Travel Club - Lightscapes

The night was alight with a soft and comforting glow emanating from the Van Cortlandt Manor. The Friday Night Travel club journeyed to this illuminated wonderland of elegant curiosities last Friday night to explore this Springtime delight.

The Lightscape show, in its first year, is a self guided walking tour of a lighted sculpture garden featuring all hand- made pieces  assembled on site. Recycled elements serve as eco-friendly building blocks for intergalactic flora and friendly woodland creatures. Otherworldly mushrooms, immense insects, and brilliant butterflies are among the thousands of treasures you’ll find.

The travel crew explored the Colorwheel Castle and squiggled through the Caterpillar Cavern. They discovered larger-than-life elements like a colossal praying mantis and a massive mayfly. There were scores of delightful dragonflies, cute ladybugs, and an avalanche of pinwheels!

After this sweet springtime stroll the Travel Club gathered in the hospitality tent and enjoyed some fresh popcorn and delightful conversation. The Lightscape show was an excellent compliment to the fall Jack O’Lantern Blaze traversing the same gorgeous landscape at Van Cortlandt Manor. The Friday Fun group will experience the Lightscape Show this week. Enjoy!

South East Consortium Formal 2015

It was all glitz and glamor this past Saturday at the 2015 South East Consortium Formal. The SEC formal, in its 8^th year, saw the best attendance yet from participants dressed to nines and ready to party the night away.

Sunset Rendevous on the Beach was the theme for the evening and the decorations matched the theme perfectly. Beautifully laid out table cloth of white and mahogany complemented the sand and seashell center pieces that captured the essence of the shore. Elegant and refined the formal also offered some excitement with a model volcano in full eruption! Perfect for photo ops.

DJ Mike spun some fresh tunes as everyone present spent some time on the dance floor. Bronxville High School students led by David Russert and Nina Richeter got the party started and even tired out some of our dancers! Party goers were dragged off the dance floor to eat a delicious dinner catered by Village Pizza and Pasta of Mamaroneck. After dinner it was right back to the dance floor!

Whats a party without some cake! After dinner dancers had a some party cake and were able to take a break from all the fun and excitement on the dance floor which of course included a Conga Line!

As is tradition at the SEC formal a King, Queen, Prince and Princess are named. Of course only a select few get bragging rights to this honor every year. This years prom King was TJ Marchese with a lovely Susan Eagan as his Queen. Brad Zeifer was thrilled to be named Prom Prince along with his Princess Kathleen McCandless.

What an exciting spring evening for everyone! Many thanks to the Bronxville High School students who came out and enjoyed the evening with us, DJ Mike for another great show, Village Pizza and Pasta for the delicious food and all the staff and parents who made this night possible!

Hawks Versus Bronxville High School

The Hawks took to the hard top revved up and ready to rock last Tuesday night at the 2^nd Annual BVHS game. The highly anticipated night did not disappoint. The Hawks soared to victory once again against a gritty Bronxville High School JV team. The night also featured a celebrity coach appearance by former Michigan State player Anthony Ianni. Parents, friends and family gathered in the stands to cheer on the Hawks and enjoy a fun night.

The Hawks came onto the court hard with a starting lineup featuring Alexander Pflaum, John Reichelt, James Beveridge, Andrew Brooks and Matthew McCarthy putting up 12 points in the first quarter. At the half BVHS had crept back up on the scoreboard coming within 6 pts of taking the lead. The second half of the game saw the Hawks bury the Broncos racking up another 24 points taking the game for a second year in a row 46-28.

Jason Frank was a highlight of the game once again with an outside the paint shot in the 4 quarter with a fantastic assist from teammate Johnny “Rockets” Reichelt. The crowd went wild! Under the guidance of celebrity coach Anthony Ianni the Hawks showed their true colors last Tuesday; sportsmanship and dedication.

At the age of 4, Anthony was diagnosed with Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD), a disorder on the autism spectrum. Doctors told Anthony’s parents that he would barely graduate from high school, would never graduate from college, would never have a shot at being an athlete, and as an adult, he would likely live in a group institution.

Anthony played for legendary coach Tom Izzo while at MSU. He won two Big Ten Championships, a Big Ten Tournament Title, was the recipient of both the 2011 Tim Bograkos Walk On Award and the 2012 Unsung Player Award, and was a member of the 2010 Final Four team. He is also the recipient of the Epling Agent of Change Award.

Anthony has pledged his life and career to help those who face similar challenges. He has been invited to tell his story and share his message across the country and has inspired countless individuals to LYD - Live Your Dreams.

Anthony was not the only celebrity appearance. Executive Director of South East Consortium Jerry Peters  and Bronxville Student Activity Director David Russert threw on the zebra suit and made the run up and down to court to officiate Tuesday night’s game.  Mr. Peters and Mr. Russert called a fair and honest game.

The Hawks are flying high off this recent victory and are already looking forward to their next game against rivals North East in a couple of weeks also at Bronxville High School. GO HAWKS!

West Point Special Olympics Spring Games

The flag was flying overhead early Saturday morning as a crisp wind blew off the Hudson. First light illuminated the athletes gradually appearing on the sprawling West Point campus. Like stars slowly appearing at dusk, first one or two, then a handful and then, seemingly in an instant, blanketing the night sky.

