Reflection #83: Judge Not…

            Today is Tuesday March 1, 2016…nearly the middle of Lent.  Yesterday the newscasters repeatedly referred to the day as “Leap Day”.   In my younger years, Feb. 29^th  was commonly referred to as “Sadie Hawkins Day”, the name derived from a newspaper comic strip, “Li’l Abner”, written by Al Capp.  It was the day of the year when young ladies were permitted to invite young men on dates.  Around this time of year, high schools and colleges even had dances called Sadie Hawkins Dances.  Now they’re called, “Turn Abouts”.  

            Also on the news last week, a scroll at the bottom of the screen announced that St. Ignatius would be closed in anticipation of a predicted snowstorm. As it turned out, the storm wasn’t nearly as bad as predicted. 

If you are a contemporary of mine…Lord save you…you might remember that Fr. Nastold, St. Ignatius’ principal from fall of ’64 until June of ’68, would go to heroic lengths not to close the school for weather-related occurrences.  The one exception that I can recall was the great snowfall in February of ’67, when the entire city closed down.  If there were other such days, the passage of time has clouded my memory, but I can attest to the fact that, during those 4 years, many a winter morning, the lay faculty groused about having to face slow traffic and icy conditions to get to school only to find our classes less than ½ full.   I recall on one such occasion, I had a class in which only one student showed up, but Father insisted that teachers were to teach whatever the number.  The student was thrilled.  At that time, the Jesuits lived in the front part of the school building.  It wasn’t nearly as difficult for them to make it to class.  That fact also was made when teachers talked among themselves.

Fr. Nastold’s motive was clear.  The core value in Jesuit institutions, including St. Ignatius, was academic rigor.  Despite our grumbling, Fr. Nastold was a good man and his decisions were in keeping with the common wisdom of the day.  The only way to guarantee academic success was by being in school.   

So are today’s Ignatians are “wimps”?  Not at all.  The times have changed. Many beliefs have changed since then.  Homogenius grouping based on one entrance exam score is no longer in use, and now students are much more likely to be encouraged to "teach" each other as is indicated in an earlier reflection about Jane Delaney who was named Educator-of-the-Year in 2004.

            Now when the weather makes travelling to school too treacherous, my grandchildren in 4^th and 6^th grade, don’t have “snow days”; they have “Edays”.  They have been instructed that, on such days, they are to read and do their assignments on their ipads.  In the ‘60’s, that wasn’t an option.  On the Ignatius website on the day in question, the students were instructed to check there assignments on line.  Suffice it to say, that wasn’t an option in 1966.

           

            In conclusion, regarding judging others, Frank Raispis’ first “Cliche to live by” says, “Judge everyone’s motives in the best possible light.”  Hear, Hear!

Reflection #81: A Reflection on the '60's

            When we reach a certain age, hearing that a former friend and colleague has passed away brings about a feeling of melancholy. 

            Such was the case when I heard that Fr. Harry Meirose, S.J., had died.  Father Meirose was at Saint Ignatius for only a short time, from 1964 to 1969, but in that time, we struck up a friendship and even took a couple of sight-seeing vacations together.  I’ve stated before that, because of our different life styles, it was not common for Jesuits and laymen to bond, so our friendship was somewhat unusual.

            His obituary stated the following: “After ordination, he taught religion and served as a student counselor at Saint Ignatius College Prep from 1964-1969. He then moved to Indianapolis, where he worked at Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School in various capacities.”  At Brebuef, Fr. Meirose joined his brother, Fr. Carl Meirose, who was its president at that time.

         At this point in my life, losing friends and colleagues happens far too often.  So many of the men that I worked with in the ‘60’s, both Jesuits and laymen, are no longer with us, and each time that I hear about it, I am left with a “tug” in my heart and fond memories of our shared experiences.

