Ohio Dominican Through the Years...
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| Erskine Hall - 1929 |
In 1924, the Winter Olympics were held in Chamonix, France. It was also the year
the Dominican Sisters of St. Mary of the Springs opened their doors to the first
graduating class of their newly-chartered four-year liberal arts college.
Before her death in 2003, Sister Camilla Mullay, former Professor of History had
been documenting the college's history. She told us that Mother Stephanie Mohun had
announced a "firm decision to build the college on the congregation's grounds after
four years of active inquiry, intense thought and prayers." The sisters' motivation,
as recorded in the college history, was the conviction that "truth is one, that
truth in the various academic disciplines cannot be contradictory, and that truth leads
to the God who said, 'I am the Truth.'"
The first college classes were held in Wehrle Hall, and some facilities, such as the
dining hall, were shared with Academy (high school) students. By 1929, Erskine Hall and
Sansbury Hall were under roof and the sisters had floated a bond issue to pay for
them - the same year the stock market crashed.
The college was to feel the effects of the Depression. Many families of St. Mary
students lost their businesses and their daughters were unable to continue their
studies. Sister Camilla recounted, "In 1930 some of the sisters, along with
Mother Stephanie, stood at church doors to receive donations. The college defaulted
on its debt, unable to refinance the loan. With the help of James Boulger, a friend
and legal counsel, and with the assistance of a sympathetic banker in Cincinnati, a
sinking fund was established with $50 and the entire debt would be paid off by
1949."
Mary Hederick '29, who entered the college in 1925, recalls that, in spite of the
Depression, Columbus was seen as a safe, friendly place. She says that she traveled
to St. Mary's by streetcar from the west side and then walked to the college. There
were only six lay students in her class, aside from the sisters who also took classes.
"At that time there were just two classes of students, the one that started in
1924, and ours, but we were the first class to hold graduation exercises in the new
Erskine Hall. The construction of these large buildings pointed to the foresight and
vision of Mother Stephanie," Mary continues. "There were only a handful of
students, but she built with faith for a future she saw.
"We were one big happy family, feeling lucky to be part of a new
college," Mary continues. "Because the college was new, everyone was excited
and determined to make the educational experience a success. We received an excellent
education from a wonderful bunch of nuns who nurtured and cared about us. There was a
great deal of excitement and hope for the future of the college."
Although the "Roaring 20s" were known as the era of the "flapper,"
St. Mary's students were never seen in short dresses or with bobbed hair. According to a
1930 article from the Columbus Dispatch, "The sisters do not have to cope with the
problem of drinking and smoking among the students. … One of the guiding lights in
this new venture in education has been that there shall be few rules made… 'Don't
do anything that's going to require that rule be made against it' is in fact the only
hard and fast and definitely tangible regulation."
Betty Biggert '37, who served as Class President, recalls that students called
for a vote over the issue of whether they would be permitted to wear ankle socks.
"Students voted yes, administration said no," Betty remembers. When she
entered St. Mary's in 1933 students were required to wear black uniforms that were
phased out the following year. She also recalls the girls being required to request
permission to visit an off-campus ice-cream parlor at the corner of East Fifth and
Nelson.
"Our freshman class quickly thinned because of the Depression and things
remaining 'tight' for some families." According to Betty, the Depression did
provide special educational opportunities for women because "families sent their
daughters to college while their sons had to go out to work." She recalls that
tuition was about $150 a year at the time.
Betty, who served as Editor of the campus newspaper, The Tower, adds that campus
life itself was "somewhat shielded from much of the Depression." She remembers
plenty of food, books and equipment, as well as dances and plays on campus. "For
fun in the summer a group of 12 or so girls would take a cottage at Lake Erie - with a
chaperone, of course - and spend a week or two." She says the girls enjoyed
cooking their own meals and visiting the dance houses at Rye Beach, where they
sometimes danced with one another, but often with boys from the area.
