The Banner
Cadets march in St. Patrick’s Day Parade
Benedictine Military School’s JROTC brigade and cadre, as well as a number of BC
faculty, staff and alumni, marched in the 190th Savannah St. Patrick’s Day Parade on
March 17. Rainy conditions did not stop us from showcasing BC to the thousands of
people who attended what annually is one of the largest St. Patrick’s Day celebrations
in the nation, and the thousands who watched the event on television. One of our own,
Mr. Dave Roberts ’76, was elected Grand Marshal of Savannah’s St. Patrick’s Day
Parade. “It’s the greatest honor you can have, to be an Irishman and live in Savannah,
Georgia,” Roberts said. The celebration also marked a new era for BC, as Col. Richard
E. LaRossa marched in the parade for the first time as BC’s Senior Army Instructor.
Col. LaRossa, whose sons, Francis and Edward, graduated from BC, filled the void
left by LTC John Manson Owens III ’61, who retired last June after 27 years at BC.
April 2014
Letter from the Principal ...
Board of Directors
Officers
Chairman:
Mr. William E. Schmitt
Dear BC parents, alumni and friends,
Board of Directors:
Mr. Andrew C. Ambos ’87
April is here and this is always a very busy time here at
BC. Spring sports are in full swing. Come watch a baseball or soccer game, lacrosse or tennis match, follow our
golf team or come to a track and field meet. There is always something going on. We hope you had the chance to
come to our 3rd Annual Science Night featuring STEM,
too. Our drama production with the Saints from SVA is
right around the corner as well.
Our seniors are looking at their final days as Cadets. Their
four years have flown by for sure. Now, as they are accepted at the colleges and universities of their choice, a
new phase in their lives and that of their parents is upon
them. Four months from now they will be moving into
dorms and their adventures begin. We know they are academically prepared, and pray they are healthy and happy.
Just this past week, an AdvancED Review Team spent two
and a half days with us looking at all we do. I am most
pleased and proud to inform you that we have been recommended for the maximum five-year accreditation. The
team’s initial report pointed out three powerful practices,
which are those they consider replicateable at any school;
engaging families, stakeholder communication and community service. We are very proud of what they recognized we do in these areas. We were given four required
actions, all of which deal with data-driven instruction and
professional development, each of which we have begun
to work on this year, and for which we have plans for
Rev. Daniel F. Firmin, J.C.L.
Dr. Joseph K. Hogan ’82
Mr. Martin S. Hogan ’86
Rev. Philip Kanfush, O.S.B.
Sister Johanna Maguire, R.S.M.
Mr. Charles H. Moore, Jr. ’79
Mr. Walter B. Murphy III ’71
Mr. Christopher W. Phillips ’79
Mr. Mark T. Shawe ’73
Mr. William W. Shearouse, Jr. ’66
Sister Lourdes Sheehan, R.S.M.
Mrs. Kathy H. Siler
Mr. Donald M. Thompson ’65
Letter from the Principal ...
Board of Directors
Officers
Chairman:
Mr. William E. Schmitt
next year and beyond. Within 30 days, we will receive
our AdvancED formal report with “opportunities for improvement” and a more detailed analysis of their visit.
Our four team members were knowledgeable, passionate
about education and a delight to work with. We have a
great deal to be proud of!
All of us here wish you and your families a wonderful
spring and a blessed Easter.
Always,
Dr. Deborah A. Antosca, Ed.D.
Board of Directors:
Mr. Andrew C. Ambos ’87
Rev. Daniel F. Firmin, J.C.L.
Dr. Joseph K. Hogan ’82
Mr. Martin S. Hogan ’86
Rev. Philip Kanfush, O.S.B.
Sister Johanna Maguire, R.S.M.
Mr. Charles H. Moore, Jr. ’79
Mr. Walter B. Murphy III ’71
Mr. Christopher W. Phillips ’79
Mr. Mark T. Shawe ’73
Mr. William W. Shearouse, Jr. ’66
Sister Lourdes Sheehan, R.S.M.
