2019 - Xaverian Winter Magazine
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The Magazine of Xaverian Brothers High School | Winter 2019
Brian Reynolds ’06
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 Manager
Pamela J. Fothergill, P ’07
pfothergill@xbhs.com
Administrative Assistant
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
© 2018 Xaverian Brothers High School.
All rights reserved.
averian
X THE MAGAZINE OF XAVERIAN BROTHERS HIGH SCHOOL
Pictured here are students doing water research at Hale
Reservation in Westwood. Go to page 17 to read about
the new partnership.
On the Cover: Brian Reynolds ’06 shows incredible
determination and world record-setting athleticism as
he pursues his quest to run a sub-three-hour marathon.
From the
Headmaster
Dear Friends of Xaverian,
ince we opened our doors in 1963 as an all-boys school rooted
in the Xaverian Brothers tradition, our mission has compelled
us to provide academic excellence and a well-rounded
educational experience to our students in order to help them grow
into good and faithful servant-leaders, as well as strong young men.
We know that how one might define “strong” has changed a lot since
1963. That is why we are asking our community the question: How
do you define strong? We believe this conversation could not come at
a better time.
This fall, we asked our students that question and within just
days, 175 of them volunteered a response. Throughout this magazine,
you will see some of these student definitions of strong. We hope that
they prompt you to consider how you define strong, and how you
think Xaverian helps to shape strong young men in the best sense of
the word.
As you flip through these pages, you will see examples of strength,
bravery, and perseverance, like Brian Reynolds ’06, who despite
setting world marathon records as a double amputee, refuses to
rest until he meets his own personal goal (page 2). Also, Andrew
Thompson ’19, who faced his fears of competing against college
and graduate students at a national medical research conference
and ended up winning an award for his work (page 4). You will also
see the incredible strength of the Xaverian community as evident
by our active alumni community, our engaged and enthusiastic
teachers and students, our legacy families who preserve the tradition
of Xaverian education, and the incredible generosity of friends,
parents, grandparents, and so many more. As our community
knows, strength is not the result of complacency. I am constantly
asked, “What’s next, Brother Dan?” and it is a question I love to
hear. To find out the answer, turn to page 6 to learn about our latest
fundraising efforts.
We are grateful for each member of this vibrant community
and we know that our strength is in our numbers…the tens of
thousands of people who have been positively impacted by a
Xaverian education. Thank you for being such an important part of
our mission.
God bless you and your family.
Brother Daniel Skala, C.F.X.
Headmaster
“D
on’t mind me being out
of breath, I’m squeezing
in a workout while we
talk,” Brian Reynolds
told me when I called him on
October 18. It was 11 days after he
set a personal and official bilateral
below-the-knee amputee world
record at the Chicago Marathon,
clocking 3:03:22. Even with that
incredible accomplishment, he’ll tell
you he fell short of his goal. Brian, a
2006 graduate of Xaverian Brothers
High School, is determined to hit
a sub-three-hour marathon as a
double amputee.
When Brian was four years old,
he contracted meningococcemia, a
rare blood infection. He lost both
legs as a result. Embarrassment,
he admits, kept him from trying
out for high school sports, but his
mother had introduced him to the
gym in middle school and he says
he never left. By college, he had
taken an interest in powerlifting
and shortly after was able to deadlift
485 pounds. When he wanted to
build his endurance in addition to
his strength, he signed up to hike
the Grand Canyon with Team in
Training, raising money in support
of the Leukemia and Lymphoma
Society. Soon thereafter, running
began to replace powerlifting and
Brian’s unlikely road to the Chicago
Marathon began.
It started with small steps. One
minute of running a day, every day
for a week...then two minutes...
and so on. At the end of 2013 he
received his first pair of specialized
running legs and in January 2014,
he ran his first marathon, the Disney
Marathon, in 4:30. By his second
marathon in 2017, he shaved an
hour off his time and hit 3:27. “After
that, I got more serious and I got a
coach,” he said, and began training
in earnest for the 2017 Chicago
Marathon. It was going well until
that summer when he needed a new
pair of running legs. “I had a lot of
fit issues, so I didn’t run all summer,”
Brian said. “I did a lot of cross
training, aqua jogging, and rowing.
