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lilad03-blog · 5 months ago

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Daniel Grimaldi: Actor, Scholar & Scientist

Daniel Grimaldi was born in 1946 and is an American actor and mathematics professor who is best known for his roles as twins Philly and Patsy Parisi on the award winning HBO television series The Sopranos.

While researching this piece, I wasn’t sure if all the dates synched up over on the Forever Fordham site? If what I read was true, he started Fordham at an age when most of us were sophomores in high school.

Entered Fordham University at 16 Years of Age

“I attended Xaverian High School in Brooklyn.” The obviously very bright, ambitious powerhouse explained, “I was sixteen when I graduated. I received several scholarships

(including) a full one to Fordham. Many of my classmates were going.”

He was a Screen Actors Guild award winner, in 2008, for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series for The Sopranos. He opened up about his college experiences at the Rose Hill Bronx campus by saying: “I commuted by train. One hour and forty five minutes each way. In my sophomore and junior year a friend drove. But often I would have to take the train because our schedules did not jell. In senior year I used my father's car,” added the 5 foot-4 inch dedicated alumni. “My family couldn't afford the room & board. One of the few regrets I have in life is not living on campus.”

Don’t Go In The House!

His first break came in 1979 as the star of the above titled independent horror film. It is described as “A young man who was driven mad by the death of his abusive mother now stalks young women with a flamethrower.”

Note: I’ve watched, and yes it is as nasty as it sounds. If you are interested, here is the YouTube link-be careful: r. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kxmz1vjCOk4&t=6s

Bell Laboratories Scientist

Doctor Daniel Grimaldi went on to complete a Master of Science in Operations Research from NYU and a PhD in Data Processing from City University of New York. That early IMDb.com credit above was in 1979. It sounded like those 13 years between might have been filled with working on your Master's degree and PhD? Turns out there was more to his development before being bit-by-the-acting-bug.

“Acting was not a thought. It just popped into my mind when I worked at Bell Labs as a member of technical staff in computer graphics.” I looked up archived copies of the University newspapers (The Ram) and did NOT see any productions that mentioned his name. It turns out he didn’t perform in any collegiate shows/plays. He added, “I went to study with Lee Strasberg (starting) in 1970.”

(aveleyman.com)

Let’s Get To The Quote: “It won’t be cinematic.”

For those who haven’t seen the episode, on The Sopranos, from all those years ago-let me set the scene. New Jersey Mob Boss Tony Soprano has one of his many adulterous love affairs. This time he meets Gloria. Who is pretty, a successful Mercedes Car sales rep and a bit of a world traveler. The two meet in the waiting of the mutual psychiatrist, accidentally due to a scheduling mix-up. After a point, Tony wants to end it. Gloria not only wants to be part of the gangster’s life she even goes so far as to make contact with his wife. (Oh girlfriend, you can do so much better.)

He sends Patsy Parisi, our boy Dan-Class of ‘66-to scare her away while ostensibly test driving a car. Away from the protection of her suburban New Jersey dealership, he pulls over: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GCQnTPF4_o

Note: Between now and posting of this article I can’t afford to have YouTube delete this one. So, basically he pulls out a gun and points it at her. Warns her to distance herself from Soprano and his family or she will be dead; by his hand. No ancient Greek tragedy or retired NFL Quarterback stuff for her to go on to the next world on.

Got To Have A Side-Hustle

I didn’t get a definitive answer, from the Assistant Professor Mathematics & Computer Science at Kingsborough Community College, in Brooklyn, when I asked if “It Won’t Be Cinematic”will be on your tombstone? But I did get a smile.

Can We Make It A Point to Carry His Name Forward?

Here is a post from the 78 year old Fordham Alumni; His request on the Instagram Account where you can follow him too.

References

#danielgrimaldi #fordhamuniversity #sporanos

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dailyrugbytoday · 6 months ago

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USA Youth & High School Rugby Fixtures & all team where to watch

New Post has been published on https://thedailyrugby.com/usa-youth-high-school-rugby-fixtures/

The Daily Rugby

https://thedailyrugby.com/usa-youth-high-school-rugby-fixtures/

USA Youth & High School Rugby Fixtures & all team where to watch

Youth & High School Rugby in the United States and its Territories is administered and governed by USA Youth and High School Rugby, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization in Washington, D.C. and sanctioned affiliate of USA Rugby. This includes community and school based programs for players ages 5 – 18.

