From: Robert V Scavullo <bobscavullo@gmail.com> Date: February 1, 2010 7:19:57 PM PST To: Xavierâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;60 Subject: On Tuesday 10 November 2009 I spent the day at Xavier. Classmates, This letter has been a long time in the works. When I read that the annual Phonathon would take place the first two weeks of this month, I figured that I could procrastinate no longer. As most of you know, since 2002 I have been tutoring minority high school students who are on the low rungs of the socio-economic ladder. In September 2008, I began working at St Ignatius College Prep, our Jesuit high school in San Francisco - "SI" for short. The formation that I received at Xavier 3,000 miles away and 50 years ago, prepared me to hit the ground running on my very first day at SI. Some things don't change. I am grateful to Xavier for the education and formation that I received. So, I have been a long time contributor to the Annual Fund. My motivation has had a large nostalgia component. When I met our new president Jack Raslowsky in September, I told him that I was uncomfortable making a larger than usual gift just out of nostalgia. I asked Jack if I could spend a day at Xavier attending classes, talking to teachers and just walking around. I wanted to update my impressions of Xavier and compare them with my every day experiences as an SI faculty member. Jack welcomed the idea and we set Tuesday 10 November for my visit. Here are my observations and impressions of what I learned on my day at Xavier. ******* Period 3 (10:15 - 10:55), Geometry; Becky Kugler, Department Chair A sophomore honors class. 25 students. Some in military uniform. Most in civilian "uniform", blazer or v-neck sweater, white shirt and tie. It's deja vu all over again. The only real difference between 1957 and 2009 is Becky's use of her laptop projector to illustrate her points on the board. 1. Quiz review. Becky hands back the corrected quizzes. "Bill, show us on the board your answer to problem 1. Joe, problem 2." and so on for the 4 problems. 2. Homework review. Again, students put their answers on the board. Becky gets each of them to explain to the class how he did the problem. Becky takes questions from the class. 3.Today's lesson. Congruent triangles - SSS Theorem. Becky, "if I give you three sticks that are 3", 4" and 5" long, how many differently shaped triangles can you make?" Becky uses her spiffy high tech laptop projector to demonstrate. The class quickly figures out that there is only one possible shape. Conclusion: If two triangles have three sides of the same length, then they are congruent.
4. Class does a practice problem while Becky walks the aisles to check on students' work. 5. Tonight's homework assignment consists of more problems on the SSS theorem. ******* Period 4 (10:59 - 11:39), Military Science; (Ret.), Senior Army Instructor ( aka PMS&T)
LTC Roy Campbell USA,
20 senior cadets including Kevin Taub, cadet colonel. 1. Roy reminds the cadets that tomorrow is Veteransâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Day. Rather than parading the Regiment up Fifth Avenue, Roy has, for the past several years, encouraged cadets, on a voluntary basis, to wear their Class A green uniforms and join him in visiting the Veteranâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Hospital on East 23rd Street. He remarks, "11 November is a slow day at the Veteran's Hospital. Lots of staff are off duty. Some of you will get lucky-you will hear some great stories from a veteran. All of you will demonstrate to the veterans that they are remembered and appreciated." 2. Roy passes out an op/ed piece from the New York Post written by his friend, Ralph Peters. Topic for discussion: should we increase the number of US troops in Afganistan? These cadets are well-informed. After 10 minutes Roy summarizes the discussion. 3. Today's lesson is a continuation of leadership skills using an interactive video developed by the Army for use in JROTC classes. The scene is set and the protagonist, a high school senior, is faced with a leadership challenge. The action pauses and three decision choices are presented to the class. A lively discussion follows. I quote from an email I sent to LTC Campbell: "Many thanks for allowing me to sit in on your class last Tuesday 10 November. I have few recollections of Military Science while I was at Xavier 1956 - 1960. These include learning how to field strip an Ml rifle, doing some simple math to calculate the path of a mortar round and learning to use a magnetic compass in conjunction with reading a contour map. I learned to read a map very well. The only one of these skills that I still use is map reading, as I am an avid backpacker and former Boy Scout leader. By contrast, I have always used and continue to use every day the leadership skills portrayed in the video that you and your class were working on. So, my best compliments to the Army and the JROTC program for developing a terrific program and to you for leading your class in an excellent discussion."
