CM Forensics on the national stage

Over a dozen Catholic Memorial students headed to Appleton, Wisconsin this past weekend to compete against the best of the best forensics stars nationwide in the Catholic National Forensics Grand Tournament.


Dominic Montalbano '11 earned recognition as a national quarterfinalist while Liam Concannon '08 and John Labelle '11 were named octo-finalists for their duo-interpretation performance.

Click here to view a slideshow of the weekend's events narrated by sophomore and team member Andrew Fanikos. Photos courtesy of Steve Murphy.

Oh, the places they'll go.

A few weeks ago, senior Michael Harrington had a headache. Should he attend Northeastern, Rutgers, RPI, Syracuse, U-Va, Villanova, Virginia Polytechnic, or Worcester Polytechnic?

As for Kevin Almeida '08, it was a question of Bentley College, Saint Anselm College, Stonehill College, or Northeastern University.

Catholic University of America wanted Brian Spillane '08, but so did Saint Joseph's University. And Sean Mannion watched this spring as six top northeastern colleges and universities vied for his attention.

It's the poker game of college admissions, and once again, CM grads came out with aces. As Mr. Chisholm noted at graduation on Thursday evening, this year's senior class was offered scholarships in excess of six million dollars.

In the end, of course, it's not all about money. It's about finding the right place for you, the college or university that will best be a continuation of the good thinking and growth you've experienced at CM. To paraphrase senior and valedictorian Matthew Charest: a lot of schools try to be everything to all students, but come on, they can't all be CM.

CM Principal Mr. Chisholm, Michael Harrington '08,
Matthew Charest '08, and CM President Brother James J. MacDonald '75.

Here are some other memorable quotes from Thursday night's commencement where 165 seniors spent one last memorable evening together before heading off to U-Va, St. Anselm's, Catholic U., and so on.

"This is a day when a whole new chapter of our lives is just beginning. Continue to be yourselves and remember that everything happens for a reason." ~Michael Harrington '08

"A CM Knight is the student who organizes a walk for breast cancer...or the math teacher who prepares review sheets...or the teacher who donates his musical talents...or the retired faculty member who comes back to help in the cafeteria. I see 165 CM Knights here tonight." ~Matthew Charest '08

"DVDs break. photos fade, and eventually Facebook will die down, but these memories will be in our hearts forever." ~Liam Concannon, Blessed Edmund Ignatius Rice, CFC Founder's Award winner (as quoted by Dr. Keane)

"Time never moves quickly enough for you...for adults, time moves too quickly...We must look for the good, the noble, and the beautiful in ourselves and in our world. These achievements were not for information but for how we put it to use." ~Brother James J. MacDonald '75

One last win for Willy

With a minute and twenty-six seconds left in the fourth overtime of the CM v. BC High season closer last night, senior attacker Willy Wilson took a pass from another forward ten feet away, rolled his hands free of his defender, and gave his senior classmates a graduation gift to remember him by. CM 7, BC High 6.

It was the first time since their freshman year that they had defeated BC High.

"I don't know who passed it to me," Wilson said. "I remember hearing a ping cause I went top shelf. I had thrown the ball away a few times in the game, but I got a chance to redeem myself."

Coach Brian Scott with senior captains Kevin Kadlick, Pat Durant, Michael Flaherty, and Chuck Dowd.

The loyal supporters of the 6-11 Knights who had remained got paid for their trouble, and Coach Brian Scott's team, who will not see postseason action, stormed the field to celebrate the moral victory of knocking off the 5th-ranked Division I Eagles on their home turf.

"It was a senior class effort," backup senior goalie Tommy Driscoll said of the win, crediting classmate Mike Flaherty in goal and a sturdy offense and defense who stood up to nearly 64 minutes of intense play against their archrival.

"It showed us the potential we did have--if we had played this way the whole season it would have been great," Driscoll said. "It was an emotional game."

Freshman Pat O'Mara played the bagpipes as the Lax team took the field, and senior parents, who had watched their sons grow up with the game and develop into a cohesive unit under Coach Scott's able direction, shared in the celebration afterwards.

"Mr. Scott told us it doesn't get better than this," Wilson remembered. "We had to go out and take this game."

Hall of Fame Award Dinner: An Interview with CM Knights Honoree Peter Starrett ’08—by Michael Flaherty ‘08

Editor’s note: CM hockey player and Boston Globe All-Scholastic All-Star Pete Starrett was invited as one of eight hockey players in the state to the Massachusetts Hockey Coaches Association Hall of Fame Award Dinner on May 8. Starrett, the only Massachusetts hockey player heading directly from high school to play Division I hockey next year, sat down after the dinner to reflect on his years at CM.

Mike: What were your thoughts on attending this honorary dinner?

Pete: I was amazed talking to the other kids in the room. They all were great athletes but at the same time extremely bright. I was honored to be in the same room as them.

Mike: What have the last six years been like for you as a Knight?

Pete: I could not have pictured a more pleasing school to attend. The past six years I have made some of the best friends that I know will last well past my college years.

Above: Starrett defends against Malden Catholic in a postseason matchup.

Mike: You switched to playing defense for the CM hockey team sophomore year. How has the switch benefitted you in the long run?

Pete: Defense is the reason I am getting a college scholarship. Coach Hanson saw in me the tools needed to hold the blue line. There are more spots open on college teams as a defensemen.

Mike: What were your most memorable accomplishments as a CM player?

Pete: I have been honored as an All-Scholastic and All-Scholastic All Star. To be selected as one of the 15 out of thousands of Massachusetts hockey players is remarkable.

