2019 - Xaverian Spring Magazine
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The Magazine of Xaverian Brothers High School | Summer 2019
Jack Leary ’19,
star of Xaverian’s
spring musical
STRENGTHENING MINDS
EMPOWERING CREATIVITY
Xaverian Magazine
800 Clapboardtree Street
Westwood, MA 02090
781-326-6392
www.xbhs.com
ADMINISTRATION
Headmaster
Brother Daniel E. Skala, C.F.X., Ph.D.
Principal
Jacob A. Conca ’94, Ph.D.
Assistant Principals
Stephen W. Dacey ’95, M.Ed.
Teaching and Learning
Joseph D. McGilvray, M.Ed.
Francis Xavier Division
Michael Nicholson, M.Ed.
Student Life
Christopher J. Vasta ’00, M.Ed.
Academics, Grades 9-12
OFFICE FOR SCHOOL
ADVANCEMENT
Assistant Headmaster for Advancement
Lawrence M. Furey, P ’21
lfurey@xbhs.com
Director of Alumni
Charles Carmone ’85, P ’16
ccarmone@xbhs.com
Advancement Services Managers
Pamela J. Fothergill, P ’07
pfothergill@xbhs.com
Linda M. Calabrese, P ’20
lcalabrese@xbhs.com
Administrative Assistant
and Copy Editor
Donna M. O’Connor, P ’01
doconnor@xbhs.com
Director of the Fund for Xaverian
and Leadership Giving
James J. Scholl ’03
jscholl@xbhs.com
Director of Stewardship and
Advancement Services
Mary M. Taylor
mtaylor@xbhs.com
OFFICE OF STRATEGIC
COMMUNICATIONS
Director of Strategic Communications
Ann E. Alsfeld
aalsfeld@xbhs.com
Assistant to the Director of
Strategic Communications
Kathryn E. Hickey
khickey@xbhs.com
Graphic Design
Margaret Galeano at www.gr8pg.com
© 2019 Xaverian Brothers High School.
All rights reserved.
averian
X THE MAGAZINE OF XAVERIAN BROTHERS HIGH SCHOOL
From the Headmaster
Dear Friends of Xaverian,
f you have walked the halls of Xaverian lately, you know that in 2019, this is a
very different place than it was when we opened our doors in 1963. The pastel
square bathroom tiles that covered the walls (so popular in their day!) are being
replaced with sleek, maple wood panels. What was once the Brothers’ residence is
now a counseling wing. New science laboratories, classrooms, and a 32,500 square-
foot wellness center have been added. Land that didn’t belong to us 20 years ago now
provides ball fields and extra parking. Typing class has given way to “Programming
in Python.” The Glee Club is now called the X-Men, and the Stamp Club has been
replaced with rock climbing (page 16).
While the mission and the values of Xaverian remain unchanged, we continue
to upgrade, adapt, and proactively address the demands of modern teaching and
learning. Our latest endeavor is called Strengthening Minds, Empowering Creativity.
This $500,000 strategic initiative aims to build upon a recent expansion of our fine
arts program (page 8) and our robust science and computer science curriculum.
In this Xaverian Magazine, you can read more about our plans for a new creativity
lab to provide more real-world experience with cutting-edge technology, much
needed upgrades to theater lighting and sound, and the added support of our many
performing and fine arts programs (page 2). If you would like to join us to help this
initiative come to fruition, I invite you to make a gift using the enclosed envelope.
Together, we can encourage creative thinking, problem solving, risk taking, and
resiliency through engaging lessons and hands-on experiences.
Also in this edition of Xaverian Magazine, follow the rise of Matt Klentak ’98,
General Manager for the Philadelphia Phillies (page 23), read about four Xaverian
seniors brought together by a song (page 4), see all the highlights from winter and
spring sports (page 14), learn about the legacy of Brendan Burke ’06 (page 24), and
meet Dr. Carolyn Herman, Xaverian’s new Director of Staff Formation (page 22).
As we proudly blaze new paths in curriculum, technology, and programming, it
is our foundation as a Xaverian Brothers-sponsored, Catholic school that grounds
us. With God’s grace and your support, we continue in our mission to prepare
young men to become servant leaders, sharing their gifts with a world in need.
May God bless you and your family.
