Contact Magazine - Winter, 2009 - Saint Joseph's College

2009·1.1 MB·English

by  Saint Joseph's College

WINTER 2009
WWW.SAINTJOE.EDU
Meet
Dr. MaryAnn Janosik
Provost and Vice President
for Academic Affairs
The Board of Trustees
requests the pleasure of your company at the
Trustees Scholarship Dinner and Auction
2
Honoring President Ernest R. and Elizabeth R. Mills
on
Friday, May 15, 2009
Radisson Hotel at Star Plaza
Celebrity Ballroom - First Floor
800 East 81st Avenue
I-65 and U.S. 30 West
Merrillville, Indiana
Reception at six-thirty Dinner at seven-thirty
Silent Auction 6:30 to 9:00
Live Auction 9:00
Dancing 9:00 to 12:00
RSVP Black Tie
3
WINTER 2009
Winter 2009, Volume 67, Number 2
Pg. 6 – Chapel Centennial
In 1909 the cornerstone was laid on what has
become an icon for Saint Joseph’s College.
Pg. 8 – Little 500
A historic race in the making as SJC senior
Andrew Malone goes for his third straight win.
Pg. 16 – 40 Years of Core
A look back on SJC’s premier academic program.
Pg. 18 – College Quiz
Use your brain and prove you have Puma Pride
Editor’s Note: by answering these fun questions about for whom
campus buildings are named.
The Offi ce of Institutional
Advancement and Marketing
apologizes for two incorrect
listings in the Capital Campaign
Final Report. Advanced
Manufacturing Technologies,
Inc. should have been listed at
the $100,000 and above level,
Pg. 22 – Puma Athletics
not at $50,000 and above. Paul
The fall athletic seasons have come to a close. Re-
and Diane Kiffner should have
live all of the action in the season wrap-ups.
been listed at the $25,000 and
above level, not at $10,000 and
above. Our heartfelt apologies
for this error. To report an
error/correction in the Capital
Campaign Final Report or the
2007-2008 Honor Roll of Donors,
please call [phone].
Memories of Faith
Alumni Association
Board of Directors
and Reason
Offi cers
Stephen M. Ligda ‘62
What comes to your mind when you think of President
Saint Joseph’s College? What “things” enter
Louis B. Offer ’69
your mind when you visualize or recall your
VP of Alumni Relations
days on campus?
Mike Bauman ‘79
For many of the alumni, it is the imposing VP Administration
Chapel - a brick and mortar symbol of the
Kris Costa Sakelaris ‘82
enduring Catholic character of Saint Joseph’s.
VP of Academics, Recruitment,
For graduates of the past four decades, it is
and Placement
most likely their classroom experience of the
Terra (Schafer) Maienbrook ‘97
Core Curriculum.
VP of Campus Relations
Both of these icons of Saint Joseph’s are Kendra Illingworth ‘93
celebrating anniversaries this year. For Executive Director
4 the Chapel, it is the centennial year of its
Directors
construction, and for Core, the 40th anniversary
of its introduction as the hallmark of the Mary Louise Ames ‘72
College’s liberal arts mission. Ed Balas ‘96
Derek Dabrowiak ‘01
This issue of Contact contains noteworthy articles celebrating these anniversaries and
recalling their storied history. James Deegan ‘59
Ed Feicht ‘71
But of course, it’s not the physical presence of the Chapel, nor is it the coursework
Ed Habrowski ‘71
and requirements of Core that need celebrating. It is, rather, their impact on the lives
and careers of the many men and women who claim the College as their alma mater. Blaire Henley ‘02
Joseph Janusonis ‘95
At fi rst glance, some might wonder how the presence of the Chapel would impact a
college aged young person. I can attest that during my days on campus, the Chapel Beth Jerzyk ‘02
was more than a “place.” It was where we attended Mass, received the healing grace George Liggett ‘80
of Confession/Reconciliation, and prayed, mightily, that we get that passing grade in
Kelli (Costa) Lucito ‘90
the course that we so desperately needed. It was where we “bargained” with God in
the hope that we were heard. Now, in our spiritual maturity, we understand that He Bree (Ma’Ayteh) Dunscombe ‘02
gave then, and gives now, of His love, far beyond our needs and wants.