USA Youth and High School Rugby exists to provide a fun and safe environment for the development of rugby in the United States; develop well rounded rugby community members both on and off the pitch; and be the conduit to connect the game at all levels to promote a lifelong love of the sport of rugby.

Most Followed High School Rugby Teams

Alamo Heights

Brownsburg

Camarillo

Christian Brothers

Cleveland

Del Norte

Fairfield Prep

Fallbrook

Greenwich

Immaculate Conception Academy

Kennedy

La Costa Canyon

La Salette Academy

Lincoln-Sudbury

Loyola

Marine Leadership Academy

Model Secondary School for the Deaf

New Orleans Military & Maritime Academy

Poway

Rancho Bernardo

St. Francis Prep

St. Ignatius

St. John’s Prep

St. Pius X

Taft

Torrey Pines

Xaverian Brothers

USA Youth and High School Rugby, as well as USA Rugby, are strongly committed to creating Varsity Initiative Rugby Teams around the United States and its territories.

Upcoming High School Rugby Tournaments

High school tournaments are a great way to get seen by coaches outside of your local area.

Name

Date

Location

Details

Boys HS Nat’l Championship

May 23-25, 2024

Elkhart, IN

Boys Single School & Club – By Application Only

Can-Am Tournament

July 26-28, 2024

Saranac Lake, NY

North American Invit. 7s

July 26-27, 2024

Salt Lake City, UT

Boys & Girls HS, MS & Youth

New York 7s

Nov 2024

New York, NY

Boys & Girls HS

Lakefront 7s

June 22, 2024

Milwaukee, WI

Boys & Girls HS, Middle School Tag

Rugby Ohio Buckeye Invitational

June 15-16, 2024

Dublin, OH

Boys & Girls HS

Bloodfest 7s

June 14-15, 2024

Austin, TX

Boys & Girls HS

Roosters’ Cocorico 7s

July 20, 2024

Potomac, MD

Boys & Girls HS, Youth

Girls HS Nat’l Champs

May 18-19, 2024

Cottage Grove, WI

D1, D2 and Middle School – By Application Only

Dennis Storer Classic (UCLA)

Jan 13-14, 2024

Los Angeles, CA

High School Boys

Los Angeles Invitational

Mar 2-3, 2024

Los Angeles, CA

Youth, High School, College, Club, Masters

Frostbite Tournament

Mar 2-3, 2024

Lancaster, PA

College, High School & Middle School Brackets

Carolina Ruggerfest

Mar 2-3, 2024

Charlotte, NC

U10 to High School Boys & Girls

Urban Rugby Championship

Mar 9, 2024

Washington DC

Mid-Atlantic Women’s Rugby Showcase

Mar 16-24, 2024

Clinton, NJ

Rosslyn Park HSBC National HS 7s

Mar 18-21, 2024

Rosslyn Park, UK

Girls & Boys

Tropical 7s

Mar 29-30, 2024

Tampa, FL

Boys & Girls U14 to U18, U23 & College Sides

NashBash Rugby Festival

Mar 23-24, 2024

Nashville, TN

High School Boys & Girls, Middle School Brackets

Portugal Youth Rugby Festival

April 6-7, 2024

Lisbon, Portugal

Girls & Boys

DC Ruggerfest

April 13-24, 2024

Manassas, VA

HS Boys, Youth Girls

Beast of the East u19

April 27-28, 2024

Portsmouth, RI

u19

Gonzaga HS Jesuit Rugby Classic

April 20-21, 2024

Leesburg, VA

HS Boys

Cherry Blossom Tournament

April 13-14, 2024

Upper Marlboro, MD

HS Boys & Girls

CRC HS Invitational

April 28, 2024

Boyds, MD

HS Boys & Girls

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shahananasrin-blog · 1 year ago