Mike: What are you looking forward to most next year?

Pete: For one, I get to brag! Seriously though, I feel I can excel in the classroom and even more on the ice. The perception of the scholar/athlete Harvard withholds is a standard to reach for in any lifetime.

Mike: Are you concerned or anxious about it?

Pete: I am very anxious. I know the workload will be hard but I still can't wait to put on the Crimson jersey.

Mike: A lot of hockey players have superstitions. What are yours?

Pete: I guess I never noticed but I always stretch the same way before each game. I always goofed around about wanting a lucky shirt. But that never stuck.

Mike: Do you have any regrets now that your CM career is over?

Pete: I wish I would have won a ring. But as for regrets, I have gotten the full potential from it and leave no regrets behind me.

Mike: what was your favorite memory at CM over the six years?

Pete: There’s so many to choose from. Mr. Beatty's math classes, Mr. Perfetti's Calculus class or even wacky jersey Wednesday. But I will never forget the first time I stopped and looked around and realized the level of hockey I was competing at. I was only a sophomore but I knew I was ready, for the next two years, to better my game and carry it over to the next level.

Mike: Whom do you credit for your success?

Pete: All the credit goes to my parents. In youth hockey they would wake me up at five a.m. to drive me halfway around the world! The sacrifices they made for me make me the man and player I am today.

CM Rugby Champions: a slideshow

Congratulations to the CM Rugby Team and Coach Mike Tubridywho won the Division II title at the New England Rugby Football Union Tournament on May 10. The Rugby squad bested Kearsarge, Cambridge, and Brookline on their way to the first ever Rugby championship for CM. The team finished with a 10-2 overall record on the season.

Click here to view a slideshow of Saturday's games, narrated by junior captain Andrew DiBartolo. Photos taken by yearbook photographer Thomas Flaherty '10.

Four memories from four years—by Conor McWain ‘08

It’s been a long four years. But looking back, it seems like all of this happened yesterday...

Mrs. Martin’s biology class: her stories about skiing, dissecting the cat in formaldehyde, “idiot village” to describe the times some of us were always messing around. She was always friendly and laid back but not to the point where we didn’t learn. And when it got serious, the class would listen.

Mr. Woolley’s Spanish class: talks of NAFTA, the riots and the protests, how he hated the O.C., his no-nonsense attitude. How he’d been shot at. The class would turn into digressions but he always knew how to get it back on track when it was about anything other than NAFTA.

Brother Oxx’s Western Civ class: Brother Oxx always knew the smallest bits of history—he quoted by heart the scene where the Spartans held off the Persian army. Connections from real life. His talks of the Persian tortures. His knowledge of battles, how the Greeks defeated the Egyptians using shields to reflect sunlight into the eyes of the chariot horses.

Mr. Beatty: He always knew exactly what problem a student was having and pulled the example or answer out of the air to throw it on the board. He always knew who understood what and would give extra work to the kids who had it easy in the class. But it was never just work, we actually wanted to understand what he was talking about.

This crowd makes me sing: Masterson's last month in office as King of Rock

He's held the attention of eight hundred restless peers who listen to him in silence during mass.

He's filled his summer with enrichment programs at MIT and Berklee College.

He's led bands, choirs, and audiences in singing along.

And next year, he's off to Harvard.

He's Dan Masterson. And with only a few measures left on his dramatic score as a CM Knight, Masterson is making his last days count. On Tuesday afternoon in the seminar room, Masterson gave an afternoon solo performance for faculty and students. "Manhattan, C.E., A Song Cycle for Piano and Voice" gave any last members of the CM community who have yet to hear him one last chance. One wonders if the next time they see him, they'll be paying Ticketmaster service charges in addition to the ticket price.

Above: watch Masterson's performance
of "Wake Up, Good Morning"

Masterson took a moment at the end of the concert to present some thoughts on his years as a knight. "The music department here has changed my future," he told an audience of over a hundred. "When I arrived here I had no comprehension of what was ahead and no awareness that I was arriving at the start of a time for exponential growth in CM's music program. I just did what I loved."

And what his peers loved, too. Masterson helped create the annual benefit concert which has raised thousands of dollars each year for various causes. He worked tirelessly on the annual talent show and jazz band concerts and has been in front of the mic for dozens of celebrations as Mr. Craig Spaner's leading voice in the CM choir.

"It takes something more than academic success to be admitted to one of the top universities in the U.S.," Masterson said. "While many CM students find their 'something else' in athletic programs, music was the 'something else' for me and will be the 'something else' for knights of the future."

CM faculty, staff, and administration enjoyed one of Masterson's last concerts as much as he did. "Dan has flourished in this program," his guidance counselor Mr. Tegan said.

"No person this young should have the emotional range that this young man does," Assistant Principal Dr. James Keane added.

Mr. Chisholm found yet another superlative. "He has unmatched talent that I have never seen in my 30 years of being at Catholic Memorial."

Masterson's parents Stephen and Jean Marie looked on proudly as did his siblings Chris ’10, Joseph, Victoria, and Alexandra. Referring to both of his sons, Dan and Chris, Stephen Masterson noted, “They’ve been so self driven [here]—it’s been the right combination of talented teachers, a good administration, and a varied group of kids.”

Dan, who comes from a background of three generations of singers, intends to study music at Harvard which, as his father noted, he chose himself. “We saw offers come in quickly,” Mr. Masterson said. “We sat back and let him absorb it and make the right decision.”