Betty continued her studies after graduation at Case Western Reserve University
in Cleveland, where she studied library science. Following a varied career, that
included a stint in the U.S. Navy, she retired in 1977 as a librarian for Battelle
Memorial Institute.
IN HISTORY...
Crooner Al Jolson's California Here I Come! was among popular music of
the day, along with trumpeter Louis Armstrong's Gut Bucket Blues, which was first
recorded in 1925.
In 1924 a technological milestone was reached when it took only 20 minutes to
send photographs via undersea cable from London to New York.
In 1931 the Star Spangled Banner was officially named the National
Anthem. The tune and lyrics, both written by Francis Scott Key, had unofficially
served as such since 1814.
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| Girls on the steps of Sansbury Hall. |
The 40s were a time of transition - not only for the United States and the world,
but for the college as well. The decade began with wartime uncertainty - concern for
loved ones fighting in Europe or on the Pacific front mingled with determining how to
make ends meet at home in the face of shortages and rationing. As the decade progressed,
activities focused on adjusting to a peacetime economy and planning for a bright future.
World War II had a big impact on college life for Bette Bowling Ritz '44. She recalls
the effect of rationing on Sister Celestine's Home Economics class. "We were
preparing to keep house and cook in a war-time economy," she said. "The
reality of the day was rationing of food staples such as sugar and flour, and other
items. It wasn't easy planning a meal around the number of red and blue stamps we had
available and their relative point value, but our teachers were determined to prepare
us for the world as it was, and so we learned."
Bette also remembers the practical experience she and her fellow students gained
in Sister Bergetta's Advanced Clothing Class, where they learned how to recycle worn
fabric by disassembling a dress or suit to create a "new" garment.
Bette was deeply impacted by events during the war. The bombing of Pearl Harbor,
the rise of Hitler and the detonation of the Atom Bomb all made an impression on the
then young woman. "The war bonded people together more than any other time in
our history," she emphasized. "Even though our social life was pretty dull
at this time, we found ways to make our own fun, including spending hours talking
one-on-one following The Erskine Lectures with Bishop Sheen."
Eleanor Mayer '50 entered the college in the fall of 1945 just after Japan
surrendered, the European concentration camps were liberated and a few months after
President Roosevelt declared the end of all hostilities. Her transition from war to
peace was significant.
"These were good years," she asserts. "The war was over, the economy
was rebuilding, and it was a wonderful time for those of us living on the St. Mary's
campus." Eleanor lived in Sansbury Hall and recalls that because only seniors
were permitted to have automobiles on campus; she and her friends walked everywhere.
Eleanor remembers dances in the Colonial Room, ice-skating parties on Alum Creek,
the Revels Christmas tradition, and field trips to Buckeye Lake in a beer truck
compliments of Helen Wagner's family. Many of the young men from near-by St.
Charles were invited to the dances, later becoming husbands of her classmates.
"It was a carefree time on campus and not many of us were concerned with real
world issues," she recalled.
Outside the College's walls, the "real world" issues would later
have an enormous impact on all institutions of higher learning, including Ohio
Dominican. The rising birth rate - from 19.9 per thousand in 944 to 25.8 per
thousand in 1947 - was a bellwether of "baby boom," whose members would
later populate the College in large numbers. The Serviceman's Readjustment Act of
1944, popularly known as the "GI Bill of Rights," would have an effect on
future men and women who would come to Ohio Dominican.
IN HISTORY...
Frank Sinatra was the most popular male singer and first teen idol.
Victory Gardens provided much needed food on the home front.
Jackie Robinson became the first Black to play in the Major Leagues in 1945.
"Yankee Doodle Dandy" was the type of movie that spurred patriotic
feelings.
