PRESIDENT'S

 LETTER

HISTORY IN THE MAKING AT THE MOUNT 

Chad Robinson Shows History Students a film on the Civil Rights Marches

"It is critical in our development as young men to develop the ability to deal with diverse cultures in a fostering environment.  The Mount experience helps instill in students a strong identity and character. " Chad Robinson, '87.

Chad Robinson's African-American and American history classes at the Mount are much more than names, places and dates: they are helping to inspire confidence and pride in cultural identities, no matter what their historical origin. This is especially true in Robinson's African-American history classes. Here, the history of slavery is put into context as part of a 10,000 year African history and not the defining story of African-Americans as part of the very young history of the United States.  

Says Robinson, "By seeing themselves as part of a dynasty, African-American students will have an increased sense of self esteem in that their history is not limited to the story of slaves. Having a global perspective and context removes the historical stigma that you were the only people enslaved."

Robinson credits extensive traveling throughout the Caribbean and Europe with sparking a deep interest in those regions and an enthusiasm for the history of their inhabitants. He would read the history of a certain country and then visit that country and talk to their people. Keep Reading

THE DRUM CIRCLE OF LIFE

Mount teacher Michael Duff and Drum Circle members tell a story through the rhythmic beat of the drums

The Drum Circle, founded in September 2010,  is one of the newest and most talked about creative extracurricular activities at the Mount.  Why are people talking? Find out below in our interview with Drum Circle founder, Mount teacher Michael Duff. 

Q: What inspired you to become interested in drums?  

Mike Duff: I have always played a bit of drums but have been a set player.  I began taking African drums a bit over a year ago when a friend told me about a class.  I discovered a great teacher and I was just hooked.  Teaching others as I learn actually helps my drumming grow at an accelerated rate.  I have to learn several different parts to the traditional songs in order to teach the Mount students.  Often times, in African drumming, people only concentrate on learning one instrument.

Q: What is the origin of the type of drums you play?

Mike Duff: The tradition I learn is generally from West Africa.  Each song is from a different area.  Some songs are played in several areas and each country or  area will have their own way of playing it.  Many of the songs have come to take on their own interpretation in the African American tradition as well.

Q: Drum circles seem to be gaining in popularity: Is this true? 

Mike Duff: I hope so.  The students that come to learn really love it.  With the addition of the new drums we were able to get recently thanks to the generosity of FMSI, we can bring in more students and expand next year. Keep Reading 

MOUNT ALL YEARS REUNION IS A BLAST FROM THE PAST

BRO. STEVE SCHLITTE HONORED BY FORDHAM UNIVERSITY

41 INDUCTED INTO NATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY

On Thursday, May 12, Mount Saint Michael Academy inducted 41 new members from the class of 2012 into the school's National Honor Society. Principal, Br. Steve Schlitte; President, Dr. Anthony Miserandino; and moderator, Ms. Jessica Rottenstein welcomed the leaders of tomorrow in a fitting ceremony.

Membership in the Marcellin Champagnat Chapter of the National Honor Society is earned by effective demonstration of the four qualities held in high esteem by the society. They are: Scholarship, Leadership, Service, and Character.

The organization requires all of its members to maintain a 90% grade point average as they perform numerous service projects within both the school and neighboring communities. The Mount Saint Michael Scholarship Exam, The Academic Olympics, and Peer Tutoring are just a few events that the group takes and active part in as they strive to make an impact any way possible.

The class of 2012 inductees include: Eric Aceituno, Iqbal Anwar, Kenneth Aquah, Teddy Beadle, Niles Bracy, Kevin Carney, Kevin Crespo, Tyreik Davis, Armando De La Flor, Henry De La Rosa, Liam Flaherty, Dylan Ferrara, Edgar Hernandez, Roman Garcia, Matthew Kennedy, Michael Kirnon, Christopher Le, Atiba London, Fabian Leon, Jos� Martinez, Michael McEnaney, Michael McBrien, Johnathan Mendez, Leiquan Moore, Kevin Narine, Nam Nguyen, Alex Olea, Ashani Percy, Kesar Ram, Eduardo Ramirez, Luis Rivera, MarcAnthony Rivera, Emmanuel Rivera-Jovel, Andres Rodriguez, Justin Rustia, David Sotomayor, Louis Toujague III, Kenneth Utate, Nicholas Vecchio, Matthew Visintin, Emelio Woodstock

The guest speaker was Sister Mary Hughes, O.P., the President of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious and Prioress, Sisters of St. Dominic, Amityville. 