I got the running blades up and
working on Labor Day weekend so I
had only four weeks of run training
before the Marathon.”
Even with the training deficit,
Brian finished the race in 3:06:38.
“That was mind blowing to me,”
said Brian. “It really changed my
expectations on the potential I had.
Sub-three always seemed like ‘Okay,
that’d be nice if it happened one day
far in the future.’ My time got me
an invite to the London Marathon,
which is the Para Athletics World
Cup. I took training to a whole new
level then. I was up to 70 miles a
week.”
And then, three weeks out from
the marathon, Brian had to have
emergency gallbladder surgery. Two
hours off the operating table, he was
home and working out again. “It was
probably a mistake on the doctor’s
part,” he joked, “but they assured
me that nothing I could do would
injure the surgical sites. I think in
hindsight though that I pushed
myself too far,” he said. “By the time
I got to London, I was mentally tired,
physically tired, not confident, and
not feeling strong.”
He had what he calls a “terrible
day” at London, despite setting a
new personal record of 3:03:35 and
winning the race for his para athletic
category. “For the para athletes, they
start you out 55 minutes ahead of the
main field, so I ran the entire course,
point to point, 100% solo. I was out
there for 3 hours, 3 minutes, and 35
seconds alone. Also, I was mentally
tired going into the race, it was a hot
BRIAN REYNOLDS ’06
REDEFINING STRONG
Jim Akita (left) bolsters Xaverian alumnus, Brian Reynolds ’06 (right), as he tries to reach the
finish line in the 2018 Chicago Marathon after a devastating fall at mile 22.
Written by Ann Alsfeld
2 www.xbhs.com
day, and on top of all of that I had no
idea what my time was because you
can’t wear a GPS watch. All of those
things together made me mentally
weaker than I normally am.”
The physical and mental beating
of that race took a toll on Brian
leading into his second Chicago
Marathon. It was right at that time
that he began gaining the attention
of the national press for his success
at London and his sub-three Chicago
marathon goal. He pushed through
and kept training, ignoring obvious
signs of physical strain. By mid-June,
he wasn’t able to walk due to overuse
injuries. So once again leading
into the Chicago Marathon, Brian
couldn’t run. “Instead I trained on my
Elliptigo (a cross between an elliptical
machine and a bike) every day for at
least three hours,” he said. “I mixed in
swimming, the nordic ski machine,
rowing, aqua-jogging, and weight
training. I didn’t start running until
right before Labor Day.”
To make up for lost time, Brian
crammed in intense running
workouts and didn’t taper them
until five days out from the race,
something that’s generally not
recommended. Nonetheless,
marathon day came and Brian felt
good. “I had three amazing pacers.
I was very confident in my fitness.
The weather was perfect, mid-50s,
cloudy, intermittent drizzle - but
generally that doesn’t bother me. We
were doing really well and we were
on target to finish at 2:55.”
That was before the sharp right
turn at the 22nd mile. It had been
raining fairly steadily by then and
the ground was slippery. Brian’s
blade caught in a pothole, and he
went down.
“It’s not something you usually
hear in a marathon, but my leg got
torn off, so I instinctively went to
reach for it.” He tried to grab one of
his pacers with his other hand, but
he missed. With no hands left to
protect his head, he fell down hard
on his left side.
“The world was completely
dark...it could have been one second
or a minute, I don’t even know. The
first thing I remember, runners
stopped to pull me off the ground. I
was super dizzy, couldn’t see straight,
vision was going in and out, and I
couldn’t really hear.”
It was a concussion, 22 miles into
the race, but it didn’t stop Brian. He
kept going. Slowly, his “shambling
walk turned into a shambling run.”
His legs were cramping. His hands
were numb. A race volunteer offered
to take him to the medical tent.
“That was probably the sweetest
temptation I’ve ever had in my life,”
Brian said. “I took one look at him
and kept running...I didn’t stop
moving until the end.”
Brian intermittently ran and
walked the last few miles, relying
heavily on the support of his pacer,
Jim Akita, the men’s track and cross
country coach at Elmhurst College.
Desperately gripping Jim’s hand,
Brian made it through the 26th mile.