Mrs. Kathy H. Siler
Principal
Mr. Donald M. Thompson ’65
Cadets march in St. Patrick’s Day Parade
Photo of Col. LaRossa courtesy of Mrs. Robin DeLoach
Cadets march in St. Patrick’s Day Parade
Cadets march in St. Patrick’s Day Parade
JROTC Cadet of the Month Winners for
March are:
Cadet Donovan Green
A Company, 2nd Platoon, 1st Squadron, 1st Battalion
Private First Class Ben Winders
C Company, 2nd Platoon, 2nd Squadron, 2nd Battalion
Private First Class Adam King
E Company, 1st Platoon, 2nd Squadron, 3rd Battalion
BC class of ’76 attends Hibernian Dinner
Members of Benedictine Military School’s class of 1976 attended the Hibernian Dinner on
St. Patrick’s Day. Front row, left to right: Lee Cummings, Mark Buttimer, Dr. John Spellman and
Mike Hussey; back row: Bill Barbee, Larry Whelan, Walter Dimmick, Kevin Iocovozzi, Dave
Roberts (Grand Marshal), Kim Iocovozzi, Michael Laird, Vincent Ferraro, Charlie Butler, Robert
Cowart and Mike McNamara. Photo courtesy of Mr. Dave Roberts
Ring Day at BC
Ring Day at BC
Benedictine Military School juniors on March 14 received their BC class rings during a
ceremony in the cafeteria. BC’s senior class officers coordinated the event, Fr. Ronald Gatman,
O.S.B., blessed the rings and Mr. Richard C. Lutz, Jr. ’84 was the guest speaker. BC alumni
who have a son in the junior class were invited to sit on the stage and present their sons with
their class ring. After the ceremony, the junior class was excused from classes that day.
April Calendar of Events
April 1 - Baseball vs. MCA, 4:30 p.m. at BC
April 2 - DUI simulator at BC, 7:50 a.m.-3:10 p.m.
April 3 - DUI simulator at BC, 7:50 a.m.-3:10 p.m.; Golf at
Vidalia; Soccer at Toombs, 7 p.m.; Baseball at Long, 7:30 p.m.
April 4 - Track & Field at Beaufort; Golf at Vidalia; Baseball at
Richmond Hill, 1 p.m.; Lacrosse at Dunwoody, 6 p.m.
April 7 - Golf at UnderArmour Invit., Sav. Golf Club, 3:15 p.m.
April 8 - Lenten Penance Service; Baseball at Jeff Davis, 6
p.m.; Soccer vs. Vidalia, 7 p.m. at Daffin Park’s Optimist Field
April 9 - Guest speaker Mr. Chris Stefanick visits; History lecture, 6:30 p.m. in Alumni Hall.
April 11 - School Mass; Mid-Quarter; Baseball vs. Vidalia, 4:30 p.m.; Soccer at Atkinson County, 7 p.m.
April 12 - Track & Field at SSU; BCAA Sporting Clays Shoot at Forest City Gun Club, 9 a.m.; Lacrosse vs.
SW DeKalb, 1 p.m.; Lacrosse vs. MLK HS, 7 p.m.; BC/SVA West Side Story at Trustees Theater, 7:30 p.m.
April 13 - Palm Sunday; BC/SVA West Side Story at Trustees Theater, 5 p.m.
April 14 - Track & Field at Region 2-AA meet; Golf at Glynn Aca., 3 p.m.; Soccer at Toombs, 7 p.m.
April 15 - Track & Field at Region 2-AA meet; Baseball vs. Bacon, 4:30 p.m.; Lacrosse vs. Camden Military
School, 5 p.m.; Soccer vs. Savannah Christian, 7 p.m. at Daffin Park’s Optimist FIeld
April 16 - Track & FIeld at Region 2-AA meet; Field Day, 8 a.m. (Half-day schedule)
April 17 - Holy Thursday; BC closed for Easter break until April 28; Baseball at Toombs, 5:45 p.m.
April 18 - Good Friday
April 19 - Lacrosse vs. North Atlanta (at Mercer University), 12 p.m.
April 20 - Easter Sunday
April 21 - Golf at Region 2-AA championship in Vidalia, 10 a.m.; Soccer vs. Savannah Arts Aca., 7 p.m.
April 22 - Baseball at Metter, 6 p.m.
April 23 - Lacrosse vs. Heathwood Hall, 5 p.m.
April 24 - Baseball at Jenkins, 4:30 p.m.;
April 25 - Baseball vs. Bryan, 4:30 p.m.
April 26 - Track & Field at Sectional meet (site to be determined)
April 27 - Mother/Son Dance in BC Cafeteria, 3 p.m.;
April 28 - BC re-opens and classes resume
April 30 - 50th anniversary rededication ceremony, Mass and reception at BC
April Faculty and Staff
Birthdays
Jacob Horne
4/5
James “Jake” Chase
4/13
Stewart Pinkerton
4/26
Visit www.thebc400.com
and our Facebook page
for the most up-to-date
information regarding
dates and events!
