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St. AnSelm’S Abbey School • WAShington, D.c. • Spring 2012 • Vol. 20 no. 2

corbie chronicle

St. AnSelm’S Abbey School4501 South Dakota Avenue, NEWashington, DC 20017202-269-2350www.saintanselms.org

The Corbie Chronicle is published two times a year by the Communications Office of St. Anselm’s Abbey School.

We welcome correspondence and submissions from the St. Anselm’s Abbey School community. Please direct letters, class notes and other communication to James Leathers, ’04, at the School or via email at jleathers@saintanselms.org.

Photography in this publication has been provided by the St. Anselm’s Abbey School photography club and yearbook and newspaper staffs, as well as by David W. Powell and school faculty and staff.

We apologize in advance for any errors and/or omissions.

Design and layout: James Leathers, ’04production and printing: Camera Ready Graphics

on the cover: Early-morning sunlight illuminates a flowering tree along the School’s main drive.Photo: James Leathers, ’04

The Corbie ChronicleSpring 2012 • Volume 20, Number 2

A Message from the President 3 Fr. Peter Weigand, OSB

Reflections from the Headmaster 5 Mr. Louis Silvano

Campus News 6

Panther Sports 10

Community Service 14

The School’s Next Headmaster 15 Mr. William Crittenberger

Class Notes 17

In Memoriam 18

Above: Members of the Middle School lacrosse team, now in its second year, pose for a photo following their first game of the season, a win over McLean School on March 22.

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A Message from the President

Lord, I am not trying to make my way to your height, for my understanding is in no way equal to that, but I do desire to understand a little of your truth which my heart already believes and loves. I do not seek to understand so that I may believe, but I believe so that I may understand; and what is more, I believe that unless I do believe I shall not understand.

Proslogion, Saint Anselm of Canterbury (1033 - 1109)

Dear Alumni, Students, Members of the Board of Trustees, Faculty and Staff, Past and Present Parents, Benefactors, and Friends of St. Anselm’s Abbey and School:

As I write this introduction for the spring issue of the Corbie Chronicle, the Abbey will be celebrating on April 21st the Feast of Saint Anselm of Canterbury, who even after 903 years has an impact upon us today. Throughout his writings, he required a balance between faith and reason. Faith without understanding or reason could lead to radical fundamentalism, while reason without faith could lead to extreme rationalism. Anselm’s balance between faith and understanding has piloted many institutions of learning through the raging seas and turmoil of their times. Anselm’s motto—Pax in Sapientia—still guides our students through the storms and tribulations of our world.

For 87 years, the Abbey has been a House of Prayer. And for the past 70 years, I am convinced that St. Anselm’s Abbey School also has been a sacred place, a place where academic excellence is a social responsibility as well as a moral obligation. All knowledge is a means to find God, a searching for His truth. It is here that the monks and faculty welcome young men from all faiths and from many different backgrounds and bring them together into one family of peace and understanding. In this spirit of family, I hope all of you can abide in the peaceful wisdom of God’s presence during this joyful Easter Season.

In the last issue of the Corbie, I reported that the school hosted a successful Fall Scholarship Gala, grossing $180,000. In November and again in February, the Admissions Office held two well-attended Open Houses for prospective students. And as I write this letter, the Sixth Form has achieved outstanding college placements.

During the first phase of the Annual Fund, which ended on January 31st, the school raised over $250,000. In early February, the Alumni Association held their annual phon-a-thon, calling alumni who had not yet given to the Annual Fund; this year, the callers raised their highest amount, over $15,000, for scholarship aid. On February 10th, a second letter of solicitation went out to all our constituents who had not taken the opportunity to contribute to the Annual Fund. (Conveniently, there is also an Annual Fund envelope in this issue of Corbie. All our readers have until June 30th to contribute, or to increase their gift, if it is possible for you to give again, so that we can surpass our goal.)

So far in 2012, I have been very busy with alumni gatherings. On January 2nd, there was a President’s Dinner with alumni from the last 10 graduating classes of 2002 through 2011. Peter Kjeldgaard, ’03, wrote: “It was a great time, and it was good to

connect with some of the guys from the other classes and learn more about the development work you all are doing and how we can help.” Later in the month, I attended the Model United Nations Conference at Harvard with seven of our students. While in Boston, I had alumni gatherings on January 25th with Dr. Luke Whitesell, ’76, and on the 26th, I had breakfast with Matthew Oudens, ’84, lunch with John Muresianu, ’71, and that evening I had dinner at California Pizza Kitchen with Peter Fielding, ’03, Wesley Mann, ’09, Joseph Shay, ’78, Chris Marquette, ’08, Andrew Hamm, ’08, Dr. P.K. Agarwalla, ’00, and Brian Elenbaas, ’87.

On the 27th of January, I flew to St. Louis for a board meeting at the Priory School. While in St. Louis, I met with Dr. Nicholas Kessides, ’01, along with Solomon Brown ’10, and Brendan Ziebarth ’11, both of whom are attending Washington University in St. Louis.