Georgia McKim ‘89
Kara (Costa) Meyer ‘93
If I have any regrets about my days as a student, it is that I was just a few years too
early for the Core experience. Donna (Zimmerman) Moran ‘73
Brian Studebaker ‘92
However, I recently attended a meeting with a graduate from the late 1970s who,
thirty years after her graduation, couldn’t say enough about what the Core experience Julie Suhr ‘89
meant to her, and how it developed her critical reasoning skills. I wondered how Jackie (Leonard) Tackett ‘95
many graduates of other colleges would recall their course of study and relate it to the
Michael Vallone ‘60
tools of the modern day world and workplace. That’s what Core does, and it is most
certainly what defi nes the Saint Joseph’s learning experience, and sets it apart from
other liberal arts colleges.
Student Director
Joe Stewart ‘10
Two “icons” rooted in Faith and Reason. May
they forever defi ne and exemplify the Saint
Director Emeritus
Joseph’s experience!
Philip J. Wilhelm ‘63
Stephen M. Ligda ’62
Alumni Association Board President
5
SJC Art Professor
Helps Alzheimer’s Patients
Through Painting
They may not have the cognitive memory of painting, but as soon
as the paint brush is placed in their hand, they remember feeling
happy. Patients suffering from Alzheimer’s disease experience
various levels of memory loss and it is due to this loss that they
may not remember Dana Zier and her teaching them to paint.
Zier, an Art professor at Saint Joseph’s College spent four years
from 2002-2006 with sufferers of Alzheimer’s and brought the
world of painting to their lives. “They may not remember me or
their painting, but they’ll remember coming, and that they liked
this,” Zier said. Zier attributes the patients’ fondness of paint-
ing to the fact that things such as creativity, color, and emotion
are all done in the right brain. These are the last things to go for
someone who suffers from Alzheimer’s. “Emotion is something
they can sense immediately,” Zier said. “If you don’t want to be
there, then they don’t want you there.” Zier reached out to these
patients on a volunteer basis at Valparaiso’s Life Care Center of
the Willows. Her class was offered twice a month to eight differ-
ent women all in different stages of the disease.
A class called “White Cat Lesson,”
Although Zier fi nds the results of the class rewarding, it comes Zier assists two students with their paintings
at a price. Just before coming to SJC, Zier noted that since the
start of her class, half of the students had passed. “I feel I’m very
blessed to see them as they go out,” she refl ected. “I’m one of the
last people to reach them.”
Zier feels that using art with Alzheimer’s patients is a developing
fi eld and often uses it as a lesson in her classroom to her much
younger students. “Their art is an example of what the mind is
capable of,” Zier said. Ideally she would like to see her experi-
ences expand into a course in art therapy where students could
intern at nursing homes and hospitals with the possibility of also
working with children who have brain damage.
A winning postcard titled “Poinsettas” painted by Rose
A painting by Zier’s student named Helen titled “Spider Plant” Zier assits Virginia, a student and resident
at the Willows Life Care Center
Saint Joseph’s Chapel
100 Years of History
A hallmark of the SJC campus, 2009 marks the 100th anniversary of the cornerstone laying for the Chapel. The following is a
look back on its history and signifi cance to the College, written by Rev. Dominic Gerlach, C.PP.S.’46 (SJC Professor Emeri-
tus of History and German) on January 18, 1975.
“Indiana School That Educates Both Heart and Head”
read the headline on the front page of the Rensselaer
Republican, December 25, 1908, that announced that Saint
Joseph’s College would build a new chapel. The article
was a reprint of one that had appeared in the Indianapolis
Star and in several other papers. Actually, news of the de-
cision had come out already as early as November 7. But
the slogan in the headline was to be repeated over and
over again, at the cornerstone laying, May 2, 1909, and in
nearly all the speeches at the dedication, May 17, 1910.
6
Even the address given by Indiana Governor Thomas R.
