On Tuesday, February 5th, the Business and Finance Club and the Psychology Club joined together for an interdisciplinary presentation on Super Bowl commercials. The two clubs have been working separately since returning from Christmas break, researching the business aspect of the commercials and the psychological aspect of the commercials. The presentation was the culmination of their research. The Business and Finance Club went first, being presented by Karolina Chroscielewski ‘19, Robert Nolan ‘21, and Charlie Mandracchia ‘20. The key points presented were the effect the Super Bowl commercials have on consumers, and on companies, the question of whether to advertise or not (in 2019, a 30 second ad cost 5 million dollars!), and the effect of the ads such as many companies yield high sales and even those that don’t enjoy brand recall. The Psychology Club then gave their presentation, by Maya Tadross ‘19 and Veronica Tadross ‘21. Their key points was that there is a consumer psychology, where the study of consumers and how they behave inflict their buying habits and choices. They showed how the average person will see 2 million 30 second commercials in a year, and that effects how markets make certain ads stand out. They showed using different examples of commercials how psychological and behavioral economic principles are behind the most powerful Super Bowl ads. The presentation commenced when the students watched Apple’s “1984” commercial, and Budweisers “Wassssup” commercial. This led to a discussion on why these commercials are so iconic. To finish off the presentation, students indulged in Coke, Sierra Mist, Doritos, and Lays potato chips as a post-Super Bowl party!

Daisha Howard of Kellenberg, left, gets congratulated by teammates after rolling a strike in her second game of the Nassau-Suffolk CHSAA girls bowling final against St. Dominic at AMF Wantagh Lanes on Thursday. Photo Credit: James Escher

Article by Newsday’s Peter Kersich:

Kellenberg’s Daisha Howard usually doesn’t have a tough time knocking down pins, but when she got off to a shaky start in Thursday’s CHSAA girls bowling final, she didn’t hesitate to seek advice.

“In the beginning of the first game I was struggling, and I asked my teammates for help,” Howard said. “They told me where I should stand, I trusted them, and they helped me get back on track.”

Howard closed out Game 1 with three strikes in the 10th frame and rolled a 170. She went on to throw a 196 in Game 2, a 186 in Game 3 and finished with a 552 series as No. 1 Kellenberg defeated No. 2 St. Dominic, 8-1, at Wantagh Lanes.

Read the rest on Newsday.com: https://www.newsday.com/sports/high-school/bowling/chsaa-girls-bowling-kellenberg-daisha-howard-1.27043985

As the end of the school year approaches our senior editors will be off to college and will be leaving some vacancies in the newspaper office. We are now seeking new feet to fill big penny loafers. The Phoenix perennially accepts the strongest writers,  creative minds, contributors and leaders.  To apply, fill out an application in the newspaper office from 3:00-4:00 until Friday, February 15.

Join an award winning staff! Pictured below Mike Senatore ’18 (Hofstra University School of Communication) Anya Murphy ’19, Kimberly Lores ’18 (College of William and Mary) Stephanie Parmiter ’18 (Georgetown University) James Mooney III ’20

In an extraordinary team performance, Kellenberg’s Girls track and field team finished second in the CHSAA Intersectional Championships. Maureen Lewin led the team with a win in the 1000 meters and teamed up with Madeline Lay, Maya Richardson, and Brianna Lausev. Richardson and Lausev had also qualified individually in the 600 and 3000 meters respectively. Camryn Beckford quailed with a third place in the 300 meters and joined Chrissy Foster, Claire O’Regan and Olivia Coletta to finish second, qualifying in the 800-meter relay. Margaret McLoughlin ran to a ten second personal best in taking third in the 1500 meters. Sam Bendig added key points in the shot put. Quite a day for the highly motivated Lady Firebirds.

On Saturday, February 2, the Kellenberg Science Olympiad team competed in the annual regional competition. After competing against teams from all throughout Nassau, Kellenberg ‘A’ took third out of 39 teams, with the ‘B’ and ‘C’ teams placing 14th and 25th. Aidan York ’20 led the team in medals, earning an outstanding six metals, followed by Paul Bartolomeow, who earned five. Three medals were won by Monika Sweeney, Chelsey Faith-Florita, Natalie Jean-Michel, Tyler Martinus, Caitlin Noonan, and Meaghan O’Keefe. Two medals were won by Fran Morales, Caitlyn Barnwell, Andrew Erickson, Colin Donnelly, Julia Zacherski, and Olivia Quinn. As a result, the team has qualified for states in March.