            On a happier note, again referencing the ‘60’s, on Jan. 15, the class of ’67 met in the alumni room, in the bulding referred to as “1019”, for a mini-reunion.  This has become a tradition with this class over several years, along with other gatherings through the year.  They meet to catch up on each others’ lives and reminisce about their “glory” days at 1076.  This year, after enjoying pizza, supplied by Cas Baczinskas, restauranteur and member of the class of ’68, most went to the gym with the hopes of cheering on the Ignatius basketball team to victory.  (Sadly, that night, the victory part did not happen.) 

Gathering for reunions is not their only activity.   At Christmas, members of the class of ‘67 have made contributions to help make the season a little brighter for a family in need.  They have also been instrumental in funding the upgrading of the alumni facility at 1019.

Though I am not a member of their class, I have been, for want of a better word, adopted by this group as a conduit to their past.  When they were students, I was a coach and teacher for many.  

            I’ve often thought that what this class of alumni do would be a grand idea for other classes, but it does take a fair amount of work and organization to pull off successfully. 

That’s all for now.   

Reflection #81: Open House

            On Sunday, Dec.  6, St. Ignatius held its annual open house.  That prompted in my memory how different the nature of the open house is now from those held through the ‘60’s and ‘70’s.  In those days, there was more of a “carnival” atmosphere.  Students were assigned projects which were festooned on the walls of the classrooms and hallways.   Three-dimensional projects were placed on desks for the visitors’ interest and, hopefully, amazement.  One year, a Latin teacher, Ron Sipowich, led a team of students to build a Roman galley which filled the 2^nd floor corridor.  

Through the late ‘60’s and most of the ‘70’s, a sharp decline in enrollment, brought about a sense of urgency.  In the early ‘60’s, it was common for over a 1000 boys to show up for the entrance exam, but by 1970, that number had dropped drastically. 

           The reasons for the decrease in students were many and varied.  There was the tuition increase, the “Days-of-Rage” combined with our location, and, finally, greater pressure brought to bear for Ignatius to give the entrance exam on the same day as all of the other Catholic High Schools.  (Most Catholic schools were subject to the dictates of the Chicago Catholic School Board; Jesuit schools weren’t.)  This brought about a certain sense of desperation.   The tone of the open house went from “Look how smart and creative we are” to “Please, please, please come to Ignatius.”

            In those early days, teams held practices in the gym to show off our athletic programs.  Now tables fill the gym advertising athletic programs as well as non-athletic activities.  Academic programs, instead of being presented in different classrooms, are now explained by teachers in the student library.  For those of you old enough to remember, that was the “4^th floor gym”.  The school’s orchestra now entertains the visitors in the Brunswick Room, formerly known as the “Cambridge Room” which was off-limits to all but the Jesuits in residence.  Finally, our award winning theater group demonstrates their talents on-stage in the relatively new theater.

           

            I think it’s fair to say that. currently, there is a more “professional” approach to recruitment.  Now it’s, “We are an excellent high school which promises an education in the Jesuit tradition.  If you are interested, please consider joining us.”

Reflection #80: An Eventful Time-of-Year

            I’ll start by asking for prayers for the repose of the soul of a good friend of mine, Fr. Joe Brennan, S.J. Fr. Brennan passed away on October 17 at Columbiere, the Jesuit retirement home in Michigan.  In the announcement to the faculty, Fr. Caruso wrote, “In 1990, after a sabbatical at Marquette University, Joe moved to Chicago where he worked at St. Ignatius College Prep until 2010.  In addition to student counseling, he was a faculty chaplain and a sacramental minister.

           In addition to counseling students, Joe used his gifts for the benefit of the Society.  He was rector of St. Xavier High School (1983-1989) and St. Ignatius College Prep (1990-1997 and 2003-2009).  He was also a Chicago Province Consultor (1986-1992).”

            Rest in Peace, Fr. Joe.

            On a happier note, 5 alumni classes met for their respective reunions in September and October.  The 50-year reunion of the class of 1965 was held in September, and was very well attended.   A growing number of class-members had been meeting monthly to prepare for the big event, and some suggested that they might continue to meet regularly because they enjoyed the company of their “old” friends. 

