We celebrate 100 issues of Building The Legacy ('BTL’)

And we look forward to the next 100 issues,

keeping you up to date

on all things Hudson Catholic, past and present!

With this issue, we've altered the circulation cycle of our biweekly digital magazine,

from Tuesdays to Thursdays.

The ’22 - ’23 Annual Report of Giving

will be ready for online review by Jan 18

at hudsoncatholic.org/annual-report

Many fine things continue to occur

at the corner of Mercer and Bergen

Where dreams begin!

READ THIS!

The Mid Fiscal Year Update

Presenting our progress against the Annual Fund goal of $300,000, and a breakdown of how we are faring with the $50,000 Match Challenge offered by Gerry McGraw '72.

We are doing quite well in our progress for the Challenge Match, having earned $44,550 of it to date by virtue of $40,783 in First Time Gifts, and $3,767 of Class Year Giving Levels Above Last Year.

Halfway through the year, we are 47% on the way to our Annual Fund goal. However.......we had targeted to be well over 50% at this point, so find ourselves looking to make up $40,000 to put us on track to balance our operating budget for the year. 

Consequently, we need to accelerate our fundraising in order to keep the Hudson Catholic story thriving, and ask you to step up if you have traditionally made a gift to Hudson Catholic, but have not yet done so in the current fiscal year.

Please consider and act on making a gift TODAY --- to The Fund for Hudson Catholic.

Hawk Strong and Hawk Proud.

Visit www.hudsoncatholic.org/1964

Message From The Prez

A Lasallian education strives to build servant leaders, young men and women who understand that leading requires humility and compassion, along with strength, resiliency and integrity. Servant leaders earn the respect of others through these attributes, rather than demand it. One of the things that I am most proud of is the number of Hudson Catholic graduates who have gone on to careers in public safety. They live the Lasallian values every day of their lives.

Tonight we will honor Hudson County's true servant leaders- our police officers, firefighters and EMTs- before and at halftime of the boys basketball game against NJ power Roselle Catholic. We celebrate the men and women who have chosen to put the safety and welfare of others before themselves. They are the true Heroes of Hudson!

Now, Meet the Prez

Alumni and Friends are invited - always - to spend time with Terry - to receive an update about the school and\or provide input / insights that may be of benefit to The Home of the Hawks. Perhaps you have time and skills to volunteer? For any reason -- all we ask is you plan your day and time by requesting a meeting at advancement@hudsoncatholic.org.

Hawk Hoop Happenings

Our Hawks continue to run up against very strong state and national basketball powers. Following a solid win at home vs. De La Salle of Chicago, the Hawks will get Roselle Catholic tonight at home, then travel to Massachusetts on Saturday for rugged competition vs. #2 nationally-ranked Gonzaga of Washington D.C., as part of the Spalding Hoophall Classic tournament at Springfield College's Blake Arena.

Alum Jahvon Quinerly has led the #15 Memphis Tigers to victory in their last two games, both times nailing buzzer-beating three-point shots to win the game! 'JQ' victimized Tulsa and SMU.

Coming full circle. #0 on this year's Hawk Boys Varsity squad is Auburn-bound Tahaad Pettiford. He has ben nominated, among six boys in New Jersey, to play in the McDonald's All American game on April 2nd in Houston, to be televised by ESPN. Competition for selection is at its keenest level. Tahaad would be the third Hawk to receive this honor, following in the footsteps of, yes, Jahvon Quinerly, and Louis King, teammates on our 2017-18 North Jersey Champion Boys Varsity team that ended St. Anthony's storied run in the state playoffs. Selections of the top 24 players in America will be announced on January 23rd, 3-4pm on ESPN.