The hustle-bustle of February began with the Parents Association’s Trivia Night on the evening of the 3rd, challenging the better minds in intellectual pursuits. From February 6th through the 14th, the Search Committee reviewed candidates for the position of Headmaster. On the 8th, the Board of Trustees met to set the tuition rates for next year and to review the work of the Search Committee. Earlier the same day, David Burke, ’84, flew in from San Francisco to spend the morning with us. For several years, David has been sponsoring a named scholarship, and he is helping us to obtain funding for the school’s Arabic language program.

By February 14th, the Search Committee was able to recommend to the Board of Trustees three strong candidates for the Headmaster position for review and study. The rest of February and early March were consumed with this most important process. On March 1st, the Board of Trustees formally announced their appointment of Mr. William Crittenberger as the school’s next Headmaster. On the 2nd of March, I wrote to the Board and school faculty the following: “As St. Anselm’s Abbey School continues into its 70th year, we are most fortunate that the Board of Trustees has appointed Mr. William Crittenberger as the school’s next Headmaster. As a devout Catholic, experienced educator, seasoned teacher, and proven administrator, Mr. Crittenberger is eminently qualified to lead our monastic school well into the future.” You can read more about Mr. Crittenberger later in this issue.

In between all this, Form V students went on a most successful

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Kairos retreat on Presidents Day weekend, led by several members of the Form VI class under Fr. Michael’s direction. That same weekend, I flew off to Little Rock, the closest airport to Subiaco Abbey in Arkansas. Our former Head of the Middle School, Mr. Robert Loia, is now Headmaster at the school of this 125-year-old Benedictine abbey. Subiaco has over 50 monks with six novices and several young monks in formation. Like the Priory School in St. Louis, Subiaco Academy shares the same enrollment challenges and financial concerns that we have here in Washington. On Saturday afternoon, I was able to have a late lunch with our former AP Biology and Spanish teacher, Dr. Ziada Krammer, and her husband, Dr. Tim Krammer, at the Mount Magazine State Park Lodge overlooking Blue Mountain Lake.

This year, Lent entered our lives on the 22nd of February with an all-school Ash Wednesday Mass celebrated by Fr. Michael in the Devine Theater. And then on February 25th, the Alumni office, under the leadership of Mr. Lawrence Hamm, ’68, organized an Alumni Day of Recollection in the Abbey. After an opening Mass, Fr. Abbot James gave a conference on Benedictine Spirituality for Lay People, and after lunch, Fr. Michael spoke on Contemplative Prayer for Everyday Life. The next day, Fr. Abbot James was the Principal Celebrant and homilist at a Lenten Mass for Form VII Forever parents. Afterwards, about 70 parents and monks were able to attend a taste-filled brunch in the Commons.

On the weekend of March 2nd through the 4th, the 65th Annual St. Anselm’s Invitational Basketball Tournament took place. The Panthers won their first two games but lost the championship game to the Cesar Chavez Public Charter School. Mr. John

Thompson, Jr., famed Georgetown University basketball coach, attended this final game. In 1968, Coach Thompson’s team from St. Anthony’s High School here in Brookland won our Invitational Tournament. Coach Thompson toured what was the old gymnasium—now our Devine Theater—and reminisced about the “good old days.”

On the weekend of March 9th through the 11th, Mrs. M. Catherine Diggle directed her 35th Priory Players production, The Man Who Came to Dinner. This theatrical weekend was a smashing victory. As with all of Mrs. Diggle’s production, this was surely a stratospheric success—Whiteside Calkins, Chef Coffin, kid Richard Sullivan, Mr. Stanley Creighton, Dr. Bradley Herbert, Bert Nahra, Prof. Ramkishun, Sheridan Paquette, Postance Ford, Washington St. Pierre, Expressman Stratis or Westcott Aloimonos, plus mesospheric supporting actors—Beverly Sherman, Baker Fazio, Sandy Girardot, Deputies Bokow and Moore, and a Radio Chorus of Fazio, Ford, Parr and Atienza, further rocketed by Banjo Mwombela, along with many talented young ladies, all of whom filled the stage with an amplitude of broadcasted noises.

On March 21st, the monastery celebrated the Feast of St. Benedict. That afternoon I left for Philadelphia to attend a meeting, and from there I flew to St. Louis for another board meeting at the Priory School. I returned to Washington on the 25th to prepare for a marvelous tour of Spain with some of our Spanish language students, Mrs. Hajnalka Enzel, and Fr. Javier Castro.

As we approach the end of the 2011-2012 academic year, I would be remiss if I did not also pay special tribute to Mr. Louis Silvano, who will complete his tenure as the first lay Headmaster of St. Anselm’s this spring. Under his Headmastership, the School has weathered the economic challenges of the Great Recession, successfully transitioned to a new President / Headmaster leadership model, and, most importantly, maintained academic standards that are among the highest in the Washington area. Additionally, Mr. Silvano was a driving force behind our five-year Strategic Plan, adopted last year, which has left St. Anselm's well-positioned to thrive for many years to come. On behalf of Abbot James, the monks, the faculty, the Board of Trustees, and all of us in the St. Anselm’s Abbey School community, I wish to thank Mr. Silvano for his leadership, his hard work, and his friendship over these past four years.

