Reflection #70 (Only 1006 to go): Improv and Other Non-athletic Activities

In early November, my wife and I went to Ignatius to watch our granddaughter perform as a part of the Improv Troop.   In our biased opinion, she was the best.  OK, OK!  It’s grandma and grandpa making that call, but she must be pretty good, because she is one of the three leaders of the group.

Improv is an interesting activity.   For the uninitiated, it is one of the performing arts, but there is no written script.  The cast participates in scenes that are called “games” in which the audience calls out certain conditions such as the characters occupation, nationality, and even personality type.   The actors must try to perform within those parameters with the objective being humor.

Image yourself on stage in front of family, friends and total strangers, being instructed to play, for example, a plumber with a French accent, trying to convince an space alien that he’s on the wrong planet, and doing it with no script.  Then make it funny and entertaining.   This requires both intelligence and courage.   I can’t think of any other realm in which this is done…except, of course, teaching math.

           

            I got to thinking about how many changes have occurred in the non-athletic extra-curriculars since I started at Ignatius 50-some years ago, so I went to the 1963 and 2013 yearbooks to compare.  One obvious difference is the number of activities.  The ’63 yearbook listed 21 activities; the 2013 yearbook listed 55.  It is probably needless to say that “Improv” was not an activity in ’63.   the activities list in 1963 included Potpourri, the talent show, and the Melody Knights which was the band.  Activities that were listed then-and-now were the Harlequins, Forensics and the Chess Team.  Perhaps counting the yearbook entries may not give the exact number for each year, but I’m pretty sure that it is a good indication.

There were also some other interesting differences.  For example, in 1963 there were no “ethic clubs”; in 2013, there were 8 listed.  This is not the same as “language” clubs.  In ’63 there was the French Club; in ’13, there were French, Latin, Spanish and Chinese. 

Another significant difference is the shift away from strictly religious organizations.   In ’63 there were the Mass Servers, the Apostleship of Prayer and Sodality.   Since then, activities have moved more toward “service” organizations, such as Peer Community Tutoring, Outdoor Ecology Club, Respect-Life Club, IETA, SCSA and SADD.  This reflects the direction that society at-large has moved.  There are several activities in which the purpose is not immediately evident, for example, Body, Mind and Spirit and  Do It Yourself Club.

I hope that you had a wonderful Christmas and that 2015 will be the best year yet…but not as good as 2016. 

Reflection #69 (Only 1007 to go): The Passing of a Great Lady (Pt. 2)

In Reminiscence #66, I introduced the readers to a lady, Joan Terracina, who had worked at Ignatius for 50 years as the secretary to the treasurer…from 1939 to 1989.    Joan passed away on July 21, 2014.  I ended the article by saying that “it (the Reminiscence) doesn’t speak to why, on Dec. 10^th of 1989 at the Annual Christmas Benefit, she received the Dei Gloriam Award.  In Part 2, I will disclose why this woman was described in the yearbook as “a living expression of the Jesuit ideal”.

Of course, nothing would be as good as having known and worked with Joan, but I’ll give it my best shot.   In 1989, on the occasion of her retirement, the Chicago Sun-Times Newspaper had a feature article written by Bob Herguth entitled “Chicago Profile”.   In it she was called the “’Miss Chips’ of St. Ignatius College Prep”.   Typically, when a member of a school’s staff is identified as “Miss/Mr. Chips”, it’s referring to a teacher, or, at least an administrator…someone who comes in contact with the students on a daily basis to inspire and comfort them.

In the article, Joan is quoted as saying, “Sooner or later, I meet all the kids.  When I see that some of the students are not smiling, I try to ask them what’s wrong.  I try to give them a little bit of advice.”  She would “encourage them to “keep on with their studies.  To work hard while in high school as a better preparation for college, and to have faith in God: that He’s always there to help them.”

She said that she bumped into “Ignatius grads everywhere, even on planes.  I’ve even been invited to their weddings.  One student would visit me every day in my office.  After he graduated, he went to the Jesuit novitiate.”  Years later, after he was ordained, he became her boss.