Brian and his wife, Kim, live
in New Jersey with their two
children, Stephen and Zoanna.
Brian and his
brother, Andrew
Reynolds ’11,
at the 2011
USAPL New
England Open
Powerlifting
Championships,
held at Xaverian.
Brian, the first
para lifter at
the event,
totaled 633 lbs
in a push-pull
effort at 148 lbs
bodyweight.
STRONG IS:
The desire to finish the puzzle despite
knowing that some of the pieces are
missing. Because, I know that when that
puzzle is done, the real joy is not in the
completed picture, but that
I enjoyed and overcame the
task. —Brian Reynolds ’06
With .2 miles to go, Jim told Brian to
cross the finish line on his own. “He
kind of steadied me and said, ‘You
can run this final .2 miles; you don’t
need me.’”
Brian did it. He crossed the
finish line solo. Then, he said, “all
the dizziness and nausea took
over.” He sat down and found out
his official time, 3:03:22...a new
record, but not the sub-three for
which he was training. He was both
disbelieving that he finished at all
and disappointed in not meeting
his goal. He had planned that, upon
completing Chicago, he would take a
break from marathon racing to start
training for triathlons, potentially
going for the 2020 Olympics in
Tokyo. Now he says he’s thinking
maybe he can “sneak in” another
marathon in the spring. When asked
where this determination in the face
of such incredible obstacles came
from, Brian replied, “It probably
started at Xaverian.”
According to Matt Cavanagh
’96, Xaverian history teacher, “What
struck me almost immediately about
Brian was his tenacity to improve.
He wanted to become a better writer,
test taker, and improve his overall
academic skills. The strength he is
demonstrating today was certainly
present when he walked the halls of
Xaverian.”
“I have a naturally competitive
spirit,” Brian said. “It’s not necessarily
with anyone else, but with myself.
It’s a drive to see how much better I
can get, and it’s not just athletics, it’s
with anything that I do. I can’t say
there was one defining moment that
made me that way, but I just know
that I started to excel when I was at
Xaverian.”
In the days since our
conversation, Brian has been trail
running in Las Vegas, running
with Meb Keflezighi (New York
and Boston Marathon champion
and Olympic Silver Medalist),
skydiving (yes, that’s right), and
helping to spread the word about
the importance of vaccinating by
filming interviews for the National
Meningitis Foundation, all in
addition to working and being a
supportive husband and father to
his two young children. Through his
determination, perseverance, and
inexhaustible desire to keep pushing
his limits, Brian Reynolds has shown
us so many ways to be strong.
Winter 2019 Xaverian Magazine 3
ndrew Thompson ’19 spent his summer working on a project
that typically only pre-med or graduate students would
undertake, in conjunction with a teaching hospital. He created
a scientific abstract presentation on research performed by Dr.
Violeta Popov, a gastroenterologist with New York University. The research
Dr. Popov and her team conducted pertained to Billiary Disease and the
impact of bariatric surgery. Andrew’s role was to synthesize the data and the
research process into an abstract to be presented in a professional poster at
the Annual Scientific Meeting and Postgraduate Course of the American
College of Gastroenterology in Washington, DC.
What’s more impressive than a rising senior spending his summer
working in this type of medical research? It’s when he wins an Outstanding
Presenter Award for his efforts. Andrew admits, presenting before judges
at the conference was “terrifying.” He said, “I knew that I had to represent
Dr. Popov and what she worked so hard to do, and I felt both honored
and terrified to be given such a responsibility. I was there with notable
competitors from Harvard and Stanford, and I thought, ‘these people went to
school for this, while I’m just this novice.’” But Andrew’s impressive work on
the display itself, as well as his understanding and presentation of the research
caught the judges’ attention. The presentation earned a Presidential Award
Outstanding Presenter
Andrew Thompson ’19
STRONG IS:
Representing the work of Dr. Popov
and her team without letting
doubt or the fear of failure
hinder me. —Andrew Thompson ’19
for the quality of the research and the abstract, and an Outstanding Presenter
Award for Andrew’s explanation of the project to judges.
