle Academy Varsity coach Arthur Puritz, who was coaching in his last game, was matched up against the legendary Jack Curran. Curran is the all-time winningest baseball coach in New York State. David vs. Goliath in the tru-est sense. Most observers suspected Archbishop Molloy would beat the Car-dinals twice and claim the city crown.

Congratulations to the Varsity

Baseball Team!

“All the years I spent as a catcher really made me appreciate the game for its strategy and nuance, so I started to gravitate towards coaching, especially as I started to realize that I wasn‟t good enough to make it as a player,” said Schiazza.

Mr. Schiazza began coaching baseball when he was just 15 years old. His first job was with a little league team where his players were just three years younger then he was. He spent a total of nine years as a Little League coach, coaching every age from five-year-olds straight through to high school. Before he became a teacher, Mr. Schiazza bounced around six different colleges, never able to settle down be-cause of various reasons. He eventually graduated from Hunter College . After college, he and his fiancée flirted with the idea of moving to New Orleans , and he spent some time in the summer of 2005 in New Orleans , house-hunting. Out of sheer luck Schiazza left New Orleans just one week before hur-ricane Katrina hit, and decided then to remain in Brooklyn. When asked about the pressure of living up to the promise of Mr. Pu-ritz‟s championship team from last year

On the other hand, though, we proved that we deserve that title, and we have enough talent this year to back it up on the field. I look forward to another suc-cessful season from us this year.” For the sake of the team and the school, I hope he‟s right. This year will be Mr. Barrett‟s second year teaching at La Salle. It will also be his second year as assistant coach for the Varsity Baseball team. He was there with Arthur Puritz when they took home the city Championship last year. As a child Barrett was not a good player -- in fact, even now he has trouble hitting the ball to the outfield when he is throwing it up to himself. More importantly as a coach however, is the knowledge of situations and statistics which Mr. Barrett has plenty of. Mr. Barrett grew up in Boston and went to Stonybrook University. He played little league baseball but switched to lacrosse. He was so much better at lacrosse then he was at baseball that he acquired a full scholarship from Stony Brook to play for them. Sadly, being from Boston, Mr. Barrett is a Red Sox fan. If you see him in the hall be sure to let him know who the better team is.

BEST OF LUCK TO THE

2007 BASEBALL CARDINALS!!!

Coach Schiazza Coach Barrett

Mr. Schiazza wasn‟t worried. “On one hand, it‟s tough,” he said, “because now we have a great big target painted on our backs. We‟re the team to beat, and everyone is out gunning for us.

Many of you know Mr. Schiazza as the Freshmen English teacher and the school paper mod-erator, but few know him as any-thing else.

2006-07 Fresh-men, JV and

Varsity Basket-ball Schedules

are Posted Out-side the Gym!Go & Supprt Your Team!

Baseball Team Shocks the City!

Turn to Page 5 for a Feature

Story on Al Bar-bosa, the New Varsity Basket-

ball Coach!