Brother Daniel Skala, C.F.X.
Headmaster
A
Xaverian education is based on the values of the
Xaverian Brothers—humility, trust, simplicity,
compassion, and zeal—while providing an exceptional
education for young men. Grounded in this mission is
the understanding that what comprises an exceptional
education for young men must evolve with the times and
with technology, while holding fast to these core Xaverian
values. In today’s world, that means embracing creativity and
providing hands-on learning opportunities that utilize cutting-
edge technology to encourage critical thinking, risk taking,
collaboration, and resiliency.
With the new Strengthening Minds, Empowering Creativity
initiative, Xaverian continues to provide exactly these types of
learning opportunities through enhanced curriculum, additional
technology, and new community partnerships. Funding for
the initiative is geared toward three primary areas: theater
sound and lighting technology upgrades, fine arts curriculum
development and implementation, and the launch of a new
creativity lab to complement the existing modern science
and computer labs and generate additional active-learning
opportunities across all disciplines. With this renewed focus,
we seek to cultivate an appreciation for the fine and performing
arts from grades 7-12 while providing the next generation of
leaders with confidence and competence in science, technology,
engineering, and math.
THEATRICAL LIGHTING AND
SOUND SYSTEM UPGRADE:
Our students love experiential learning. Look no further than the theater
on any given afternoon, and you will find young men tinkering with
lights, running cables, and testing microphones. These students are
preparing sound and lighting for Xaverian’s next theatrical production.
It’s a big task. Their creativity in lighting design and technical knowledge
in sound engineering set the mood for the show. But what happens when
the technology available doesn’t meet the need? Suddenly the bounds of
our students’ imagination hits its limit.
In order to equip our students for the best hands-on experience in our
theater program, Xaverian aims to upgrade the current lighting system
from analog to a digital, LED system, and replace the outdated sound
system. Additionally, the stationary lighting trusses will be replaced
with mechanical trusses that can be lowered to the ground. For the
first time, this would allow our students the opportunity to hang
the lights themselves. Not only do these enhancements provide the
best experiential learning, but they will literally light up many future
productions while enhancing the audio and visual experience for our
actors, stage hands, and audiences.
This new initiative will help us take
the curriculum to the next level. We
will challenge our students to reach
farther so that they can find out what
they’re truly capable of when they are
given the finest tools available paired
with the encouragement to try. We
want them to take the foundational
knowledge that they acquire and
go one step further to apply that
knowledge. When they do, their
learning is authentic, it’s innovative,
and it’s lasting.
Steve Dacey ’95, Assistant Principal for Teaching
and Learning
STRENGTHENING MINDS
EMPOWERING CREATIVITY
2 www.xbhs.com
ARTS CURRICULUM:
We’re investing in the arts, and it’s not just for show. We want to put an
instrument in every young man’s hands, and inspire undiscovered passion
for design, photography, cartooning, architecture, and more. The arts are
not only a confidence builder for a young man, but art can strengthen every
facet of a Xaverian education. Participation in the arts bolsters academic
performance and can help students grow socially and emotionally, think
more critically, and be more innovative and collaborative. Art helps to build
a wide range of higher-order thinking skills, the skills required for effective
leadership. At Xaverian, every student participates in arts education as they
learn that an appreciation for the arts is an important component of being
strong young men. But we know that an introduction isn’t enough...we want
to give our students ample opportunities to explore all aspects of the arts as
they strive to maximize their unique potential.
The work has already begun. We have launched new courses in the fine
and performing arts and celebrated the founding of our first-ever Pep
Band. This spring brought the inauguration of a new instrumental music
program, pairing Xaverian students with some of the top musicians teaching
in the Boston area; and next year, the grade 8 instrument program kicks
off, providing every student with the opportunity to try his hand at an
instrument. Support of the Strengthening Minds, Empowering Creativity
initiative helps cover the costs associated with these contemporary programs,
as well as the necessary equipment.
CREATIVITY LAB:
Whether it’s called a creativity lab, a makerspace, or an
innovation room, one thing is for sure; Xaverian aims
to provide an inspiring location on campus that is filled
with the best technology to benefit students of all ages.