3rd Quarter Honor Roll (2013-14)
HIGH HONORS
Brennen K. Anderson
Matthew B. Bartholomew
Thomas R. Benson
Noah B. Best
Henry W. Bowden
John E. Bremer, Jr.
Jasper E. Bridgeman, Jr.
Jack M. Carbery
Turner Y.C. Chu
Michael H. Cohen
Alexander T. Coleman
Benjamin T. Coleman
John M Coleman, Jr.
Everette A. Coomer
Matthew T. Coppage
Connor S. DeWitt
Jordan R. Dorsey
Ryan M. Ducey
Justice D. Felipe
Charles H. Ferrelle V
Sam O. Geha
Richard M. Geriner III
Tristan G. Harkleroad
Riley C. Harriss
Matthew C. Hogan
Thomas J. Hogan III
Joseph R. Holguin
Austin M. Karesh
Thomas K. Kennedy
Christopher J. Kochanik
Grant R. Lanser
Michael H. Lester
Kaelan P. Lutz
Patrick R. Maguire
Brendan M. Mahoney
Chase Marini
Cooper Marini
Winston E. Maxey IV
HIGH HONORS
Garrett J. McBroom
Miles W. McGinty
William T. Minnis
Ross M. Monson
Clayton A. Moore
Craig S. Moore, Jr.
Philip R. Moore
Anthony H. Nguyen
Matthew L. Nyce
Ishant P. Patel
Alfred E. Pesto III
William E. Pesto
Matthew G. Peters
Connor L. Robertson
Collins M. Sherrill
John J. Solitario
Kyle H. South
Matthew C. Starling
Eugene B. Stewart II
Joshua S. Summerlin
Zachary J. Tate
Andrew L. Tison
Benjamin T. Tootle
James J. Ware
Zachary A. Watson
Robert D. White
Mark J. Wilson
Benjamin J. Winders
John W. Witt III
Benjamin M. Wright
Hunter W. Yaklin
HONOR ROLL
Aaron L. Beers
Nicholas F. Blohm
William E. Bradley IV
Bridges C.A. Brantley
Triet R. Bui
HONOR ROLL
Samuel L. Collins
Thomas L. Crossley
Liam Cunningham
John B. DeLoach
Wyatt J. Ferrelle
Michael K. Fleming, Jr.
Conrad C. Fonseca III
Caleb M. Gilmore
Justin A. Greene
Christopher L. Gregar
Nathan J. Hickey
Richard R. Hightower
Harrison M. Hughes
Noah S. Johnson
Jake T. Kindred
William E. Kropp
Richard M. Lisicia
Austin M. McBroom
Ronald W. McElhaney III
Timothy T. Morin II
John T. Muller
Clifford C. Reddick III
Lawson R. Remler
Matthew T. Sparks
Graham M. Thompson
Steven J. Tilton
Logan H. vonWaldner
Daquan L. Waldron
Andrew K. Werntz, Jr.
Brendan D. West
Logan S. Wilkinson
3rd Annual Science Night featuring STEM at BC
By Noell Barnidge, Communications & Special Events Coordinator
Children and parents from throughout Savannah gathered at Benedictine Military School
on March 26 for the 3rd Annual Science Night featuring STEM. During the two-hour event, BC
Cadets guided our guests on a tour through the solar system. Children especially enjoyed taking turns driving replica Mars Rovers that were built by Mrs. Nicole Willett’s honors astronomy
class. In the chemistry lab, Mr. Rigel Crockett conducted a variety of awe-inspiring experiments
and demonstrations. The telescopes on the plaza were a great attraction, there were numerous
hands-on activities such as Alka-Seltzer rockets and a dinosaur dig, and guest speakers included
Fr. Frank Ziemkiewicz, O.S.B., Mr. David Seitz ’62, Ms. Kelli Whitney, Fr. Michael Kavanaugh
’76, Dr. George Sedberry and Dr. Stuart Fife.
3rd Annual Science Night featuring STEM at BC
3rd Annual Science Night featuring STEM at BC
3rd Annual Science Night featuring STEM at BC
From BC to the Big Dance!
