Things I will or do miss at Saint Martin’s on a daily basis.

At the end of this calendar week I will no longer have office space at Saint Martin’s University. I will be fully retired (a year and a month since my retirement as registrar)as the day is getting close, I have been trying to take note of all the people and things I will and do miss. So far I have a list of things to that start my work day. I chose to put them in my blog and when I need reminders of why I spent over 1/2 of my life here. Not all are good or bad they just are.

Driving north College Street (still convinced it is south) assessing the change of seasons by the color of the trees and the amount of daylight or dark during the drive

Watching the lady with the stick (cane) march in the opposite direction with a force to take on the world

Turning right at Abbey Way, when it was 6th Avenue or just the road to campus

Watching for deer (as many as 12), squirrels, bunnies, chipmunks , regular monks  and for one fall season Ed the Elk

Driving up Abbey Way in the fog hung low over the meadow and it felt like a mystery was about to be revealed

Seeing the moon between the trees in all of the stages and being awe-struck the morning the moon appeared just above the morning star (venus) between the trees on Abbey Way and having only my mind’s eye camera to capture the image

Parking in the “lower lot” just in front of the station of the cross

Passing Lynch Center when it was still an infirmary and throughout the myriad of purposes from development office to it’s current purpose counseling center. I am sure there had been a lot of counseling in there before as well

Seeing the early blooming bulb plants sprout and watching the growth, heralding spring and giving me the comfort that spring would soon be here. In another way as I watch the rhododendrons bud up and bloom the comfort would change to anxiety as it heralded the coming of graduation and all that it meant

Parking in the water tower lot with my permission slip from the Abbot (which I will keep )

Waiting to let the monks pass from prayers to breakfast with furtive waves, head nods and smiles because they do not speak until after they break fast but they want me to know they see me

Waiting for the new elevator (newer than 1982 ) and riding to the second floor with apologies to anyone going higher

Alumni pictures on the walls of 2nd Floor Old main. Those photos not only held their own memories but they know a lot more about me than most living souls as I talked to them each morning to let them know how I was doing and what was going on around campus. Orin Hebert, Fr. Christopher, Fr. Meinrad, Fr. Gerard, Fr. Kilian, Abbot Neal, Dr. Ishii, Les Bailey, John Gallagher and all of the classes from 1982 – 2001, I will miss each of you

Opening the office door to find that I had or had not left the window open (that which wasn’t the expected thing to do based on the weather)

I still miss looking at my gallery of globes in my old office room 257 Old Main, many gifts and with special histories and memories

Being pulled from moment of contemplation of my gallery of globes by the smell of food of food and especially to bacon and bread baking beneath my office. Sully, Dave O’Hara, Bill Sibbers, James Jones, Kevin, Betty Helein, Dave Boren who were before and Tonya, Maria, Amanda, CaroleAnn and others in Saint Gertrude’s Café their smiles and good wishes and of course fresh brewed iced tea and strawberries.

Riding in the Old Elevator to the 2nd floor and often selecting the floor 1 or any floor I was standing on and standing alone wondering why it wasn’t going anywhere

Recalling that when the elevator was first installed students or monks (maybe) took some pleasure in placing a 4 foot statue of St. Joseph in the elevator. I’m not sure what happened to St Joseph but if the student/monks are amused by the recollection as I it was in good humor

I think I am going to have to create several more posts to have a complete list and i won’t even try to mention all the individuals I have missed and will miss there are way too many. Just know that if you have touched Saint Martin’s or Saint Martin’s has touch you, you are or you will be missed.

Blessings
Mary

Let the Fall activities begin.

For those of you in the northwest, the standard summer fall shift is occuring for those of you that might have forgotten, after 48-49 days of no rain and afternoon temperatures in the 80’s on Saturday, Sunday blew in a chill and a little bit of rain.  Monday however played it’s usual havoc with heavy coat weather in the morning, shorts and tank tops at noon and high 40’s in the evening.  If you believe the weather people is will be warm this week. 

Another fall shift that occurs on campus as the students settle into their routines and classes and assignments begin to mount up and the faculty is wondering why they assigned so many papers and gave so early in the semester, student activities pick up.  As I recall in the late 70’s and early 80’s student activities were student driven.  The population change with fewer “true” freshmen and more transfer or non-traditional studensts was well underway and the number of students living in the 2 dorms had begun to decline but enthusiasm for partying  activities remained high.  In addition to the Friday afternoons with the Veterans and holidays, Halloween with the Haunted House[Barn]’; Veteran’s  Day when we officially reconognized and honored those who served this country as did Saint Martin’s of Tours  ‘our saint’,

Basketball season began and bon fire pep rallys were held at the “twin ponds”.   I have a slight memory that at least one bon fire participant “forgot to set the brake” and the car ended up in one of the ponds.  mmmm what was that name? …….. Bon fires were not limited to pregame activities and provided a place for students to gather for several years until the Lacey fire department required fire permits. 

