Three members of the Women's winning team, from left, Patti McCarthy Beach, Michele Oppelt Petro, and Sue McLaughlin Johnston

The Gang's All Here....

Well, not quite....but we did draw quite a crowd, as almost half of the class reconvened more than 30 years after our graduation!  As you can see, we're ageless!!!  Click on the picture to enlarge it.  Here's the crew:

1st row (L-R): Kevin Madden, Tony Pannullo, Frank D'Amore, Steve Hartsough (wearing Safety Patrol Belt), Neil Beahan

2nd row: Kevin Kelley, Redmond McConnell, Sue McLaughlin Johnston, Eileen Conway McMenamin, Michele Oppelt Petro, Cathy Malloy Salkind, Carol Jansen Ross, Pat Gannon O'Hagan, Mary Chemerys DePaul, Donna Thompson Hober

3rd row: Bob Welsh, Dan Pannullo, Amy Rothwell Worster, Jeannette Kuter Carson, John Whelan, Eileen Beahan Gutshall, Karen Armstrong Ross, Maryann Goodwin Bandura, Cathy Kroliczak Samec, Jim Maguire, Tom Cicala, Patti McCarthy Beach, Dave Savoni, Ellen Thornton Staerk

4th row: Joe Steindl, Bill Smart, Kevin Gavin, Brendan Burke, Ed Miller, John Morrone, John Manning, Lorraine McDonnell Guglielmi, Rodney Basketbill, Mike Rudolf, Dave Kraynik, Sue Corley

5th row: John Muir

Redmond is at ease on the stage...

The Awards Ceremony

After much mingling, our awards ceremony was called to order by the one, and only, Redmond McConnell.  After testing the microphone for a maddeningly long time, the Toastmaster General succeeded in getting the events rolling....

Kevin Gavin prepares to accept his Etch a Sketch!

Longest Traveler Award

Kevin Gavin, who traveled to the Reunion from the Bay Area, with his wife, Michele, won the long distance award.  Kevin Madden, who made the trip from suburban Chicago, was edged out yet again.  Jeannette Kuter Carson, who attended the Reunion, with her husband, Robert, also made a long trek from Florida to see her friends.  Kevin, who is a Senior VP in the telecom industry, is often brimming with creative ideas, so he was given an Etch a Sketch to occupy himself, and capture any brainstorms, during the long trip home.

Carol receives the much coveted Class of '73 Yearbook

Honorary Degree Awarded

Carol Jansen Ross attended St. John's with us for six years.  Those were some formative years in our lives and we regretted that Carol transferred and missed all the action in 7th and 8th grade.  Carol has stayed connected with us and made it to the 1994 and 2006 Reunions, even though it entailed making trips from her home in Maryland.  In recognition of her dedication, and as a sign that we view her as a true member of our Class, Carol received an Honorary St. John's Degree (ribbon and all) and an autographed copy of our treasured Yearbook!

John Morrone receives his boxing gloves!

The Boxer.....Returns!

We received a great education during our years at St. John's.  It was, on several occasions, delivered in an unorthodox way that truly challenged us.  Three of our classmates endured such challenges and were recognized for their perseverance.

The first winner was John Morrone, who was smacked by one of our instructors very early in his St. John's years.  John, who was one of our top athletes, instinctively retaliated, but was much too young to have any impact.  John was given a red and white pair of boxing gloves so that he could hone his skills in case he ever confronts future combat! Look out--a little bit of training, when combined with John's size and strength, could be quite a knockout punch!

Steve Hartsough receives the "Nuns Having Fun 2007 Calendar"

No One Could Catch Hartsough...Not Even Sister Alberta Marie!

One of the more memorable altercations of our St. John's years occurred in 4th grade, when a determined Steve Hartsough, reeling from an indignity inflicted on him, bolted out of class.  In a chase reminiscent of the O.J. Simpson pursuit that would unfold many years later, Steve barreled past Sr. Alberta, sprinted across the schoolyard (with his classmates watching and Sister Alberta in determined pursuit) and finally made it home!  In keeping with his new enlightened state of mind, Steve happily accepted the "Nuns Having Fun 2007 Calendar," which he'll use every day of the next year!

Donna Marie Thompson Hober with her new dartboard--let's hope for many bulls eyes!

Spelling Award

We all recall going to the blackboard so that we could have the pleasure of doing math problems and answering questions in front of the rest of our classmates.  Well....Donna Thompson Hober had the audacity to make a spelling mistake one day, when she erred in spelling B-A-L-L-E-R-I-N-A.  There was a certain irony in that, as Donna later starred as a gymnast. Donna's miscue was followed by a yardstick that she'll never forget.  In "honor" of that event, Donna received a customized dartboard, which she can now use for target practice!

Rodney is given his autographed basketball and display case by Frank D'Amore

Rodney Receives our Most Valuable Person Award...

Rodney Basketbill was our most gifted athlete.  He was peerless on the football field and led us to our magnificent championship season.  He also was virtually unstoppable on the basketball court, where he not only shined during our 8th grade season, but also excelled in high school.  Despite those accomplishments, he may have left a bigger mark  through the friendships he formed with us.  Grade school was a time when each of us was beginning to grow in the maturation process, which made it a challenge to be as open to others as we would have liked.  Rodney cut across all those bounds, as he was the person who had an uncanny knack of being a friend, and inspiration, to all of us.  We recognized Rodney for how valuable he was to all of us by signing a basketball for him which we hope he'll display for many years to come!

Identifying this Fitzwatertown Rd house--and why it was significant-- was a typical question in the contest

Karen Armstrong Ross and Jim Maguire Win First Trivia Contest

Two-person teams competed in the opening trivia contest.  Fifteen questions, which covered subjects such as Roslyn history, identifying former classmates and Roslyn landmarks, and general knowledge of St. John's, had to be answered. As is our Class's nature, this was a fiercely competitive contest.  Protests were filed with the International Federation of Alumni Organizations and lawsuits were filed in Federal Court seeking punitive damages.  But...when the dust settled, it was Karen Armstrong Ross and Jim Maguire who emerged victorious as they won gift certificates to Best Buy!

The Women's team in action..

Family Feud/Jeopardy Contest Goes to....the Women!

The stakes were high, as they was much woofing and taunting between the men's and women's teams as they prepared for the Family Feud/Jeopardy contest.  At stake was a sweatshirt for each member of the winning team.  Categories included "Who Am I?," "Frank's Paper Route" and "Name that Family Member."  Despite some confusing scoring by Redmond McConnell, the women cruised to an easier than expected victory.  The men did not go down without a fight--and a protest--as we debated the merits of "Picciano vs. Picciani" and whether Chile is a continent or country (huh?).  The women gleefully donned their sweatshirts and will remain champs....until we next meet!

This picture of Steve Hartsough typified what we saw in the slide show

PowerPoint Presentation Chronicled Our St. John's Years

The night concluded with a video slide show presented by Frank D'Amore.  This provided an overview of many aspects of our St. John's years--inside and outside of the classroom--and triggered a lot of great memories.  The presentation included pictures of our classmates, most of which were from more than 35 years ago!