More than 50 years after graduating from Archbishop Curley High School, Joe Citro is still finding new ways to cheer from the sidelines. He and his wife, Arleen, will cut the ribbon Oct. 18 on The Citro Pavilion – a $500,000 gift that blends Curley’s proud past with its digital future.
The ceremony will be preceded by a blessing by Bishop Adam J. Parker, auxiliary of the Archdiocese of Baltimore, and followed by soccer and football homecoming contests on the campus of the East Baltimore school.
The architectural design of the 750-square foot pavilion was led by another Curley graduate, Eric Jenkins, ’82. It includes a broadcasting/livestreaming room, a hospitality room and adjoining portico. It is centered on the 50-yard line of the field at the top of the terraced seating area.
“It blends in with the mid-century modern design of the main school building,” said Conventual Franciscan Father Donald Grzymski, Curley’s president and a 1970 graduate.
He noted that a major goal of The Citro Pavilion will be to get students involved in all aspects of livestreaming – technical, voice-over and broadcasting.
In that regard, The Citro Pavilion mirrors a nationwide trend supporting direct student involvement in the outreach and social messaging of their schools.
Students involved in Friars Nation, Curley’s Livestreaming Club, will be among the first to take advantage of the new facility. The stated objective of the club is to engage students in all aspects of broadcasting. They develop their skills working as cameramen, play-by-play announcers or color commentators for athletic events as well as by broadcasting other school functions.
“This facility gives the students the opportunity to work in a professional setting and be able to experience a studio atmosphere,” said Deacon Tim Maloney, a moderator of the club. “They are eager to move in.”
Grant Huskey, a junior at Curley, has been involved with livestreaming since his freshman year. He believes the new broadcast center will allow for the quality of broadcasts to increase.
“This space is a dramatic improvement, from working off a table under a tent, to a dedicated space,” he said. “It feels great knowing that we now have the ability to connect the families, fans and alumni to the game by giving them their own unique game-day experience.”
Joseph Polcari, a senior who has been involved for four years, added, “I’ve learned how to speak for an audience. Friars Nation has hundreds of viewers every game, and to be able to transfer information about the game is a crucial skill to learn. Another skill is problem solving. We have had minor issues and fixing them in an appropriate amount of time to put on a consistent production is very important when broadcasting.”
Construction of The Citro Pavilion fulfills one aspect of the school’s 2022-25 Strategic Plan regarding facilities, namely to construct a stadium press box. More importantly, it also reflects one of Archbishop Curley’s core belief statements: “A Curley Man is supported by the Curley Family: alumni, students, faculty, staff, parents, alumni parents and friends of Curley.”
“We are so grateful to Mr. and Mrs. Citro for this enhancement of the Curley facilities,” Father Grzymski said. “This generosity reflects the support of the ‘brotherhood’ and the spirit of the whole Curley family.”
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