The Prophet St. John the Baptist Diocesan High School, West Islip, NY

Guys and Dolls Rocked The Boat!March 2014

Allison Lane, playing Sgt. Sarah Brown, alongside her Save-a-Soul Mission Band, tries to rid New York City of the sinners, particularly the gamblers that are running around trying to find a place to play the crap game. She said “My favorite part about my role is that I can sing as much as I do. I love to sing, and having a part with so many songs is like a dream come true.” She meets Sky Masterson, played by Ryan Koerber, two completely different people, a missionary, and the other, by Sarah’s standards, a true sinner. They meet by the way of a bet, and the chemistry between them is shown on stage through their singing of “I’ve Never Been in Love Before”. The stark contrast between both characters shows that people can change for the better, and love is always worth fighting for. Senior Robert Fischetti portrays Nicely-Nicely Johnson, and as his name implies, he is the nicest of the gamblers. On that subject, Robert says that his favorite thing about Nicely is that, “his ability, since he is so naïve, to react in unexpected ways. For example, he could just have been yelled at by another character and walks off cheerfully. Or, he can walk into a situation where he has absolutely no idea what to do and then come up with something on the spot.” Of course, Robert executed his role exceptionally, making every line, especially the jokes, ring and make the audience burst into laughter.

Of course, we cannot forget the dancers and singers in the production. Without them, the show could not go on. Fiona Connolly, who played Hot Box Girl Dolly, says that, “My favorite thing about the show is the relationships you form with people, In the end, we all love each other.” Rosie Colette says that her favorite parts of the show are the dance numbers. She says “they’re all really great and everyone works really hard for them.” As you watch the show, everyone is left in awe with the skills that the ensemble has shown through their acrobatics and well-practiced choreography. Through Tommy Agoglia’s flips and Luke McCoy’s cartwheels, we saw great skill and talent in the cast. Danielle Fredrich, a junior, says that her favorite number is “A Bushel and a Peck” because “it’s so much fun that I get to have with my girls.” Every detail about the show this year helped make it worthwhile. Whether it was Kelsey Smith acting as the city drunk , to the wigs, to the amazing set that seamlessly changed from scene to scene, (thanks to Ms. Maddalena and the stage crew). Every little thing made this year’s show amazing. Without the hard work of Mr. Whitfield, Ms. Jeanine, and Mr. Altinel, this show could not have been a reality.

We all know that time of season: Mr. Whitfield mysteriously disappears after school, running around to finish final adjustments, fellow SJB students staying after school until ten at night, and the atmosphere of Broadway. Even with all of the snow obstacles, this year’s musical, Guys and Dolls, took the stage on March 7th. As always, this year’s production filled the Dunne Auditorium, impressing the audience with the amazing vocals and dance moves that the talented casts performed. Guys and Dolls, originally premiering on Broadway in 1950, tells the story of New York’s gamblers and their female counterparts, known as the “dolls”. Through extensive set construction and the hard work of the costume committee, we were brought back to the time of the now antiqued cameras, Brooklyn accents, and of crap-shooting. The audience travels from Times Square to Cuba, and into a sewer to view a crap-shooting game, with a twist of choreography. Featured in this year’s show is Susie Cucinella, playing the role of Adelaide, engaged to fiancé Nathan Detroit, played by R.J. Rezza. Alongside Adelaide are the Hot Box Dancers whom perform with Adelaide every night at the Hot Box Club. The dances were both well done and equally entertaining, as the costumes added a fun flair to the numbers. We see the “health issues” associated with not being married as Adelaide laments Detroit’s inability to marry her after fourteen years of engagement. Funny and heartwarming, both Nathan and Adelaide show us the struggles of love, and although it may be tough, love conquers all.

By: Melisa Olgun ‘16

The Cast of Guys & Dolls

STUDENT REPORTERSEmily Plumacher ‘17

Melisa Olgun ‘ 16Connor Haggerty ‘16

Tim Haggerty ‘14Michée Jacobs ‘15

Diana Marie Valdez ‘15Christian Brown ‘14

Jaclyn Hahn ’14

MODERATORSMr. Carl Coulanges Ms. Leone Mathon

EDITOR & PUBLISHERAdministration

The ProphetTable of Contents

Cover Story: ...“Guys and Dolls Rocked the Boat! By: Melisa Olgun ‘16 Page Two:..........“DeFeo’s Book Club”- SJB Media News Network Press Page Three:......“Bel’Italia”- SJB Media News Network Press Page Four:.........Blessed to Witness & Bishop Murphy Visits for Ash Wednesday Page Five: ........“What Are You Giving Up?” By: Jackie Hahn ’14 Page Six: ...........“A Show of True Colors”- By: Emily Plumacher ’17 Page Seven: ......“Thank You SJB” By: Caroline Herrera ’16 “Alumni Forever”- By Tori Martin ’15 Page Eight: ......“Just Call Us Champs”- By: Connor Haggerty ’16 “The Good Ol’ Garden- By: Tim Haggerty ’14

