SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT TO THE RENSSELAER REPUBLICAN AND KV POST NEWS • AUGUST, 2014
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Honoring Saint Joseph's College 125 Years of Education
THE CORE of
Saint Joseph's College
Core Curriculum provides SJC students with foundation for future By ROBERT BLANKENSHIP rblankenship@rensselaerrepublican.com The foundation of student life at Saint Joseph’s College is built upon the award-winning Core Curriculum program. The Core Curriculum was implemented in 1969 and its first coordinator was Fr. Bill Kramer. The program allows students
to study a variety of different subjects in an integrated way. Rather than taking separate courses in English, history, religion, and philosophy, the Core program combines the subjects into a meaningful whole. The Core Curriculum also requires that students take a number of different courses, but, unlike many other colleges and universities where these classes are typically completed within the first two years, Saint Joseph’s spreads these classes out throughout a student’s four years on campus so that general education principles may be inputted at each stage of a student’s growth. Dr. John Nichols was
among those involved in the early implementation of the Core Curriculum and served as the college’s Core Coordinator for 23 years. “In the mid-1960s, many of the faculty became convinced that all of the things we were saying in our brochures about providing a broad education had become contradictory to what we were doing through the general education curriculum,” Nichols said. “Through Core Curriculum, we are truly offering a broadly-based education program that is interdisciplinary and team-taught by a variety of people from different departments.”
Following implementation of the Core Curriculum in 1969, Kramer helped lead the effort of inventing each Core segment semester by semester. The first two Core classes were introduced in 1969-70. Among those present for SJC’s transition from a general curriculum to Core was John Groppe, a Rensselaer resident who taught literature and writing at the college. “I was not a member of the original design committee, but I was involved in the implementation,” Groppe said. “Over a period of three to four years, we were
See CORE, Pg. A10
Mayor Stephen A. Wood and the City Administration congratulates St. Joseph College for a successful 125 years of higher education. We would also like to welcome the 2014-2015 students to our community. We are proud of the quality of life our City has to offer. Rensselaer is proud of services available to our citizens and visitors: • Spacious park system, well groomed and filled with activities • Home of St. Joseph’s College • The Amtrak Depot with a handicap lift • Jasper County Airport • Historic courthouse build in 1896 • Jasper County Hospital service a 40 mile radius • Three (3) Industrial Parks
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City Hall 124 S. Van Rensselaer St. Rensselaer, Indiana 219-866-5212 Visit us on the Web: www.cityofrensselaerin.com
Attractions, Activities and Festivals: • Farmers’ Market every Saturday morning May – September and Tuesday evenings in July • Jasper County Fair in July • Municipal Government and Natural Gas Awareness luncheon in May • Jasper County Fall Festival in August • Little Cousin Jasper in September • OctoberFest late September early October • Trunk or Treat October • Recreational Walking Paths • Free Movies at Potawatomi Park monthly June, July and August • Rock the Arts at Potawatomi Park in July • Christmas Parade first week of December • Boat launch • Public Swimming Pool at Brookside Park • Public Tennis Court at Brookside Park
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Honoring Saint Joseph's College 125 Years of Education
Saint Joseph's College goes back to its roots By SHERRI MORRISON smorrison@rensselaerrepublican.com
When Saint Joseph College first came to existence in 1889, it was a working college, meaning it was self-sufficient. As late as 1945, the farm operations were essential
for the support of the school. There were pigs, cows, bees, fruit trees, vegetables, and most importantly, hard-working people around the campus who worked and took care of the acres and acres of farmland. “At one point, we had the number one dairy in the State of Indiana. We
have a really deep and rich history in agriculture here at SJC. We had everything from cows and pigs to bees. The nuns canned food and in the 1960's when the farm manager retired, is when things changed. Farming took a new direction, and the Secretary of Agriculture at the time,
promoted large commodity and specialty farms. By doing that, food has become a lot cheaper. We have the cheapest food in the world. It is cost effective to outsource our food services to feed our students that way, than to raise all of our own food on campus,” Lana Zimmer, Associate Professor of Education, since 2005, said. Ask why the college is returning to sustainabili-
ty now after so many years, and the answer is simple. “Across the nation, people are showing a lot more interest in their food being sourced locally. There are concerned about food safety. Sometimes people want to lessen their carbon footprint. Food travels long distances to get to our stores. People want to know their farmers. They want to know what the animals are eating.