Pax in Sapientia,

Fr. Peter Weigand, OSBPresident

Fr. Peter Weigand, OSB with Coach John Thompson, Jr. at the 65th annual St. Anselm’s Invitational Basketball Tournament final.

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a Message from the Headmaster

By the grace of God, we are called to work here in what St. Benedict calls “a school of the Lord’s service.”

ReflectionsAs I reflect upon my four years as Headmaster, I am deeply grateful for the many blessings I have received during my tenure. From the beginning I have appreciated escaping the Beltway hurly-burly to come to work each day on the sacred grounds of the Abbey. What a great privilege it has been to be part of the 1,500-year legacy of Benedictine education and the traditions of St. Anselm’s Abbey School.

Having worked in schools all my life, I understand that each of us plays a small part in contributing to the greater whole of educating young people. Each year we begin with new students whom we take under our wings as we strive to nurture and guide them on their educational journey. Then one day our students graduate and leave us, and the cycle begins all over again. As I move on myself, I am reminded of the Benedictine maxim that greets us each day as we enter the school: Rursus incipiemus nunc et semper - Always we begin again. By the grace of God, we are called to work here in the spirit of what St. Benedict calls “a school of the Lord’s service.” As we strive to maintain the traditions and norms that define our school culture, we must always be open to new opportunities as we develop more effective ways to accomplish our mission. As Headmaster Emeritus Fr. Michael wrote in an earlier Corbie Chronicle, (Spring 1996): “A monastic school must exist in a state of creative tension between preserving and transmitting to students the values of the past which transcend time and place, and educating them for effective and humane service to society in the present and future.”

Happily, we are supported in this vocational enterprise by the constancy and faithfulness of the monastic community, the founders of our school. We continue to be warmed by the fires built by those who have gone before us, and we are inspired by those who have served the school selflessly. We are rewarded by the successful accomplishments of our graduates, and we are encouraged by the possibility that we can make a difference in the lives of others.

I am truly thankful for having had the opportunity to serve the school as its first lay Headmaster. I am grateful to our President Fr. Peter, the Board of Trustees, the faculty, students, and parents for all their support. I look forward to returning on special occasions when we celebrate this unique place that is St. Anselm’s Abbey School!

Pax in Sapientia,

Louis SilvanoHeadmaster

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Campus News

On March 14, several students from the Constitutional Law and AP Comparative Politics classes attended the welcoming ceremony for British Prime Minister David Cameron and his wife, Samantha, at the White House.

We met Fr. Peter and Mr. Silvano at the corner of 15th and Pennsyl-vania at the impossibly early hour of 7:15, and stood outside the gate of the South Lawn for what seemed like hours waiting to go through security, because some of the students did not bring proper identification.

This was one of the largest gatherings the White House had ever hosted, with well over 6,000 people in attendance. It was a thing of beauty as we gathered in our designated area on the South Lawn beneath the blossoming cherry trees. The color guard and a group of men dressed in Revolutionary War-era garb with drums and fifes marched by, and at 9:15 the ceremony began when “Hail to the Chief” rang out from trumpeters stationed on the White House steps. President Obama and Prime Minister Cameron then each gave speeches about the importance of the U.S.-U.K. alli-ance, and they both joked heavily about the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812, when the British burned down the White House. They then inspected the troops and walked directly past the spot where we were standing.

I was able to navigate my way through the crowds and swipe a handshake from Mr. Obama. It was a wonderful experience for me and many others in my class, and I felt lucky to be there.

- Diego Jones, Form VI

Upper Schoolers Visit the White House

Upper Division students from the Constitutional Law and A.P. Comparative Politics classes stand on the South Lawn of the White House following the welcome ceremony for British Prime Minister David Cameron and his wife on the morning of March 22.

Fifth and Sixth Form Law, Politics Classes Attend Welcome Ceremony

On January 26, the Form A Chorus class traveled downtown to Lisner Au-ditorium to attend a concert honor-ing Martin Luther King, Jr. presented by the Choral Arts Society of Wash-ington. Following the performance, we had lunch on the Mall in pleasant January weather and then toured the newly dedicated Martin Luther King Memorial. Ranger Quinten Dantley (with us in group picture) gracious-ly spent a considerable amount of time describing the monument and answering students’ questions. Ad-ditionally, he directly addressed cur-rent controversy regarding the monu-ment. Ranger Dantley later said that the A Formers had made his day due to their superb behavior and engag-ing questions.

- Mr. Michael Lodico, Director of Choral Activities

Form A at MLK Memorial and Tribute Concert

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Campus News

ACTIVITIeS & ACCOMPLISHMeNTS

Fifth Form student James Anderson won the 2012 DC Regional Brain Bee on February 14, besting students from 13 other public and independent high schools in Maryland, Virginia, and the District. The Brain Bee is a question-and-answer competition about the brain and nervous system, sponsored by the Society for Neuroscience, and is part of a local, national and international competition challenging students’ knowledge of the most complex biological system in the universe. With his win in the regional competition, James advanced to the USA National Brain Bee the first weekend of March, where he competed against 43 other regional winners from 26 states.