Article by Phoenix Editor: James Mooney III

Congratulations to the High School Science Olympiad team on their performance at this weekend’s Tiger Invitational in New Tripoli, Pennsylvania. The A team finished 2nd out of 26 teams, with the B team finishing 21st. Aidan York continued to lead the team in scoring, earning 5 medals, followed by Francesca Morales, Chelsea-Faith Florita, Natalie Jean-Michel, Tyler Martinus Paul Bartolemea, Meghan O’Keefe, and Julia Zacharksi, who all earned 3. Medals were also won by Monika Sweeney, who won 2, and Sarah Narcisse, Andrew Erickson, Caitlyn Barnwell, Caitlin Noonan, Adanya Jeudy, Meghan Osonitsch, Isabella Rajkovic, and Samantha Weir, who all earned one. Congratulations to all our competitors. 

Daisha Howard of Kellenberg, left, gets congratulated by teammates after rolling a strike in her second game of the Nassau-Suffolk CHSAA girls bowling final against St. Dominic at AMF Wantagh Lanes on Thursday. Photo Credit: James Escher

The Phoenix: Maya Tadross

The Girls Varsity Bowling team won the league championship yesterday, ending their season 12-0. This is the third straight league championship for the team. Congratulations to the entire team for an amazing season and an exciting playoff run. Daisha Howard won the league MVP. Teammates Allison Slowinski, Kellie Sandas, Brooke Cassatto, Alexis Kotanidis, Ava Kaiser and Shannon Pepe came up big when needed. The team and coaching would like to thank the administration, faculty, student body, and the Boys team for all their support this season!

The Varsity Hockey team continued an impressive inaugural season last night after advancing to the league champs with a 4-3 victory over St. Edmunds in game 2 of the semi-final playoff series.  The line of Jonathan Fusaro, Maximus Vamvaketis, and Stephen Papp dominated offensively for the Firebirds.  Fusaro scored 2 of Kellenberg’s goals.  The defense, led by Kyle Cote and Will Makar, once again shut down a strong St. Edmund’s offense while James Palma was spectacular in goal.  In the CHSHL A-Division Championship, the Firebirds will face off against the winner of the Holy Cross and Xaverian match.

The Phoenix: Maya Tadross

On Saturday the Latin School Science Olympiad Team participated in the Western Long Island Regional Competition. The team finished 4th out of 42 teams and was the only one of 7 teams to qualify for the New York State Science Olympiad Competition to be held in Syracuse, NY this coming April. Congratulations to:

Ara San Antonio and James Cross, each with 4 medals

Andrew Brites, Lauren Dunne, and Francesca Mango, each with 3 medals

Lauren DeRiggi for winning 2 medals, and to

Cameron Bunster, Lauren McCarthy, Xavier Milano, James Sessa, and Alex Szulzycki, each with 1 medal.

An outstanding effort was given by all!

The American classic, Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, will show in the KMHS Auditorium on March 8 and March 9.  Come see Christelle Pascal and Stephen Scully say farewell to the Kellenberg stage in their final senior performances.  Tickets will be on sale in the Finance Office for $5.

If you’re interested in superhero movies and love to see all the angles of Hollywood’s productions, then please attend the Movie Night on March 1 from 5-8 pm in Emmanuel.  Mrs. Frem, Mrs. Marconi, Mrs. York, Mrs. Riiska, and Mrs. Strauss will unpack the various themes of the film from their respective disciplines. Popcorn, pizza, and soda – and vibrant conversation – will be available.  Email Mrs. Frem or Mrs. York to sign up.

Article by Aidan York ’20:

Over the weekend of February 15-16, over 40 high school and Latin School students traveled to Ithaca, NY to compete in the Fifth Annual Cornell Science Olympiad Invitational.

This competition featured an extremely challenging field, boasting nationally ranked teams from Nevada, Washington, Michigan, and Texas, converging to clash in a battle of scientific prowess. After a half day of travel on Friday, February 15, and a full day of competition on Saturday, February 16, the results were tallied.

Kellenberg’s A team placed 15th out of 39 teams, winning medals in 4 events, while the high school B team placed 32nd out of 39 teams. The Latin School team additionally placed 26th out of 41 middle school teams. On the A team, Fran Morales and Julia Zacharski earned 5th in Anatomy, Meaghan O’Keefe, Natalie Jean-Michel, and Sarah Narcisse earned 5th in Codebusters, Tyler Martinus and Paul Bartolemea earned 5th in Fermi Questions, and Fran Morales and Aidan York earned 4th in Sounds of Music.