Vegetables are picked at the peek of ripeness for flavor when growing locally. The other reason is economics. If you buy from stores, the money goes out of the community. By buying local, the money stays local,” Zimmer said. The hoop house was funded with a $25,000 grant, one of three awarded by the
See ROOTS, Pg. 11
photo provided
Members of Saint Joseph College harvest potatoes during the early 1950s. At one time, the college was completely self-sufficient in it's food production.
photo provided
Students collect food from a hoop house that will be distributed on campus.
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Honoring Saint Joseph's College 125 Years of Education
Females make lasting impression on SJC campus Submitted Article SJC was an all male school until 1948, when the first student nuns moved onto the campus. C.PP.S. nuns rant he kitchen at the college for over 50 years. Helen Skinner was a professional lay dietician hired in 1948, who directed the kitchen for the next 20 years. In 1942, with special permission, Sister M. Phyllis Catt Esser took a course in Chemistry during the summer. Fr. Robert Koch sought permission to use women for the
female roles, but his request was denied because women were deemed dangerous to the vocation and formation of the seminarians studying to become priests. On Feb. 17, 1938, Pauline Tonner was given permission to sing, but only backstage. She wasn't allowed on the actual stage. Finally, women from the Rensselaer Catholic Youth Organization were allowed to grace the stage in 1939 with roles in the "Nut Farm." Saint Katherine Drexel, for whom Drexel Hall was named, was an heiress who learned of
the sufferings of the Native Americans in the area. In 1888, she paid for land and buildings for Saint Joseph's Indian Normal School. Through her lifetime, she encouraged and financially supported missions throughout the United States and beyond. Drexel was canonized as a saint on Oct. 1, 2000. Finally, in 1952, women attended classes during the regular academic year. The first woman to do so was Mary Lou Worland Robinson. In 1956, the first women becam faculty members during the
regular academic year. At the time, there were 159 nuns attending the school during the summer with 14 different orders represented. Two C.PP.S. sisters were hired for regular classes, Sr. Anthonita Hess, PhD in History and Social Science, and Sr. Theona Smith, who taught English. Dr. Chen also shattered traditions being the first nonwhite, nonCatholic and a woman on the faculty. The first women graduated in 1957. They were Precious Blood Sisters (C.PP.S.) They
only spent their last year of college at SJC. Between 1959 and 1960, 23 women were enrolled as students at the college. They began participating in campus activities, leading cheers and attending club meetings. A billboard appeared in the late 1960s promoting the college saying, "Now we've got Brains and Beauty: Saint Joseph's (Co-ed) College." However, it wasn't until the fall of 1968, when women were allowed to live on the college campus.
See WOMEN, Pg. 10
Area Churches
First Christian Church 327 N. Van Rensselaer Street Rensselaer, IN 47978 (219) 866-7871 Minister: Rev. Elizabeth Hartmann Email: rensfcc@embarqmail.com Web: www.firstchristianrensselaer.org Sunday Worship: 10:00 a.m. (CDT) Wacky Wednesdays: 6-7:30 p.m. Youth - Ages 1st - 12th Grade (Fall thru Spring) COME JOIN US - Where ALL are Welcome! “We are a place of welcome. We meet God and become family here. God’s Love welcomes ALL People. Allowing US to grow together in Love, Life, Faith and Support.”