Andrew isn’t 100% certain what’s next for him as he explores colleges. He’s
strongly considering following in his parents’ footsteps to pursue a career
in medicine. Whatever direction he chooses, his experience working this
summer alongside Dr. Popov and presenting with such success at a national
conference definitely strengthens his resume as he considers his options.
Congratulations, Andrew!
4 www.xbhs.com
hen you first
meet Mehul
Bhattacharyya, a
seventh grader at
Xaverian, one thing is abundantly
clear: he has a lot to say. Mehul,
12, and his brother Ruemen, 14 (a
student at Sharon High School), have
been avid storytellers since they were
little, something for which Mehul
credits his father. “When I was four
and my brother was six, my dad told
us stories at nighttime,” said Mehul.
“When my brother turned eight he
started writing his own stories, and
a few years later I started coming up
with my own ideas. I wanted to be
able to tell my stories, too.”
What started as a budding
interest in storytelling has turned
into a full-blown family affair.
Together, he and his brother have
proudly published two books, and
both Mehul and his dad have worked
together to illustrate them. Mehul
said they draw inspiration from the
world around them when they create
their stories. They’re influenced by
movies and books they like, as well
as things that have happened to
A Handful of Hope
Mehul Bhattacharyya ’24 is Writing Stories to Change the World
On April 4, 5, and 6, it will be curtains up on Xaverian’s spring
musical. Join us for a hilarious journey with Curtains, an eight-
time Tony-nominated production, including Best Musical. Set in
1959, this madcap comedy is a play within a play, as the cast and
crew become suspects in their own leading lady’s mysterious
onstage death. Of course, the local detective who shows up to
solve the case also happens to be a musical theater fan. You’ll
be a musical theater fan, too, after joining us in April for the
Xaverian spring musical!
SAVE THE SHOWTIMES
Thursday, April 4 at 7:00 p.m. — Friday, April 5 at 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, April 6 at 8:00 p.m.
them in their own lives.
In 2016, the boys published
a collection of five short stories
titled, “A Handful of Hope.” Mehul
described the stories as having a
consistent message about facing
hardship and coming through
the other side stronger and more
full of hope. They donated the
proceeds from the book to the
Syrian American Medical Society
Foundation (SAMS), an organization
working to support Syrian Refugee
children in Zaatari Camp. They also
sent copies of the book to the refugee
camp for the children to read. “I
hope that if a Syrian refugee reads
this, they’ll know that one day they
can do something big; that future
generations - their grandchildren -
will have a better life,” he said.
In addition to their fundraising
for SAMS, proceeds from their book
sales are donated to local and global
charities of their choice, such as
Raising a Reader (RAR), a national
non-profit promoting literacy.
There’s a good chance we’ll
continue to hear from Mehul in
the future. He’s pretty certain that
no matter what career he has, he’ll
always make time to write. “I think
in my free time I’ll write any idea I
have. Like on the weekend if I’m not
doing anything, I’ll probably just
write a story.”
Mehul and his brother recently
completed their second collaboration
- a storybook called, “A Bizarre
Basket.” Keep your eye out for it on
Amazon!
Winter 2019 Xaverian Magazine 5
averian Brothers High School prides
itself on being a community that fosters
the development of the whole person
- mind, body, and spirit. Teaching and
learning at Xaverian goes beyond information
gathering to include critical thinking,
collaboration, and discovering the creative
dimensions of a well-rounded personality.
We seek to cultivate an appreciation for the
fine and performing arts. And, we know that
preparing the next generation of leaders also
requires competence in science, technology,
engineering, and math.
That is why we are investing in the arts
and engineering at Xaverian. Our goal is to
strengthen minds and empower creativity for
students from grades 7-12. We aim to enhance
all opportunities for exploration in the arts
and engineering at Xaverian, which will have
a big impact on our students’ high school and
college experiences. Join us by investing in the
following initiatives:
STRENGTHENING MINDS
EMPOWERING CREATIVITY
Initiatives for the Arts and Engineering at Xaverian
If you would like to make an
investment in the arts and
engineering at Xaverian, please
contact Larry Furey, P ’21, Assistant
Headmaster for Advancement, at
lfurey@xbhs.com or 781-801-1620.
ur students love experiential learning. Look no further than the theater on any given afternoon,
and you will find students 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 our current lighting system from an analog
system to a digital, LED system, and replace our
outdated sound system. Not only will this provide the
best experiential learning, but it will literally light up
many future productions, bettering the experience
for our student actors, stage hands, and our audience
members. Don’t let the lights go out or the sound
cut off. Help us enhance the creative and technical
opportunities for our students involved in theater.