Note to HC YouTube Watchers

To watch Hawk basketball or other athletic events live:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=flEFN-idekw

To watch completed games after the fact:

https://www.youtube.com/@hudsoncatholicregionalhigh6733/featured  

SOON TO BE CONSOLIDATED INTO ONE LINK

Saturday, April 27

Signature small plates from

Alumni Chefs, Local Restaurants

in the Hudson Catholic Auditorium

Proceeds to benefit HC academics & tuition assistance

Further Details TBA

Contact jcypher@hudsoncatholic.org for

Sponsorship Details

Friday, May 17th

Induction Event

at Hudson Catholic

Honoring the Greatest Student- Athletes

in Hudson Catholic History

Event Details Forthcoming

Reunion Reminders

1974 / 1999 / 2014

(and any other classes)

Start planning now!

Contact Jill Cypher at jcypher@hudsoncatholic.org

to express interest in having / helping with your class reunion

Class leaders, contact advancement@hudsoncatholic.org

to be put in touch with the '73 Reunion Committee

for their experience in hosting their event at the school.

Digital Yearbooks

Can Now Be Found on

the Hawk Alumni site 

The Alumni Association (Brian Slattery '94, President) is performing a service for all Hawk graduates by preserving and making accessible many of our memories from our high school years.

Larry Basinski ’70, Cynthia Ratto ’13, Steven Cappiello ’88, and Jim Solensky ‘69 are lending the elbow grease.

To date, our Hawk volunteers have digitized 22 Hawk Yearbooks and uploaded them for your direct access and viewing pleasure on the Hawk Alumni Facebook site, at the link below. They are: 1968 through 1973; 1976 through 1979; 1981 through 1983; 1986 through 1988; 1990, 1992, 1993, 1997, 1998, 2003, and 2007.

Digitization and uploading of additional Hawk Yearbooks continues. Next up are 1980, 1974, and 1975. Check the link from time to time to find out what is new.

https://www.hawkalumni.org/hawk-alumni-scanned-yearbooks/

Alumni Spotlight

Leadership, Service, Achievements

Artificial becomes Real. Mark Moloughey '90, Chief Technology Officer at Domidocs, has unveiled his Mastering Prompt Engineering ebook on the subject of mastering generative AI prompt engineering, a ten-part series that delivers actionable insights weekly. Chapter 1 can be found at https://lnkd.in/es83zEMm -- 'Aiming to Bridge the Gap between AI's Potential and Professional Excellence.' You can pick up ensuing material from there.

Second Act. Nick Scerbo '89, former Deputy Chief of Jersey City Police, retired on July 1st after 27 years in law enforcement, and has joined the CSI Technology Group, which promotes its services as "powerful and intuitive government technology - premier software solutions for eGovernment." There, he has plenty of company, working among retired law enforcement, fire, and prosecutors in planning for and building safer communities.

Follow up to last issue. ‘Other Side of the River Productions’ presents PJ Leonard (’80) Productions’ screenings of Mississippi Scholar on April 7th, 2024 1:00 pm & 4:00 pm at the Claridge Theatre, 486 Bloomfield Ave, Montclair, NJ. Tickets are limited - purchase online only, ASAP at mississippischolar.ticketleap.com/screening Password: SCHOLAR.

Family Man. Bob Stroebel ’69 shared a distinctive family photo taken in 1949 of the Stroebels of 353 Webster Avenue, Jersey City Heights. His father Howard, 2nd from left, was one of 13 siblings. Ten boys arrived consecutively before three girls! And all were St. Paul of the Cross graduates. Moving on to the next generation, Bob is one of seven siblings, including his brother, William, a '72 Hawk.

The Vote is In

On January 24th, Major League Baseball will announce its newly elected members to the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY. Steady Hawk readers of this publication already know that one of our own, Jack Curry '82, who is a pre- and post-game broadcast analyst for NY Yankees games on the YES Network, has one of those votes by virtue of being a member of the Baseball Writers Association of America (the 'BBWAA'). And each year, Jack shares his ballot with us, although this year, YES beat us to the punch with a 'Curry Ballot Reveal' broadcast on YES a few days ago. Jack did not fill up his ballot, which permits votes for up to 10, opting for just seven this year. For all of you baseball lovers, here is Jack's ballot. Regarding who he voted for, or did not vote for, let the arguments begin!