But what was it about Joan that made such an impact that she was given the highest honor the school has to bestow on an individual?   I’ve spoken in the past about teachers who had that mysterious quality called “charisma”.  Most of the time it remains a mystery, but I think that I have a clue as to what made Joan special.  

Perhaps you’ve heard the acronym, “K.I.S.S.”, which stands for “Keep It Simple, Stupid”.    If I had to guess, I’d say that was the secret to Joan’s charisma… the simplicity with which she led her life.  Her focus and passions in life were God, family and Ignatius.   In service of the Lord, she worked tirelessly in her parish as a part of the Legion-of-Mary, the Altar and Rosary, and sang in the church choir, as well as helping out at parish fundraisers.   Even as a child, Joan and her siblings were there to serve families in need in her neighborhood.

Sister Ann Vincent, one of Joan’s nieces, told me that, within the family, she always included her nieces and nephews in her activities, even to the extent that she’d sit at the dreaded “kids’ table” for holiday dinners.  She never learned to drive, but loved taking long walks through parks to enjoy the flowers and whatever other sites Mother-Nature had to offer…always inviting the youngsters in the family to accompany her.

At Joan’s funeral Mass, Father Mulvihill said that, if the Jesuits had permitted women, he was sure that Joan would have been the template…perhaps for the men also.   I believe that it was the simplicity with which she led a life in the service of the Lord, her family and St. Ignatius that answers the question of why the secretary-to-the-treasurer was accorded such grand recognition.

Reflection #68 (Only 1008 to go): Varia

            Yesterday, Sunday, October 19^th, Father Michael Caruso, S.J., took his final vows at Holy Family Church.   In case you’re not familiar with this event, some period of time after Jesuits are ordained, they are invited by a superior to prepare for their final vows by entering a period of tertianship.  During this time, the priest or brother studies the foundation documents of the society and makes a 30-day silent retreat based on the Spiritual Exercises.

            Afterward, the Jesuit will pronounce “final vows” which include repeating his vows of poverty, chastity and obedience.   I can recall, when I started teaching at Ignatius  (Sept. 62), much was made of the fact that Jesuits took a 4^th vow, usually a special vow of obedience to the pope.

            Congratulations, Fr. Caruso. 

            Over the last month, I’ve attended 5 reunions at 1076.  Toward the end of September, the class of 1964 celebrated their 50-year reunion.  This past Saturday evening (October 18), the classes of ’69, ‘74, ’79 and ’84 celebrated their reunions.  I had a special incentive to be there because my daughter and my daughter-in-law were in the class of ’84.

            I’ve said it before, but I really enjoy attending reunions.  Reminiscing about events, good and bad, that occurred when they (and I) were younger, catching up on how things are going now and sharing the feelings of the impact that we all had on each other. 

            The class of ’64 also had special significance for me, since it was the first “golden” anniversary class with students I had taught.  I attended the Friday evening portion of their celebration and Father George Lane said Mass on Saturday evening.  I’m pretty sure that we were the only two teachers from their era to attend.  So many of their teachers have either gone to their eternal reward, or are too old to make the trip.  (For the record, I was 22 when I taught them as sophomores, so I’m just making it under the wire.)

            And speaking of former teachers of a “certain age”, I still visit Frank Raispis every other week.  Frank is in good health and still mentally sharp.  I make that last point, because, at 87 years old, he still has the same great outlook on life and his fortunes, good and bad, that he has always had.  Though, ideally, Frank would have loved to have attended the ’64-reunion, his lack of mobility would not allow it, so a video was made of him addressing the class members in attendance.

           Finally, some members of the class of '63 are going to host an event to celebrate Fr. Joseph Bowen, SJ's contributions to the survival of our beloved institution.  Father was a member of the class of '63 and served as the president of Ignatius through the 2nd half of the '70's.  He is credited with the Bob Hope Benefit in 1976 and making the decision to go co-ed in 1979.  Stay tuned for further information on this celebration.

Reflection #67 (Only 1009 to go): Just do it!

Despite the fact that Saint Ignatius College Prep is a Jesuit institution, I have been lax in writing about the many outstanding Jesuits with whom I have worked.  That said, it’s past time to tell of one who inspired me, not only as a teacher, but as a person.