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[ad_1] If it’s the start of the high school football season, that could only mean one thing: the unveiling of the 17th annual Boston Herald Preseason All-EMass team. FIRST TEAM OFFENSE QB: Henry Hasselbeck (Xaverian) QB: Blake Hebert (Central Catholic) RB: Casious Johnson (Plymouth South) RB: Shane Eason (Methuen) RB: Bryan Ferreira (Woburn) TE: Jake Saalfrank (North Andover) WR: Cameron Monteiro (Brockton) WR: Christian Zamor (Everett) WR: Jonathan Monteiro (Xaverian) OL: Guerby Lambert (Catholic Memorial) OL: Thomas Brown (Chelmsford) OL: Brendan Sullivan (Catholic Memorial) OL: Logan Vaerenewyck (King Philip) OL: Chris Caparella (Scituate) LS: Andrew Dufault (Xaverian) PK: Kieran Corr (Winchester) PK: Nicholas Araujo (Milford) SECOND TEAM OFFENSE QB: Drew Eason (Methuen) QB: Peter Bourque (Catholic Memorial) QB: Ben Scalzi (Hanover) RB: Tate Hoffmeister (Needham) RB: Alex Barlow (Duxbury) RB: Will Batten (North Reading) TE: Matthew Boucher (St. John’s Prep) TE: Connor Pease (Abington) WR: Eli Baptista (Peabody) WR: Trevor Foley (Mansfield) WR: Chevy Shakespeare (Barnstable) OL: Josh Robichaud (Reading) OL: Dan Moore (Billerica) OL: Brady Bekkenhuis (Arlington) OL: Will Arsenault (Amesbury) OL: Micah Amadee (Silver Lake) LS: Joseph Vinci (Westwood) LS: Dillon Keough (Winchester) K: Domenic Scalese (Peabody) P: Zahn Moselhy (St. John’s Shrewsbury) FIRST TEAM DEFENSE DL: Mason McSweeney (St. John’s Prep) DL: Alex Jackson (Peabody) DL: Cole Dillon (Billerica) DL: Matthew Callahan (St. John’s Prep) LB: Marquese Avery (St. John’s Prep) LB: Will Claude (Catholic Memorial) LB: David Timson (Catholic Memorial) LB: Christian Pacheco (Marblehead) DB: Eric Perkins (Catholic Memorial) DB: Jayden Prophete (Everett) DB: A.J. Pinet (Dedham) DB: Jake Palm (Reading) SECOND TEAM DEFENSE DL: Jake O’Neil (North Andover) DL: Michael Toppan (Gloucester) DL: Mason Zylinski (Mashpee) LB: Ryan Bannon (North Attleboro) LB: Lincoln Moore (Foxboro) LB: John Droggitis (St. John’s Prep) LB: Will Johnson (Pembroke) DB: Zach Wolinski (North Andover) DB: Jake Haarde (Lincoln-Sudbury) DB: Liam Appleton (Cohasset) DB: Luke Connolly (Bishop Fenwick) HONORABLE MENTION QB: Davion Adediran (Atlantis Charter), Jayden Barber (Dennis-Yarmouth), Jake Cullen (Westford Academy), Dasha Domercant (Bellingham), Chase Frisoli (North Attleboro), Joe Goffredo (Dedham), James Harris (West Bridgewater), Bryce Leaman (Bishop Fenwick), Tyler Lennox (Carver), Thomas McLeish (King Philip), Sean Miles (Newburyport), Patrick Miller (Milton), Brendan Peno (Nauset), Cooper Tarantino (Lincoln-Sudbury), Sidney Tildsley (Shawsheen), Brian Vaughan (Lynn Classical) RB: William Bostrom (Norwell), Aviren Chitpaseuth (Greater Lowell), Tajardo France (Barnstable), Owen Gasinowski (Danvers), Devin Harding (Holliston), Tyren Hoeun (Lynn Classical), Gabe Korn (Sharon), Justin Marques (Fairhaven), Kayden Mills (Arlington), Caiden Montas (Blue Hills), Sam Nadworny (Masconomet), Gabe Rodrigues (Quincy) WR: Jamal Abdal-Khalaq (Walpole), Morenel Castro (KIPP), Jeremiah Domercant (Bellingham), Zach Falls (Duxbury), Cam Fernandez (Weynouth), Charlie Hanafin (Burlington), John McDonald (Hanover), Will McNamara (Pembroke), Brian Olson (Dover-Sherborn), Jose Touron (Taunton), Steven Woish (Wakefield) OL/DL: Kurt Campbell (Barnstable). Sean Crowley (Reading), Wells Gillett (St. John’s Prep), Brandon Mazenkas-O’Grady (Foxboro), Pat Norman (Pembroke), Graham Roberts (St. John’s Prep) LB: Ty Baker (Stoneham), Aiden Donovan (Amesbury), Corey Grimes (Salem), Joel Maggs (St. Mary’s), Ben Squarcia (Mashpee) DB: Nicholas Cappuccio (Winthrop), Finn Carley (Duxbury), Ferris Collins (Milton), Tyler Guy (St. Mary’s), A.J. Nash (Abington), Cole Piaseczynski (Triton) [ad_2]