St. Luke Evangelical Lutheran Church Pastor Benjamin Hertel Sunday Worship Service 8 a.m. Bible Study and Sunday School 9:15 a.m. 704 E. Grace St., Rensselaer 866-7681
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St. Cecilia Church
Sorrowful Mother Catholic Church Father Paul Cochran Masses: Saturday 5 p.m., Sunday 8 a.m. & 10:30 a.m. Confessions heard Saturdays at 4:00 p.m. 165 S. Grace St., Wheatfield, IN 46392 (219) 956-3343
334 15th St. SW • DeMotte, IN • (219) 987-3511 www.stceciliademotte.org Father Dave Hellmann Weekly Mass Mon., Wed., Fri. 8:30am Saturday Reconciliation 11am-12noon Weekend Masses: Saturday 5:30pm, Hispanic Mass 7:30pm Sunday 8:30am Religious Ed. Classes Sunday at 9:30am
By HARLEY TOMLINSON harley@rensselaerrepublican.com A Chicago Bear player hasn't stepped on the Saint Joseph's College campus in a practice uniform in 40 years, but the link that the Bears organization and the College forged from 194474 still remains. There are plenty of reminders. Halas Hall is named after former Bears coach George "Papa Bear" Halas, who equipped the Bear's new living quarters with air conditioning in 1958. A banquet was held in Halas' honor and the building was dedicated Halas Hall on Sept. 7, 1958. Halas was even presented with an honorary degree. Then there's the made-for-TV movie, "Brian's Song," which featured scenes from the SJC campus early in the film when Brian Piccolo and Gale Sayers first meet. The movie, considered one of the greatest sports movies of all time and still has grown men reaching for the tissues when Piccolo's cancer consumes his body at the end of the movie, opens with James Caan as Piccolo and Billy Dee Williams as Sayers meeting at training camp on one of SJC's large practice fields. There are even scenes in the cafeteria as well as the residence halls, and Puma alums, current students and professors and
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Honoring Saint Joseph's College 125 Years of Education
'Da Bears' and SJC former teachers and workers can pick out the exact locations when they appear on the TV screen. "I have to watch Brian's Song every year because it brings me back to Saint Joe's," said former Pumas' sports information director Joe Danahey, who is the current SID at San Francisco State University. "You see a lot of Saint Joe in the movie and look for things that you remember." Piccolo and Sayers, who would become great friends even though they were competing for the same job in the backfield, would room together at SJC for three straight years, becoming the first white and black teammates to do so. The Bears first arrived on the SJC campus in 1944 on the advice of Father John Lefko, who was a close friend of Halas' and served as chaplain for the Bears. He even traveled with the team. That year, 49 players and coaches arrived on campus and were housed in Drexel Hall. They used the college practice field east of the Richard F. Scharf Alumni Fieldhouse for practice. In 1945, the team moved into Merlini Hall where it was more comfortable. The reason for the Bears to use SJC for its training camp in those early years was because of the ample supply of food provided by the College at a time when
Several scenes of the movie "Brain's Song" were filmed on the Saint Joseph's College campus, including the one above featuring James Caan as Brian Piccolo and Billy Dee Williams as Gayle Sayers. food items were rationed during World War II. In their final years on campus, the Bears players stayed at the newlyerected Justin Hall in 1968. They returned to SJC six more years before finding another college, Lake Forest College in Lake Forest, Illinois, closer to home with more accommodations. They remained there until 1983 when they moved to UW Platteville's campus in Platteville, Wisconsin. "When I was on campus, there would be 70 guys here for training camp," said SJC alum Ed Feicht. "By the time they left they had 125 guys coming in and we just didn't have the facilities to accommodate them." The Bears have spent the last 13 years at Olivet Nazarene University in Bourbonnais, Illinois, which is dubbed the Summer Home of the Chicago Bears. Bears players frequented Rensselaer often during their stay and
could be seen at the local bowling alley, barber shop or restaurant, including the "J" Cafe. They attended Mass at
the SJC Chapel as well and fit right into the community where they could enjoy near obscurity away from the Chicago press and rabid fans. Still, fans would trickle into town to watch the Bears train. "They flocked into town some times," said Feicht, who was a student at Saint Joseph's in the late 1960s and early '70s, graduating in 1971. "We needed places to eat back then because there was nothing here at the time." Feicht, who first saw the Bears as a 4-year-old when he visited the SJC campus with his father,
