Upcoming Alumni Events

October 4^th – The Second Annual Homecoming Picnic

This Alumni event is an opportunity to visit the school and have some fun. The day offers games and activities in both gyms and the back yard of the school. We will have Hot Dogs, Hamburgers, watermelon and soda as our picnic menu for the day! And, according to Mr. Sherry, those hot dogs were “something special”.

An adult ticket is $10.00 and a child’s ticket (Under 12) is $5.00 (children two and under are admitted free!)

Please register and pay online for your tickets. You may purchase tickets at the door.

We will have live entertainment provided by “Single File to Bliss — The band formerly known as “Cutting Edge” — a “Mostly Stanner Band” performing original music, contests, a DJ, Bouncy Room and Special Basketball for the toddlers, Face Painting and Frisbee Golf… And, yes, we will have the second annual Hula-Hoop contest each hour… There are prizes for the Free Throw contest, the Hula Hoop Contest and Frisbee Golf…

We are looking for anyone interested in playing softball that day… we have reserved the field and can arrange games for any “groups” that wish to form. Call Charlie Flood in the Alumni office if you are interested in putting together a team for the day.

The Harvey Fun Run – Saturday, October 4^th

It is that time of year again when we create traffic jams, renew friendships and remember one of our own. This years Harvey Fun Run will kick off the Second Annual Homecoming Picnic on October 4th. Registration and Stretching will begin at 8 AM followed by the actual 5K run and fun family events.

The Awards ceremony will start shortly afterwards, and for those who wish to stay around and make a day of it, the Homecoming Picnic follows immediately.

A Joint admission ticket is available for adults for $25.00 including the Fun Run registration and one Adult admission to the Picnic.

Register on line for the Fun Run at http://alumni.molloyhs.org.

Curran to receive the Round Tower Award

Coach Jack Curran will be honored with the Round Tower Award at the Great Irish Fair on Saturday, September 20th. The fair is to be held at Keyspan Park, Coney Island, Brooklyn on Saturday and Sunday, September 20th and 21st. As we understand it, the award will be presented after Mass on Saturday morning. I believe the ceremony will be around 10 AM.

Around the School

Scientific Investigation is Alive and Thriving at Molloy!

I visited with Ms. Mallia’s Science Research Course participants the other day. It was an interesting meeting for two reasons. First, the meeting was held in the “Old Chemistry Lab”. Second, it involved 19 students who are taking an elective course in scientific research in preparation for national science competitions. We have had a national finalist in the recent past, Mary Catherine Wen, and if the Science Department has its way, we will be VERY competitive in the near future.

Part of the course requirement is to work as an intern in a medical or scientific environment. If you work in an environment where science is central to the work you do and you would like to work with one of our “interns”, please contact Mary Mallia at: mmallia@molloyhs.org.. These students are serious about science and medicine and want to learn all they can about the world of research and scientific investigation. Let’s show them what the Stanner Network is all about.

September 24th is Punctuation Day!

Next Wednesday is National Punctuation Day! As with the fanfare of Mole Day, the English Department has decided to stake its claim on this day and bring to the light of day the neglect and abuse of various forms of punctuation. Keep an eye on the next edition of the Stanner E-News for pictures of punctuation sightings around the school.

Faculty Spotlight

Eric Stolze ’86

When asked about how he became a teacher at Molloy, Eric offered up some interesting observations.

“Sometimes… you surprise yourself, is what comes to mind when I think about how I came to teaching. I don’t think you decide what your passions are. You discover them. I had such a rich experience as a student at Molloy. My teachers seemed to be larger than life. They encouraged as they challenged, but most importantly they inspired. It was evident to me right from the start that my teachers were passionate about what they were doing and I remember being aware of that. Maybe I saw it clearly because it resonated with me. About midway through junior year, I’m sitting in Joe Smith’s English class. I’m in the last seat in the last row and I’m seeing how completely engaged my classmates have become as we work our way through Macbeth. Most sixteen year old kids from Queens wouldn’t likely admit to being passionate about Shakespeare but Joe Smith got thirty six of us to absolutely love him. I realized that I had witnessed an incredibly powerful thing and recalls thinking … If I could do that, yeah… that would be amazing. You’d think that I might have decided to pursue teaching immediately but I actually got to college and felt I had to do something more important or prestigious than teaching. I decided to pursue medicine even though I didn’t feel all that excited about it.”