Form A student Quentin Powers won the Middle School-wide Geographic Bee on Thursday, January 12 in the Devine Theater. After winning the St. Anselm’s school Bee, he qualified for the D.C. Geographic Bee on March 30 at the Charles Sumner School and Museum in downtown D.C. Quentin placed fourth out of 37 contestants from public and private middle schools across the city, with a very strong showing in the final round of 10 students.

The Men’s Chorus and A Cappella Club combined forces on February 15, when they participated in the Celebrate Youth! High School Choir Festival at

Washington National Cathedral. The festival, hosted annually by the Cathedral Choral Society, brought together over 350 young singers from D.C. public, charter and independent schools. The singers participated in workshops and rehearsals throughout the day, which culminated in a final mass concert.

The Priory Players presented the classic American comedy “The Man Who Came to Dinner” the weekend of March 9-11 in the Devine Performing Arts Center. The production’s three performances were well-attended. Congratulations to director Mrs. Catherine Diggle and the cast and crew on a job well done!

From left, actors Stephen Creighton (Form V), Mark Sullivan (Form IV) and Adam Calkins (Form V) in the Priory Players’ production of The Man Who Came to Dinner.

The St. Anselm’s Latin Club prides itself on its involvement in the com-munity. The Latin Club supported the Marine Corps in their “Toys for Tots” drive in two consecutive years, for which they received an award for going beyond expectations. They have participated in supporting the Animal Rescue League in DC and St. Ann’s Infant and Maternity Home here in our own neighborhood. This year, Latin Club provided toys for the Sunday School population of Sacred Heart Church in Co-lumbia Heights. Currently the Latin Club is preparing Easter baskets for some 375 children at that parish. The Latin Club members helped raise money through baked goods and donut sales. Donations to the cause have been overwhelming. Latin Club will continue its initiation of and participation in community service projects.

Right: Ms. Delora Pelosi, Latin Club moderator, and club members en-joy a light moment while preparing Easter baskets for children at Sacred Heart Church in Columbia Heights.

Latin Club Focuses on Community Service

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Faculty Notes

Campus News

Dean of Students and English teacher Mr. Michael McCarthy took part in a production of the Shakespearean comedy Pericles, Prince of Tyre January 13-21 at the Howard County Center for the Arts. The play was presented by the Rude Mechanicals, a Laurel-based theater company. Mr. McCarthy played the role of Pandar in his acting debut. Pericles was so well-received that it was selected for the 2012 Capital Fringe Festival, which will take place between July 12 and 29 at several area venues. For more details, check www.capfringe.com.

Abbot James Wiseman, OSB has given talks to various groups in recent weeks on a number of different topics. On the evening of March 14 he spoke at the Episcopal parish of Christ Church, Georgetown, as part of a five-week series introducing parishioners to the Rule of St. Benedict and showing ways in which it can contribute to the spiritual growth of lay persons. A couple weeks later he led a day of recollection for the Catholic parish of St. John Vianney in Prince Frederick, Maryland, with one talk on the meaning of the season of Lent, which was then drawing to a close, and a second presentation on “The Risen Christ,” looking ahead to the celebration of Easter. Two weeks after that, on April 14, he was one of four speakers at a conference sponsored by the Washington Theological Consortium and funded by the John Templeton Foundation. This was the second of four conferences on issues in the field of science-and-religion, intended primarily to help persons ministering in Catholic parishes to deal with such issues in their own congregations. At this particular conference, titled “The Origin of Life and Its Development,” Abbot James spoke on the question “What Does It Mean to Have a Soul?”.

Sixth Form student Garrett Jansen was named the District of Columbia’s 2012 Poetry Out Loud champion on Tuesday, March 13, beating a field of students from across the city. He now advances to the national finals, which will be held May 13-15 at the Harman Center for the Arts in downtown Washington.

The D.C. competition took place at Arena Stage in Southwest Washington and was hosted by the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities. With his win, Garrett won a cash prize of $200 as well as a $500 stipend for new poetry books for the St. Anselm’s English department. In May, though, the stakes will be much higher—a total of $50,000 in prizes and scholarships will be awarded that evening, and the national champion will walk away with a $20,000 scholarship.

The national Poetry Out Loud program, now in its seventh year, has quickly grown to become one of the country’s largest educational programs. It was es-tablished by the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with a range of state and local arts organizations. Last year, some 200,000 high school students participated in classrooms and auditoriums across the country, and the NEA expects even more students to join in this year’s program.

This is the fourth year that students at St. Anselm’s have taken part in the pro-gram, and the second year that a St. Anselm’s student has advanced to the Na-tional Finals. In 2009, the first year that St. Anselm’s participated in Poetry Out Loud, Wesley Mann won the D.C. championship as a senior. This was Garrett’s second appearance in the D.C. finals; he also won the St. Anselm’s school-wide contest in 2011.