Marshall (later Vice President of the United States under
Woodrow Wilson) dwelt on the need of solidly religious
and moral formation of students. It was with this in mind
that we can understand how the school’s slender resourc-
es were dedicated to “a monument that will forever show
that the Fathers of the Precious Blood do not neglect the
education of the heart while they are endeavoring to fi ll
the receptive minds.”
The Chapel was the center of the College. The an-
nouncement noted that the Board of Trustees had
fi rst considered building a C.PP.S. Community
House, but decided instead that a suitable house
of worship should take priority. The community
house was to follow in a couple of years, but it was
not built until over 50 years later when Schwieter-
mann House was built in 1963.
The architect of the new Romanesque styled Chapel
was Herman J. Gaul of Chicago, who four years later
also designed Science Hall, now the Arts & Science
Building. The contractors were the Medland
Brothers of Logansport, Indiana, who had
done all of the principal building thus far
on campus. The cost of the Chapel was
estimated to have been $100,000, there-
fore easily the biggest building project
thus far undertaken by the school.
The erection of a building this size
was not all a matter of a “monument.”
Although the College had only an
enrollment of 225 in the fall of 1908,
50 further applicants had to be turned
away for lack of space. Not only were
they building for a growing school, but
77
the Chapel itself was expected to draw all frescoed in artistic designs by C. Beigel
both more students and benefactors. of Chicago. Of particular interest are the
three large paintings in the sanctuary.
The cornerstone laying ceremony was They were done in an art school in Mu-
deliberately low key so that the dedica- nich, Germany, but did not arrive until No-
tion ceremony on May 17, 1910 would be vember, 1910. The center painting over
the biggest event in the College’s history. the arch shows a scene from the “Book of
The presiding prelate was the Bishop of Revelations” which centers on the symbol
Ft. Wayne (Rensselaer was part of the Ft. of Christ in the form of a sacrifi cial lamb
Wayne Diocese at that time), Herman J. surrounded by the saints.
Alerding. He performed the blessing and A new roof was constructed on the Chapel
preached the sermon at the Pontifi cal It took several more years, however, be- in the summers of 2005 and 2006
High Mass that followed. A hundred visit- fore the appointments in the Chapel were
ing clergy were crowded into the sanctu- complete. In June 1919 the three bells
ary and the nave of the Chapel was fi lled were installed in the east tower. They
to overfl owing. were named Saint Joseph, Saint Agatha,
and Ave Maria respectively and each car-
The College Chapel was not arranged like ried an inscription in Latin of a Biblical
a parish church, for it served somewhat quotation referring to the Precious Blood.
different purposes. Most obvious is the
over-sized sanctuary, which was designed In December 1920 a Seth Thomas tower
to provide space for the nine altars origi- clock was also installed in the east tower.
nally installed. The priests said Mass in- It activates the bells every fi fteen minutes.
dividually in those days. The altars were Also in late 1920, the College contracted
hand-carved by H. Hackner of LaCrosse, for an organ with the Votteler-Holtkamp-
Wisconsin. Above the high altar was a Sparling Company of Cleveland, Ohio, but
life-size statue of Saint Joseph fl anked by the new organ did not arrive until August
a smaller statue of Saint Gaspar del Bufalo 1, 1921, and was dedicated on November
(founder of the Society of the Precious 13, 1921.
Blood) on his left and one of Saint Francis
Xavier (the Society’s patron saint) on his In the early morning of February 4, 1973,
right. Similar statues graced the other the Chapel came awfully close to destruc-
eight altars, each selected for its rel- tion when the Administration Building,
evance to the students. Thus the “Pieta” which was connected to it by an enclosed
portrayed Christian suffering, the “Holy passageway, burned down. The work of
Family” the model of family life, “Thomas the local fi re department and favorable
Aquinas” the patron of scholarship, “Saint wind, however, saved it from destruction.