By Noell Barnidge, Communications & Special Events Coordinator
Mercer University basketball players Daniel Coursey and Jibri Bryan, who both graduated from Benedictine Military School in 2010, returned to BC on March 12 for a March Madness send-off by BC students, administrators, faculty and staff. Mercer competed in the NCAA
Tournament and beat Duke University, 78-71, on March 21. On March 23, the Bears lost, 83-63,
to Tennessee. Mercer earned an automatic bid to the “Big Dance” by winning the Atlantic Sun
Conference tournament championship. The 6-foot-10 Coursey, the Atlantic Sun Conference’s
Defensive Player of the Year, and the 6-foot-3 Bryan talked about the strong foundation they received as BC students. They also answered questions, gave advice to our Cadets and led everyone during the Benedictine Fight Song.
The Bible comes alive in Mrs. Cheryl Ganem’s religion classes
Mrs. Cheryl Ganem’s freshman religion classes are studying stories from the Bible. They
took time out in early March and created some very lively and dramatic presentations to display
their knowledge of the stories and the lessons from the Bible selections. Some of the stories
included: The Prodigal Son, Noah and the Ark, the story of Abraham and Isaac, Samson and
Delilah, the anointing of King Saul by Samuel, and many others. Props, costumes, and lots of
good acting made for a most enjoyable day in the world of religious studies classes.
Biology students dissect grasshoppers
Benedictine Military School biology teacher Mr. Brennan Lemieux ’01 had his students
dissect grasshoppers in class one morning. Grasshoppers are a great introductory dissection
organism as they display a number of traits that have been highlighted in class, including a few
similarities to humans! The boys follow a dissection sheet where they begin by answering a
few pre-lab questions about classification and identifying most closely related pairs, etc. Then
they dive headfirst into an anatomical checklist, making sure that they identify each segment
or structure before moving on to the next. Highlights include figuring out the biomechanics of
the simplified mouthparts, understanding the similarities between the grasshoppers’ tympanum
and our tympanic membrane, and the function of the abdominal spiracles. The real fun came in
comparing the male and female. The boys finish by creating a color key to identify those very
same structural components they noted earlier in the lab.
BC helps other via blood donations
Benedictine Military School Cadets, administrators, faculty and staff did their part March
28 to help others throughout our community by donating blood to the American Red Cross.
BC’s National Honor Society sponsored the blood drive and we had a tremendous turnout! The
“blood mobile” was in operation at BC from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m.
Cadets celebrate Ash Wednesday Mass with seminarians
The Cadets of Benedictine Military School celebrated Mass on Ash Wednesday (March
5) with a group of seminarians from St. Vincent Archabbey. They came to Savannah from
Latrobe, Pa., and visited during their spring break. The celebrant/homilist for the Mass was Fr.
Ronald Gatman, O.S.B. St. Vincent Archabbey, established in 1846, is a community of Benedictine monks, sharing a life of work and prayer centered on Christ Jesus, according to the tradition
of the Roman Catholic Church and the monastic Rule of Saint Benedict. With more than 160
monks, St. Vincent was founded by Boniface Wimmer and is one of the largest monasteries in
the world.
AP Environmental Science students test water quality
Mrs. Nicole Willett’s AP Environmental Science class tested water quality from a variety
of sources. Some of the samples included pool water, tap water, runoff water, water from Cwing of Benedictine Military School and others. The students tested for dissolved oxygen content, phosphates, nitrates, turbidity and pH.
Zettler ’10, Cannoles ’13 return to BC to give presentation
Benedictine Military School graduates Mr. Jason Zettler ’10 and Mr. Ben Cannoles ’13
returned to BC to speak with some of our Cadets about attending the University of North Georgia in Dahlonega, Ga.
Junior retreat
By Noell Barnidge, Communications & Special Events Coordinator
Benedictine Military School’s junior class conducted its retreat March 13 at BC. The day
began with a Mass, followed by a talk from Fr. Ronald Gatman, O.S.B., about escapism and
dealing with reality. Ms. Kelly Williams gave a presentation about saints, there was time for reflection and Sr. Joan Chittister, O.S.B., gave a short reading before Fr. Ronald’s presentation on
the virtue of tolerance. The Cadets ate lunch and are in the process of playing basketball, touch
football and cornhole on the plaza. The purpose of a retreat day is to educate our young men
while allowing them to participate in activities that strengthen their brotherhood.
Cadets celebrate Mass honoring our Holy Father Benedict
Benedictine Military School students on March 21 attended a Mass celebrating the passing of
our Holy Father Benedict. The celebrant/homilist was Fr. Anthony Wesolowski, O.S.B.