Starting in January, every student in the Upper School participated in a class-room competition, and the best student in each English class advanced to the school-wide contest on January 30. Garrett came out on top in that competi-tion, winning the school title in front of an audience that included the entire St. Anselm’s student body and faculty.

Senior Garrett Jansen Is DC Poetry Champion

Garrett Jansen (right) poses with English teacher and Poetry Out Loud moderator Mr. Jonathan Vaile following his victory.

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I took over as coach of the St. Anselm’s It’s Academic team five years ago, in 2007. At the time, our team captain was Peter Samp, ’08, one of the best Quizbowl players I have ever met. We had a large team, enough to send three teams of four players each to local competitions. Unfortunately, though, we rarely advanced to the playoff rounds during that first year. On the “It’s Academic” TV program, we would usually win our first-round game, but not always the second round. In order to create a championship-caliber team, the players must be given the chance to compete in as many tournaments as possible, but at that time our teams generally only competed on TV and at two or three local Quizbowl tournaments each year. The following year, we decided to change that and to attend every tournament in our region.

In the 2008-2009 academic year, Daniel McCarthy, ’09 (captain) Matt Bollinger, ’10, and Aidan Mehigan, and Jacob Wasserman, both current seniors, began to form a real team. We started to make it into a few playoff rounds, and we began to hear about and be invited to other tournaments. We won our very first tournament at Eleanor Roosevelt High School that year.

By 2009-2010, our Varsity team was very strong, but our overall team got smaller as the number or tournaments we attended increased. Matthew Bollinger (captain), Aidan Mehigan, and Jacob Wasserman were willing to travel. We went to Richmond at least four times, including twice in one weekend. We competed at Penn in Philadelphia, in Delaware, at Rappahannock High School near Warrenton, Va., in New York City at Hunter College, and at every major tournament in our area. Fortunately, we were able to add Brendan Ziebarth as the fourth member of our team that year. We won many tournaments in our area and began to be known on the national level, taking fourth place at the Partnership for Academic Competition Excellence (PACE) national tournament in 2010.

Matthew graduated, ranked by PACE as the number-one high school Quizbowl player in the nation. Now our team was reduced to the core group of Adam Mehigan, Jacob Wasserman and Brendan Ziebarth, with help from Patrick Merkle, Jamie Anderson, Alex Atienza, Andrew Houghton and Adam Calkins.

Aidan, Jacob, Brendan and I traveled to many tournaments in our area during the 2010-2011 season, usually winning second place with an occasional first place trophy to add to our trophy case. We traveled to PACE, where we had taken fourth place the previous year. We ran into Matthew Bollinger, one of the writers of the tournament questions and an official. He is currently a member of one of the top ranked collegiate Quizbowl teams in the U.S. at the University of Virginia. Patrick Merkle joined us at Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill., where we finished in the top 20.

This year, our team has been carried by two players, our co-captains Aidan and Jacob, with additional support from Patrick Merkle and Andrew Houghton. However, our victories have increased tremendously. We have won first place at most of our tournaments this year, and in my opinion, we have the best team in our area.

This March, we proved it! Aidan and Jacob were joined in the preliminary rounds by Patrick Merkle to compete in the Maryland/DC Quizbowl Championship hosted by National Academic Quiz Tournaments (NAQT) at Oakland Mills High School in Howard Country. In the preliminary rounds we defeated teams from Montgomery Blair, Catonsville, Centennial, Glenelg, Gonzaga, and Richard Montgomery. Patrick had to

leave following the morning sessions, so it was up to Aidan and Jacob to defend the honor of St. Anselm’s Abbey School in the playoff rounds.

And defend they did! First, Aidan was awarded the prize for earning the highest number of points per game. Then they played against the other top-seeded teams and in quick order defeated each one decisively. In the four playoff rounds we topped teams from Montgomery Blair, Georgetown Day, Richard Montgomery, and Eleanor Roosevelt, each by a margin of more than 120 points. This is the first time that we have won this very important state-level championship tournament.

We have been invited and will attend the two national tournaments later this year, which are being held in Atlanta and St. Louis. This team has earned my respect and gratitude for displaying the very best of St. Anselm’s Abbey School on both local and national stages. They have been gracious and courteous to our opponents and have behaved with great humility while handling the opposition. It is with great pride and admiration that I have watched this team grow into one of the very best in the country.

Thank you, Aidan and Jacob. You are leaving some mighty big shoes to fill, but I am confident that in a year or two we will have to buy yet another trophy case!

- Mrs. Hajnalka Enzel, Coach

Academic Team Again Ranks Among Nation’s Best

Campus News

Senior captains Jacob Wasserman, left, and Aidan Mehigan with coach Hajnalka Enzel.

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Panther Sports

National Ranking Caps Strong Year for WrestlingSt. Anselm’s wrestling had another stellar season this

year, culminating with junior Geri Dunellari’s appear-ance at the National Prep Wrestling Championships the weekend of February 23. This was the third time in the past two years that the wrestling team has sent someone to nationals. Geri became the first two-time national qualifier from St. Anselm’s in any sport.