On a Friday afternoon in December, the Contemporary Fiction class was honored by the visit of a familiar face, Mrs. Pat DeFeo, a member of the SJB staff. Mrs. DeFeo is usually seen smiling from her desk in the main office. But this was a different job for Mrs. DeFeo. She was leading the class discus-sion about the novel Divergent by Veronica Roth. The Contemporary Fiction class invited Mrs. DeFeo to speak about the novel because they had just finished reading it and loved it. It was because of Mrs. DeFeo’s recommendation that the class was assigned the novel. She is an avid reader and often suggests contem-porary novels for the class. Mrs. DeFeo was curious as to the students’ choices of factions. They discussed the plot and various literary techniques employed by Veronica Roth. Many students also shared that they read all three novels in the series. According to senior Joscelyn Garay, “Having Mrs. DeFeo lead our class was a great learning experience. It was a different way to bond with the staff and see that we have many things in common.” Junior Shannon Sullivan added, “I to-tally agree. Having Mrs. DeFeo lead class was fun. She added a new dimension to our discussion.” This was a wonderful learning experience and the students truly benefitted from Mrs. DeFeo’s knowledge and insight. So now if you see students at Mrs. DeFeo’s desk in the office, they may not be getting a late pass, they might just be discussing a new book!

SJB Staff member Mrs. Pat DeFeo discusses the book Divergent

S J B M e d i a N e w s N e t w o r k P r e s s“DeFeo’s Book Club”

On February 15, 2014, John F. Kennedy Airport was taken over by eighty-eight students and thirteen faculty members! The students and teachers met at Terminal One to take a flight on Lufthansa Airways to their destination- Rome! The members of the SJB family spent eight days travelling through Italy, visiting Rome, Florence and Venice. Three busses transported the students from city to city. Some of the highlights of the trip included visiting Vatican City, the Sistine Chapel, the Coliseum, Padua, Michelangelo’s David, Assisi, the Murano glass factory, and celebrating Carnivale in Venice. All of the students and teachers took gondola rides through Venice, wearing masks to experience Mardis Gras with people from all over the world. Everyone especially loved the food, dining on pizza and pasta and enjoying gelato sometimes three times a day! But the highlight of the trip had to be the Papal Audience on Wednesday, February 19. Pope Francis waved at the students as he passed by only a few feet away in his open “Pope-mobile”.

Students listened attentively as the Pope spoke about the sacrament of Reconciliation. The faculty chaperones were truly impressed by our students, as were observers in Italy. Everywhere they travelled, people would comment about how polite and well-mannered the SJB students were. At Saturday night mass in Venice, the celebrant said in Italian that our students should be commended for their prayerfulness and respectful demeanor. The entire congregation dedicated a Hail Mary in thanksgiving for our students- the future of our church. The trip to Italy was an amazing experience and everyone had a fabulous time. According to senior Renee Flores, “It was a chance to experience a new perspective of a foreign country and I was happy to have taken that chance”. Meghan McCarthy, also a senior, said,” I am so blessed to be able to say that I had the opportunity to go on this trip. The lessons I learned, experiences I had and memories that I made will last a lifetime.”

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“Bishop Murphy Visits for Ash WednesdAy”Bishop Murphy during Morning

Announcements with Fr. Rob &

Ms. Doherty

Bishop Murphy during Ash Wednesday Prayer Service with Fr. Rob & Monsignor Morrissey

Bishop Murphy distributing ashes

A special gift for the bishop.

Bishop Murphy with students who traveled to Peru

Bishop Murphy with students who traveled to Italy

By: Jaclyn Hahn ‘14

Lent is a time to reflect on ourselves as a person and discover how we can better ourselves for the future. We give up our favorite’s foods, materialistic items, and conduct good deeds during this time. Below is a list of students and faculty, who have decided to share with us what they are sacrificing during this Lenten season.

JAclyn hAhn ’14GuM

Mr. coulAnGes

fAceBook & instAGrAM tiM hAGGerty ’14

dessert

shAnnon cellAn ’14teleVision

Mr. costA

to sMile More tristAn stephens ’14

cAndy

Ms. sciArA

chocolAte Alex pluMAcher 14’

sodA

Mr. Whitfield

to prAy More

Ms. doherty

to eAt heAlthier

Mr. penikAs

to do A Good deed eVerydAy

WhAt Are you GiVinG up?

