Hello, dear companions of the teenage years.
In 1980, seeing that I was Valedictorian in eighth grade at Oliver Street School in Newark, my immigrant parents Concha and Manuel generously sent me to the best secondary school they had heard of. This turned out to be the oldest Catholic school in New Jersey, Seton Hall Prep.
There, in South Orange at the time, I was lucky to attend the classes of many inspiring and encouraging teachers, and to meet some cool classmates as well.
This video remembers the teachers and mates that were nicest to me in four crucial years.
__________ 1981
1. John Prisco - English
2. Kenneth Comer - English
3. Richard Binkowski - English
4. Harry Dawson (seating) - English
5. Larry T. Chamales - English
6. Rev. Raymond Pavlick - Religion
7. Rev. Stephen Kilcarr - Religion
8. Sister June Cornell - Religion
9. Rev. William Giblin - Religion
10. Richard Scaine - Religion + Ecology
11. William Safranek - French
12. William Persichetty - Art History
13. Randy Schweitzer (blond) - Art
14. Peter Giuffra - Social Studies
15. Rev. (now Monsignor) Michael E. Kelly - Headmaster
16. my freshman class picture
__________ 1982
17. Fr. Kelly
18. Peter Butler - Dean of Men and Soccer coach
19. Harry Dawson
20. The Bink
21. Sir Kenneth Comer
22. Larry T. Chamales
23. William Safranek
24. Joseph Mee - Math
25. Sister June
26. Fr. Giblin
27. Fr. Kilcarr
28. Fr. Pavlick
29. Mr. Persichetty
30. Mr. Giuffra
31. Mike Shepard - Phys. Ed.
32. my sophomore class picture
33. talented student Jack de Oliveira being helped out by Dave O'Connor
34. Spectrum literary magazine picture
__________ 1983
35. Steven Antunes giving it all
36. Mr. Dawson
37. Mr. Mee
38. Mr. Giuffra and Mr. Chamales
39. my Galician friend Celso fooling around
40. my junior class picture
41. Mr. Giuffra again
42. The Bink
43. my friends Anthony Teat, Celso Castro and Carlos Gomes
44. Bernard Puc
45. Harry Dawson
46. Art Club picture
47. Games Guild, with my friends Patrick Giordano and Henry Rodríguez
48. Raúl Massuet, Al Rawding, and other mates
49. Michael Pantano, who would nicely give me and others a ride to school
__________ 1984
50. Fr. Kelly
51. Mr. Langbein - Math
52. The Bink
53. Mr. Dawson
54. Mr. Schweitzer jumping (left)
55. Mr. Chamales
56. Nice cafeteria people
57. Art Club picture
58. Spectrum staff picture
59. Debate Club, with nice-guy Valedictorian Rich Grady holding mike to Mr. Dawson
60. Tower staff
61. Bernie
62. Spectrum staff
63. Romeo Tiu
64. me
65. "Excellence in the Humanities" award, shared with Raúl Massuet
66. my senior picture, taken by Vinodd
* it's hilarious how my classmate John Maniscalco, in light coat with dark lapels over the school blazer, always smilingly got into the photos (often without belonging to the clubs pictured!)
* does anyone know Mr. Langbein's first name? Keith Miller: do you know?
* sorry if you are from the Class of '84 and you see this and you don't appear. I can feature you on a second video. I miss my friend Rick Wimmer here. Don't worry Rick, you'll be in a future clip.
* I had two role-models at the Prep: among the students, Bernard Puc reminded me of my idol Sting - he had it all: talent, looks, intelligence, cool, and played in the soccer team - and, among the teachers, Mr. Dawson was my hero: an incredibly deep and fascinating mentor, with refined literary perception, who reminded me of Hemingway.
LONG LIVE THE PREP!!!!
Ramón Torrado '84
Music: "New Gold Dream (81,82,83,84)" - Razormaid Mix and "Don't You (Forget About Me)" by glorious Scottish band Simple Minds.
Tags: Seton Hall Prep South Orange New Jersey Pirates Monsignor Kelly Harry Dawson Bernard Puc Larry T. Chamales SHP William Safranek Anthony Teat Celso Castro