Augmented Reality, 3D printers, green screens, and
robotics, the options are endless as a cohort of teachers
representing a variety of disciplines work together with
Xaverian’s Principal, Dr. Jacob Conca ’94, to uncover best
practices and imagine the possibilities for this new space
on campus.
Their goal? To create a space where all Xaverian students
can test their imagination and their skill. Whether it’s
touring the chambers of the heart in virtual reality
or building instruments with laser cutters and 3D
printers, this space will be a resource for all grades and
its applications will span across the curriculum. It’s
time to give our students the tools to think outside the
box, so they can get hands-on, real-world experience
with equipment they’ll likely encounter in future
careers. Funds raised through the Strengthening Minds,
Empowering Creativity initiative will be used to make the
possibilities into a reality.
The young men of
Xaverian are showing
us new talents every
day. We have to provide
the opportunities
to match them. They
are the artists of
tomorrow. That’s why
we must constantly ask
ourselves, what more
can we do for them
today?
Julianne O’Connor, Fine Arts
Teacher and Theater Director
Summer 2019 Xaverian Magazine 3
our students enter Xaverian their freshman
year from four different towns. They have
never met. They have different interests.
Different life experiences. And different
goals. But this year, their senior year, these four
students come together to release their first joint
venture—a music video for a song called “Broken.”
Two of them write and record the music; two
film and edit the video. It’s 100% student driven,
powered entirely by the artistic collaboration of
these four Xaverian young men. What follows
is their story of how they got here...the mutual
respect, and the dollars and cents.
TEAGAN BLUM AND JUSTIN
MILLER: THE FILMMAKERS
“We’ve been best friends since freshman year,”
Justin explains of Teagan. Teagan retorts, “No, you
hated me freshman year.” Justin fires back, “I still
hate you.” They laugh, as only best friends can.
KYRON BROWN AND DIMITRI
CHARLOT: THE SINGERS
“Ky heard I could sing and asked about it,
so I sent him a recording,” Dimitri says. He’s the
more outspoken of this pair, a subtle irony since
it was Kyron who first caught the attention of his
classmates for his music. “I wrote this song, ‘Roll
with Me,’ freshman year,” Ky says, explaining why
he wanted to see if Dimitri could really sing. “But
he didn’t say ‘yes’ to recording it with me until
junior year.” Ky didn’t take “no” for an answer, and
the two started quietly working on music together
while talk of Ky’s solo musical presence continued
to percolate among his classmates. For both, it was
clear that making music was a priority.
THEIR BACKGROUNDS
Dimitri says he’s been singing since he was
three. Growing up in the Baptist tradition, he was
familiar with the Church’s music and, he says,
“singing all the time.” But it was a fateful day at St.
Agatha’s School that kicked off his more formal
training. He got called in for an audition with St.
Paul’s Choir School and was one of six selected
for a second audition. He was the only one offered
a spot in the coveted music education program.
That’s when his real training began.
For Kyron, it came later. In eighth grade, he
started writing his own poetry, and that quickly
turned into writing songs. He dove in with the
unwavering support of his mother and began
lining up studio time and releasing his own music
on the web under the artist name, “K Loyal.”
That’s how his classmates at Xaverian heard him,
including Teagan and Justin.
Justin came to Xaverian with a bit of film
background already in place. He had made short
films during middle school and already had some
equipment. Teagan picked up his video fascination
in junior year, after both he and Justin were cut
from the lacrosse team and wanted to fill their
time. By senior year, he was fully immersed—
making highlight reels of Xaverian athletics
and devouring content wherever he could find
inspiration. The two continued to perfect their
skills, teaching themselves how best to shoot, edit,
apply effects, and more.
THE FOUR CONNECT
“Once Teagan and I heard Ky freshman
year, we knew he was a good rapper,” Justin
explains of their history. He turns to Ky and says,
apologetically, “But you didn’t have your sound
yet.”
“I’m still working on my sound,” Ky responds.
It was Teagan who first floated the idea of
making a music video. For him, it’s all about
earning his video chops...it doesn’t matter the
subject. For Justin, it’s less about the video and
more about sharing as yet undiscovered talent
with the world. Watching from the sidelines as
Ky continued to grow musically, they say they
knew by sophomore year that they wanted to film
a video for him. Meanwhile, Kyron and Dimitri
continued to quietly collaborate. The summer
heading into senior year, they released a recording
of their original song, “Broken.”
