Xavier High School (New York City)

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"Xavier High School" redirects here. For other uses, see Xavier High School (disambiguation).
Xavier High School
Address
30 West 16th Street
New York City (Chelsea, Manhattan),
New York, 10011
United States
Coordinates 40°44′17″N 73°59′42″W / 40.738173°N 73.994886°W / 40.738173; -73.994886Coordinates: 40°44′17″N 73°59′42″W / 40.738173°N 73.994886°W / 40.738173; -73.994886
Information
Type Private, All-Male
Motto "Ad Majoriem Dei Gloriam'"
(For The Greater Glory Of God)
Religious affiliation(s) Roman Catholic;
Jesuit
Patron saint(s) St. Francis Xavier
Established 1847
Founder Fr. John Larkin, S.J.
President John R. Raslowsky II
Headmaster Michael LiVigni
Faculty 72
Grades Ninth grade-Twelfth grade
Campus Urban
Color(s) Maroon and Blue         
Slogan "Men and women for others..."[1]
Song "Sons of Xavier"
Athletics 15 sports
Sports Baseball, Basketball, Bowling, Cross Country/Track,Football, Golf, Hockey, Rugby, Soccer, Swimming, Tennis, Wrestling
Mascot Knight
Team name Knights
Rival Regis High School (New York City)
Accreditation(s) Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools[2]
Publication Lexicon (literary journal)
Newspaper 'The Review'
Affiliation Jesuit, New York State Association of Independent Schools
Dean of Academics Luciano Lovallo
Dean of Faculty Joseph Sweeney
Dean of Students Brian McCabe
Admissions Director Benjamin Hamm
Athletic Director Gerard Walker
Website http://www.xavierhs.org

Xavier High School is a independent Jesuit university-preparatory high school for young men located at 30 West 16th Street, in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City. It was founded in 1847, as the College of St. Francis Xavier (also known as St. Francis Xavier's College[3]) by Father John Larkin, S.J. The school draws a select student body from all five boroughs of New York City, as well as New Jersey, Nassau County, Westchester County, Rockland County and Orange County. Xavier is widely considered a brother school to The Notre Dame School, The Marymount School and Convent of the Sacred Heart. Xavier is joined by Regis High School, Fordham Preparatory School, Loyola School and St. Peter's Preparatory School as the five Jesuit high schools in the New York City metropolitan area, as well as a sixth, Brooklyn Preparatory School, now closed.

Contents

[edit] History

Famed for its service to the Church, the United States and the City of New York, Xavier is renowned for challenging its students in all academic subject fields, as well as for teaching students to think critically and to live a life "for others." Though tuition has risen moderately in recent years, a substantial percentage of the cost for each student's education is covered by generous donations from alumni.

Xavier enjoys an impeccable reputation for maintaining its Jesuit and academic traditions despite significant changes during its history. In 1971 service in the JROTC unit, which had arrived at the school in 1884 and became mandatory in 1935, was declared optional. In 2004, Xavier announced the appointment of Dr. Joseph Gerics as the first lay headmaster in the school's history, following former headmaster Fr. David S. Ciancimino's appointment as Socius to the Jesuit Provincial for the New York Province. In 2006, Mr. Michael LiVigni replaced Dr. Gerics as the school's second lay headmaster.

The Ignatian identity of the school has been affected by the declining number of Jesuits at the school and worldwide. Xavier's lay faculty have consistently renewed themselves to the mission of Ignatian Spirituality, contributing to an increase in the number of students able to intelligently articulate the school's mission, even though we are unable to do so here.

On June 25, 2007, Father Daniel J. Gatti, S.J. '59, announced the end of his unprecedented 12-year term as Xavier's 32nd President. On Friday, January 4, 2008, the Board of Trustees announced that Francis J. Morison '58 was elected as interim president. He was to assume office on August 1, 2008, but, due to health concerns, was unable to assume the presidency. (Morison died in February 2010.) With the permission of his superiors, Fr. Gatti was allowed to remain in the office of president. On June 17, 2009, the Board of Trustees announced that John R. Raslowsky II would succeed Fr. Gatti. Mr. Raslowsky assumed office on July 1 of that year.

[edit] Academics

The school recently reinforced its commitment to social justice by refocusing its fourth year religion curriculum to include a half year required course on social justice and by instituting a freshman service program to First Fruits Farm [1]. Xavier offers numerous honors classes and thirteen Advanced Placement classes, some of which are available as early as sophomore year, including Biology, Calculus AB, English Language and Composition, English Literature, European History, Italian, Spanish, Physics, Comparative Government and Politics, U.S. History, and World History. In senior year, the school also offers a course devoted to the study of film history called "Elements of Cinema".