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The 1950's
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| College of St. Mary of the Springs |
The post-war complacency of the late 1940s was to be broken in the opening
year of 1950 as President Harry S. Truman ordered U.S. troops to join the United
Nations' effort to stop the North Korean invasion of South Korea. The country was
on an upward economic spiral and student radicalism, which was to become the hallmark
of the 1960s, was still in the distant future. Some St. Mary of the Springs students
were already thinking ahead to issues such as Civil Rights, that would later rattle the
conscience of the nation.
Teresa Geiger '53 recalls being "struck by the ghetto conditions that I saw in
some areas of Columbus when I rode the bus downtown. I certainly did glean a sense of
responsibility and I remember making donations to C.A.R.E. and to the Salvation
Army."
Teresa remembers the impact of the Erskine Lectures on her, which at that time were
arranged by Father Bauer. "Through the lectures our thoughts were inspired regarding
poverty, the United Nations and religious thinking. Our desire to help others was most
often expressed through volunteering to teach CCD classes in the parishes," she
says.
Martha Galloway Petrucci '56 also recalls helping out in the community. "Through
the Social Service Club, student leaders made the arrangements for volunteer service
with the administrators of St. Vincent and St. Ann's Orphanages, as well as various
community houses throughout the city," she says. "These experiences provided
invaluable training for the future and were as meaningful as our formal education.
" Martha adds that opportunities for extracurricular activities such as these
reinforced "the implied belief, on the part of our wonderful teaching Sisters,
that we could do anything that we set out to do."
In 1955, just one year after Gloria Absi '58 and her classmates entered the college,
a black woman named Rosa Parks would be arrested in Montgomery, Alabama, for refusing to
give up her bus seat to a white man.
"I sometimes wonder if we thought there was an outside world, we were so wrapped
up in campus life," Gloria recalls. "Our lives were quite insular and contact
with world events was much more limited. "My friends and I do remember, though,
experiencing the beginning of the explosion of technology and the early stage of the
invasion of instant worldwide information as we would catch morning snippets of the
'Today Show' as we checked our post office boxes in the mail room." She says that
this "precursor to the present CNN instant news as it is happening right before
your eyes helped us realize that the cold war, early civil rights concerns, reunification
of Germany and even the first nuclear submarine, Nautilus, were all a part of the scene.
"
Margaret "Peg" Sebastian '58 agrees. "Names such as Indochina,
Vietnam, Korea - which had only been subjects for some faraway geography lesson -
were beginning to come into the news. The eastern part of the world was becoming a
more familiar place to the average American," she adds. "The significance of
events to us was to remind us we were moving into a world that was changing and that
needed well-educated women to make a difference. I think most of us believed we would
indeed make a difference," she asserts. "And, amazingly, I think we have, in
our families and our communities, and through the ripple effect, beyond."
"The outside world touched us," adds classmate Marcia Willson Bohley
'58. "I don't think we were tuned into Elvis Presley - some of us missed that
happening at the time. However," she recalls, "Grace Kelly married an 'old'
Prince of 32, Salk introduced the polio vaccine and the Soviets launched Sputnik.
We demurely looked the other way when people talked about Cat on a Hot Tin Roof,"
she says, "but when Father Urban Nagle came to us from off-Broadway we undauntedly
put on his play Armor of Light."
"During our time at the then College of St. Mary of the Springs, the student
population was primarily resident students known as 'boarders' and the commuters were
known as 'day-hops,'" recalls Pat Gibboney '58. Because excursions from campus were
limited by strict college rules, the result was a focusing of energy on campus life,
including social work at St. Vincent's orphanage, drama with the Merry Masquers, studying
for finals and preparing for dances. "Most of our issues were around carrying out
our responsibilities," Pat remembers. "I think most of us knew we were
privileged to be there - a large majority of us were first generation college students
- and knew we had a great opportunity."
Gloria sums up her classmates' sentiments: "The culture of the college was
built into the fabric of our lives, then and now. We were becoming women who valued
education, who felt a sense of pride in belonging to a wonderful institution with a
real heritage of excellence and integrity. I think our class still carries that banner
and recognizes the blessings of such a tradition. I suspect we have passed that on,
where possible to other people in our lives, including our children and grandchildren.