            Additionally, the classes of ’70, ’75, ’80 and ’85 reunited in October, exchanging stories of their life-experiences, I had the opportunity to visit with many, reliving some memories of events that we shared, usually at an athletic contest.  In the spring of ’70 was I was the varsity baseball coach, and I was the sophomore basketball coach for members of the class of ’75.

            Finally I was excited to read about the success of the football team.   Because of my age (None of your business!) and the distance that I live from Downtown Chicago, I wasn’t able to attend any of the games, but this year’s team had a far more successful win-loss record than we had the last season before our 40-year hiatus from football competition in 1962.  This year’s team was 6 wins and 6 losses with a 4 and 2 record in league play, and it included an opportunity to play in the post-season IHSA tournament.  In 1962, we would have given anything to have a “.500” record.  (You can read all about the 1962 football season in the 1963 Ignatius yearbook…if you can find one.)

            In an earlier blog, I recounted the obstacles we had to deal with then, such as having to practice at Grant Park everyday and having 4 varsity coaches instead of the 9 on the present day staff.  Now the team has practice fields on or near campus,  but, as the old adage says, “Comparisons are odious.”

            In conclusion, congratulations to the players and staff in the football program.

        

Reflection #78: Father Arimond, S.J.

           Allow me to introduce you to Rev. James Arimond, S.J., a gentleman-and-a-scholar.  Father Arimond is mostly identified with Loyola Academy, the largest Jesuit high school in the world.  He is a graduate of Loyola, taught there and was headmaster for 11 years (1971-1982).  Since then he has stayed active with the L.A. alumni.

            From ’82 to ’87, he was Associate Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences of Loyola U. and Director/ Academic Dean of Loyola’s Rome Center.  He was also headmaster at Fairfield College Prep in Connecticut from 1989 to 1996.  There he was able to turn around the fortunes of a school that was experiencing a financial crisis.  At each assignment, he has had vast responsibilities and vast authority, and he was successful.

            When I started teaching at Ignatius, I realized that there was a rivalry between these two Jesuit high schools.  Sometimes it was friendly; sometimes, not so much.   I would characterize the tension as a cultural divide.  Loyola was north-shore while Ignatius was inner-city, generally with families of more modest means. Through the ‘70’s, Ignatius struggled to stay open while Loyola thrived.

Over the years, when Loyola personnel came to Ignatius, they weren’t always greeted with open arms.  They often arrived in positions of authority, which meant they would be our “bosses”.  Whether true or not, the perception among veteran staff and alumni was that they were trying to change Ignatius into “Loyola South”.

So why do I write about Fr. Arimond as an Ignatius reminiscence?  From 1987 to 1989, he served as the academic assistant principal at St. Ignatius, which included being a member of the Curriculum committee and the Board of Trustees’ Academic Committee. 

From 1997 to 2003, Fr. Arimond was the Rector, a position which included being a member of the Leadership Team, the Religious Formation team and the Board of Trustees.   For 16 months, in ’97 and ’98, he was the acting-president, and like the good soldier he is, he was able to step into the job as president and keep the “ship on even keel”.  Now he is the Alumni Chaplain at Ignatius, attending any and all events that involve, even tangentially, alumni.

            Since most of Father’s responsibilities have been behind the scenes, not everyone in the Ignatius community is familiar with him.  Also, he had a unique approach in transitioning from Loyola to Ignatius.  It wasn’t his intention to try to change Ignatius, but rather assist the school in being the best Ignatius that it could be.  He sensed the nature of the school and worked within that framework.

                                                                                                                                                                                          Finally, I want to mention something that is near-and-dear to me; Fr. Arimond’s involvement in athletics.  Besides writing the history of Loyola football, while at Loyola, he was instrumental in moving the Chicago Catholic League into the Illinois High School Assn.  This earned him a spot in the Catholic League Hall-of-Fame.   In Connecticut, he served as President of the All-Connecticut Catholic Athletic Conference.

            For all of your service and contributions to Jesuit education, Father Arimond, thank you and God bless you.