Cecilia” the patroness of church music, Some would say today that the removal
and “Saint Aloysius” the model of Chris- of the Administration Building has greatly
tian purity. enhanced the appearance of the Chapel,
as now more than ever, the Chapel towers
Other outstanding features of the Chapel over the rest of the campus as the central
are the twelve “scagliola” pillars. The building.
name refers to the type of imitation mar-
ble used to cover the steel beams. Italian
craftsmen molded the pillars. The stain TO CELEBRATE 100 YEARS OF THE
glass windows, like the altar statues, por-
SAINT JOSEPH’S CHAPEL, SEVERAL
tray religious scenes relevant to the stu-
dents. Of the two large windows in front, CONCERTS/EVENTS WILL BE HELD
the east window pictures the sacrifi ce
THROUGHOUT 2009. PLEASE JOIN US
of Melchizedek (an Old Testament scene
anticipating the Mass), while the west ON THE FOLLOWING DATES:
window pictures the boy Jesus before the
APRIL 26, JUNE 6, AND JULY 25.
scholars in the Temple. The remaining
windows present full body portraits of
For more information, please visit
various saints. The walls and ceiling were
alumni.saintjoe.edu
Heroes Are Forgotte
But Le
Little 500 has come a long way since it fi rst life of the motor, and in order to keep the cost
began in 1963. On April 27th, nine teams of participating in the race down, the 1983
pushed homemade karts around the Arts & Little 500 Committee decided to purchase
Science Building in what was supposed to be four hp Briggs & Stratton motors and allow
a 500 minute race. Instead, the race ended students to rent them. The participants drew
after only four hours. Since then, the race has numbers to decide which one of the identical-
evolved in many ways. The starting position, ly prepared motors they would run, meaning
for example, has been determined in various the driver and setup of the kart would play a
ways such as a qualifying race and drawing bigger part in the race. In 1993, the Little 500
numbers. Even the race time has changed, Committee decided to upgrade the motors to
from times of two hours to four hours in restricted 5 hp motors.
8 length.
The fi rst women’s team to enter the Little 500
The Little 500 has a lot of rich history behind consisted of Mary Pat Smith ‘68 and Mary
it, including having the 1952 winner of the Ellen Kendall ‘69 in 1966. The women drove
Indy 500, Troy Ruttman, serve as the race’s the second entry from Noll Hall, but unfortu-
Grand Marshal and technical advisor. In 1971, nately they were involved in an accident that
the transition was made from push karts to knocked them out of the race. In 1977, Kila
motorized go-karts, with Ed Carter ‘74 win- Brown ‘79 became the fi rst female to win the
ning the fi rst motorized race. In 1972, Paul pole position, and the only females to ever
Yeoman ‘72 and Roger Merriman ‘73 entered win the race were Donna Griffi n ‘82 and Peg
a go-kart powered by a Honda engine. Unfor- Versgrove ‘82 in 1981.
tunately, the kart suffered a broken throttle
cable and air cleaner malfunction after the The race course has also undergone a lot of
team had built up a fourteen lap lead two and variations in the forty year history of the race.
a half hours into the race. The race was won Ranging from the sidewalks around the Arts
by Ed Carter ‘74 and Pat Burns ‘74. Because & Science Building, to the road around Hal-
of the dominance of the Honda engine, the leck Center, to a 7/10 mile track which serves
motor rules were revised to avoid such an as part of the current half mile course, the
overwhelming advantage. course is always changing. The current track
measures one-half mile.
To ensure the fairness of the race, the only
motor allowed was the 3.5 hp Tecumseh. In
1978, racing rods were allowed to increase the
Andrew Malone ’09 receives words of encouragement from his pit crew as Andrew Malone ‘09 rounds turn 3 on his w
he prepared to win his second straight Little 500 in 2008 in 2008
9
ten,
egends Never Die
On April 18, 2009, SJC will see the forty-seventh 500 is probably working in the barn. You get
running of the Little 500, and everyone’s atten- to work on the kart out there for a week and
tion will be centered on Andrew Malone ‘09. A you get a chance to see what everyone else
Rensselaer native and senior at SJC, Malone is has. It is also a chance to meet some alumni
one win away from becoming the fi rst three- who once raced. They always have some
time winner in the race’s illustrious history. An pretty interesting stories – not only about the
Elementary Education major, Malone is an un- Little 5, but about what SJC was like when
likely challenger to set the record for number they attended. They’re always good for some
of wins in the Little 500. He only recalls going laughs and for harassing us current students.”