who also graduated from SJC, said the College made the Bears' stay as comfortable as possible, especially with the serving menu. "They were still here my freshman year," he said. "I walked into the cafeteria and had my choice of lobster or prime rib and I thought college is going to be a great experience. They were like, 'No, no, no. We only feed the Bears that food when they're here and we feed the seminary the same food.'" A year after graduating, Feicht returned to
See BEARS, Pg. 11
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Honoring Saint Joseph's College 125 Years of Education
Chapel is long-standing landmark of SJC By CHERI SHELHART Staff Writer
The corner stone for the chapel at Saint Joseph’s College was set on May 2, 1909 and the chapel was dedicated over a period of days in 1910. It has 10 stained glass windows that were installed a year later having been imported from Europe. Five bells were installed in 1919. In 1920, an addition was built onto the original chapel named the Seth Thomas Tower Clock. In 1980, the 1921 Holtkamp organ was replaced with a new pipe organ. In 1989, Father Kramer repaired and installed a Holtkamp pipe organ brought from the Brunnerdale Seminary in
Canton, Ohio. In June 1965, the high altar and numerous side altars disappeared opening up the front of the church when the Catholic church began to change. Artists were engaged in 1976 to remodel the chapel. The 104 year old structure has undergone repairs and remodels over the years and is even now partially hidden behind scaffolding on one of its towers. A new roof was installed in 2006. Another chapel was located on the second floor of the massive “Ad Building” completed in 1893. The impressive building housed the large chapel, administrative offices, dorm rooms and classrooms. In the chapel, there were four altars and
a pump organ pumped by hand. The huge building, adjacent to the current chapel, caught fire on Feb. 4, 1973. Fire broke out on one of the upper floors, and fortunately, no one was living in the building at the time. The old building was used during the day for almost all of the administrative offices and the entire interior of the structure was destroyed except a walk-in safe. Fire departments from around the area came to battle the blaze, and though they weren’t able to safe the building, they were able to keep the fire from spreading to the nearby chapel. This wasn’t the only building on the college campus to be lost to flames. The building
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referred to as the “old gym” burned on April 2, 1914. As with the Ad Building, no one lived in the huge building. Prior to the fire, the entire building had been lifted from its foundation, raised 12 feet and a new floor added to the bottom meant to house bowling alleys and gym equipment beneath the floor of the basketball court. It was also supposed to be extended to house two floors of laboratories for chemistry, biology and physics classes as well as a swimming pool underneath. The swimming pool was never built. The fire broke out at 4 a.m., devouring pianos, band equipment, armory and gym equipment and the libraries of two literary societies.
The chapel at Saint Joseph's College
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Honoring Saint Joseph's College 125 Years of Education
SJC sports programs enjoy rich traditions Compiled by HARLEY TOMLINSON
It's hard to believe that just four decades ago Saint Joseph's College had a handful of sports available to its then male-only student population. Now a co-educational college, the Pumas' athletic department offers 18 varsity sports. Baseball, football and men's basketball have enjoyed rich traditions at the College, while the newer sports, such as soccer, cross country, softball and tennis have had their share of exciting moments. Overall, Puma athletes have won over 20 Great Lakes Valley Conference titles, including the inaugural men's basketball crown in 1979. FOOTBALL You can't talk Saint Joseph's College football without mentioning the 1956 Aluminum Bowl game between the Pumas and Montana State University-Bozeman. The game was played in the mud on Dec. 22, 1956 at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock, Arkansas, and was televised nationally by CBS. There were reportedly 5,000 fans in the stands in what was labeled the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics championship game. Montana State had finished the season with a perfect 8-0 record and Saint Joseph's took an 8-1 mark into the game. The game was a defensive struggle throughout and Saint Joseph's best