[edit] Admissions

Admission to Xavier is based on the admission exam results (TACHS, CHSEE, COOP, ISEE), the Xavier application, a teacher recommendation, and the academic records of the student from grades 7 and 8. Xavier offers a spend-a-day program for prospective eighth graders called Knight For A Day.

Admission for transfer students is handled on a case-to-case basis.

[edit] Financial Aid

Over 1.8 million dollars in financial aid is administered to approximately 30% of the student body at Xavier High School. In addition, Xavier offers Merit Scholarships to students who demonstrate a strong academic background.

[edit] Campus ministry

Xavier has a very active Campus Ministry department, which organizes liturgies, retreats and community service programs. Campus Ministry has recently revised its retreat program, renewing the freshman retreat, instituting a sophomore overnight retreat and moving the successful Kairos retreat to the junior year. The Magis retreat, available to seniors offers seniors the opportunity to experience an adult retreat in the Ignatian tradition.

The "Companions of St. Francis Xavier", or "CFX", another Campus Ministry program, organizes service trips that send groups of student volunteers for a few weeks during the summer to help build homes for people in need in Maryland, Tennessee, Alabama, and Mexico. The program also raises thousands of dollars each year to assist the sponsor organizations at the places of service. The group in Maryland works with First Fruits Farm [2], Tennessee works with Habitat for Humanity, while the group in Tijuana, Mexico, works with Esperanza International. There are also community service opportunities for all sophomores, juniors, and seniors.

[edit] Athletics

Xavier, a CHSAA member, provides its students the opportunity to pursue a wide variety of sports: baseball, basketball, bowling, cross-country, football, golf, hockey, indoor/outdoor track and field, rugby, soccer, swimming, tennis, and wrestling. Other extracurricular activities include boxing club, choir, speech and debate, chess team, anime, film, science fiction, and skiing /snowboard clubs, school newspaper, The Review, drama productions, and the Blue Night Jazz Band. The Blue Night Band won best trombone section at the 2010 Villanova University Big Band Festival.

Xavier's current mascot is a knight, and all of its athletic teams are referred to as the Knights. However, for many years, the teams were called the Cadets, a reflection of Xavier's military program, while a terrier was used as a mascot. After a variety of replacements, including the 1980s Bruins, the nickname of the Knights was decided upon in the early 1990s and has been official since.

Xavier has fielded one of the top rugby teams in the United States since the club's founding in 1976.[4] The team capped an undefeated season in 2007 by winning the Tier B National Championship Tournament. The Xavier Rugby Team also won National Championship Tournaments in 1985 and 1993 and has won the East Coast/Northeast US Championship Tournament every year from 2000 to 2009.[citation needed] The team won their 4th National Championship on May 22, 2010. They defeated Gonzaga 32-10 to win the Boy's National High School Championship.

In 1859 the College of St. Francis Xavier and St. John's College (now Fordham University) played the first collegiate level baseball game, featuring the new nine-man team style of play. Fordham won the game 33-11.[5]

Buildings of Xavier High School

The Xavier Football Team has also been a mainstay in school life since its origination in the late 19th century. It has a continued rivalry with the Bronx's Fordham Preparatory School. The two schools compete in an annual "Turkey Bowl", the oldest high school football rivalry in New York City.[6] Their very first game against one another took place in the late 19th century when the game was called due to darkness, ending in a tie. Many of these football matches were played at Manhattan's famed Polo Grounds, until its demolition.

Xavier High School's JV Soccer team won the CHSAA Intersectional Championship in both 2008 and 2009.[7]

The Freshman Track and Field Team, for the first time in school history, won the indoor and outdoor 2009 CHSAA Intersectional Championships.[8] In 2010, the team defended their outdoor victory as sophomores. The Track and Field team competed in the New Balance Nationals track meet in Greensboro, North Carolina in both the 4 by 100 and 4 by 200 meter relay. Both relays finished fifth places over all, earning Emerging Elite Metals.[9] Both relay teams set school records for their performance at the national championship meet [10]

[edit] JROTC

Xavier High School offers an Army Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps unit, affectionately known as "The Regiment" by current and former cadets, which is available to students in all grade levels. Before 1972, the Regiment was a mandatory piece of Xavier education, and thus helped to label Xavier as Manhattan's (unofficial) Military School. Many distinguished alumni have been former cadets in the Regiment, including Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, who spoke to the Regiment at a recent award ceremony, recounting the important role that the Regiment played in kindling his growth as a student and cementing the ideals that Xavier instilled in him[11] .

