On the evening of Thursday, April 24th, students and faculty involved in academic clubs, including Mock Trial, Speech and Debate, robotics, and school publications, celebrated their commitment at the annual Hephaestus Society dinner. The dinner, hosted by Head of School Mr. Tyler Casertano, honors students for their contributions to their respective competitive and academic-related clubs.
Each inducted student receives a pin that depicts the Greek God Hephaestus surrounded by gold and maroon, framed with the words “The Hephaestus Society.”
The Hephaestus Society was formed a little over ten years ago.
“Beloved Spanish teacher and Mock Trial Advisor Carmen Mateos-Hirchman wanted to honor Haverford students who participate in non-athletic competitive extracurricular activities,” Hephaestus Society organizer Mr. Javier Lluch said. “The event also serves as a means of remembering Señora Mateos and honoring her memory and innumerable contributions to this school.”
The symbol to represent the group, the Greek God Hephaestus, was identified with the assistance of Latin Teacher Dr. Andrew Fenton’s knowledge about the classical world.
Each year, a Sixth Former is named Hephaestus Megistos.
“[The award recognizes the student who] best showcases the power of the mind, a true champion of the intellect, someone who has taken full advantage of all the opportunities Haverford provides to those who want to exercise their brain as much as their body,” Mr. Lluch said.
This year’s Hephaestus Megistos was Sixth Former Ian Rosenzweig.
This year’s guest speaker was Mr. Vincent Scauzzo ’20.
“[The speaker] is using the skills they acquired at Haverford doing the activities we celebrate,” Mr. Lluch said.
Scauzzo was inducted into the Hephaestus Society for his work in The Index. He served as the first editor of the Neighborhood section.
Scauzzo shared memories of his time working on The Index, including helping guys with article ideas and one particularly fond memory of an article about the old Ferrari Dealership on Lancaster Avenue in Rosemont, where he “had a kid go down there and get the history of it.” Fifth Former Seth Virmani observed that because he was a younger alumnus, Scauzzo’s speech was relatable to current students.
“[It is neat] how the school honors the extracurriculars that aren’t sports,” Virmani said.
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