IN HISTORY...
In 1959 the silicon chip was invented. About the size of a pencil eraser, the
little chip was covered with semi-conductors to form the integrated circuit that
served as the "brain" of a computer.
A restaurant dinner of roast turkey, with all the trimmings, cost just 65
cents; a slice of apple pie or layer cake was just 15 cents.
The 1950s saw a rise in religious concerns as the Reverends Norman Vincent
Peale, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Billy Graham, along with Bishop Fulton
Sheen, represented spirituality to an overwhelming number of Americans.
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| Dining in Hamilton Hall - after the school went
co-educational. |
The '60s might best be characterized as the decade of the "nation's roller-coaster
ride," as the spirit of the nation swung between euphoria and grief. This is the decade
that saw America winning the "space race." From Alan Shepard becoming the first
American in space in 1961 to John Glenn's famous first orbit of the earth in 1962 to Neil
Armstrong's "giant step for mankind" in 1969, citizens across the country were
thrilled with the nation's progress. This is also the decade that saw the 1961 inauguration
of John F. Kennedy as the first Catholic President and his tragic assassination just three
years later. The Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., made his "I have a dream" speech
during the March on Washington in 1963, became the youngest person to win the Nobel Peace
Prize in 1964, saw the Voting Rights Act passed in 1965 and, in 1968, was tragically
assassinated. Barely two months later Senator Robert F. Kennedy, was shot and killed at
point-blank range.
Reta Clemens-Holdens '65 recalls that she was in theology class with Father Tulane
when the announcement about President Kennedy's assassination came. "The entire
student body just kind of shut down," she remembers. "Members of the faculty
tried to draw us out and get us talking, but everyone was just sort of numb."
Reta also recollects a very active civil rights contingent on campus, which was led
by Msgr. Fick. "Civil rights were seen as a very important issue at a college that
was on the forefront of integrated education," she asserts. "This whole time
(of the 60s) was a real period of transition in many respects. Women's rights were
finally being recognized throughout society, too, and this created an atmosphere of
contradiction." She explains that after graduation she became very much aware of
how important her positive experience at St. Mary's had been. "Men were not exactly
encouraging young women to succeed professionally or get involved socially or
politically." Reta went on to become one of the first women employed at Battelle
Memorial Institute to hold a Top Secret Clearance for both the Department of Defense.
Reta, who was in her senior year when men were first admitted to the college,
recalls that their presence was not of major concern to her or her friends, as there
were yet to be men in the upper-level classes. Also, she says that their interest
was focused on the Beatles and "the crusade being carried on by several of the
nuns against 'beehive' hairdos."
Dick Maxwell '69, among the first male students on campus, recalls the advantage
to male students of being "tremendously outnumbered by girls. There were plenty
of dates, but the most enriching thing was having the opportunity to have true friends
who just happened to be female."
Dick also says there were other opportunities for the men on campus, such as being
part of the first men's basketball team, the Panthers, as well as the opportunity to
graduate from a truly outstanding school. Today Dick is proud to serve on the College's
Board of Trustees.
Mike Wagner '68, who was in the first graduating class to include men, was less
impacted by being the minority gender on campus. His recollections include the
significance of the 1968 name change from St. Mary of the Springs to Ohio Dominican
College. "As with most public debates, there were groups entrenched on both sides
of the issue and a hint of conspiracy hung in the air," he says. "Some
firmly believed the college should remain St. Mary's while others insisted a name
change was critical to the survival of the college." Mike, however, took a stand
in the middle and was part of a group advocating a modification to simply, "St.
Mary's."
Sister Francis deSales, who served as Mother General of the congregation in the
60s, recalls a college assembly to announce the name change. "Sister Suzanne
had gotten wind that there was to be a walk-out staged by some students when the name
was announced," she says. "So, Sister walked into the room, acknowledged
that people were busy and that she would not take long to make her announcement.