to the race one time before starting college Luckily for Malone, it’s been him getting the
here. “I was a junior in high school,” said Ma- last laugh.
lone. “Three of my buddies went with me, but
we didn’t stay long because it was snowing.” Whether or not Malone wins the Little 500 in
2009, he has found himself a niche in SJC’s his-
By the time Andrew made it to SJC, however, tory. Current students will remember him ten
he had taken a much more active interest in or twenty years from now when they come
the race. With an excellent pit crew behind back to see the race and relive old memories.
him, which Malone credits as the biggest And as for Malone, will he return for the alum-
reason why he has won the race twice, and ni race? “I do plan on returning to compete in
the unfl appable confi dence needed to win, the alumni race. I don’t know if I’ll race in it
Malone stands to become a Little 500 legend. every year, but I do still want to be part of the
“I’ve had a great group of people behind me Little 500 after I graduate. Even if I don’t race
every year. Our team is always focused and myself, I plan on putting one or two karts in
we know what needs to be done. Every mem- the student race. It’s only a matter of fi nding
ber of the team knows their role and we all people interested in driving and keeping the
want to win. My pit crew takes pride in having tradition going at SJC.” With his reputation,
quick pit stops and making the necessary he shouldn’t have any trouble.
changes when needed.”
Little 500 will be on Saturday, April 18, 2009.
But it’s not all about winning with Malone. In
fact, the race isn’t even his favorite part of the
Little 500 experi-
ence. “The best
part of the Little
n his way to his second Little 500 victory Andrew Malone ‘09 poses with his crew in front of his 2008 winning kart
SJC Student
Lands Internship with Virginia Congresswoman
While most college students strive to spend the summer Drawing on her education at SJC proved to be an excel-
before their junior year at the beach or with friends, one lent tool in helping Torres to adapt and succeed during
Saint Joseph’s College student landed an opportunity of her internship. “SJC defi nitely prepared me intellectually.
a lifetime and became one step closer to realizing her Because I have had my thinking shaped in such a balanced
dream. While searching on the internet one day, Joy Tor- and positive way at school, I was able to have some very
res came across a possibility that opened up a world of interesting and thoughtful conversations with my fellow
opportunity for her. interns and workers.”
Through the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute, Tor- Of course, working for a congresswoman could get diffi cult
res landed an internship with the offi ce of Congresswoman and stressful at times. Fortunately, the living conditions
Donna Christensen (D-VI) in Washington, D.C. While there, provided much needed relief and comfort for Torres and
Torres wrote letters to constituents, went to meetings, and the other twenty-nine Hispanic students participating in
helped organize fi les. It may sound like simple offi ce work, internships. “The rooms were amazing,” Torres said. “We
but it was anything but easy. Working for a congress- stayed in one of the dorms at George Washington Uni-
woman was some of the most trying work Torres had ever versity, but the rooms were more like apartments. There
done, and she gained a great deal of insight into what it were two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a living room, and a
takes to make it as a government worker. Although Torres’ kitchen. Cooking was up to us, so I was able to experiment
10
career aspirations don’t include working in Congress, the with that a lot. In fact, I baked cookies for the fi rst time in
internship certainly prepared her for attaining her ultimate my life,” Torres continued.
goal. “It is my undying dream to be a special analyst for
the F.B.I. and to eventually become a part of their Behav- In the end, the internship was about so much more than
ioral Analysis Unit.” living in a nice dorm and relishing the D.C. atmosphere. It
was about gaining the experience and knowledge needed
Despite the diffi culty of her job, Torres found it to be an to achieve a dream, something which so many people take
excellent learning experience and something that would for granted and put a half-hearted effort into attaining.
be benefi cial and rewarding for any student. “It was one of With Torres’ determination and undying passion for real-
the best experiences of my life. It defi nitely sealed my de- izing her dream, she should have no trouble reaching it.
sire to work in the D.C. area. Having the opportunity to be She’s already taken the fi rst step, and that can be the most
a part of the whole congressional process was an amazing challenging.
experience. Being able to witness the whole process was
so valuable and interesting.”
Joy Torres ‘10 (third from the left,
front row) pictured with the other
interns for the CHCI.