THEATRICAL LIGHTING AND SOUND SYSTEM UPGRADE: $200,000
“To be able to provide a space
which encompasses lighting and
sound, matching the caliber of
the students here at Xaverian,
undoubtedly helps us provide
a theatrical experience that
is exciting, challenging, and
inspiring.”
-Ms. Julianne O’Connor, Theater Director
STRENGTHENING MINDS
6 www.xbhs.com
XB CREATIVITY LAB: $150,000
ugmented Reality, 3D printers, and robotics...Xaverian’s Creativity
Lab will have that and more. This will be the place for all Xaverian
students to test their imagination and their skill. Theology classes will
take AR tours of the Cathedral of Notre Dame, digital design students will
laser cut their masterpieces, and physics students will build their bridges
using 3D printing, instead of using straws.
The XB Creativity Lab will be a resource for all grades, and its
applications will span across the curriculum, from the arts to science and
everything in between. 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.
“The Creativity Lab will provide a much-needed
area for our students to challenge themselves,
and one another, to go beyond the walls of
theoretical engineering and design in order to
create from their own imagination. This hands-
on, innovation center has the potential to be
the hub of experiential, authentic learning at
the school.”
-Dr. Bryan Dunn, Science Department Chairperson
ARTS CURRICULUM:
$150,000
e’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 can help students improve academic performance,
help them 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 fine and
performing arts.
“Art allows you to look at things from
different perspectives. It teaches us how
to observe the world around us and use
our experiences to create something we
can be proud of.”
- Keven Harding ’21
Winter 2019 Xaverian Magazine 7
Mike Mangiacotti MH ’60
was a three-sport star athlete
and earned MVP of the Catholic
Conference in football the year the
Mission High Buccaneers took the
league championship. He was also
a Catholic Conference All-Star for
baseball and a three-year varsity
basketball player. He was named
captain in all three sports. Mike
earned the Most Versatile Athlete
award in 1960, the highest athletic
award for Mission High.
Ted Waite ’68 was a top lineman
and a talented overall football player
who had the toughness, dedication,
and clutch instincts to make big
plays. In both his junior and senior
year, the Hawks football team won
the school’s first two state titles. Ted
went on to play D-1 football at Wake
Forest on a full athletic scholarship.
The Xaverian community lost a great
friend and teammate with Ted’s
passing this fall.
Pictured here (l to r) are Jeff Wallace ’05, Chris Brady ’78, Mike Davis ’98, Mike Mangiacotti MH ’60, Cory Bailey ’94, Joe Kamara ’90, Mark Amirault ’07, Greg
Sullivan ’70, P ’99, and Coach John Laflamme, P ’91, ’93, ’00.
XAVERIAN BROTHERS HIGH SCHOOL
ATHLETIC HALL OF FAME
DINNER & AWARDS PRESENTATION
n Saturday, October 20, more than 200 alumni and their families returned to Xaverian to celebrate the induction of the newest menbers
of Xaverian’s Athletic Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame honors Xaverian’s long tradition of athletic excellence, recognizing the exceptional
achievements, leadership, and values demonstrated by select individual athletes, coaches, and teams at Xaverian Brothers High School and
Mission Church High School. This year’s class is only the third to be admitted in the school’s 55-year history.
Thank you to our Hall of Fame Committee: Garrett T. Bowers ’87, P ’21, ’23, Charles Carmone ’85, P ’16, Dr. Jacob A. Conca ’94, Edward J. Freeley, III
’75, Paul M. Kelly ’85, Conor J. Maguire, P ’22, ’24, Edward A. Miller, Jr. ’68, P ’94, Michael P. O’Connor MH ’72, P ’01, and Brother Daniel E. Skala, C.F.X.
2018 Hall of Fame Inductees:
8 www.xbhs.com
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