“We listened to that all summer,” says Justin.
“It’s so good.” Teagan chuckles. “Actually, we’re
like half your views by the way,” he admits. They
finally decided it was time to approach Kyron
and Dimitri about a video, and the conversation
among the four began senior year. It came down
to finances.
In order to get recording studio time, Ky
counted on birthday money and the generosity
of his mother. “I sold my sneakers for this last
session,” Dimitri adds. “I got $250 for them.”
So when they had the choice between paying
someone from the outside $700 for a video for
“Broken,” or working with Teagan and Justin for
free, they went with free.
THE FUTURE
All four agree that even with the array
of software and techniques they have taught
themselves during high school, there’s room to
grow. “Ky and I noticed, we’re all learning at the
same time here,” says Dimitri of their first filming
days. “We’re learning while they’re learning.” And
then they dissolve into brotherly ribbing about
Kyron changing his hair between filming days
and messing with the continuity, rendering issues
that caused the quality of the video to be less
than ideal, Dimitri’s inability to climb a hill, and
Justin’s poor navigation as Teagan wandered blind
A SONG
CALLEDBROKEN
To watch their music video for Broken,
filmed at the Blue Hills Reservation in
February, go to Xaverian’s website at
www.xbhs.com/music-collaboration.
4 www.xbhs.com
through Blue Hills, the camera blocking his view
of the path.
“That whole first video was just one step to our
first real video,” admits Justin. But Teagan jumps
in: “It was more than one step - it was a staircase.”
As they prepare for college, (Ky to study
music at the University of Loyola in New Orleans,
Teagan to study film at Elon, Justin to Chapman
University with a dream to work in artist
representation, and Dimitri to UMass Amherst
with the intention of focusing on both music
and business), they talk about the support they
received from Xaverian along the way.
“Our grade is close,” Teagan explains. “When
people start getting interested in something and
want to take it to the next level, our classmates are
supportive, and so are the teachers.”
“I’m walking by Nicholson’s office one day,”
Dimitri chimes in (and it should be noted that
“Nicholson” is Mr. Michael Nicholson, Assistant
Principal of Student Life). “And I hear my voice
singing from in his office, and so I do a little
moonwalk backwards to see what’s up. Then
Nicholson calls me in and starts congratulating
me. And then after that, Vasta (that’s Mr. Chris
Vasta ’00, Assistant Principal for Academics)
pulled me out of class and talked to me about
it. Even Dr. Conca talked to me about it.” He’s
Pictured here are Justin Miller ’19, Kyron Brown ’19, Dimitri Charlot ’19, and Teagan Blum ’19
smiling. You can see the pride.
“This room is full of a lot of talent and
potential,” Kyron quietly points out. “In a few
years, I can see us going far.”
A grin breaks across Teagan’s face. “It would be
cool if every summer we came back and made a
music video,” he says. And with that, they depart.
It’s their last day on campus at Xaverian, and this
interview is their last thing to do before heading
out for Christian Senior Service assignments.
Their joking and laughter can be heard as they
make their way down the hall...four unlikely
friends, brought together by a song called
“Broken.”
Summer 2019 Xaverian Magazine 5
his fall, Xaverian seniors
traveled into Boston for
the day to participate in a
seminar on engineering
at Northeastern University, an
experience that was bookended
this spring when grade 7 students
had their opportunity to attend. On
November 30, Mr. Jim McPhillips ’86
brought seniors from his AP Physics
and Intro to Engineering classes to
Northeastern’s STEM Center for
Education. “The focus of the day
was exposing high school students
to multiple engineering disciplines
by means of interactive labs and
activities,” Mr. McPhillips explained.
“I really enjoyed seeing the
school, for one,” said participant
Justin Sayah ’19. “My favorite part,
though, was the central nervous
system presentation. A programmer
and a biology professor explained
and discussed how stem cells divide
and how tumorous cells can envelop
your whole system. I found that to
be very cool.”
The second part of the day
included a presentation on batteries.