chance to score came late in the game when fullback Mike Murphy was tackled at the 16-yard line. The Pumas didn't try to kick a field goal due to the muddy conditions of the field. Montana State, meanwhile, did try to convert a field goal, but it went wide. Only three passes were attempted in the game and none were completed. In the end, Montana State rushed for 225 yards and the Pumas gained 153 yards in a scoreless tie. The teams were named NAIA cochampions and the Aluminum Bowl trophy still resides in SJC's trophy case. The Pumas, who first began playing football in 1896, haven't been in the national spotlight since, but have enjoyed some exciting seasons, including an 8-1 finish in 1957, one year after the Aluminum Bowl game. They finished 8-0-1 in 1941 and 7-0-1 in 1942 and won a record nine games in 1996 SJC won Indiana Collegiate Conference titles in 1955, 1956, 1957, 1971, 1976 and 1977 and won Great Lakes Football Conference titles in 2006, 2009 and 2010. Hall of Fame coach Bill Jennings is the all-time wins leader with 77 victories from 1967-84 and the Pumas own a 319392-24 mark overall. Most recently, they have had two straight winning seasons. MEN'S BASKETBALL The Pumas enjoyed great success in the 1970s, particularly when all-American James Thordsen, the school's
all-time leading scorer in men's basketball, was on the hardwood. He is one of four all-Americans at SJC, including Brent Mason, Stan Kappers and Sullivan Sykes. Saint Joseph's has made four NCAA Division II Elite Eight appearances, including a surprise visit to the East Coast in 2010. The Pumas have made three NCAA Midwest Regional appearances and 11 NCAA tournament appearances. They have won a Great Lakes Valley Conference title four times. Three players have earned GLVC Player of the Year honors, including Melvin Wood, Stan Kappers and Sullivan Sykes. Eight players have earned first team all-GLVC honors, including Dave Downey, Kevin Sims, Neville Brown, Brent Mason, Derek Frey, Sullivan Sykes, Stan Kappers and Mark Scheidler. WOMEN'S BASKETBALL Women's basketball at SJC really took off in the late 1980s when allAmerican Jeannette Yeoman of nearby Lafayette brought her game to the Richard F. Scharf Alumni Fieldhouse floor. She led the Pumas to two straight NCAA tournament appearances in 1988 and 1989. The Pumas won three straight GLVC titles in 1988, '89 and '90. Yeoman, who would become the program's all-time leading scorer at the time, would earn a spot in the GLVC Hall of Fame. Immediately after Yeoman left, the Lady Pumas put together a run to the Elite Eight
In a nationally televised game, Saint Joseph's College took on Montana State-Bozeman in what was described as the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics championship game in 1956. behind all-Americans Tia Glass and Sloan Haughey in 1992. Benton Central graduate and
Indiana Hall of Famer Sheryl Klemme was also on those teams. The Pumas reached the
NCAA tournament again in 1995. Since then, the
See SPORTS, Pg. 8
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Sports Pumas have enjoyed some success over the years, reaching the GLVC tournament a handful of times. Angie Hupfer, a Hall of Fame member, would become the school's all-time leading scorer during her fouryear stint in the late 1990s and 2000. Hupfer, who would be inducted into the GLVC Hall of Fame, finished as the most prolific scorer in both men's and women's basketball in SJC and GLVC history with 2,510 points. BASEBALL Baseball has had a long tradition at Saint Joseph's College, but the program gained national attention in the late 1980s and early 1990s with appearances in the North Central Regional. The Pumas have made five total appearances at the regional level and won two titles. They reached the College World Series in 1996, finishing as the nation's runner-up, and 1998 when they finished fifth overall. SJC has had 71 all-conference selections, 44 all-region and 10 all-Americans. The Pumas have won four GLVC titles and have had 26 players play professional baseball upon graduating, including current Pumas coach Rick O'Dette, who pitched in the Red Sox organization, and Rensselaer native Jake Chapman, a lefthanded pitcher who was selected in the Major League Draft by the Kansas City Royals. The school's beautiful baseball field is named after Gil Hodges, who played baseball and basketball at the school in the 1940s.