She announced the name and immediately dismissed students to attend to their other
obligations. Therefore, the name was changed without a demonstration," she adds.
According to Sister Francis, "These were difficult times for small, liberal
arts, Catholic colleges, and a 'business world' understanding was needed. Sister Suzanne,
who had observed former president Sister Angelita Conley begin to work with the
faculty, students and the general counsel to pave the way for the transition to a coed
school and lay board, felt she was carrying out Sister Angelita's wishes" in
effecting the change to coeducation, she remembers.
She also recalls that during discussion of the name change the Board and
administration sought suggestions. The consensus was that Dominican needed to be
part of the name, as did Ohio. "The rest is history," she asserts. She
shares the story of student Tom Fitzpatrick, also now serving on the Board of Trustees,
who "went with some other boys in the night and removed the sign from the college
gates that indicated this was a school for girls," she laughs.
Sister did say that although the '60s were a "time of turbulence on other
campuses, Ohio Dominican did not experience much of this." Although she acknowledges
that the college "was a place for plenty of dialog, but not much dissention,"
she attributes the calm on campus to somewhat less interest in the Vietnam War than
on other campuses, due in part to the small numbers of men.
Mike Wagner, however, who did recall that the then "new" war in Vietnam
and the Civil Rights movement were indeed significant issues on campus, perhaps best
sums up how Ohio Dominican came through the turbulent '60s:
"One of the very wonderful things about the campus was the dignity and grace
with which the sisters 'carried on.' They possessed a certain sensitivity that enabled
them to understand and engage the world without allowing it to overwhelm them. This
ability informed their teaching and, consequently, their students."
IN HISTORY...
Political upheaval was the watchword of the 1960s as the Berlin Wall was
built in 1961, virtually overnight; the Cuban Missile Crisis gripped the
nation in 1962; and in 1965 the first American combat troops landed in Vietnam.
The term "hippie," referring to the self-proclaimed members
of the "counter-culture," became a household word, as thousands
of young people adopted clothing, attitudes and drug use that were the
symbol of rebellion against their parents' generation.
In the late 1960s the "minicomputer" was invented. The size
of a bookcase, they cost tens of thousands of dollars.
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| Spangler Library |
"Four dead in Ohio," the lyrics from a popular Crosby Stills, Nash
and Young song, still echo through the decades after having become of rallying cry
for anti-Vietnam War demonstrators on campuses across the nation. The popular song
was inspired by events in May of 1970 when four students were killed by National
Guardsmen during anti-war protests on the campus of Kent State University.
"Even our quiet campus was not immune to the student unrest of the times
and there were anti-war demonstrations here at Ohio Dominican," recalls Sandra
Estanek '73. "Some students and faculty even went to join the march on
Washington. I remember going to my room in the dorm and learning about the shootings
at Kent State - I personally knew one of the students who had been wounded,"
she says, recalling that the incident made a big impression on her.
Ron Carstens, Professor of Political Science, also recalls the impact of the
Vietnam War and subsequent Watergate incident on students and on campus life.
"These events provided much fodder for the classroom and created the challenge
of having to overcome the disillusionment that students brought into the political
science classroom."
Dr. Carstens came to Ohio Dominican in 1974 and identifies another serious topic
for Ohio Dominican during the early '70s. "The main issue permeating every
discussion on campus at the time was the budget shortfall. The question of whether or
not the college would 'make it' was very real to those of us who were here at the
time," he says. The recollections of Art Koch, Professor of Chemistry, resonate
with those of Dr. Carstens. "The early '70s were hard times for the
College," Dr. Koch says. "There were serious financial issues -
even to the extent of having to cut faculty."