A Northeastern professor explained
the composition of batteries and
then cut them open so the students
could explore the components
inside. In another section, seniors
took part in a challenge to see if they
could build a small structure that
could withstand the stress produced
by an earthquake simulator. Later
in the school year, seniors in Intro
to Engineering expanded on their
learning on this subject back at
Xaverian, building bridges to
withstand hundreds of pounds of
pressure. They tested their models
BUILDING BRIDGES
in the Domenic Lalli Strength and
Conditioning Center.
“It is so important that we
provide these hands-on, real-
world learning opportunities for
our students, both in science and
throughout the curriculum,” said
Dr. Jacob Conca ’94, Principal.
“Our Class of 2024 enjoyed a
similar experience this spring
with their own day of learning at
Northeastern.”
Under the direction of Francis
Xavier Division science teacher,
Mr. Sean Gunning ’11, all grade 7
students spent a day at Northeastern
on April 9 during which they, too,
learned about engineering and
were able to test their hands at real-
world applications. Students rotated
through three main stations: an
overfishing simulation, snap circuits,
and a shake table. With overfishing,
modern political, biological, and
economic connections were drawn
to show just how tough it can be to
juggle the many aspects of feeding
everybody. For the snap circuits,
students overviewed energy flow and
energy sources (a unit they study in
the seventh grade curriculum), as
well as circuit types, before getting
a chance to build their own circuits
to light a bulb, spin a fan, or play a
speaker. Finally, the shake table was
the highlight of the day. Students
not only built a structure to test its
strength against earthquake forces,
but also were given the chance to
stand on the table themselves to see
if they could withstand the shake
test...a perfectly fun ending to a
seventh grade day of learning.
By Hunter Broadbent ’19 and Joshua Mould ’19, Communications Corps
WITH NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY
Seniors in Intro to Engineering test the strength of their structures
6 www.xbhs.com
The Junk Food Effect
Each year in Mr. Ryan Howard’s
senior Bio-Chemistry class, students
are given the opportunity to spend
their final quarter conducting
long-term scientific research on a
subject of their choosing. This allows
them the chance to try out a lab of
their own creation—one that isn’t
already mapped out for them in a
book—leaving room for trial and
error, critical thinking, and problem
solving. In previous years, students
have attempted to convert frying oil to
biodiesel and have tested the impact of
juuling (vaping) on cell growth. This
year’s seniors had a different subject
in mind—junk food. A group of 15
seniors worked together to test the
effect of an unhealthy diet (particularly
one representing bad choices in
Xaverian’s own cafeteria, like the
ever-popular fried chicken and french
fries combo), on the productivity of
ant colonies. “Programming like this
really represents our end goal for the
science department at Xaverian,” said
Dr. Bryan Dunn, chair of the science
department. We don’t want students to
simply memorize information. We’re
teaching them how to think creatively
to solve problems, as well as how to
be flexible and make adjustments if
needed. These are important skills, not
just for scientific research but for life.”
Above: Holden Keebaugh ’19 checking on one of the ant colonies in Bio-Chemistry
Below: Jack Gianino ’24, James Fetter ’24, and Michael Farah ’24 at Northeastern’s STEM center for
education
Summer 2019 Xaverian Magazine 7
averian students with an interest
in the fine arts now have an
expanded array of electives
to choose from, as exciting
new courses are integrated into the
curriculum. Ranging from Accelerated
to Honors to Advanced Placement,
there is something for everyone who has
passion for music, aspirations for the
stage, or a desire to express themselves
through visual art.
“We have an incredibly talented
group of teachers in the fine arts
department with a lot of expertise,” said
Mr. Stephen Dacey ’95, the chair of the
department and Xaverian’s Assistant
Principal for Teaching and Learning.
“Next year, we are offering some very
interesting classes that have not been
available to students previously.” This
docket of classes came together thanks
to a survey of Xaverian students in fall
2018, with over 700 Hawks offering their
input on how to shape the future of the
fine arts department.
“One of our goals is to give students a
continuous arts experience from grades
7-12,” said Mr. Dacey. “This will likely be
most evident through our instrumental
program, in which all seventh graders
will have the opportunity to select an
instrument - including vocals - and be
able to study it over the course of their
six years here. Ensembles such as the Jazz
By Hunter Broadbent ’19, Communications Corps
EXPANDING THE
ARTS
Mr. Greg Daigle, music teacher, working with Kyle Fishbaugh ’19
8 www.xbhs.com
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