Eric studied biology at Manhattan College where he found that smaller schools can have huge advantages like individual attention from faculty mentors and opportunities for research. As an undergraduate Eric traveled to Tucson each summer as part of a team doing research for the National Park Service and the Department of Energy. He published original papers as a junior and presented his work, winning awards at national meetings which help gain admission to Sigma Xi, the honor society for research scientists. As graduation loomed, Eric still had some soul searching to do. Not sure whether to choose medicine or research or both, he spent the next couple of years working as a research assistant first at Albert Einstein College of Medicine then at Sloan Kettering and finally at Cornell Medical College. Taking courses at Einstein, and then Cornell motivated him to stay in research even though it wasn’t as fulfilling as he had hoped.

His vacation time was spent returning to his “beloved Esopus” to help out as a counselor or act as “Kitchen Commandant” at Special Kids, Adult, or Camp Hope. It was there that he would make the decision to listen to what his heart was telling him to do. During special children’s’ camp he found out that a science teacher at Bishop Ford had resigned three weeks before the start of the term. He took the train home that night and the following day was hired as a biology teacher having just enough time to give sufficient notice at Cornell.

“To be honest I think I knew I should be doing this (teaching) when I was sixteen. I’ve got no regrets though. If I hadn’t explored those other avenues I don’t think I’d be so certain. That this is what I’m supposed to be doing.”

Eric spent two years at Ford teaching science and coaching baseball but he always kept the connections to Molloy and was asked to fill a spot vacated by the late great John Gibbons when he retired in 2000. Eric pulls double duty teaching chemistry and biology courses including AP Biology. He works with the Chris Dougherty in the SMILE program and can be found on any junior retreat or senior encounter. He also coached the field team for four successful years. It hurt him to give up the team but when Melissa, his girlfriend, was accepted to medical school in Albany, he knew it was a “no brainer.” The couple happily endured traffic on the New York State Thruway for the next four years. It turned out to be the right choice. They were married on May 3, 2008 and are living happily in the Bronx since July. Stolze is presently pursuing his graduate studies in biology at CUNY, Lehman College. He interested in the growing field of neuropsychology and is always excited to bring what he learns back to his students at Molloy.

St. Ann’s Corner

Coach Curran Hosts St. Ann’s Alumni

Coach Curran had a great visit with three alumni from St. Ann’s and Molloy this week. Whitey Eckstein ’59 (St. Ann’s Elementary School), Dr. Damon Pouyat, an optometrist from Upstate NY, and Tom Sarosy both from the class of ’63 stopped in to visit with Coach and to see the school. Mr. Sherry and Brother John visited with them at the Stanner Hall of Fame exhibit where they stopped long enough to have a picture taken prior to lunch. Whitey also noticed the picture of James McDermott ’63, his classmate and fellow ball player. That led to a conference call with the former teammates in John’s office. It is great to know that the Men of St. Ann’s have a home at Molloy.

Jack Coulter ’53 Visits Lyon in search of Marist Schools

Mr. Jack Coulter from St. Ann’s class of 1953 was in France this summer and sent along a picture from Lyon. He was under the impression that there was a Marist School in Lyon, on St. Barthelemy Ave. After climbing the “very steep hill” to the Basilica of Fourviere, he was disappointed to learn that there was no Marist School there.

After some discussion with Brothers Roy George and Pat Hogan we came to the conclusion that there was an important Marist event in the chapel by the Basilica of Fourviere where the Marist Fathers were formed. And, Mr. Coulter is correct from an historical perspective. At one time we had a major presence in the Lyon area with at least one school according to Brother Ben Consigli ’80. As for the picture of the Lazarist College, very nice picture but unrelated to the Marist order as far as we know. Thanks for the update Jack.

As we travel the world it is nice to collect pictures of Marist Institutions. Please let us know if any Stanners out there have seen other key Marist sights.

Life has its Ups and Downs

As the old joke says, what did the elevator inspector say when asked — “how’s it going?”… well you get the sense of it… Don Gorman from the class of 1948 dropped by the school the other day and checked in at the office… as the elevator inspector for the City of NY. Now, do the math… Don graduated HS in 1948 and he is still inspecting elevators for the City… and this, after open heart surgery in 1996. He has worked for the A&P Company, and a number of different elevator companies and has worked on the Statue of Liberty elevator as well.

Don left St. Ann’s as so many did back then, prior to his graduation. He enlisted in the Air Force and served around the country and throughout the European Theater in a variety of roles having to do with nuclear bombs. His memories of St. Ann’s include the iron fire escapes and the nursing school across the street. He has fond memories of Brother Christian and Brother Anthony.