If you have a newsworthy item or something from the present or past to share with the Hawk community, drop a note to advancement@hudsoncatholic.org

Attribution to the Bard

Virtually every high school student is exposed to the works of William Shakespeare. To some, this experience has lasting effects, even life-long. To others, its obviousness fades but we subconsciously utilize 'The Bard's' words as part of our everyday, pop-culture life. With a tip of the cap to every English Lit or Drama teacher that led a classroom of young minds at the Hawks Nest, and with a particular tip of the cap to our own 'bard', Sir Jack Campion, we present:

Blast From the Past

From the Jersey Journal, dateline March 11, 1969

(when we were known, simply, as 'Hudson')

Then and Now

At one time, it was known as 'the Auditorium', where school assemblies, convocations, stage productions, and awarding of diplomas were held. In the 1990s, it became 'The Jospeh R. 'Rocky Pope Gymnasium in tribute to where our late Hall of Fame Basketball Coach performed his finest work. We now do Class Reunions in this room, which arguably contains the greatest number of memories across the ranks fo alumni as any part of the Hudson Catholic campus. Come back and visit. See for yourself what we've done with this room. You won't be disappointed with how it shines, pays tribute to our athletic hall of famers and championship teams, beckons you from The Jack Campion Stage at Hudson Catholic, and welcomes you home!

Reader's Respond

('Time' to Reveal)

We've had a fair bit of response, both here and on social media, to the Time Magazine Cover featuring the Hawk student body photographed in the Courtyard. The consensus was that this photo was taken by Faculty member and Yearbook Moderator, Mr. Henry Pawluk, during a fire drill that we are assured, was scheduled!

Among students recognized in the photo were John Cerchio '78, Tony Monte '78, Dave Pawlikowski '78, John Lockard '79, PJ Leonard '80 Patrick Taylor '78, David Fugel '78, Joe Baratta '78, Ray Murphy '78, Jay Bavasso '78, Frank Daniels '78, Tom Ruby '79, and John Pecorelli '78.

The photo was lifted from the '77 Hawk Yearbook, although no seniors were named in the responses. Hmmm.

Turn Your Brothers and Sisters In!

(We Need Their Email Addresses)

We lose touch with some of our graduates who move around, go off to college, start careers, get married, etc. Help us find them again and make it harder for us to lose touch. Many on this list have siblings who are Hawk alumni, so turn them in at advancement@hudsoncatholic.org or send them to hudsoncatholic.org/stay-connected to update their contact info.

FYI

Note:

If any link in this issue is not clickable,

please copy and paste the 'link' into your browser's address window

advancement@hudsoncatholic.org to:

Advertise your business card here for $25 per issue

Plan a visit back to the Hawks Nest

Obtain or donate a yearbook through The Yearbook Exchange

Convey an obituary notice

Purchase Hawk gear online at:

https://sideline.bsnsports.com/schools/newjersey/jerseycity/hudson-catholic-high-school

For Hawk Chatter on Social Media:

Facebook: Hudson Catholic Regional High School Friends, a private group with 1,300 members and climbing.

Linkedin: Hudson Catholic Regional High School page, with 400+ followers at https://www.linkedin.com/school/27080137/admin/feed/posts/

If you receive our email at your workplace, we may not be getting through to you if our email is being intercepted by your spam filter. Only you can correct that by placing us on your safe list, which would allow communications from our Constant Contact email platform to reach you.

“It is often in the trial of adversity that we learn those most critical lessons that form our character and shape our destiny.”

-- Dieter Uchtdorf,

Apostle of the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-day Saints

Requiescant in Pace

Vita Mutatur Non Tollitur

(Life is changed, not ended)

Joseph F.X. Lee, brother of the late Capt. Mark Lee, JCFD ‘77

____________________________________________

Will be remembered in our annual

Alumni Mass of Remembrance

on November 3rd, 2024

The Office of Advancement ~ Gary, Jill & Jenine

201-332-5970 x118

Advancement@hudsoncatholic.org ~ OR ~ gferrari@hudsoncatholic.org