Brother Steve has been a Member of the Marist Brothers since the 1970s.  He holds his Bachelor's degree from Marist College, a Masters in Bilingual Education from St. John's University, and his Doctorate in Educational Administration from Fordham University.  Brother Steve has also completed additional studies at the Center for Spirituality and Justice in the Bronx.

Brother Steve has been a classroom teacher, the Vocation Director for his religious order as well as Director of Novices but some of his finest work has been to serve as Principal and Institutional leader in urban schools on both sides of the Hudson - He was Principal of Queen of Angels Elementary in Newark and of Marist High School in Bayonne, New Jersey. 

Along with Bro. Schlitte, award recipients included Sister Kathleen V. Carloin, O.P., Diocese of Rockville Centre, Sister Josephine Cioffi, I.H.M, Archdiocese of NY, Sister Margaret Merritt, O.P., Diocese of Brooklyn, Father Jack Podsiadlo, S.J., New York University, Sister Kathleen Sullivan, C.S.J., Diocese of Brooklyn, NY.

2010-11 ANNUAL FUND

Help us to reach our Annual Fund Goal of $400,000!!

!DONATE NOW!

Alumni! Your generosity to the Annual Fund 

sends a clear message to prospective student families and to the Bronx community that we care 

deeply about our students' development. Specifically, the Fund goes to 

directly support:

�Financial Aid

�Academic Scholarships

�Extracurricular activities

We are appealing to the younger generation 

of Mount Alum to become involved! 

See if you  can become one of the Top Ten!

 Starting with the Class of 1955 at the top, 

the following Class Years have the 

most alum out of total 

Class Year alum involved in our 

Annual Fund Drive. 

Class of 1955

Class of 1954

Class of 1961

Class of 1956

Class of 1951

Class of 1963

Class of 1959

Class of 1957

Class of 1958

 Class of 1944 

SAVE THE DATE!

June

Friday, June 3^rd Class of 1961:  50th Reunion Reception. Please contact Michael Duignan at [email protected] or 

718-515-6400 ext. 267 or Julie Androshick at [email protected]

Saturday, June 4^th: Honorary Graduation 

Ceremony for Classes of 1941, 1951, 1961:  

 70th, 60th & 50th

Tuesday, June 21^st:: 21st Annual Golf Outing 

Please contact Michael Duignan at [email protected] or 718-515-6400 ext. 267 or Julie Androshick at [email protected]

MIDDLE SCHOOL NEWS!!

Mount St. Michael Junior High School first place  Science Fair winners represented the Mount the Bronx Catholic Schools Science Fair, held in Mount 

Saint Michael's Richard Tricario Gym on April 14^th.  

Russell Randall, a sixth grader, won sixth place 

in the science fair, with his project, 

Are Mnemonics Useful or Useless? garnered a sixth place prize in the Science Fair. 

Three middle school students are up for review 

with poems they have entered to the American Library of Poetry.  They are:

Nathaniel Daley - eighth grade, 

Mizraim Batista, Jr. - eighth grade and 

Mervyn Campbell - seventh grade.

LINKS

The Tower 

HUNGRY FOR SUCCESS

by Tower Reporter Justin Bodden '12

Mount in battle with Farrell

In a very exciting and well-played game the 

Mount St. Michael Academy Lacrosse team beat Msgr. Farrell High School from Staten Island. The final score of 6 to 5 fails to capture the riveting
play by both teams, and the hustle of the Mount players. Congratulations to the team for their outstanding achievement.

Practice and pure hunger for a Championship 

were the ingredients that fueled this turnaround season for the Mount team, according to 

Midfielder Timothy McDermott. 

The Mountaineers, through sheer hard work, changed from a sub-500 team, winning less than 50% of their games in 2010, to a 15-2 season this year.  

"All the extra work people put in not only during practice, but also before and after, speaks to a dedication that cannot be matched." Said junior goalie Arben Gashi.

During the regular season in April and May, the 

Mount finished with strong victories against Farrell and Saint Dom's, while Senior Captain Pat 

McEnaney scored 4 goals to carry the 

Mountaineers to victory over St. Mary's in a thrilling overtime contest.  

"Most games really haven't been that easy, but 

we show a lot of heart and dedication and we 

are never scared to rise up to the challenge." Said McDermott who has scored 7 goals so far this year.