At nationals, three wins earns you All-American sta-tus, while five wins and no losses earns you a national championship. This year Geri won one match, becom-ing the first wrestler from our school ever to win a match at the national level. Geri’s win came over a competitor from the New England region, regarded as one of the stronger regions in the country. Wres-tlers from Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massa-chusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut compete in the New England wrestling championships, and only the top seven wrestlers qualify for nationals. Geri did a great job representing St. Anselm’s and the District of Columbia, defeating the third place finisher from New England.

Geri’s win qualified him for the round of 24, mak-ing him one of the top 24 wrestlers in his weight class in the country. In the final tally, St. Anselm’s Abbey School placed 109th in the country, marking the first time our school has ever placed at the national level in any sport. Congratulations to Geri Dunellari, the wrestling team, and Head Coach Steve Roush for this outstanding accomplishment!

Above: Fifth Former Geri Dunellari wrestles against a competitor from New England at the National Prep Wrestling Championships in February.

Top: The Varsity wrestling team and coaches pose for a photo prior to a home meet in December.

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Panther Sports

In Second Year, Abbey Lacrosse Hits Its StrideThe Middle School lacrosse team at St. Anselm’s Abbey School was formed in the spring of 2011 under the leader-ship of coach Mark Kent and assistant coach Peter Young, ’01, a math teacher and Assistant Director of Admissions at the school. The team made great strides in its first season but saw

limited victories in a difficult schedule. This year, though, the team has come into its own, winning their first four games. Coaches Kent and Young look forward to continuing to de-velop the lacross program in future years at both the Middle School and Varsity levels.

Top: the whole team poses with head coach Mark Kent (far right) following their first game of the 2012 season, a victory over McLean School of Maryland.

Above: Second Former Danny Swentkofske takes a breather during the win over McLean.

Right: First Former Sam Novak charges down the field.

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Panther Sports

VARSITY BASKeTBALL

The 2011-2012 Varsity basketball team was led by head coach Paul Grenaldo and assistants Jack Leathers, ’06, Scott Salandy-Defour, ’06, and Ian Rose, ’07. Despite a challenging nonleague schedule and significant injuries, the team finished the season strong with a semifinal appearance in the PVAC tournament and a second-place finish in the 65th annual St. Anselm’s Invitational. Front row, left to right: John Recchia (Form V), Devan Abercrombie (IV), Sean Attridge (VI), Jack Anninos (V), Maurin Mwombela. Back row, left to right: Coach Leathers, Coach Salandy-Defour, Cameron Johnson (V), Luke McCormick (VI), Aidan Craver (V), Connor Williamson (VI), Sam Thirumalai (VI), T.J. Duckett (IV), Coach Rose, and Coach Grenaldo.

MIDDLe SCHOOL BASKeTBALL

Front row, left to right: Charlie Ladd (Form II), Darius Hines (A), Teofan Fletcher (II), Evan Binkley (II), Jonathan Hutto (I), Garvan Vines (I). Back row, left to right: Danny Swentkofske (II), Patrick Lally (II), Cameron Underwood (II), Coach Paul Commins, Ross Young (II), Zuri Garvey-Stanford (II), Brendan Sloan (II).

J.V./FReSHMAN BASKeTBALL

Front row, left to right: Mark Yde (Form IV), Ellis Byrd-Tabscott (IV), Jared Allen (IV), Stephen Kpundeh (III), Michael Dudinsky (IV), Conor Sloan (III). Standing, left to right: Brian Murphy (IV), Thomas Bui (III), Ayinde Grimes (IV), manager Sam Girardot (IV), Sean Swartz (III), Dorian Niu (V), Coach Jose Padilla, Michael Zhu (V), Demetrius Robinson (III).

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Panther Sports

The Tournament Turns 65The 2012 St. Anselm’s Invitational Basketball Tournament took place on Coach Brian Murphy Court the weekend of March 2-4. This was the 65th edition of the annual tournament, which is certainly the oldest high school basketball tournament in the Washington area and believed to be among the oldest in the country. These photos were taken during the Panthers’ first-round game, a win over Washington International School.

Senior Sean Attridge drives to the basket for two points.

Dr. Herb Wood has served as the tournament announcer for over 20 years.

John Recchia (Form V) concentrates before shooting a free throw in the first half.

Student fans get fired up as the 65th annual tournament gets underway.

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While many people were relaxing by the pool or vacationing last June, ten students from St. Anselm’s and four Abbey alumni repaired homes in rural West Virginia as part of the Appalachian Service Project (ASP). This group was the first one from the Abbey ever to participate in ASP, a non-profit organization that performs emergency repairs on houses throughout Appalachia. The ASP crew spent one week working at two different houses in Chatmanville, W.Va., a small, coal-mining town. While many of the students, myself included, were very inexperienced as carpenters, we were able to successfully repair the houses

thanks to perseverance and hard work. ASP was a very special experience in

that all members in our group were either current or former Abbey boys. Kamau Grimes, ’08, John Kylis, ’08, Jake Snider, ’07, and Jon Foley, ’76 all volunteered to lead the week-long trip, and three of them (Grimes, Kylis, and Foley) will be returning this year. While the friendships and work experience of ASP were great, the rewarding feeling of helping others who are truly at need caused all ten students from last year’s group to sign up again.