“A Show of True Colors” by Emily Plumacher ‘17

On Sunday, January 26 the fifth annual Catholic Charities Variety Show was held in the Ann Frances Dunne Auditorium. The theme this year was “True Colors”. Many SJB students participated in the show after countless hours of rehearsal. Since October, students have visited Catholic Charities’ group homes and welcomed the residents into the school for practices and have developed friendships with them. There was a practice every month. In November when the residents visited SJB, the Culinary Club provided a delicious dinner for everyone. In January there was one practice, dress rehearsal, and the show. Laura Cassel, the CEO of Catholic Charities, started the show by introducing herself and thanking everyone who had participated and helped with the show. There was a large balloon arch filled with all the colors of the rainbow, emphasizing this year’s theme. Between the numbers, Ms. Holub and Ms. Kovalevich told corny jokes and entertained the audience with trivia questions. A senior, Austin Drexel, gave out prizes for each trivia question answered correctly. Family and friends cheered on the residents, giving support throughout the entire afternoon. The residents were so excited for this show and their excitement put everyone in a great mood. The show was divided into two acts separated by a ten minute intermission for snacks and drinks provided by the Family Unity Network. During the break, a junior working with the Hansler Residence said, “It’s a great experience for students to be able to enter a world that we’re not used to.” Senior Ricky Costa said “The show is going great so far! Everyone is utilizing their talents.” There were so many colorful and amazing costumes that fit the songs and dances perfectly. Each dance was choreographed by SJB students and residents. A number of adult members of the SJB community chaperoned the practices. Beautiful artwork on stage was decorated by the Peace and Justice club, moderated by Ms. Maddalena. The art added to the colorful show. After all the homes performed, residents and students gathered on stage for the final song, “True Colors”. Everyone danced and sang along to the music, but sad that the show was over. All of the students interacted with the residents in a positive manor and excitement was visible on their faces. The audience cheered and clapped along to the songs. According to Mrs. Callahan, “This is our fifth annual show. I am so pleased that this show continues to bring such joy to both the participants and the audience. It gives witness to the good that comes from students and faculty who say yes to an invitation to serve others. The result is always joy and happiness. The residents of the homes are always reminding us how important it is to just be present to one another and to enjoy the goodness life brings”. Seniors graduating this year, who have been in the show since they were freshmen, are: Allegra Browne, Amber Douglass, Alayzia Evans, Emma James, Victoria McCutcheon, Samantha Milla, Jaclyn Oill, Olivia O’Keefe, Alex Plumacher, and Kelly Roache. All of the seniors were thanked and received certificates for their participation and dedication. Students are encouraged to participate or see the show; it’s a great way to get involved and help out.

Peace & Love for all

Students and residents of Catholic Charities having fun on stage

HELLO! My name is Caroline Herrera’14. I just wanted to let you know that throughout November and December, my family was collecting clothes to donate to the victims of Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines. Being that my parents grew up there, the tragedy was really hard on us. Yes, I do have relatives currently living there, and they are okay and were not highly affected by the storm. Our family gathered enough clothing to fill eight boxes, each weighing approximately 75 lbs. The clothes came from my relatives, my parents’ coworkers, my brother’s friends, and my own friends, most of who are from SJB. Since I am a Filipina-American, I immediately felt sympathy for the victims. However, I was nearly brought to tears when I saw the overwhelming response from others to lend a helping hand. I had such a huge response that I had to store the clothing in the athletic office until I was able to take it home (thanks again!). I know that this may not sound great, but sometimes the best in people comes out when tragedy strikes. The pictures below show the boxes that we were able to package together, and after these were taken, we received even more donations. I just wanted to show you the clothes we that were able to collect, and also the beautiful results of what a community can accomplish. This is one of many reasons that I am proud to be a part of the SJB family.

Thank you for your time and see you around school!

Caroline Herrera

Thank You SJB On March 7th, the alumni from various classes returned to SJB. They spoke to classes about their career paths and how SJB contributed to the process. Some were reunited with old teachers and classmates. “Everyone is still so friendly,” said John Marcurio’89. As the alumni returned to St. Johns, they were familiarized with the hallways they once walked and classrooms they used to sit in. “St. Johns provided a good education, as well as good values and morals,” said John Pohlman ’91. “It feels weird coming back, but it still feels like home.” Fran Reidy ‘77 stated. The alumni provided inspiring speeches about how they became successful in their respective careers. A few didn’t know what they wanted to study when they graduated. Others thought they had an idea, but ended up changing majors in college. The students enjoyed listening to the alumni speak, because it provided information about finding a career you love, a good college, utilizing the resources St. Johns offers, as well as some advice for future endeavors. “I’m proud to say I’m a cougar,” John Pohlman ’91 said. The Alumni enjoyed returning home to SJB. Below are some quick tips of from a few graduates who visited. They will always be SJB students 24/7.