Honoring Saint Joseph's College 125 Years of Education
From 7 CROSS COUNTRY/ TRACK Once a program that kept athletes in other sports in shape, the Pumas have enjoyed tremendous success with one of their own, Bill Massoels, Class of 1989, at the helm. Saint Joseph's has had 23 all-Americans under Massoels' watch, including Aubrey McCoy (hurdles), Deron Wilder (hammer), Laura Witek (three times 5K, two in 3K, 1 in cross country), Bryan Hall (discus and hammer), Aaron Thomas (shot-put), Taylor Treesch (twice in discus), Grant Dean (long jump), Melissa Buche (twice in high jump), Alexis DeJean (twice in shot, once in hammer) and Kaleb Thompson (three times indoor shot, one outdoor). Overall, the SJC cross country/track programs have had over 500 national qualifiers, 98 academic all-Americans, 40 national championship appearances and countless all-conference selections. Witek would go on to earn induction into the GLVC Hall of Fame. The team, meanwhile, won an indoor track title in 1999. WOMEN'S SOCCER The program still hangs its hat on the fact it reached the Final Four in Division II in 1996 under then-coach Mike Minielli, who was named the National Coach of the Year that season. The Lady Pumas also made the national tournament in 1997, losing in the regional round. Overall, Saint Joseph's was nationally ranked eight times in
the 1990s and won 143 games with Minielli at the helm. The Pumas won GLVC titles in 1996 and 1997. Hall of Famer Mary Reid was an all-American in 1996 and she earned all-conference honors in 1996 and 1997 with teammates Mary Zurek and Lori McKinney. Reid would later become the first women's soccer player to earn induction into the GLVC Hall of Fame. MEN'S SOCCER Several Saint Joseph's College players have enjoyed great success over their careers, including leading scorer Bill Gill, but the Pumas overall have remained valiant in their effort to stay competitive in a tough GLVC. The Pumas enjoyed their biggest success under then-coach Mike Minielli, who led the men's team to 111 wins in 11 seasons. WOMEN'S TENNIS Hall of Famer Mary Quasney gained national attention in the mid-1990s by reaching the Division II National Tournament twice in singles play and three other times in doubles. She is the school's all-time leader in singles matches won (69-1) and doubles matches won (673) with Hall of Fame partner Liz Rowden. She was a three-time GLVC champion, going 32-0 in singles play in the conference in four years. With Hall of Fame coach John Barrientos at the controls, SJC won GLVC titles in 1984, 1985, 1986, 1991, 1992, 1994 and 1997. The Pumas have also enjoyed recent success as a team, reaching the GLVC tour-
nament two times under former coach Reggie Sanderson, whose daughter Katee, won many accolades for her play. The Lady Pumas set a schoolrecord in wins with 20 in the 2009-10 season, qualifying for the NCAA Championship Tournament for the first time in school history. SOFTBALL The Lady Pumas' program had always been competitive since it first began in the early 1990s, but had its biggest success when Frank Wilkins took over the program in 2000, leading Saint Joseph's to the College World Series in 2012 where it finished fifth overall. The Pumas, who won the school's
only Super Regional title to reach the World Series, finished with a schoolrecord 40 wins in 2012 (40-21) and was seventh in the final national poll. Under Wilkins, the Pumas reached the GLVC tournament four times, going 7-5 in the postseason overall. WOMEN'S/MEN'S GOLF Saint Joseph's golf rosters for both genders have featured several local players who have helped the Pumas remain competitive over the years. Currently, SJC sports information director Ken Badylak is the head coach and has entered the Pumas in several tournaments throughout the Midwest.
VOLLEYBALL Saint Joseph's College put volleyball in place 48 years ago and has had eight head coaches over that span. The Lady Pumas have enjoyed sporadic success over the past couple of decades, narrowly missing the GLVC tournament a number of times. MEN'S TENNIS Former coach Reggie Sanderson finished with a winning record in his eight seasons at the helm, leading the Pumas to the GLVC tournament twice. Their best mark under Sanderson was 18-9 in 2010-11 season.