Basketball season was really ramped up as Len Stevens and his coaching style and his recruits both freshmen and transfers.  Attendance at games increased and the “only college game in town” drew lots of  folks to campus.   Games were crowded and Jake Bershauer never hesitated to incite the fans on his arrival and throughout the game with his every present “Who you rooting for?” and “Who’s gonna win this game tonight?”  (Correct answers fans “S! M! C!” and “We are, we are, all right!!!”)

Thanksgiving with all the trimmings for students and community members was prepared by Dave O’Hara and his staff.  And then Christmas and an endless number of events including, office parties,  Old Main “wing” parties, Kris Kringle in the book store (a week when you never knew what your secret Santa might put in your sock), and Christmas gathering in the dining hall will staff and faculty and their families with visits from Mr.and Mrs. Claus (I have heard that Fr. Kevin was the first of many to pass out candy canes, Kisses and Hugs (of the chocolate kind)  and  then they slid down to the SUB to deliver gifts to the students.  Somewhere in the midst of celebrating the faculty found time to give exams  and submit the grades to the Registrar and have a Commencement Ceremony before leaving for the Christmas.  It was after that graduation that the then Vice President Fr.(soon to be Abbot) Adrian Parcher declared that  “there would be no more December Ceremonies, in his life time” paraphrasing.

With all this celebration it is impossible not to look forward to what happens in the Spring.  Lots of things to come. I entreat you to add to or enhance these memories (keeping in mind the concern for specific names and identification of individuals). 

 

 

A year of finding my place in the world of Saint Martin’s

In my previous post I mentioned some of the changes that occurred in the 1978-1979 year.  It was during that year that I began to identify my role in this ever changing place called Saint Martin’s.  In earlier years I spent very little time away from the Registrar’s Office and although I spoke with and met many students and faculty, it wasn’t until I was “in charge of the office with Br. Ramon Newell at that time a recent graduate from the college and loyal work study student Debbie Glass Long ’81 that I really got to meet and greet students and faculty on a regular basis.  I worked very hard to make the Records Office a  place of welcome and not just the Office of the Registrar.   It was this year that I shook off the advice of “Olga Bays” (from my undergraduate college) “To be a good registrar you must be staight laced and hard nosed” and embraced the Benedictine traditions of listening, caring and most of all serving the students, faculty, staff and monastic community.

We were small then and once the door was opened some wonderful people came in and shared their lives and stories and my world expanded beyond belief.  I found out about Road Rallys from Dave Boren ’77 or (fifty ways to get lost in Thurston County) and Veteran Fridays in the SUB (where the snack bar was located) Casino Nights without driving to the Red Wind or Little Creek and much better stage shows (thanks to the cocktail waitress Elsa Stevens McDonell ’82 and Susanna Trasolini and male “strippers” (Chris Thomsen ’80 and not Magic Mike but maybe Mike Peterson as Spock) Gong Show with  Dave O’Hara ’71 “Dave the Dancing Rave” where even the judges dressed for the occasion and not to be missed the pie throws (you know who you are).  Ellen Esser and her theatre students Karl Engel ’82 and his soon to  be wife Janet Bosch Engel ’82 , Matt Cleveland ’82, Mark Bateman ’80, Bunnie (Bernadine) Determan Griffin ’82, Angela Taeschner entertained us on and off the Old Abbey Theatre stage and in the dining hall with their dramatic and humor skills.  Fr Kevin Myles ’65 and Fr Killian Malvey ’64 served Campus Ministry with retreats at the Lodge, fellowship and folk mass.  Winter months were warmed by the Saints Men’s Basketball 17 wins with the coaching of Len Stevens. The Saints Women’s team a little less successful in the win/loss department but exciting and fun to watch Julie Gillis ’82, Sandra Wanner, , Susana Trasolini, , Janet Gates ’82 and others.

I am still at the beginning of my history and I have only scratchted the surface.  I started this as chronological but as you know the “memory is the second thing to go”….. Please bear with me and correct when necessary.  I hope you will feel comfortable adding your own memories to this blog and encourage friends to read and do the same.   You folks have given me such a gift through these years and it needs to be captured. 

Blessings

MaryLaw