Alumni Advice:Always try new things ~ Emily Barbeau ‘08

Don’t be afraid to ask for help ~ Jim Doran ‘09Your career needs to be your passion ~ John Koch ‘70

Always be prepared ~ Gordan Canary ‘72Use technology as a tool. Don’t make it your life ~ Fran Reidy ‘77

SJB Alumni return home for Alumni Career Day

Alumni ForeverSJB Alumni Return Home

By: Tori Martin ‘15

The Good Ol’ GardenSJB Students Visit the World’s Most Famous Arena

By: Tim Haggerty ‘14 This past January, Mr. Carusillo’s American History through Sports class took a trip to the world’s most famous arena, Madison Square Garden. The class was in attendance not for a game, but to get a tour of the magnificent building. The main feature of this tour was the new renovations which took two years to complete. This transformation added many new elements to an MSG experience. New suites, concourses, video replay screens, and a one of a kind bridge were all part of the renovations. Since 1968, The Garden has been in the same place over Pennsylvania Plaza. It is considered to be one of the oldest standing sports venues in the New York Metropolitan Area. Many historic events have taken place at MSG. From the first ever WrestleMania, to the Rangers Stanley Cup victory in 1994, to the “Fight of the Century” between Mohammed Ali and Joe Frazier in 1971, there are a myriad of extraordinary moments. It has never been torn down completely, just remodeled. The renovation process began in summer of 2011 and was finished by the beginning of the Knicks and Rangers season in the fall of 2013. When completed, the Garden looked brand new. Outfitted with new features as well as refurbished ones, overall the renovation created a better atmosphere for basketball, hockey, wrestling, concerts, and many other events. The tour showed the class almost every aspect of the structure. Since it was not a game day for either the Rangers or Knicks, students were able to visit the locker rooms. It was truly an exclusive experience as we witnessed all of the facilities you only see on television. The new “Chase Bridges” expansion provides a view that is almost directly over the court or rink, a truly one-of-a-kind point of view for any fan. The tour concluded with a look at some of the season ticket holder clubs and owner James Dolan’s private suite. For a sports fan, a visit to Madison Square Garden is one you will never forget. Even for non-sports fan, the visit would still be unforgettable just because of all of the aesthetics that the Garden has. Mr. Carusillo’s class was very fortunate to get the opportunity to see the building as well as learning about the history that lies underneath the famous ceiling. Students had many great things to say about the trip, such as “It was very informative about the events that go on at a major sports venue. The tour was both fun and interesting”. Another student said “I was able to learn a lot about the Garden and the teams that occupy it. The new renovations make it especially great, and a much better experience overall.

By: Connor Haggerty ‘16 The Varsity Ice Hockey team had an outstanding season that led them all the way to upstate New York to play for the State championship. Despite losing the SCHSHL (Suffolk County High School Hockey League) finals to Smithtown, the team had one of the most successful hockey seasons in school history. The team worked hard every night to put themselves in a great position to win it all. When the regular season came to a close, the Cougars were at the top of the league entering the playoffs as the #1 seed. They faced Kings Park/Commack in the first round of the playoffs who they defeated by a score of 5-3. In the semi-finals, SJB won by a score of 3-1 against Ward Melville. In the finals, the Cougars lost two hard fought games to Smithtown, a very talented team. With the finals behind them, they chased some hardware to bring back to SJB for the State championship. Leading the team in scoring this season was junior, Matt Arujo, who scored 25 goals and 18 assists. Along with Matt, two other members of the team were amongst the top 10 scorers in the league, Matt O’shaughnessy and Charles Peck. Senior, Matt O’shaughnessy, finished the season with 21 goals and 18 assists. Junior, Charles Peck, completed this year with 16 goals and 17 assists. With the Suffolk County championship behind them, the Cougars went upstate and prepared for the State championship. The opportunity for the Cougars to get back at Smithtown was there and they seized the chance and defeated Smithtown. In the final game of the State championship, SJB won by a score of 6-0 and became State champions. A great year was finished off with a victory and a championship for SJB. JUST CALL THEM THE CHAMPS!

SJB Varsity Hockey Team 2014 NYSAHA Champions

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