The team is led by coach Joseph Capalbo-who for his efforts of turning the team around won CHSAA coach of the year-;McEnaney who leads the team with 28 goals;Frank Madaloni; Dave Lulgjuraj, who was recently named Academic All-American and Junior Matt Visintin who leads the team with 12 assists.

The Mount's one goal this year was  winning it all. "We are championship hungry and did not accept anything less." Said Tim Mcdermott. 

MOUNT 81st ANNUAL RING DAY CEREMONY

Dr. Miserandino snaps a photo of Junior Niles Bracy  and his parents on Ring Day

On May 9 the 81^st Annual Junior Ring Ceremony 

took place in the Richard Tricario Memorial 

Auditorium.

Students and their families heard an inspiring 

presentation by Mr. Anthony DelGiudice about 

Mount traditions and the significance of a ring 

as a symbol of the binding power linking Mount students of today with the history of the school. 

Each student's mother was given the ring to 

place on her son's hand, and she received a 

rose from a grateful and smiling son. Pictures 

clicked away, and the ceremony was followed 

by a reception. 

The evening was a perfect linking of the students,
their families and the Mount in a circle of 

friendship and affection which will bind memories of the evening for a lifetime. 

In addition to African American studies, Robinson's  interest lies in African and World History.  He says, "Egypt, Greece, Africa and Asia have all had 

glorious and repressive times in their historic development. I see this history as a whole, and 

how different periods work in conjunction with 

each other."

Robinson has taught at the Mount for 8 years.  He received a B.A. in Economics from Northeastern University, then attended City College for a 

Masters degree in History while he was teaching 

at the Mount and then attended Mercy College 

for his Masters in School Building Leadership.

In order to increase his knowledge, Robinson is 

taking his own studies further. He  went to Ghana

as a Gilder Lehrman Institute scholar to study the transatlantic slave trade. He has also spent a 

month in Chicago to study African American 

political thought. Robinson was chosen as a 

group of prestigious scholars by the Gilder 

Lehrman Institute to attend The University of the 

West Indies in Barbados this summer to study 

Slavery and the Slave Trade in the Caribbean.  

Later this summer he will also go to Jackson Mississippi to Civil Rights at Jackson State 

University in Mississippi.

Says Robinson,  " I went to the Mount and it will challenge you as well as foster  you. This is a good combination.  For example, you come from your neighborhood with your own assumptions and differences.  But these disappear as you become 

just a Mountaineer. By the time you are a Junior 

you become part of a Brotherhood; when you 

leave you are part of a fraternity, and you 

know you are not out there by yourself."

Steve Ianniculli '91, now the 

CEO of Advantron Corp.,  also 

had strong impressions coming 

back to the Mount for his 20-year reunion: 

Class of '01 remember and laugh!

"The staff members of the Mount made me feel

very welcome: it was nice to see that a consistent level of respect and professionalism was maintained throughout the years. It reminded me of how

fortunate I was to receive a Mount St. Michael

education and to be a part of the Mount family.

I also enjoyed meeting the other alum from

different decades and noticed a consistency in 

their friendly personalities that were brought on because of the Mount experience." 

 Click Here For More Reunion Photos

Q. What has been the reaction to the drum circle at the Mount?

Mike Duff: People really love the drums, especially

for school prayer services and Mass. Drums are a great way to begin a service or ceremony.  I tell 

the students that when we drum, we are praying.  Our student body also is also largely of African descent, so we get to honor our cultural heritage while we celebrate and pray together.

Q. What does drumming music represent?  

Mike Duff: African Drumming is extremely

complex.  Each song, tells a story.  Each song 

serves a purpose.  There are songs of thanks, welcome songs, songs of initiation for rites of passage.  I have only been a student for a short while, but I have come to realize that the

tradition runs very deep.  One would need to 

study for decades to become familiar with all 

most of the intricacies. 

Q. Where do you see the drum circle going at the Mount? 

Mike Duff: The sky is the limit.  I eventually want 

our students to be at the point where I can take them around the country and have peoples jaws drop.  I also want the students to get to the point where the older drummers can train the younger ones on their own. So that they are empowered 

and can "own" this themselves.

Our recent grant has enabled me to get a truly diverse array of drums. Now, every student who attends can learn on a quality instrument, and we can enlarge our group as well.  We are very 

excited about this.  I also plan to use some of the grant money to have a guest teacher.  My own teacher is going to join us for about 5 weeks.  The chance to be with a true master will be great for 

our students. This way they can see just how much this tradition can offer.

Q. When does the drum circle perform? 

Mike Duff: Whenever someone asks!