The Barn Blog

Jerry Ragano and Ramiro Ferrera discussed their experience running various marathons. They talked about the different types of marathons, the benefits, preparation required, potential injuries, the experience itself, and the recovery period.

Dr. Alex Diaz is a sports psychologist and founder of Sports Mental Edge. He discussed how he helps athletes overcome obstacles and achieve their goals by teaching them techniques to be more present and less distracted by thoughts. Alex also gave advice on having a healthy parent-child relationship around coaching and sports.

Will Coholan is a stage hand and member of the Local One union of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees. He worked behind the scenes on countless Broadway productions. Will shared some fascinating, entertaining, and funny stories from his many years backstage.

Master chef Angelo Spilios hosted another amazing BBQ at the Barn. Angelo is senior director of dining services at the Fieldston School. He gave a brief presentation and served a delicious meal consisting of Texas style ribs, brisket and salmon.

The first annual Steve Quigley Casino Night was held at the Barn. We honored our friend Steve by raising funds for his favorite cause, the Jesuit Volunteer Corp. Games included roulette, craps, blackjack, and poker. We raised a total of $2,050 for the JVC.

Edward P. Cardillo is an award-winning author of 6 horror and si-fi novels. He explained the historical origins of zombies and why they’ve been such a hot topic lately. The audience suspended disbelief as Ed shared some practical tips on how to survive a zombie outbreak.

On this 100th Barn Night, Ben took us on a whirlwind journey through all the presentations over the last 8 years. Many of us reflected on how much we’ve learned at the barn and all the friendships and associations that were formed.

Kari Honkaniemi a native of Finland discussed his mother country. We learned about the customs and traditions of the Finish people. Kari also shared some candies and chocolates from Finland. You can download Kari’s PowerPoint presentations here.

George Latimer, New York State Senator for the 37th district gave a presentation. Much of the discussion centered around the topic of corruption in government and what, if anything can be done about it.

Rob Friedman is a VP at Open Systems Technologies, one of the largest staffing companies in the world. He told some great stories about his recruiting experience and gave practical advice for those looking for a new job. Rob discussed LinkedIn and resumes as important tools for job hunting.