The team’s success at such a high-level competition offers practice for the New York State Championship, the next and final competition of the season, which will be in March. Congratulations to all competitors and best of luck to the A team as they continue preparations for States!

Aidan York ’20 and Fran Morales ’19 take 4th place in Sounds of Music

Fran Morales ’19 and Julia Zacharski ’21 place 5th in Anatomy

Paul Bartolemea ’20 and Tyler Martinus ’19 place 5th in Fermi Questions

The Codebusters squad of Natalie Jean-Michel ’19, Meaghan O’Keefe ’21, and Sarah Narcisse ’19 place 5th

Article by Ally Goldsmith ’20:

Over February break, Kellenberg Memorial and Chaminade students traveled to St. Andrew’s Church in New York City for St. Joseph’s Mission. The goal of this mission was to help in building the Sisters of Life’s convent.

The mission started on Sunday at Meribah, the Marianist’s retreat house, with an orientation, Mass, and dinner. Monday through Thursday was spent building a wall, sanding and painting the confessionals, fixing the kneelers in the pews, and other various jobs. We had Mass every day in the beautiful church. At lunch, we were able to talk to the sisters and hear about their lives.

On Thursday, we worked for the morning and then saw the afternoon showing of The Phantom of the Opera. Following the performance, we enjoyed a break before dinner. We had dinner in Little Italy at Puglia’s where we sang, danced, and shared a great meal.

My favorite part of this mission was coming together with all of my friends to help other people. Happiness is gained by going outside yourself and doing good things for others. The Sisters are so kind, caring, and appreciative. There is not a more deserving group of people to help. The Kellenberg and Chaminade students created bonds that will last forever during this mission. Being able to make new friends and become closer with the ones I already had made this experience so memorable. St. Joseph’s Mission was such an amazing opportunity and I can not wait to participate in it again next year.

Congratulations to sophomore Veronica Tadross on making it to the Quarterfinals in JV Lincoln Douglas Debate at the Harvard National Tournament. Veronica had a 5-1 record in preliminary rounds and was ranked top eight out of 237 competing debaters from across the country.

James Dionisio ’20 won first place with his poem “Lunar Cycle,” and Rachel Siegel ’20 won second place with her poem “Hold Me Down (Shades)” in the Raynham Hall Valentine’s Day Poetry Contest. Both poems were published in last year’s Spring Issue of The Renaissance, Volume 31, Issue 2.

On Thursday, February 14, James and Rachel attended the Valentine’s Day Poetry Contest Awards Ceremony at Raynham Hall Museum in Oyster Bay. Out of a pool of over 70 strong competitors in the 10^th-12^th grade category, the judges were especially impressed by the works of James and Rachel.

On the achievement, James said, “It was a great opportunity and a great thrill to win. I love the Arts, so I’m proud, but looking forward to new work.”

Sherice Perry ’99 recently released her first book, Invincible Summer: A 30-day Reflectional on the Power of Kindness.   Sherice is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and holds a Master’s degree in public policy from Georgetown University.  She also studied at Oxford University. Today, she is a communications strategist in Washington, D.C., where she advises nonprofits and community-based organizations that are fighting for the greater good.  

How did Kellenberg prepare you for where you are today in your life?

Taking religion class each year provided an important building block for my faith. More important than learning the actual stories in the Bible is that the religious foundation I received shaped strong principals that I constantly fall back on  – whether or not I realize it.

I think Kellenberg also gave me a chance to see first-hand that when you put your mind to something and you work hard at it, you can succeed. I saw that in the classroom, but even more so in the sports that I played.  I joined the gymnastics team in the seventh grade with some experience, but not as much training as the other girls. I couldn’t compete until the ninth grade because of the league’s rules, but Mrs. Denise (Pisapia) Prosceo pushed me to work just as hard as everyone else at practice. When it came time to compete, I was prepared and I actually did really well. It was the same thing with running Spring track.  I wasn’t really a “runner,” but Coach Buckley found a race that would work for me.  Sophomore year, I ran the anchor leg on our Sophomore 4×400 relay and we won the city championships!  It is one of my favorite memories. It was really cool. So I think having teachers and coaches who were willing to invest in me helped me to push myself. Seeing the results made it all worth it.  

After many years in a fast-paced job at the Department of Health and Human Services, you decided it was time to slow down and take a break.  What did you do with your downtime, and how did that time shape your future?