Since the 1993 Formal inspection, the Regiment has revalidated its designation as an "Honor Unit with Distinction.[12] Colonel Anderson of the Eastern Region Command called the Xavier Regiment one of "the top five in the Northeast".[13] Under the leadership of LTC Roy E. Campbell, US Army (ret.), it achieved a school record overall score of 99.2 in the 2005 inspection. During its most recent Army Formal Inspection on April 28th, 2011, Xavier once again stepped up to the occasion, achieving a score of 99.1, reasserting itself as a prominent JROTC unit.[14]. The Regiment marches annually in the St. Patrick's and Columbus Day parades. Xavier's Regiment has three extracurricular teams:the Rifle Team, the Raider Unit, and the Saber Guard. [13]. The Saber Guard is Xavier's regimental drill team . They compete in local competitions in New York and New Jersey, as well as the National High School Drill Team Championship. Formerly known as the Black Jacks, the Raiders are the Regiment's physical fitness team. They compete annually in the Raider Challenge and the Commander's Cup. The Rifle Team, another longstanding pillar in the Regiment and in Xavier's history, dating back as one of the three oldest sports that Xavier competed in, competes nationally in postal matches, as well as regional tournaments. During parades, the Rifle Team, Raiders,Saber Guard and the Blue Night Band, Xavier's jazz band, march alongside the Regiment. As a unit, it has twice has been named best high school marching unit in the St. Patrick's Day Parade.

[edit] Notable people

Alumni
Faculty

[edit] In popular culture

Xavier High School has been used in several television shows and movies, including:

[edit] See also

[edit] References

Notes
  1. ^ "Mission Statement" on the Xaxier High School website
  2. ^ MSA-CSS. "MSA-Commission on Secondary Schools". http://www.css-msa.org/search.php/. Retrieved 2009-05-27. 
  3. ^ NY Times article, published 1862
  4. ^ Xavier Rugby, Xavier High School. Accessed November 30, 2007.
  5. ^ The New York Times, April 6, 2009, p D7
  6. ^ Robinson, Joshua (November 24, 2010). "A Turkey Day of Prep Pigskin". The Wall Street Journal. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704243904575630962648341660.html. 
  7. ^ http://www.xavierhs.org/s/717/index.aspx?sid=717&gid=1&page_id=259&pgid=253&cid=645&ecid=1148&search=jv%20soccer%20wins
  8. ^ http://departments.xavierhs.org/athletics/xaviertrack/ra16.htm
  9. ^ http://www.nationalscholastic.org/outdoornats/result/998/
  10. ^ http://departments.xavierhs.org/athletics/xaviertrack/tr1011/out1121nationals.htm
  11. ^ " ". Xavier High School. 
  12. ^ Mattioli, Michael. "History of Xavier High School ROTC". Xavier High School - ROTC. http://departments.xavierhs.org/militaryscience/history.php. Retrieved 11 December 2011. 
  13. ^ a b ""Bios: Xavier High School Army Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps JROTC"". US General Services Administration. http://www.gsabuildingchange.us/bios.html. Retrieved 6 April 2011. 
  14. ^ Benigno, Michael (20 April 2011). "Xavier Regiment Retains the Gold Star". Xavier Alumnews. http://www.xavierhsalumni.org/s/81/index_share.aspx?sid=81&gid=1&pgid=905&cid=1907&ecid=1907&ciid=4153&crid=0. Retrieved 11 December 2011. 
  15. ^ COLONEL DONALD COOK SQUARE, New York City Department of Parks and Recreation. Accessed November 27, 2007.
  16. ^ via Associated Press. "Joseph F. Finnegan, Ex-Director Of U.S. Mediation Service, Dies; Lawyer Held Federal Post From 1955 to 1961, Then Headed State Board", The New York Times, February 13, 1964. Accessed July 9, 2009.
  17. ^ Cornelius Augustine McGlennon, Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Accessed October 2, 2007.
  18. ^ Robert J. Reiley, AIA Architect Roster Questionnaire, 1946, 1953 (Accessed 11 January 2011)
  19. ^ Al Roker Biography, The Biography Channel. Accessed November 18, 2007. "After graduating from Xavier High School in Manhattan, Roker studied communicatons [sic] at State University of New York at Oswego, where he got his first shot at weathercasting."
  20. ^ Santos, Fernanda."Who's That Guy? Without Robes, Grand Marshal Is Mystery", The New York Times, October 11, 2005. Accessed November 3, 2007. "Justice Scalia, 69, had marched at the parade once before, five decades ago as a student at Xavier High School in Chelsea."
  21. ^ O'Neill, Patrick. "Catholic pacifist pro-life activist dies", National Catholic Reporter, November 9, 2007. Accessed September 17, 2008.
  22. ^ "Obituary: Robert F. Trehy". Centre Daily Times. November 24, 2009. http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/centredaily/obituary.aspx?n=robert-f-trehy&pid=136367906. 
  23. ^ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119874
  24. ^ http://www.mtv.com/videos/new-kids-on-the-block/230751/ill-be-loving-you-forever.jhtml#artist=1254
  25. ^ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1547234/

[edit] External links

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