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Honoring Saint Joseph's College 125 Years of Education
Page 9 August, 2014
Campus life is 'family life' for those at SJC By SHERRI MORRISON smorrison@rensselaerrepublican.com
Back when Saint Joseph's College (SJC) first opened, in the late 1800s, the days for students (male only) were strict and structured. Everyone arose at 5:00 a.m. and were at Mass by 5:30 a.m. There was a time for studies and breakfast before classes began at 7:15 a.m., with breaks for other duties throughout the day and then at 8:30 p.m. it was night prayers and bedtime. “Life as a student when SJC first started was very regimented and structured. They were all very hard-working men. This was a working college. They were a selfsustaining pig and dairy farm. They did everything themselves. They were all seminarians and nuns, and were all religiously affiliated. While we still have a CPPS (Missionaries of the Precious Blood), their function here now is pri-
A mixer event at SJC. marily one of support,” Leslie Frere, Vice President of Student Development, said. In the early years, there was no evidence of formal student involvement in the governance of the college. Whenever students desired a favor, they chose a student who was both gutsy and respected by the administration to approach the priest. Many clubs existed back in the early days of SJC, but much different than the clubs offered today. There was a smoking club, a rifle club, club orchestras, and more. Today, there is such a variety of clubs, that according to Frere, there is a club of inter-
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est, for anyone and everyone. It was in the 1960s that women started attending SJC as students and life on campus began to change dramatically. By the 1970s, students began to posture for greater share in determining college-wide policy. With Father Benet's encouragement, students moved eventually into nearly all levels of college administration by having access to faculty meetings and representation on the Academic Cabinet, the President's Administrative Council, and even the College Board of Trustees. “People come to SJC
The Little 500 is a long-standing tradition for both students and alumni of Saint Joseph's College. because of the Core Program, which started in the 1960s. It was our way of doing liberal education, since we are not a technical school. It integrates the liberal arts with the students major. Biology is a popular major here, as is education and business. The See LIFE, Pg. 10
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Honoring Saint Joseph's College 125 Years of Education
Core
Women
From 2
implementing the Core program semester by semester while teaching the (outgoing) general curriculum courses at the same time. Designing and implementing the Core program required great effort and it was accomplished due to a great deal of enthusiasm for the program itself.” In 1973, Dr. Nichols became the Core Coordinator and he said the new curriculum changed everything at SJC. “It changed the relationship between students in that all students could now share and talk about their readings from the Core classes. It changed the relationship between faculty and students because they were no longer just lecturers, but actually leaders of discussion and allowing students to follow questions wherever they might lead. It also changed the relationship between faculty members who were now working together to develop coursework,” Nichols said. Students at SJC examine a wide array of value-oriented questions and ethical issues through the Core program. The principles studied will be invaluable to students as they encounter dilemmas in the workplace. The Core Curriculum also allows students to examine ethical issues that may be applied well beyond their college years and allows for the study of
Life
cultures, providing SJC graduates with the skills to engage in today’s multi-cultural society and the global economy. Among the benefits of the Core Curriculum is that it allows students to begin courses within their major sooner than most other colleges and universities. “One of the single biggest differentiating characteristics of our curriculum is that it allows students more time to develop within their major,” Nichols said. “Because they are taking Core classes all eight semesters they are able to begin taking classes within their major earlier. We find our juniors are often at the same level as seniors at other colleges when it comes to knowledge in their major field of study.” Saint Joseph’s College students and graduates have great pride in the Core Curriculum. SCJ student Ashlee Troop of Kentland said the curriculum has been very beneficial to her success, both in the classroom and in life. “I feel that the Core Program has helped in all my classes. It has encouraged me to think critically about my thoughts, reasonings, and beliefs. It has really taught me to consider other individuals' viewpoints and thoughts as well. It will help me after graduation, when I
am expected to develop, challenge, and discuss my thoughts and ideas. In addition, thanks to Core, I am able to speak in front of a large group of individuals, in order to have a rational and well thought out discussion,” Troop said. For some students, the full benefit of Core may not be realized until they leave the SJC campus. “I don’t know that too many students fully appreciate it until after they graduate. Once they enter their professions they begin to see that they have a better capacity to think through things and work at issues with a team. The college receives very high praise (for the program) from our alumni,” Groppe said. While there are colleges and universities with Core courses, Nichols said Saint Joseph’s College is unique. “I really don’t know of any other college with an eight-semester Core program like we have. There are others with Core programs, but not true Core like at Saint Joseph’s College,” Nichols said. The Core Curriculum has grown and continues to change based on the educational needs of students and the world around them. The Core Curriculum is the foundation of SJC’s pledge “to a tradition of excellence and to a united endeavor of intelligence and faith.”