 Recently, I have been looking into the topic of Ignatians who are writers/authors, and it’s proving to be an impressive list.   Probably the most widely read author to have graced Saint Ignatius’ hallowed halls is Father Mark Link, S.J.   Father Link has written or edited more than 20 (some sources say as many as 60) books which have sold over 10 million copies.  During Advent and Lent, I would often read an entree from one of Father’s books at the beginning of each class.  In the interest of full disclosure, Father Link is not an Ignatius graduate, but he is the product of a Jesuit education, and he did teach theology here from 1963 to 1981. 

What excited Fr. Link, and was the main point of emphasis of his work, was discovering God’s presence in the world.  Father Link’s body of work…writing books, traveling the world giving retreats and workshops, and even scripting TV shows and videos…speaks for it self, but what intrigued me about him was his approach to life.  I am an unapologetic eclectic who tries to gather the modes and methods of those who are successful, and, within the limits of my own strengths and weaknesses, apply them in my life.  Sometimes it works, sometimes not so much.  The trick is recognizing what those special modes and methods are.

In Father Link’s case, I observed three characteristics.  First of all, he kept things simple.  Secondly, he lived by the maxim, “There’s nothing to it, but to do it”. When he saw a need, he acted on it, not second guessing himself or leaving the task for someone else .  The third element could best be described by the title of one of his more popular books: He is the Still Point of the Turning World.  Of course Father Link was referring to God, but I saw in Father the balance and tranquility that seemed to allow him to implement those first two qualities.  Given a situation that needed to be dealt with, he saw the simple solution and acted on it.

Case in point: When the popular cross country coach, Carmen Pintozzi died suddenly, Father sensed the loss of spirit that Carm’s athletes were experiencing.  He decided that what they needed was a “pep rally”, so he convinced the athletic director (me) to climb to the top of the north wall of the gym and create a stick-figure of a cross country runner, the height of the wall, out of athletic tape.  Then we had a pep rally. 

Yet, another example of the simplicity of his approach was demonstrated at the end of a school assembly in the gym.  When the boys were being dismissed, they simply stayed seated and started to chant, “Hell, no!  We won’t go” to the frustration and confusion of the master-of-ceremony.  At that moment, Father Link walked up to a few boys in the first row, and calmly called them by name and told them to leave.  Faced with that direct and personal command by Fr. Link, those boys got up and left.  When the rest of the students saw that their “solidarity” had been broken, they all exited.

On top of all he has done, Father Link was as nice and kind a person as I have ever known.  It is my loss that the only time that I have seen him since 1982 was to congratulate him for having received the Dei Gloriam Award from St. Ignatius.

God bless you, Father Link.

Reflection #66 (Only 1010 to go): The passing of a Great Lady (Pt. I)

    The light in the worlds of her family, friends and Ignatius colleagues flickered and dimmed a bit when we heard, on the morning of July 27^th, of the passing of Joan Terracina.  This occurred exactly three weeks to the day after her 96^th birthday.  

     Joan had been the secretary/receptionist in the school’s Treasurer’s Office for 50 years, running from 1939 until her retirement in 1989.  She was the “conduit” that stabilized the transition through countless treasurers…mostly Jesuits…who sat at the helm of that very important office.  To many generations of students and faculty, she was known only as the short, Italian-looking lady who worked in the Treasurer’s Office, behind a door so sturdy that it could have easily passed for a submarine bulkhead.

    Joan grew up around Taylor St. near Ignatius, and in December of 1939, the President of St. Ignatius High School (It’s official name at that time), Rev. Nicholas Mann, S.J., hired a 21 year old Miss Joan Terracina to work in the Treasurer’s Office until things “got caught up”.  For fifty years, Joan labored, helping to “catch things up”.  Just before Joan started to work, her family moved to the Austin area and, for 50 years, she would commute, or depend on getting a ride from a fellow employee to and from St. Ignatius.

     On December 10^th of 1989, Joan T. Terracina was awarded the most prestigious award the St. Ignatius College Prep bestows on it deems worthy.  On that date, at the annual Christmas Benefit in Orchestra Hall, for her years of outstanding service to the school and community, Fr. Donald Rowe, S.J., presented the Dei Gloriam Award to her.  (There is a two-page spread in the 1990 yearbook capturing that event.)