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readingrecap · 2 years ago

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🏒 Reading Rockets Win 1-0

The Reading Memorial High School Boys defeated Braintree Womps by a score of 1-0 Friday night and move on in the MIAA Division 1 Tournament. The lone goal if the game was scored by #27 Matt Fichera with an assist from #11 Mark Boyle and #26 Laz Giradina. The Reading Rockets now move on to the final 4 vs Xaverian Brothers with a time, date and location yet to be determined. A replay of the game…

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#Hockey

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abhikumar7180-blog · 6 years ago

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Xavierian High School is the Best English Medium School in Bhubaneswar providing quality education to students and influencing and preparing them for their bright future.

Admission in Xavierian High School Bhubaneswar will not be gambling for students as well as their parents. Besides the academics, Xavierian High School also focuses on extracurricular activities of the children. Children are bias-free in comparison of interests, every individual in school, individual refers as students

#best english medium school in bhubaneswar #admission in xaverian high school odisha #top cbse school in Bhubaneswar odisha #franchise of xavierian high school bhubaneswar #xaverian high school

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amandancurcio · 3 years ago

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NYC Catholic Schools Closing Rapidly in Recent Years

NYC Catholic schools have been closing at rapid rates in recent years leaving many students and families in a panic to find a place of education for their children when their own school suddenly closes down. With Catholic schools once being a backbone of the education system here in NYC, it leaves long-time New Yorkers wondering- what happened?

In the last year, 26 NYC catholic schools have closed their doors amid the pandemic(https://untappedcities.com/2020/08/12/decline-of-a-nyc-institution-26-catholic-schools-closed-during-pandemic/), leaving thousands of students looking for new schools. These sudden closures have left students, parents, and faculty alike worried and confused about the future of their education, children, and jobs.

While the COVID-19 pandemic is definitely to blame for the permanent closures of many businesses, losses of jobs, and shutdowns of schools, it can’t take full responsibility for the uptick in Catholic school closures across the city.

Prior to the pandemic, there has been a notable steady rise in closures in catholic schools.

Graph showing the decline in Catholic schools between the years 1980-2020 in Brooklyn alone- taken from https://bklyner.com/with-schools-closing-is-catholic-education-disappearing-in-brooklyn/

One aspect of the closing of schools that many have seen as a trend in the closures is the influx of single-sex Catholic schools closing. Many single-sex Catholic schools have been struggling the hardest in order to stay afloat.

“Catholic education does not come across as appealing to kids anymore, and kids today are given many more choices and their opinions are much more valued now than when I was a child”, stated Jennifer Morabito, 43, alumni of Bishop Kearny High School, “When I was a child, I went to Kearny because my mom went there, and that was the case for most of my classmates as well. When I mentioned the idea of my daughter switching from public elementary school to Catholic middle school, she begged me not to force her to go- and I’m not gonna make her, I’ll let her make her own decisions”. She continued to state, “I definitely believe that because kids are given more of a choice in today’s day and age, that has a lot to do with why Kearny and all of these other schools have closed and will continue to close with time.”

Carol Herron, 62, a former Global Studies teacher at Bishop Kearny High School, an all-girls Catholic high school that closed following their 2019 schoolyear stated that the administration of the school noticed a steady decline of interest in the “all-girls” aspect that their school had to offer. “For a school that once had a long waitlist of girls eager to be accepted, it was almost as if we foresaw the schools’ fate as years went on and more and more girls began to choose co-ed schools such as, St. Edmunds, and Xaverian”. Herron explained that the separation of boys and girls in school is an “old practice” and does not appeal to students in the present.

Xaverian, as Herron mentioned, was not always a co-ed school, however. It actually was not until recent years that Xaverian Catholic High School made the switch to co-ed education- and the choice to change was for the better.

Xaverian Highschool, located on Shore Road in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, only began accepting girls into their school beginning the 2016 school year. Prior to 2016, the school was strictly all-boys and was rooted in what the students called “the brotherhood of Xaverian”.