******* Period 5 (11:43 - 12:23), Lunch in Larkin Hall Lunch is, well, it's lunch. I found it interesting that the faculty and students go through the same lines and eat in the same dining room, albeit at separate tables.
******* Period 6 (12:27 - 13:07), Religious Studies; Joseph Petriello, Department Chair and Director of Ignatian Service Programs A terrific class! 20 seniors. The day before, the class watched a no-holds-barred video showing the abject poverty and hunger that many people in this world spend their lives in. Today Joe leads the class in a discussion about their reactions to the video. He asks each student in turn to describe how he felt when he watched the video. Students who demur are allowed to go last but each student has to say something. Many say that their views on poverty and hunger are based on what they see in New York and on TV documentaries about US poverty. The video shocked them. They had no idea folks lived that way. Some students have traveled to Tijuana and Appalachia as part of the Companions of St. Francis Xavier program, working on domestic and foreign service trips. They point out that the folks they encountered are relatively well-off compared to the Asian and African people shown in the film. Joe asks what our response should be upon learning about the living conditions of the people portrayed in the video. I remember two answers at the extreme ends of the spectrum: • “We can do nothing. The problem is just too enormous.” • “What are we doing sitting in class here at Xavier? We should be out there doing our part to improve these people's lives NOW.” Joe wraps up the class by returning to a theme familiar to the students - what it means to be "a man for others." I can not remember a single in-class discussion like this that I participated in while I was at Xavier. "We've come a long way, baby!" ******* Period 7 (13:11 - 13:51), AP Physics; Alex Lavy A small senior class. 12 students. The students have just completed a unit on wave physics. It's clear they have a good grounding in the math necessary to understand this topic. Alex uses his laptop projector to conduct an informal review. Lots of Q & A. He focuses on the real world applications of what they have studied. I learn how my noise canceling head-phones work! His students are really enjoying this class. Alex is a gifted and charismatic teacher. ******* Period 8 (13:55 - 14:35), AP English;
Mary Grace Gannon
Juniors and seniors. About 20 students. Last night the assignment was to read Martin Luther King's, "Letter from the Birmingham Jail." Today the students have their rhetoric hats on. They are analyzing how Rev. King constructed his arguments. Mary Grace breaks the class into four-person discussion groups.
After 10 minutes she calls on each group for its analysis of a particular part of King's letter. Lots of give and take both within groups and between groups. I remember that we went through a similar exercise on Jonathan Swift's "A Modest Proposal". As material for an exercise in rhetoric, Swift's piece is just fine. However, Mary Grace's choice of "Letter from the Birmingham Jail" allows the class to also come to grips with larger issues. Throughout the entire class discussion there is the subtext running about what it means to stand up to injustice when we see it. Once again, the students are learning what it means to be "a man for others." ******* After School, debriefing with Joe Sweeney '85, Dean of the Faculty Joe meets me in Jack Raslowsky's office on the main floor. The window looks out onto the Quadrangle. I ask Joe if JUG is still a part of student life at Xavier. "Take a look out the window." Joe replies. Sure enough, I see a line of students silently walking the perimeter of the Quadrangle and walking and walking and walking. Some things don't change! ******* "Mission Accomplished". I saw first hand that Xavier continues to do a great job of educating and forming young men. This experience, not nostalgia for the good old days, will be my guide when I make my contribution to our class reunion gift. If my experience guides you in making your own decision, so much the better. Peace, Bob Robert V Scavullo 130 El Camino del Mar San Francisco, CA 94121 415.298.3671 bobscavullo@gmail.com