     Notice that I said, “…and community”.   At Joan’s funeral Mass, Fr. John Mulvihill spoke of Joan’s years of service in the Legion of Mary, an organization of Catholic Laity who were commit to prayer and 2 hours a week in the service of the parish.  This work includes visitations, religious education, visiting the sick and homebound, and anything else that the pastor deems necessary to members in need in that parish.

     In her parish, St. John Bosco, Joan was actively involved for 54 years singing in the choir, Altar and Rosary, working parish fund-raisers, as well as the Legion of Mary.*   She was never married, so her top two “passions”, in no particular order, were her faith and her family, with her love of St. Ignatius a close third. 

     After her retirement, I lost track of Joan for 23 years.  Two years ago, John Chandler called me to let me know Joan was at a retirement facility, and he said he’d appreciate my getting in touch with her.  That rekindled a friendship that was as rewarding to me as it seemed to be to her.  Even at 94 years old, though physically frail, her mind was still as sharp as ever.  Every other week, I’d visit her and we’d share memories of the “old” days.  She would regale me with stories of her working for the Jesuits…always complimentary I assure you.

     The closing line in the article in the yearbook says, “It is a fitting that this award (the Dei Gloriam Award) goes to a woman who is a living example expression of the Jesuit ideal.”  I couldn’t have said it better.  God bless you, Joan.  Rest in peace, dear lady.*

*Many thanks to Sister Ann Vincent, one of Joan’s many loving cousins, for sharing many of the details of Joan’s life with me.

      

Reflection #65 (Only 1011 to go): Varia

Recently I had a chance to visit with Dr. Kristine Mackey, the parent of three Ignatius alumnae.   During our conversation, Kris was reminiscing about a group of the Ignatius faculty members who she thought of as pillars of this excellent staff.   Coincidentally, that was about the same time that I had read Maureen Lonergan’s response to a question I had posed to her.  Maureen was named Educator-of-the-Year this year, so I asked her what she thought was her secret.  What set her apart from others.

I have been on a quest to determine what special qualities those who are considered “iconic” might possess.   Maureen gave me a wonderful response, one that could be a whole article by itself, so I’ve tried to take the most salient points to present here.  She said, “My goal every year is to get students excited about something in science.  I want students to talk about science at the dinner table.  I want them to show their little sister their design for an animal behavior lab or ask their friends if they have heard of the crazy parasite that can live under your skin.  I want students to ask questions, bring in extra articles or ideas, and engage fully in science as a process.  I am still learning how to be a better teacher, and it's a daily challenge to figure out how to best reach and motivate students.“ 

Every time I ask another outstanding teacher his or her secret, it seems that I get a different answer.  I’m convinced that there is no finite set of qualities that each top individual possesses.  For every quality that I think of as necessary, I can think of some members of that group who don’t have that quality, but a host of different ones.

Of course Dr. Mackey’s list iconic teachers, which spans from the mid-90’s, would be somewhat different from mine which goes back to the early 60’s, or Frank Raispis’ which goes back to the early ‘40’s.  Frank’s list would include Father Grant, after whom the Educator-of-the-Year is named, and Dr. Ralph Mailiard, after whom the athletic field is named, along with too many others to list here.  It should also be mentioned that being named Educator-of-the-Year doesn’t, in itself, doesn’t automatically make one an “icon”.  After all, the award wasn’t in existence until the early ‘70’s, when Raispis was the first awardee.   

Switching gears to “news-letter” mode, as the school year ended, there were several changes at 1076.  From my vantage point, most dramatically, Anne Baker, the secretary to the Principal for many years, retired.  As I understand it, Anne stayed on one year longer than she had intended to help the new principal, Ms. Latka, settle in to her position.

Additionally, Jim Prunty, who had been Athletic Director for 14 years left and has been replaced by Paul Ickes.  Best wishes to both Jim and Paul. 

Finally, Don Hoffman, who has been the school’s archivist for several years, is giving up the reins to Dr. Ray Heisler, a long-time member of the classics department.