Both of the houses that we worked on last year were in horrible condition, each having been on ASP’s waiting

list for a couple of years. At one of the houses, the stairs were so unstable that the owner’s mother had not gone into the house for several months because she feared falling through the boards. The families that we assisted were incredibly grateful for our services; they were always thanking us and offering us sandwiches and drinks. The fact that these people who had so little already were offering hospitality to us showed how much they appreciated our work. Appalachian Service Project was a truly rewarding experience, and I personally cannot wait to go back this year.

- Eric Yde, Form VI

“A Truly Rewarding Experience”COMMUNITY SeRVICe

Upper Schoolers to Participate in Appalachian Service Project for Second Year

Clockwise from top left: The whole group of volunteers and leaders with some new friends they made during ASP 2011; Fifth Former James Anderson enjoys learning how to put up new siding on a house; Pierre de Dreuzy (Form V), Thomas Fazio (V), Sam Thirumalai (VI), Alex Turner (V), and Jonathan Foley, ’76 outside one of the houses they worked on in 2011; Eric Yde (VI) and Matthew Dangle (V) hard at work.

corbie chronicle 15

The Next Headmasterof St. Anselm’s Abbey School

Mr. William “Bill” T. CrittenbergerTenth Headmaster

educationJohns Hopkins University (M.S.)Yale University (M.A.)George Washington University (B.A.)U.S. Military Academy (Cadet)

experience28 years as a teacher, coach and administrator

FamilyLives in Bethesda with his wife of 22 years, Tracy, and their four children, Lee (20), Willie (18), Tommy (15), and Dale (14).

Dear Students, Parents, Faculty, Alumni and Friends,

On behalf of the Board of Trustees, it is my great pleasure to an-nounce the appointment of Mr. William (Bill) Crittenberger as our new Headmaster, effective July 1, 2012.

Mr. Crittenberger is a strong and energetic leader who impressed the Board with his wisdom and vision for the school, and who brings a great deal of academic experience to this position. With 28 years of education experience and degrees from Johns Hopkins, Yale and George Washington Universities, Mr. Crittenberger understands the importance of maintaining the strong academic reputation of St. An-selm’s Abbey School and enhancing its stature as one of the premier schools for boys in the Washington Metropolitan area.

Mr. Crittenberger is a committed Catholic and a devoted family man. He lives in Bethesda with his wife of 22 years, Tracy, and their four children: Lee (age 20), Willie (18), Tommy (15), and Dale (14). We are pleased to welcome the entire Crittenberger family as the newest members of the St. Anselm’s community.

Mr. Crittenberger’s appointment concludes an extensive national search chaired by Mr. Marco Clark, a member of the St. Anselm’s Ab-bey School Board of Trustees and current President & CEO at Bishop McNamara High School. The Search Committee’s recommendation of Mr. Crittenberger to the Board of Trustees was a unanimous one. We wish to thank the members of the Committee who worked so dili-gently during the past several months on this important process: Mr. Clark, Fr. Michael Hall, ’56, Fr. Peter Weigand, Mr. Hal DeLuca, Mrs. Hajnalka Enzel, Sr. Mary Bader, Mr. Chris Abell, Ms. Ines Bustillo, Dr. David Harnett, ’58 and Dr. Joe Chalmers, ’60. The Board of Trustees would also like to extend our gratitude to our search consul-tant, Dr. Richard Jung of Education Access Strategies, LLC. Finally, we wish to thank our current Headmaster, Mr. Louis Silvano, for his exceptional service and his gracious assistance in this process.

Please help me to welcome Mr. Bill Crittenberger and his family as they join the St. Anselm’s Abbey School community. I ask that you continue to keep in your prayers the leadership of St. Anselm’s and especially Mr. Crittenberger as he endeavors to direct St. Anselm’s Abbey School towards a wonderful future.

Sincerely,

Stephen Kinnaird, ’80Chairman, St. Anselm’s Abbey School Board of Trustees

On March 1, 2012, the Board of Trustees announced the appointment of Mr. William (Bill) Crittenberger as the tenth Headmaster of St. Anselm’s Abbey School. Below is an excerpt from the announcement made by Mr. Stephen Kinnaird, ’80, Chairman of the School’s Board of Trustees.

16 corbie chronicle

Summer 2012@ St. Anselm’s

Ab

bey A

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Online Registration is Now Open!

www.saintanselms.org/summer

June 11 - July 27Full-day camps from $225/week!

Summer Programs for Boys & GirlsAcademics: Engineering, Latin Enrichment, Algebra, Study Skills, English, and more!

Sports: Basketball, Soccer, Tennis, Karate Featuring experienced coaches and guest speakers!

corbie chronicle 17

Class Notes1958David Harnett served as a member of the Headmaster Search Committee that selected Bill Crittenberger to be the tenth Headmaster of St. Anselm’s this year. Despite living in Philadelphia, David was present for each committee meeting and put in many hours of work. The School is grateful to David and the entire committee for their hard work!