The result was considerable introspection on the part of the College. Sister Mary
Andrew was handed an institution that had weathered some tough challenges as she
succeeded Sister Suzanne Uhrhane as president in 1978. "When it came time for
Sister Suzanne to retire, there was a firm belief that a Dominican needed to be
President," recalls Dr. Koch. "After reviewing national applicants,
Sister Mary Andrew stood out - she had done an excellent job as a member of the
faculty and as Dean," he says. Sister Mary Andrew had served as a member of
the faculty from 1965 to 1973 and as Executive Vice President and Academic Dean
since 1973.
Sister Mary Andrew and the faculty recognized that students needed a stronger
unpinning in the humanities through the current curriculum, and undertook the task
of redefining the mission of the college.
"We had a sense that we were involved in something really important,"
recalls Dr. Carstens. "It was individual commitment to this sentiment, and
Sister Mary Andrew's leadership that would position Ohio Dominican for the
future," he says. The fruits of their effort included an identification of the
students who would be served, a commitment to the culture of the Dominican order and
Christian values it embodies, and the creation of the mission statement which still
stands today.
"Ohio Dominican is one of the few institutions to be successful in straddling
the liberal arts/professional divide," Dr. Carstens explains. "We are neither
a true liberal arts institution, nor are we a true professional college. We are a hybrid.
The result is we can have a program like the criminal justice program, which is normally
a purely professional program and ally it to the liberal arts. In other words, we have
not let the 'tail wag the dog.'"
By the end of the decade the faculty and administration of Ohio Dominican College
were focused on the refinement of the 4-4 curriculum. Students who had been in grade
school during the height of the Vietnam War were now preparing to graduate into a
world vastly different from that of just 10 years ago. "The release of some of
the last of the Vietnam Prisoners of War made the Vietnam War come alive for many of
us who were just young enough to have missed the real thrust of the war," says
Erin Londergan Morris '79. "A number of Ohio Dominican students showed support
for the POWs by buying and wearing bracelets. We knew that war could happen in the
world and could impact us, because it had impacted others around us or in our
families," she says.
Erin also recalls the Iranian Hostage Crisis of 1979 that took place during her
senior year. "A number of Iranian students were on campus at the time through
the college's International Office, and for those of us who had led sheltered lives,
having them on campus really made the situation 'hit home,' giving us a more realistic
view of the world," she says. "Also, we had to learn to separate the
individual from the situation and not take our anger and concerns out on the
Iranian students." She added that it is a tribute to the character of the
people at Ohio Dominican that some of her best friends today are friends she
met at college more than 20 years ago. "You find a good friend and hang
onto them," she asserts.
IN HISTORY...
The seeds of the personal computer revolution were planted in 1971 when
the first microprocessor was patented.
Star Wars, directed by George Lucas, was the most successful
movie of the decade.
In 1977 a television mini-series, based on Roots, the 1976
prize-winning novel by Alex Haley, was watched by millions of Americans.
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| The Ratthskeller - a central gathering place for commuter students - was closed in the late 80's. |
The decade of the 80s built in momentum it unfolded. It began with a limping economy,
later taking off in a cloud of intense consumerism. Still recovering from the previous
years' social and political turmoil, people stopped saving money and began to buy in
record numbers. The term "yuppy," describing those who sought a more affluent
life-style, first came into use.
The booming economy was of benefit to Ohio Dominican as well. However, rather than
sharing the world's "me" focus, the college's focus was on "them" -
the students. "One of the most significant campus events was the construction of
the new Science Building, recalls Kathy Dixon, MD '84. "Having new and updated
space and equipment allowed for more advanced projects and experiments and the new
auditorium was more conductive to learning," she says. Kathy explains that Ohio
Dominican teachers taught her everything she needed to know to be accepted into medical
school . "Improvement of the science facilities was exciting for everyone, but
especially for science majors. Choosing Ohio Dominican College has truly been one of
the best decisions I ever made," she adds.