Nona Noel was hired as the first Dean of Women as they were about to move onto the campus. Elizabeth Dunn became the director or "house mother" of Justin Hall, and soon became known as "Ma Dunn." Justin Hall was the "new" dorm with men on the west wing and 80 women living in the east wing. They expected the entire hall would eventually become entirely women students' dorms. In 1975-1976, women's teams were formed for volleyball and basketball to compete against other colleges. In 1977, a women's tennis team was formed. Eventually, the college added women's teams in cross country, golf and soccer. In 2012, Alicia J. Dobels Clevenger, Class of 1991, ws inducted into the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame's Women's Silver Anniversary Team. In 2010, she'd been inducted into the SJC Sports Hall of Fame. She was a member of the women's basketball team from 1987 to 1991. She ranked 13th in total points for SJC and ranked fifth in total rebounds.
Long’s Gifts
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students are similar to other colleges but have so much more opportunity to get involved and be affiliated with 3 or 4 clubs on campus. We have also became very heavily involved in sports over the years. A significant minority of our students participate in athletics,” Frere said. With SJC being a primarily resi-
dential campus, most students live on campus, with the exception of those who have parents that live within 60 miles of the college. Those students are allowed to commute. There are currently 722 students slated to live on SJC campus this fall, with approximately 1000 total enrolled students.
“One of the good things about life at SJC that relates back to it's original times is that we are still a family and community here. That has not changed. We stay connected and everyone knows each other. It's a close-knit community and really speaks to the student's experience,” Frere said.
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Honoring Saint Joseph's College 125 Years of Education
Bears
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From 5
work in SJC's admissions office and really began to rub elbows with the Bears, including Johnny Morris, Mike Ditka and others. He developed a long-term relationship with tight end Jim Seymour. "Our interaction went well beyond the confines of the practice field," Feicht said. "We'd go out for drinks at Rafferty's a few times and do some elbow bending exercises." Current athletic director Bill Massoels' father was a good friend of Father Lefko's and came to the Saint Joe campus on numerous occasions in his youth. "I remember coming to camp every summer and taking pictures with (Dick) Butkus, Sayers, (Bobby)
Douglas …," said Massoels, who, despite all that exposure to the Bears, somehow became a Packers fan in his adult life. Massoels said Bill Wade of the 1963 Bears came back to campus for an anniversary celebration one year and recalled an unpleasant memory of those training camp days. "I remember him saying how all the Bears hated to have to run a mile, but it was even worse having to run on the cinder track (in front of SJC's Fieldhouse)," Massoels recalls. "I met (Mike) Ditka once and I told him I was coach at SJC and he went on to complain about the cinder track. Being a track and field coach, I like that story a great deal."
Former Bears coach Dick Jauron remembers when the old Bears used to camp out at Saint Joseph's. According to Danahey, who served as SID at SJC from 1993-2002, Jauron, whose father Robert coached SJC's 1956 team to the NAIA national title game known as the Aluminum Bowl game, stopped at the campus on his way back from the NFL Combine in 2000 to reminisce and relive moments of the Bears in his former hometown. "We talked about an hour, an hour and a half about the Bears and things he remembers about them being on campus," Danahey said. "He also talked about his dad who enjoyed coaching at Saint Joe."
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Ball Foundation Venture Fund in 2012. This provided seed money to innovative start-up programs among the 31 member institutions of the Independent Colleges of Indiana. The Hoop house has been a tremendous addition to SJC's sustainable agriculture program launched in 2011. As part of a broader sustainability action plan, this includes a Community Learning Garden. This is a one-half acre organic vegetable garden managed by faculty and students, and also involving members of the community who purchase shares to buy vegetables. At the student farm on SJC campus, classes are taught and summer interns work in the garden. The focus is on growing for business purposes. Students learn how to grow and provide
distribution to the community. "The hoop house gives the college additional programming for sustainable agriculture to increase production, protect the environment and build stronger communities," Zimmer said. According to Zimmer, sustainability and SJC fits into their Catholic mission in that it focuses on stewardship. “The work is about people and caring for people, whether providing to the food pantry or people in the community. We are a college which is the biggest landholders east of the Mississippi. We have been involved in agriculture since this institution began. It only makes sense that we use these resources to meet our educational goals and to achieve the SJC mission,” Zimmer said.
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Honoring Saint Joseph's College 125 Years of Education
Congratulations to St. Joe on 125 Great Years