Kimberly Cruz, the Director of Admissions at Xaverian High School stated, “prior to making the decision to go co-ed, we weren’t exactly seeing a decline in students, but rather, we were preparing for the likely future of losing students due to only inviting boys into our school”. Cruz also claimed that it had been looked at as a “precautionary measure” for the school as “times are changing and it is difficult to keep running an all-boys school when so many young people are now identifying differently than what they are assigned at birth”.

Since the change, Xaverian has seen a huge influx of student interest, but it makes many worry for Xaverians former sister school, Fontbonne Hall, an all-girls school located just down the road.

According to sources at Fontbonne Hall, there was a major decline of interest going into the 2016 school year, the year that Xaverian opened it’s doors to girls, and this decline carried out all the way into 2019, leaving Fontbonne Hall’s staff and current students worried that they were in danger of closing down.

It wasn’t until two all-girls schools closed down, Bishop Kearny High School (mentioned earlier) and St. John Villa High School closed their doors leaving hundreds of girls unenrolled in school that Fontbonne was given a bit of a “leg up” in the troubles they had been facing. Fontbonne Hall was able to make up for many unfilled spots over the years by taking in and enrolling those students and even offering some teachers jobs. Since then, Fontbonne has possibly “cracked the code” on keeping up with student interest in the single-sex schools by making Fontbonne Hall a “women’s empowerment” school, with the new motto, “She can.” Printed boldly in red on the sign outside. Fontbonne also transformed their “standard” Catholic school into a “lab school for girls” giving the school a strong focus on the STEM field, which many other schools, Catholic and non-Catholic, do not offer.

Welcome Sign outside of Fontbonne Hall Catholic Highschool - Photo taken from Fontbonne Hall’s Instagram

Many parents, students, employees, and alumni can only hope that the end of Catholic schools is not soon upon NYC, but hopefully, with the changes being made, the Catholic education system can be saved.

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johnstonz-blog · 5 years ago

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Community Outreach in my Hometown

In my hometown of Louisville, Kentucky, there are many different organizations and communities that are readily available. One in particular that I share a deep personal connection with is that of the community of Saint Xavier High School. Being founded in the mid 1800s, the school has a long tradition and is considered one of the most elites schools in the state. As a Xaverian Sponsored

School, we were required to complete a mandatory number of services hours per semester. These service hours were not allowed to come from school functions, but were supposed to act as a platform to perform outreach within our society. I chose to spend my time volunteering at places such as the Humane Society of Louisville, where I helped take care of some of the animals, and I also helped the Norton’s Children’s Hospital set up for their annual “Festival of Trees and Lights”, held in the Louisville Slugger Museum around Christmas time. Groups such as these greatly interest me and I plan to become more involved in my new home of Lexington. I intend to spend my next four years making connections from organizations like these that can potentially have an everlasting impact on my life.

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stxaviers · 2 years ago

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St Xavier’s High School Nobody is perfect but if you are a Xaverian you are pretty close

St. Xaviers High School in one of the best CBSE Schools in Gurgaon Delhi NCR with pre primary to grade 12 education. Best high school in sector 49 gurgaon with CBSE affiliation. The Pre-Primary curriculum is professionally designed by experts in the field of Early Childhood Education. Applying the constructivist approach, children are provided with ample opportunities to construct their knowledge and explore their surroundings.

#Best CBSE Schools in Gurgaon #cbse school in gurgaon #top cbse school in gurgaon #school in gurgaon

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christabelsheridan · 3 years ago

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What an incredible group of kids. These seniors did such a great job during ‘Something Rotten’. @xaverianbrothershighschool really is a place to make friends for life. Proud parent here. #xbhs #somethingrotten (at Xaverian Brothers High School) https://www.instagram.com/p/CboO25Gu9JiDEPIQvY2LvTHzmXMPiWVAyH670I0/?utm_medium=tumblr

#xbhs #somethingrotten

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hafwen · 3 years ago

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Reminder just because it’s Massachusetts doesn’t mean there’s no racism

"In honor of Black History Month, one way we will celebrate is by highlighting a traditional meal each week that is a staple in Southern Black history. Today's lunch is fried chicken” said the morning announcement

“Xaverian school officials said the effort was an attempt to educate students about Black history and culture, and that the meal was chosen by an African American food service employee.”