"The 1980s were a time when Sister Mary Andrew began moving the college
ahead," recalls Jill Dardig, Professor of Education. The decade served as the
foundation for what would later become the "Invitation to Tomorrow" and she
was among the first faculty to receive a computer. "It was very cumbersome at
first, but soon became a great time saver and I was able to begin to see some of the
future potential for faculty and students."
There were other significant changes on campus during this time period, most notably
the beginning of Weekend College. According to Professor Dardig, a culture change began
to take place as a result. "The co-mingling of evening and weekend students
with day students created an exciting student mix," she recalls. "More and
more students were living off campus and working more hours. As a result, we began to
see 'cross-age' friendships that were very enriching."
The growth of Ohio Dominican College paralleled the growth of Columbus. With more
shopping, housing and jobs in the city than ever before, the need for a college degree
was elevated. "The women's movement continued to open doors for women in the
1980s, but with a tremendous lack of day care, it made it hard for working faculty
and students."
John Feldmeier '88 also witnessed the culture shift Jill described and attributes
part of it to the closing of the Ratthskeller. "The 'Ratt' had always been a
place for commuter students to hang out and its eventual closure left those students
without a place," he says. "That particular event forced students to connect
off campus. Unfortunately I was working way too many hours to really appreciate what
I was going through at the time. If I had to do it again, I would really cherish the
opportunities that were there, the ones that I perhaps wasn't able to see at the
time," he remarks.
John was a politically active student, aware of the impact of world events on
campus life. "President Reagan was up for re-election and the
conservative/liberal debate was at an all-time high. There were very definite
lines drawn on campus and in the classroom - the young Democrats and young
Republicans were out in full force and I remember some great debates in the
classroom," he says.
John credits Dr. Ron Carstens with raising student awareness of larger issues.
"I can remember fairly early in my career being forced to confront the issues
around the Bernard Goetz shootings. At one point I would have thought there were
really no larger issues connected to the subway shootings, but it took only one
class with Dr. Carstens for me to realize how wrong I was. That realization has
gone on to permeate my work as a criminal defense attorney," he asserts.
The close of the 1980s signaled continuing world change: the 1986 explosion of
the space shuttle Challenger; the rise of terrorism, beginning with the 1983
bombing of the U.S. Embassy in Beirut, the 1985 seizure of the cruise ship Achille
Lauro, and the 1988 destruction of the Pan Am flight over Lockerbie, Scotland; and
finally in 1989, the fall of the Berlin Wall.
IN HISTORY...
Steven Spielberg's 1982 blockbuster movie, ET, The Extra-Terrestrial,
brought the phrase, "phone home," into the daily lexicon.
In 1982 Alice Walker, who was a social worker, teacher and lecturer, won
the Pulitzer Prize for her novel
The Color Purple.
By the end of the decade more than 40% of all personal computers were part
of Local Area Networks (LANs), linked by telephone lines to other PCs. It
would be another 10 years before wireless technology became commonplace.
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| The Invitation to Tomorrow - technology integrated
into the learning process. |
It is easy to determine that the '90s were a tumultuous decade even without benefit
of historical perspective. Don West '90 recalls the impact of the freeing of African
National Congress president Nelson Mandela after serving 27 years in a South African
prison and the subsequent repeal, one year later, of the Apartheid Law. "It brought
people closer together at Ohio Dominican," Don says. "The new Constitution
that resulted and Democratic principles in South Africa that provided equal opportunity
and the ability set up a free society were seen as very positive events. Both events
helped broaden communication throughout the world and reinforced the idea of equal
opportunity for a large body of people," he asserts
Jim Schnell, Professor of Communications Studies, shares similar recollections
about the "bringing people together" effect, when talking about the Gulf
War. In January of 1991 American soldiers had launched a massive air strike against
Iraq in a last ditch effort to persuade them to withdraw from Kuwait. Less than 30
days later the Gulf War, also known as "Desert Storm," was over. "I
recall that this was the first war for most of our students and there was a lot of
confusion about what the war meant to our students and to the world," he says.