1959Michael Craig-Martin visited St. Anselm’s in January for the first time since his graduation more than 50 years ago. He was in Washington for the opening of an exhibit of his artwork at the Luther Brady Gallery at George Washington University on January 11. Following his visit to the School, a group of Upper Division art students from St. Anselm’s, along with art teacher Elizabeth Peak, visited his exhibit and were

able to have a question-and-answer session with the artist. Craig-Martin lives and works in London and is one of the artists invited to design commemorative posters for the 2012 London Olympics.

1983Mark Mahaney was featured in a Wall Street Journal article January 5. Mark, an analyst with Citigroup specializing in Internet companies, was called a “top-ranked Internet analyst” in the article.

1992Ben Rinehart has been working on overseas development aid projects for ten years with several NGOs based in Washington. Since January, he has been setting up the PEPFAR (President’s Emergency Program for AIDS Relief) project in Swaziland.

1996Yovani Soto and his wife welcomed a son into the world on March 6. He is the couple’s second child and first boy. Congratulations!

1999Patrick Granfield returned to the U.S. last summer after nearly four years in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, where he was an editor for The National newspaper. In the fall, Patrick and his wife, Kerry, moved to Chicago, where he now works in the office of Mayor Rahm Emanuel.

2003Adam Roush writes: “Right now, I’m studying for an MSc in Education at Cardiff University in Cardiff, Wales. Besides my studying, I’m coaching the Cardiff Roller Collective women’s roller derby team. In public competition, we’re 3-0 since I’ve been there. Most

recently, we beat Belfast in the last 24 seconds 145-138.”

2005Matthew Longacre works for Google in Ann Arbor, Mich., having previously worked in the firm’s Chicago and Boston offices. He is excited about an upcoming month-long rotation in Google’s Australia office this spring. He graduated from Notre Dame in 2009 with a B.A. in political science and a minor in public policy. His brother Chris is currently a Fifth Former at St. Anselm’s.

2006Sean Long graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 2010 and was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant. He is currently assigned to Andrews Air Force Base in Prince George’s County.

Michael Craig-Martin, ’59, right, chats with art students from St. Anselm’s and George Washington University following the opening of his exhibit at GWU’s Luther Brady Gallery in January.

Adam Roush, ’03, looking dapper as he coaches the Cardiff Roller Col-lective women’s roller derby team in Cardiff, Wales. Adam coaches in his free time while he pursues a masters degree at Cardiff University.

18 corbie chronicle

We Extend Our Deepest Sympathy to the Families of Those in Our Community Who Have Died

In Memoriam

Mr. Robert J. BeardClass of 1951

Mr. Christopher F. DuganClass of 1966 Brother of Paul Dugan, ’67

Mr. James e. FainFather of Jeb Fain, ’04

Mr. Michael LaPlacaClass of 1955

Mr. George A. MacdonaldClass of 1949

Mrs. Gloria P. McCarthyMother of Faculty Member Mr. Michael McCarthyGrandmother of Francis McCarthy, Form V

Mr. Robert D. MelendezClass of 1948

Mr. Juan Martínez MolinaGrandfather of Marco Cerritelli, ’11and John Cerritelli, Form A

Mr. Ralph A. MuoioFather of Reid A. Muoio, ’83 and Ralph M. Muoio, ’85

Mrs. Anne. C. MurphyGrandmother of Brian Murphy, III, Form IV Mother of Coach Brian Murphy, Jr.+

Dr. Paul MyronClass of 1956

Mr. James M. Quigley, Sr.Father of James Quigley, Jr., ’67

Mrs. Noelle Senerchia Mother of Michael Senerchia, Form V

Ms. Graciela P. SullivanMother of Liam Sullivan, ’94

Mr. William D. SniderGrandfather of Faculty Member Mr. Michael Lodico

Mrs. Sandra McKeown Vidas Mother of James A. Vidas, ’90

Fr. Thomas Walsh, S.J.Uncle of Faculty Member Mrs. Nancy Sheeran Cholis

Mrs. Lola YdeGrandmother of Eric Yde, Form VI and Mark Yde, Form IV

PATRICK LANDeRS, ’91

Nearly 500 alumni, family members and friends packed the Devine Theater on January 22 for a Memorial Mass for Patrick Landers, ’91, who passed away December 6 following a year-long battle with non-Hodgkin’s lym-phoma. Patrick worked in the front office of the San Francisco Giants, and a large memorial service was held at AT&T Park on December 13. Patrick leaves behind his wife, Christine, and two sons, Aidan (6) and Ty (3). For information on contributing to the boys’ college fund, visit www.LoveforLanders.com.

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cFc Agency code: 15844 • United Way code: 8967

celebrating70 years

1942-2012

4501 South Dakota Avenue, NEWashington, DC 20017-2753

address service requested

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Permit No. 1

Save the date for the 2012

Fall Scholarship GalaSaturday, October 20

Jazzed About The Future!Join us for an unforgettable evening as we continue to celebrate the 70th anniversary of St. Anselm’s Abbey School and look forward to our next 70 years!

Invitations will be mailed in the fall.