My job at the Department of Health and Human Services was truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.  Healthcare has always been an incredibly important issue to me and I’ve spent the majority of my career working on it. I believe that everyone should have access to healthcare and should be able to go to the doctor when they are sick. So being able to support President Obama on that legacy issue was an incredible honor.  You commit. You know it’s going to be tough, but you learn a lot.  As an appointee, you make a commitment knowing it will be long hours, and you grow because of the incredible opportunity before you.  But there are sacrifices. You miss birthdays and vacations knowing you are working for the greater good.  Ironically, right before I started my position at HHS, I was diagnosed with lupus, which is an autoimmune disease that causes pain, inflammation, and severe fatigue. There’s no way I should’ve been able to do that job. But God gives us the grace to do the things he sets out for us.

When I left the Department, I went to go work for Billie Jean King for a bit. About a year into that job, I realized how exhausted I was and had been for a long time.  I made the decision to take some time to reset and reassess. It was the scariest thing I had ever done. I’ve never not had a job.  And I’ve never stepped away from a good job not knowing what I was going to do next, but I wanted to be very intentional about what I did next.  So, I took a life-break. I slept, I got to know DC again, met up with friends, learned to meditate, took yoga, went hiking, walked, and exercised.  I started writing again because journaling had been something I had to put off when I was working the crazy hours. So I got to know myself again.  When I would meet up with my girlfriends for coffee and share things with them, they would ask me what I was doing with my time off and I would tell them about my journaling.  As I shared my struggles and successes with them via text and in conversations, I’d also share quotes, questions, and random musings and many of them told me they wanted to take time to reflect and write too. That’s how Invincible Summer came to be. I never set out to write a book, just a gift for my friends.

What do you hope readers take away from your book, Invincible Summer: A 30-day Reflectional on the Power of Kindness?

I hope they take time to step away from the busy of their everyday lives and experience quiet moments to reflect, refocus, and do things that restore them.

What are you up to now?

I am a Vice President at Spitfire, a woman-owned, strategic communications firm rooted in one core principle: everyone belongs and has the power to spark change.

Who was your favorite teacher/class, moderator/club, or coach/team from your time as a student here, and why?

My favorite class was definitely Mr. Huggard’s English class. He’s an amazing teacher who brought literature to life and helped me sharpen my writing skills. He was an important sounding board for me after I graduated and is just a good human being.  I am also very grateful for the guidance of Mrs. Denise (Pisapia) Prosceo, my gymnastics and cheering coach. Gymnastics was my first love and she helped me to excel even though I wasn’t the most naturally talented or trained.  She helped me understand how much hard work could actually pay off.

Article by Megan Zabrouski ’20:

On Friday, students in grades 6-12 spent their evening in Emmanuel watching the Marvel movie, Iron Man. At the movie’s end, the group discussed the psychological, economical, and even geographical themes presented throughout Tony Stark’s journey. Some fun facts about the film’s production and the lead actor, Robert Downey Jr., were also shared by senior Ben Oppenheimer.

Sophia Markevich ’20 pictured with Kellenberg Memorial’s Band Director, Mr. Sean Vegas

Congratulations to Sophia Markevich ’20 who is one of only 125 high school students from across New York State chosen to perform in the New York State Band Directors Association Honors Band. These musicians are amongst the elite high school musicians from our state.

From Friday-Sunday (March 1-3) students worked under the direction of Mr. Michael Votta, Director of Bands at the University of Maryland, culminating in a captivating performance of Leonard Bernstein’s Overture to Candide and Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana.  Kellenberg Memorial is very proud of her achievements.

We are pleased to invite all alumni to participate in the upcoming meeting of the Alumni Book Club!

On Tuesday, April 9th, we will gather at Kellenberg Memorial at 7 PM to discuss our spring selection, The Storyteller’s Secret by Sejal Badani.  Please RSVP below.

Below is an adaptation of Cynthia A. Graham’s review of The Storyteller’s Secret by Sejal Badani as it appeared in The New York Journal of Books:

Jaya, the only child of Indian immigrants, sees her world unravel after her third miscarriage.  Soon after separating from her husband, she discovers that her grandfather in India is dying and that he wishes to give her mother (his daughter) a gift.  Jaya is thoroughly confused, however, when her mother refuses to return to India to share those final moments with him. Jaya makes the trip instead.

While in India, Jaya finds out from her grandmother’s servant, Ravi, that Jaya’s grandfather has already died.  In order for Jaya to receive her mother’s gift, Ravi tells her that she must first listen to the story of Jaya’s grandmother–a story that involves sacrifice, blessing, resilience, and healing.  

A novel that transports the reader to another place and time, The Storyteller’s Secret is a tale of that celebrates the beauty of story and its ability to help us be heard, understood, and connected.