Ben McElroy

Michael Alfieri, the new band and music teacher at Mount Saint Joseph High School, is partway through his first year at the Mount. He has been teaching for many years prior to joining the school’s faculty, and has a passion for music practically unrivaled by most teachers here. He has infused the band with his talent and expertise, turning it into a talented and committed group that sounds amazing.

The MSJ band performing during the annual school-wide pep rally. Photograph from the MSJ Quill

While Mr. Alfieri has a long history of teaching music, a lot of it took place in a much larger city, with many more students to teach: New York City. “I actually taught in New York before this. I taught in a school in Brooklyn, and at another in Long Island. And I was also teaching private lessons this whole time, so I was working in music stores, working with kids independently,” says Alfieri when asked about his previous work history. He said he really enjoyed this job, and he would not have left New York if his girlfriend had not gotten a job at John’s Hopkins University. She was assigned John’s Hopkins on the program’s match day, when every medical student is given an envelope designating them to a certain school or institution.

Mr. Alfieri has enjoyed his time at the Mount thus far, especially the devotion of the students to their craft. Photo Credit: Ben McElroy

Michael Alfieri has settled into this job quite nicely, and is having a great time so far. “I have never met such an invested group of students, and I love working with a group that wants to work with me and helps me as much as I help them,” reflects Alfieri. “They really push themselves to improve and don’t just do the minimum to scrape by, like I have experienced in the past.” He also said he enjoyed working alongside the faculty and staff here at the Mount, saying that they are “so helpful and willing to teach me all there is to know about this school.” It is clear that Mount Saint Joseph is very supportive of their new teachers, and this is something that Mr. Alfieri enjoys about the school.

Mr. Alfieri playing with the band “Freaks No Geeks”.
Credit from https://www.mikealfieri.net/gallery.html

Mr. Alfieri also recommended some things for people pursuing a career in music. He emphasized that the musicianship must be top-notch, and you must be willing to try new experiences. “Say yes to a lot of different things, if there’s an opportunity go for it,” he said, “it may not be exactly what you want to do, it may not be your dream job, but it gives you the experience.” This is something that can apply in many other fields as well, and it is something that Mr. Alfieri has used to his advantage throughout his career. He specified that he learned instruments that he wasn’t necessarily a master at, but knowing how to play them has ended up helping him later on in life.

Michael Alfieri playing his signature instrument, drums. Photo by Jazz Photography

Mr. Michael Alfieri is an extremely talented musician, and has already impacted the students in his classes, with one of his students in his guitar class saying, “I have Mr. Alfieri as a teacher, and I really enjoy learning from him…He makes music fun, and keeps me entertained and excited to learn more.” It is clear to see Mr. Alfieri is doing something right to get his students excited about their music classes. His passion and skill have definitely inspired people to learn more about music at the Mount, and hopefully, his work continues to positively impact the school, and the students he works with.

Ben McElroy is a junior and a member of the Multimedia Journalism class.

Baseball at Mount St. Joe is an institution, with a long and storied history. Over the past few years, the record for the varsity squad has not been as good as expected, but things might be turning around this coming season. Last year, the varsity squad finished just shy of the playoffs, ending with a deceptively solid 11-16 record. Although they ended with this losing record, there were some very well played games, including their defeat of Spalding in a tight 3-2 contest. Coach Rod Cameron was the head coach of the baseball program until this season, having a very productive and successful run as an assistant coach, and also as head coach. While he may not have won a championship as a head coach, he set up a team with great players and strategies to get the job done correctly. The man that was chosen to follow Coach Cameron, Coach Phil Kraska, has been coaching at the Mount for 10 years, assisting the varsity team as well as previously serving as the head coach for the JV team. Before that, Kraska won an MIAA Championship as a player as part of the 2004 Varsity team.

Coach Kraska has big plans for this season. He hopes to turn the program around and bring it back to its winning ways through rigorous offseason training and dedication. “We are doing a strength training program, trying to get our athletes stronger,” said Coach Kraska, “so that when we get to tryouts in February everyone is in shape and ready for the season.” Another issue that has plagued the Gaels are injuries, and this is something that Kraska hopes will be reduced, if not eliminated, through this offseason training.

Coach Kraska is very well-suited for the job as head coach, because he played for three fantastic coaches while attending the Mount. “I’ve played for Mr. Norton, Mr. Harris, and Mr. Cameron. They helped me while I was a player, and have helped me form my own coaching style,” he reminisced. All three of these coaches did great things at Mount Saint Joseph, and there is much to look forward to if Coach Kraska will be modeling his style from the experiences he had with his former coaches.

Matt McManus, the southpaw ace for the JV team, pitching in the semifinal game against Calvert Hall. The Mount would lose this game 10-9. Photo by Nick DeLauro ’20

Another positive for the team this year is the incoming talent. Many of the rising juniors hope to make a great difference to the team. One of the names to watch out for is Matt McManus, who was dominant on the mound last season for JV, even throwing a no-hitter against McDonogh. Another player that could drastically change the game is Michael Marsh, a clutch player at the plate who led the JV team in home runs last season. Many of the players returning to the varsity team, including Justin Looney and Connor Rudel, will be the driving force of the offense.

When asked if there were any schools in particular that he would be looking forward to facing, Coach Kraska said, “Everyone! People will have a picture of what we were last year in their minds. We are going to come out and take them by surprise.” This is another great insight into how this team will be playing this year. With a new coach and new talent, there is a definite excitement for the upcoming season.

There are many new elements in the baseball program this season, and they could turn out to be extremely beneficial. Although the team did not perform to their full potential last year, there is much room to grow and a whole lot to build off of. Coach Cameron left Coach Kraska in a very good place to start for next year. Coach Kraska, as well as the whole school, hopes all of the offseason work and preparation translates into success on the field when March rolls around.