Non Scholae — Sed Vitae

Jennifer Kelleher ’04 and Lauren Diffendale ’04

It was a busy week in the Alumni Office. Jennifer Kelleher and Lauren Diffendale both from the class of 2004 stopped in for a visit. Jennifer spent her last day in the States visiting Molloy and her old teachers and coaches prior to leaving for Buenos Aires, Argentina where she will be working for Sony. Jennifer attended Middlebury College in Vermont. Lauren attended SUNYAlbany for a year and is completing her work in Psychology at Queens College. She is considering a career with the Port Authority in Law Enforcement. When asked the hot seat question “What is a Stanner?” Both of them responded with “a family, a group of people committed to getting along, and then went on to describe the places that Stanners hold dear like Esopus, and events like the Thanksgiving Liturgy.” After a short visit they were off to visit their mentors; Brother James Maher, Mr. Gambino, Mr. Powers, Mr. Santos, Mr. Sheehan and of course, Brother Pat Hogan. Lauren will be back next week for track practice and again for the Harvey Run.

Kenny Anderson ’89 Visits Molloy on his Hall of Fame Induction Day!

Wednesday night was a big one for Kenny Anderson ’89. He was inducted into the New York City Basketball Hall of Fame. Prior to going into the City, he stopped in at Molloy to visit Coach Curran and a few of his favorite teachers. Coach took him on a tour of his alma mater and I caught up with them as they visited the Stanner Hall of Fame exhibit and kiosk. The Stanner Basketball heritage became clear to all of them quickly.

One of his friends mentioned that they were visiting Molloy on one of the more important days in Kenny’s professional career because Molloy meant so much to him, personally. After the tour, his dad and his friends agreed that Molloy was a unique place and they started to understand how Kenny could be so attached to his school. Visiting his high school awards in the display case and the Hall of Fame exhibit brought back many good memories. His NBA career is, of course, a major part of his life. Molloy holds a major place in his heart.

I interviewed Kenny about the people who had the most impact on him during his time here at Molloy. Aside from “the Legendary Coach Curran” he was quick to respond that Ms. Longerano was one of the best teachers and mentors he had while at Molloy. “She always had time to tutor me in Math. It wasn’t my best subject, but I could count on her to help me through.” He went on to say that Ms. Lonergan “was always there for me when I needed someone to talk to.” And Brother Stephen Urban “helped me understand relationships”.

During the interview we discussed why he stopped in on such a busy day. Again, his answer was clear and forthcoming. Molloy represents academic excellence, sufficient to carry you through for a lifetime. He stated that “It was a real trial for me to get through Molloy and my Molloy diploma is one of my greatest accomplishments”. His time with Coach Curran “prepared him for his career in many ways”. And, “in all of the things I have had to keep in mind the most important phone number in my memory bank is the Molloy main number”. “I will remember it for the rest of my life because I know I can always call it, come by and have a home, friends and family.”

I asked him one final question prior to his moving on to the awards evening — “What is a Stanner?” His response was thoughtful and precise — “A Stanner represents excellence; academic and athletic excellence, with a real focus on building lifelong relationships with people. A Stanner believes in him or herself”.

Coach Curran, Coach McCleary and Mr. Sherry all attended his induction into the NY Basketball Hall of Fame last night. Mr. Sherry reported back that Kenny did his alma mater proud when he commented on how Coach Curran taught him to be the man he is today. How he pushed him to excel in everything he did.

Congratulations, Kenny, on your induction and all of your accomplishments!

Stanners for Life Parents Meeting Update

The Parents Committee of the Stanners for Life Campaign met on Tuesday, September 16 to plan the final event of the Parents Phase of the Campaign. On Thursday, October 16, they will host a Parents Wine and Cheese Reception for all Molloy Parents. That evening, parents will be treated to a Campaign Update from President John Sherry ’61, a presentation on “A Day in the Life of a Student at Molloy” from Brother Roy George ’62, and the opportunity to mix and mingle with other parents from their son or daughter’s class. To cap the evening off, there with be a Grand Prize Drawing for Free Tuition for a year! Two raffle tickets will be given to each family upon arrival. Parents must be present at the drawing to win. If the parents of one of our seniors win, they will be reimbursed for the tuition that they paid for this year. If you are a current parent and would like to participate, visit this link to register:

http://alumni.molloyhs.org/events/event_details.asp?id=30783

This committee has proven to be such a spirited group, that Brother Roy has recruited them to participate in the Freshman Orientation on Thursday, September 25 and the Open House on Sunday, October 19!

In Memoriam

Tom Martocci ’78

It is with deep sadness that I inform you of the passing of Tom Martocci, Molloy Class of 1978 and Fordham University Class of 1982. Tom passed away Monday evening. He had been quietly battling lung cancer for the past year and a half.

Please keep his wife Maria and their children Julia, Elena and Matthew, his brother Dave (Molloy Class of 1980) and his family and their father in your prayers during this difficult time.