The day marked the 2015 Special Olympics Spring games at West Point Military academy. An event highlighted as much by the athleticism and unwavering spirit of the participants as by the pomp and circumstance rolled out from West Point cadets and commanding officers. Swimmers, sprinters, shot putters, javelin throwers and relay teams from all over the State met to engage in the sacred tradition of the Olympic competition.

First the parade of athletes; Teams assembled in tight formation to march around the track as scores of cadets, friends and family members roared in approval. The Sharks were resplendent, replete in full team regalia, American flag pins secured tightly to their costumes and flags sporting 50 stars, 50 stripes and the red , white and blue flapping proudly in the wind. We are Sharks and we are patriots.

Opening ceremonies continued with the national anthem, dedications to soldiers lost in foreign conflicts, recognition of our athletes, all ending with a spectacular sky diving show from the West Point jump team. With the sound of the horn the Spring 2015 games had begun.

The Sharks took to the water quickly with purpose. They had been training all season for this apex event and it showed. Shark team members dominated in every event they entered- 25 meters, 50 meters, backstroke, breast stroke and topped off the day with an all Sharks relay race.

There cannot be enough said about the cadets who were paired up with our athletes. The aspiring Army officers took to our Sharks like old friends, encouraging them every step of the way. There was genuine interest in our athletes, families and staff from these young leaders.

Douglas Campbell had a break through day competing and completing the 25 meter and 50 meter freestyle event. The crowd cheered him the entire way through. Ryan Urquhart had an amazing showing sporting some personal best times at the 50 meter free- 38.26 and the 25 meter free- 16.58. Scoring a gold for both races. Swimmer Liam Cadigan also had a fantastic day in the pool by receiving recognition for both his 25 meter backstroke and 25 meter freestyle.

The Sharks rolled up deep to West Point. Toting 24 competing swimmers, the Sharks far exceeded the number of swimmers from any other team there. All 24 swimmers have something to be proud of from this past Saturday. The determination was visible in every event they competed in.  A season of hard work paid off tenfold at West Point.

Atlantis Marine World

On Sunday, April 26^th, 2015 the South East Consortium took a trip to visit Atlantis Marine World (Long Island Aquarium) in Riverhead, NY.  The day was filled with a guided tour of the aquarium.  SEC participants viewed many aquatic animals such as the harbor seals, sharks and live coral reefs,  as well as the Japanese Snow Monkeys, American Alligators and the Butterfly exhibits.  The hands on exhibits were the hit of the day as TJ Marchese got up close and personal feeding the birds.  Nikita Afanasiev enjoyed unearthing Fossils in the Lost City Of Atlantis Exhibit. Maggie Towers enjoyed the touch tank with a starfish and all the participants enjoyed feeding the stingrays and manta rays in the Ray Bay pool.  After the aquarium we enjoyed lunch and Applebees’s.  

Sunday Excursions on The Ride!

Last Sunday April 19th the Sunday Excursions group hopped aboard the Metro North train bound for NYC! Once in Grand Central Terminal we ate lunch at Juniors, and it was delicious! After lunch we headed to the shuttle to take us to Times Square where we boarded "The Ride".

The Ride is a bus tour that uses NYC and it's iconic landmarks as the backdrop for a theatrical tour. The bus itself is like a  traveling theater that is designed with coliseum seating and framed in glass to make the street the stage. It was a super cool experience and everyone had a blast! We ended the tour with Brad signing "New York, New York! 

Teen Adventure at the Bronx Zoo

Lions, Tigers and Bears! Oh my! Perfect weather and perfect company make for a great day at the Bronx zoo. The teen adventure crew loaded up on the bus and drove off to the heart of the Bronx to see one of the best zoos on earth.

The young adventurers gathered at the South East Consortium offices for a picnic on the front lawn overlooking the Long Island Sound before they set off on their trip. Some lazed on the picnic blanket, others sat at the picnic table while other put their feet up on the bench. All in attendance soaked in some sun and enjoyed the company.

The zoo was alive and buzzing with activity. First stop: the seals. On the first hot day of the spring we could not help but be a little jealous of these playful aquatic mammals chasing each other through their watery world. The crowd of people surrounding the seal enclosure were not short of ohhhhs and awwwees as a new addition to the seal family glided effortlessly alongside the older members of his pod.

Next up were the piere david deer who were also enjoy some water fun albeit much muddier. The deer  were very active and close up as they wallowed in the shady shallow waters. Several stags were working on shedding their winter antlers by rubbing against trees.

The mid-day sun proved too much for the tigers. The extent of their activity was swatting their tails as they lay snoozing under a tree. Regardless there is not much more impressive in the animal kingdom then the exquisite Bengal tiger. Weighing up to 500 lbs. this apex predator can run up to 35 miles per hour and eat 60 lbs of meat in one night.  We were glad to be on the other side of the fence. With only 2,500 of these gorgeous animals left in the wild it is always an honor to see one (even if its just catching some zzz’s.)

The Grizzly bears were the main event of the day. These ferocious animals were very active enjoying their mountain top enclosure. The four bears were running, swimming and even wrestling each other on their hind legs to the cheers of the crowd watching.

With all the excitement the adventurers need a water break themselves so we headed to Africa for some shade, some water and a view of the plains replete with lions, thompsons gazelles and some peacocks who did not care for fences and walked right across our paths.

It was a great day; good exercise, perfect weather, awesome animals and good friends. The teen adventurers waved goodbye to this sprawling gem of conservation and education in the Bronx and are already looking forward to their next adventure together.