Tool safety demonstration in preparation for Trebuchet Day
By Noell Barnidge, Communications & Special Events Coordinator
Benedictine Military School’s annual Trebuchet Day will be in a few weeks, so BC physics
teacher Mr. Jim Hicks spent time recently teaching students in his classes how to safely use the tools
when production begins. A trebuchet is a type of catapult that remained popular from around fourth
century B.C. until the 13th century A.D. Trebuchets were known to be more accurate than other
catapults, as warriors could use them to fling projectiles of up to 350 pounds at high rates of speed
into enemy fortifications.
Campus Ministry
By: Fr. Ronald Gatman, O.S.B. - Campus Minister
COMPASSION
Years ago, when I was studying in Geneva, Switzerland, I met a
young woman who was not a Christian. One Sunday, she invited me
to go to a Quaker religious service. I went. It was interesting. When
the Spirit moved someone they would get up and speak for a while
and then sit back down. Silence followed until someone else felt inspired to speak. After this
had gone on for a long time one of the people at the service, an old woman, was getting restless
and wanted the meeting to be over. So she began to shuffle her feet on the wooden floor and the
noise from it was noticeable. The leaders of the group got the message and the meeting was soon
concluded. Later on, the young woman that I was with and I began to have a discussion about
religion. Somewhere along the line I asked her, “What is it that stands out most about the person
of Jesus Christ?” Without hesitation, she answered, “His compassion.” She had put her finger on
the center point around which the life of Jesus Christ revolved. His life and His mission were
grounded in compassion. The compassion of Christ resonated with the actions of God that run
throughout the whole of the Scriptures. We read numerous times in the Bible of God’s compassion, such as in the Psalms where we hear: “The Lord is good to all; He has compassion on all He
has made.” (NIV) The word ‘compassion’ literally means, “to suffer with.” This definition raises
a question in my mind: how is it possible for God to suffer? Nothing can hurt or harm God. He
is almighty. For Christians, the answer is that He suffers in the person of Jesus Christ. Because
Jesus was true man and had all of the qualities that a human being can have, except sin, He was
able to suffer just like any other person. We know, of course, that He suffered physically at the
time of His crucifixion, and certainly mentally. This suffering was undergone for us because of
His compassion for us who were steeped in sin. God saw how lost we human beings were due to
our transgressions in His regard and in regard to our neighbors. He could have just let us simply
wallow in our sins, but He didn’t. He was compassionate to us and sent His Son to save us and
reconcile us to Himself. The compassion of God flows from the fact that He is all-loving, and all
good. As the Bible tells us, “God so loved the world that He sent His only begotten Son (to die
for us), that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.”
If we as Christians are called upon to imitate the life of Christ then we must be as He was, compassionate to all. Yet we know that we frequently do not behave with compassion toward our fellow man. In fact, much of the time we display inhumanity to others. One only has to look at the
mass persecutions that have taken place in the history of humankind. Why do we do this? Why is
there so much hatred in the world? Perhaps it is because we are unable to penetrate into the depths
of a person and see the image of God that resides there. We are incumbered by our sins, especially
the various negative prejudices that we acquire in regards to others due to our upbringing. This
prevents us from seeing that all of us are children of God and as such deserve respect. Jesus
COMPASSION (CONTINUED)
taught that we must overcome these negative views of our neighbors. The epitome of this teaching can perhaps best be found in Jesus’ parable of the Good Samaritan as related in the Gospel of
Saint Luke. Jesus had just stated that we must love God with our whole being, and our neighbor
as ourselves. Someone then asked Jesus, “who is my neighbor?” and this question was answered
by Jesus through the parable of the Good Samaritan. Many of you are probably familiar with this
parable. It is about a man who had fallen into the hands of robbers who beat him, robbed him and
left him alongside the road. A Jewish priest and a Levite passed by and saw the man lying there
but did nothing to help him. They just passed by. However, a Samaritan, (Samaritans were disliked by the Jews) seeing the man, went over to him and cared for him. There are many facets to
this story, but the meaning that Jesus wanted to get across is that everyone is our neighbor regardless who they are, and we could add, especially those who are in need. But why did the Samaritan
go over and help the man while the others didn’t? It seems that he was a man of compassion for
others, and his compassion for others overrode whatever feelings he might have against a person.
When a person needed help, he helped them.
Jesus did this for all of us, regardless of who we are or our beliefs. “He is compassionate to all His
creatures.” As we approach the supreme act of God’s compassionate love on Good Friday, may
we come to see our solidarity with all the rest of our brothers and sisters throughout the world,
and may we be given the grace to reach out to whomever is in need that they might experience
the love of God through us, and gain the hope that will help them through this life, and lead them
to the next where He who is compassion itself awaits them with open arms. Amen.