A colloquium, featuring a panel with Sister Ruth Caspar, Ron Carstens and Darlene
Alberts, was held in the Little Theatre to help students cope with the uncertainties.
"One year later there was a second colloquium attended by students who had been
at the first discussion, as well as by students who had actually been in the
Gulf War," Jim remembers. "They compared what had been reported and
what they saw, providing valuable insights.
"The blessings of a liberal arts institution include being able to see
the big picture and learning to think critically - things that put people in a
good position to grow and succeed," Jim continues. Gatherings such as those
described above, "teach people to take broader perspectives and to learn to
manage change," he explains. "The addition of computerization, the growing
economy and globalization all made Ohio Dominican a very exciting place to be in
the '90s, he adds.
Technology took a starring role in the '90s at Ohio Dominican, as
evidenced by the introduction of the Invitation to Tomorrow in 1994. This innovative
program links student learning styles, technology and teaching innovations to prepare
students for what they will need to know and be able to do in the 21st century.
"I have former students working in jobs today that didn't even exist when
they were in college," Jim asserts. "This is especially true when
considering emerging technologies. I see myself helping students learn to continue
learning," he adds. "In today's world, graduation is a landmark event,
not an ending."
The public spotlight began to shine even more brightly upon Ohio Dominican in
the '90s, due at least in part to broadening recognition of Sister Mary Andrew
Matesich's contributions to the college and to the community. She and the college
were honored with a Knight Foundation Presidential Leadership Grant of $100,000 in
1990 which was used to establish PATRIOTS, Ohio Dominican's program for veterans.
The Columbus Foundation honored her in 1994 and she received the Anti-Defamation
League Jack Resler Award in 1995. She was invited to serve on the Board of Trustees
of the United Way of Franklin County in 1997 and in 1998 was named chair of the
Greater Columbus Promise for Youth Governing Committee.
This latter opportunity to serve was in direct recognition of the college's
successful Village to Child program that provides academic enrichment and mentorship
opportunities for middle school students who live in the urban community
surrounding the college.
"As a student, it was clear to me that Ohio Dominican had made a
decision to integrate students of all age groups on one campus," recalls
Bill Dulin '98. "By embracing the highly successful Village to Child
community outreach program and options such as LEAD (the learning enhanced adult
degree program for adults), the campus was active with students of all age groups.
More importantly, the college did not deviate from its moral, academic and, most
importantly, religious standards" in brining new programs about, Bill declares.
While Bill identifies these outreach programs as "significant campus issues"
during his time at Ohio Dominican, he says that, "One of the most significant
issues in the world at the time was the impeachment proceedings of the President of
the United States." From January to October 1998, the events that lead to the
impeachment in December of the 42nd President unfolded. Although President Clinton
was acquitted in February of the following year, the effect was lasting.
"Not only was the President on trial, but the ethical foundation of the
nation was at risk," Bill says. "I can recall that in most classes this
topic or related topics often surfaced for discussion. It seemed to me that the
faculty positively reacted to this event by more fervently focusing the students'
attention on the moral and ethical values of Ohio Dominican College." Bill
selected a quote from Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen to summarize his experience and
education at Ohio Dominican. It is also a fitting summary of the last near century
of the college's history - as well as its ever-beckoning future: "There are
no limits to the truth you can know, to the life you can live, to the love you
can enjoy and the beauty you can experience."
IN HISTORY...
The biggest earthquake to strike the United States in 40 years shook
southern California in June of 1992. Two years later an area near Los Angeles
was rocked by a second quake that killed 55 people.
Poet and author Maya Angelou read her poem, On the Pulse of
Morning, at the 1993 inauguration of President William Jefferson
Clinton. Also that year, Rita Dove became the youngest and the first
African-American Poet Laureate of the United States.
The Panama Canal, which was completed by the United States after 10
short years of construction, was turned over to Panamanian control at
noon on December 31, 1999.
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