#the fuckery #imagine paying tuition for this?#racism #news #racism in the north #racism in New England #racism in Massachusetts

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nghubs1 · 3 years ago

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Pete Davidson Biography, Age, Education, Career and Net Worth

Pete Michael Davidson is an American comedian, actor, writer and producer. He featured in NBC sketch comedy Saturday Night Live. Pete Davidson was born on November 16, 1993 in New York City, USA to Amy and Scott Davidson. Educational Background Pete Davidson attended St. Joseph by-the-Sea High School, Tottenville High School and Brooklyn’s Xaverian High School. He studied at St. Francis College…

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#Pete Davidson #Pete Davidson Age #Pete Davidson Biography #Pete Davidson Comedy #Pete Davidson Education #Pete Davidson Girlfriend #Pete Davidson Net Worth

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humansofhds · 3 years ago

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John Camardella, MRPL ’22

“My job in the classroom is to bring in a wide variety of voices to give the students an understanding that religions are internally diverse, changing all the time, and embedded differently in the cultures in which they are practiced.”

John Camardella is a student in the inaugural Master of Religion and Public Life Program at Harvard Divinity School. He is an educator who teaches high school and graduate level courses using the cultural studies approach to religion. Over the next year, he will develop a comprehensive religious and cultural literacy program to train superintendents and administrators at the high school level.

Catholic Roots and a Turning Point in Bali

When my parents met in the early ’70s, my mother was a Dominican nun from Detroit, and my father a Xaverian brother from Brooklyn. After a few years of friendship, they decided to leave their orders, marry, and start a family in the Chicago area. I was raised in a very loving Italian Catholic household and attended some great public schools, but never had the educational opportunities to develop the knowledge, language, and skills needed to interact respectfully with the beautifully diverse world we all inhabit.

After college, I started teaching a variety of high school courses in the social studies department at Prospect High School in 2003 but had no formal training in religious studies when I began my career. In 2006, I attended an interfaith gathering on the Island of Bali called “The Quest for Global Healing,” co-hosted by the Archbishop of South Africa, Desmond Tutu. I was one of about 500 people from a wide variety of religious traditions and over 40 different countries. The experience changed everything I believed about education.

In speaking to my mother about experience, her response was, “John, God is not Catholic.” This might be the most profound statement of my personal faith journey. It allows me to honor who I am and how I was raised while simultaneously working to develop a course that offers students an opportunity to learn how others grapple with some of the most pressing existential questions and develop rich traditions around a variety of answers.

It got me thinking about the type of education I felt should be offered to students in public schools. After the two-week trip to Bali, I went to my administration and asked if I could write a curriculum for a religion and culture elective course. In the end, it was a long and arduous journey, but after three years, two graduate degrees, and multiple curriculum submissions, this course was finally approved in 2009.

The Traditions-Based Approach vs. the Cultural Studies Approach

Most contemporary educators have come to realize it is no longer sufficient to simply deliver content to students without challenging them to think about information in sophisticated and nuanced ways. Just knowing specific dates, dogmas, or religious rituals does not improve one's understanding of the world, nor will that rudimentary knowledge make students more inclined to engage with it.

Here in the United States, the handful of stand-alone religion courses in public schools use a textbook as a foundation, and when I started, I was no different. Educators are often wary of talking about religion in the classroom. The textbook, they perceive, is the safe path, a way to protect themselves from conflicts and deliver basic religion content to students. For years, my pedagogy emphasized names, dates, and doctrines from different religious traditions, and student success was tied directly to their performance on multiple-choice exams.

In 2016, Harvard Divinity School graduate Benjamin Marcus contacted me while working at the Religious Freedom Center in Washington D.C. Ben’s research focused on how best to address religion in public schools, and we quickly realized there was no approved set of guidelines specifically for high school teachers to build curriculum. So, Ben assembled a small team with HDS’s Dr. Diane Moore to produce a "Religious Studies" appendix to the C3 Framework published by the National Council for the Social Studies.

The C3 is a comprehensive guide for states to strengthen their social studies standards and assist local school districts, teachers, and curriculum writers in enhancing their social studies programs. The disciplines of Psychology, Sociology, and Anthropology all had their guidelines, and our work focused on making sure religion would also be taught in ways that are constitutionally sound and consistent with high academic standards. The National Council for Social Studies published our document in June 2017 to provide guidance to all 50 states on how to address religious studies in the classroom.

