Reflection #52 (Only 1024 to go!): The Old Gang's All Here

      First, congratulations to the athletic teams that have done so well in state competition. When the final results are all in, I want to list their accomplishments. Secondly, congratulations to the students who were recognized as examples of the ideal Ignatians from the various years. These awards are presented at the end-of-the-year Mass in the presence of the entire student body as well as the Jubilarian alumni...those who graduated at least 50 years ago. Some of you will know why the "Pintozzi Junior-of-the-Year Award holds a special interest for me, and this year that award went to Kent Hutchinson. If you know Kent, be sure to congratulate him.
     This past Sunday (May 26), there was a gathering of some of Ignatius' old guard. There were two men whose names you might not know, especially if you are younger than 48 years old...but should. They are Bob Gabric and Ron Cygan. From 1968 to 1979, Bob and Ron were the school's basketball coaches, Bob coaching the varsity, and Ron coaching the freshmen. For nine of those years, I was sophomore coach
     The Gabrics, Bob and his wife Pat, were coming through town and wanted to meet up with some old friends from back in the day. So Ron and Arlene Cygan, who still live in the area, along with the Luzzis, the Spaldings, Sue Connelly (widow of our dear departed friend, Jim) and John Chandler met for dinner and had a grand time.
     Bob had joined the staff at Ignatius in the fall of '64 as the P.E. teacher and a assistant basketball and baseball coach, but in the fall of 1968, Bob replaced Tom O'Connor as the head basketball coach. Bob was not only a great coach but a fine mentor to Ron and me. It occurred to me, as I transitioned to coaching tennis in the '80's, that I learned a great deal about coaching from Bob. The respect that his players had for him is reflected in how many have stayed in contact with him despite his having been gone for over 30 years. Some have even traveled to Tucson to visit him. I have written in earlier blogs, that, besides an impressive work ethic, Bob had a way of seeing the simple solution to each problem, much as did Pat O'Mara. Bob and Pat are retired now, and, after a stint coaching and participating in the Senior Olympics, Bob is devoting himself to playing as much golf as is humanly possible. The Arizona summer heat doesn't bother him. I believe his quote was, "The hotter the better."
     Ron Cygan was hired to teach math and coach in 1968. He continued to coach basketball, eventually as Bob's assistant with the varsity. When Ron Cygan left Ignatius, also in 1979, he went to Lemont High school to teach math and stayed involved in athletics, both of which he continues to do to this day.
     I would be remiss not to add that Jim Luzzi also coached basketball, helping me with the sophomores. In 1969, Jim was hired to teach math. Even though he only coached b-ball for one year, he enjoyed the experience so much that he accepted the position of varsity soccer coach which he has held ever since.
     So this past Sunday, we met at a restaurant and did what old friends do after long separations. We talked about our families, our health, what we are up to these days, and, of course, we reminisce about "the time when ..." and "Do you remember the game where ...?.
     While the main topic of this blog is about a couple of former basketball coaches, I'm sure you'd like to know how Sue Connelly is. Knock wood, she's doing fine, surrounded by friends and family members. How's John Chandler? John is John, he's great. He is doing what he always does, dedicating himself 110% to the care and well-being of Saint Ignatius College Prep.

     As for me and my wife, Mary Jo...thank you for asking...we never had a bad day.

Reflection #51 (Only 1025 to go!): The Benefits

     During a recent chat with the irrepressible Joe Fisher, '67, he mentioned that it is the common opinion (in Beverly) that, if Ignatius had not gone co-ed, it would not be open today.

     A little background: As the decade of the 60’s came to a close, the Jesuit population of the school was diminishing. Priests were leaving and the number of men entering the order was decreasing. More and more laymen were needed to fill the gap. Economically, laymen, who frequently had families to support, were more expensive than Jesuits (priests, brothers and scholastics) who took a vow of poverty. As a result, sometime around 1970, the tuition passed the $1000/year mark, and that seemed to be a magic number. The number of students who were applying for admittance began to diminish. Of course, it could also have been that parents began to feel, if there were fewer Jesuits, how was this a Jesuit school.      I don't refute Fisher’s assertion for a moment, ...but I believe that, were it not for Bob Hope's "HOPE FOR IGNATIUS" benefit in 1976, we wouldn't have lasted long enough to go co-ed. My assessment is based on what I perceived as the rise in spirit and confidence around the school community that was generated by his appearance. Perhaps it is a good time to mention, for those of you under 35 years old, the magnitude of Bob Hope’s stature in the world of entertainment. It’s difficult to compare Hope with today’s comedic personalities, but I dare say that it would be like having Leno or Lettermen or John Stewart suddenly appear to do a benefit. From the mid-1920’s into the ‘80’s, Hope was as popular an entertainer as there was. How Fr. Joe Bowen was able to procure Hope's appearance is worthy of a whole blog in itself. It seems to have been a combination of Fr. Bowen’s persistence combined with a fair helping of good fortune. Sometime during the rough financial times prior to '76, I had expressed my concern about the school's future to Fr. Link, and he assured me that God would provide, so let's not discount Divine intervention.
     Suddenly, there was a vibrancy that had been missing. The student body increased in size right after that first benefit. The "logician" in me says, "Post hoc, ergo propter hoc" (After which, therefore because of which), the logical error implying that if one event follows another, there is a cause-effect relationship between them. There were, no doubt, many factors that went into play that brought about a resurgence of energy and enthusiasm, but I contend that Hope’s appearance was a major catalyst.
     Hope donated his performance, but he did make some reasonable demands of the school...travel, lodging, a full orchestra and, of course, rental of the Auditorium Theater for the night. However, he also brought Andy Williams and Diane Cannon along. Additionally, Williams made a commitment to perform a benefit at a later time. For those of you who might not be familiar with those names, Andy Williams was a very popular singer and variety show TV host of the '60's and '70's. Diane Cannon was most well-known as an actress, but she was also a singer/songwriter.
     Thanks to Don Hoffman for providing me with the names of the stars who appeared, over the next five years. They included Glen Campbell in ’77, Andy Williams in ’78, Ella Fitzgerald in ’79*, Sergio Franchi in ’80 and Victor Borge and Della Reese in ’81.
     Sometime after that 1981 benefit, Fr. Rowe made the decision to change the format of the benefits to something with greater “elegance” in keeping with the stature of Saint Ignatius, so the Chicago Symphony Orchestra became the attraction for several years, complete with a orchestral rendition of “Hail Ignatius”. The piece was a big hit.
     While the benefits, which eventually included concerts by Natalie Cole, and stage presentations like "Jersey Boys" and "Shake, Rattle and Roll" were wonderful, the benefit to the school was out-weighed by the cost and effort to produce them. Keep in mind, the goal of St. Ignatius College Prep is to present the best possible educational opportunities and environment...and that doesn't come cheap.
(*Ella did appear, but I’m relying on my memory for the year.)