Perfecting the Pedagogy

During our collaboration on the C3 Project, Dr. Moore helped me come to terms with the civic consequences of religious illiteracy in ways that forced me to reconsider my firmest convictions as an educator. In previous years, I had worked diligently to master the content needed to teach an effective World Religion course. Still, I soon realized I was not doing enough to help students understand different religions in their complex and culturally embedded realities. As I dove more into Dr. Moore's scholarly work and thought critically about what our Prospect seniors needed most upon graduation, I decided to commit to rewriting all 40 weeks of our curriculum to follow the Cultural Studies Approach to studying religion. I took a hard look at previous lesson plans to measure how much I addressed three of the core premises of the Cultural Studies Method: that religions are internally diverse, culturally embedded, and change over time. As I began to apply this new lens, it became clear my lessons were doing the opposite and frequently reinforcing the assumption that religions are monolithic, universal, and static. The bottom line was I needed to change.

At the beginning of the school year, we help students “situate” themselves with an assignment we call “a worldview autobiography.” We encourage each person to dive into their own histories to honor the cultures they come from, and think critically on how their race, gender, ethnicity, and other aspects of their identities shape how they think about and experience the world. Once they have that foundational framework, we can then ask them to talk, listen, and engage respectfully with one another.

The cultural studies approach honors each individual and then allows them to see other examples of religion and culture as authentic, but not exclusive, expressions of religion. We make sure that in the process students can recognize the difference between a devotional expression of religion, where someone is making a religious assertion or speaking on behalf of a religion, and a non-devotional statement from someone like me as their public-school teacher who offers an academic analysis of religion. Another core premise of the cultural studies approach is recognizing that there is nothing inevitable about violence or peace. We help students remain mindful that religions have been a force for good throughout world history, but also a force that has done incredible harm and diminished human flourishing.

Harvard Divinity School

In late 2017, Dr. Diane Moore offered me an education fellowship at the Religious Literacy Project at HDS. It was challenging, but over the course of three years, I rewrote all 40 weeks of my curriculum, restructured all of our assessments, partnered with Eastern Illinois University to make our high school class dual credit, and developed and taught nine different graduate courses for high school teachers working on advanced degrees.

This year in the MRPL program, I am developing a program for superintendents and administrators to learn more about how religious and cultural issues can be addressed during teacher development sessions. I want to help them to better understand how religion intersects with race, gender, sexual orientation, and power dynamics in a public-school classroom, and have a real interest in helping administrators in the same way that Dr. Moore and her team at HDS have helped me. I will not be an expert at the end of this MRPL program, but I already feel more confident in offering guidance to leaders who have to make really important decisions for their schools and their districts across the country.

Looking Forward

Learning about the complexities, sophistication, and nuances inherent in religion can be utterly transformational. I have discovered that many professional development programs in public schools avoid discussing religion altogether or present religion as a category separate from all other aspects of identity (gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, etc.). These frameworks that silo identities for inclusion are problematic, and sadly, most public-school districts offer professional development that reinforces these exact methods. My current project aims to fix this deeply embedded and structural problem in teacher development programs by building a comprehensive curriculum in service to high school superintendents and upper-level administrators. The primary aim is to assist them in recognizing how religion is embedded in culture and intersects with all aspects of life. By increasing their own religious & cultural literacy, they can better serve their staff, students, and surrounding communities by improving their programming and support structures.

I will launch this program in October of 2022 with an hour-long lecture and interactive presentation at the annual conference of the Illinois Association of School Administrators. I plan to invite attendees to join me for a series of live sessions during the 2023 spring semester, where the program will offer district leaders the language and tools necessary to understand the power of religion and disrupt the essentialism of categories too often associated with professional development in public schools. I want to offer administrators an educational experience where they first situate themselves in their specific context and then work to deepen their knowledge surrounding the intersections of identity, with a particular focus on how religion plays a role in society and public schools. I hope to facilitate a convincing experience that will enable each leader to create an environment that encourages all staff members and students to participate fully in the school's culture without fear of being their whole and complex selves.

Interview by Emily Chaudhari; photos by Zach Miller in 2018

#Harvard #Harvard Divinity School #education #Religion #large

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