Reflections Magazine Issue #48 - Spring 1998 | Page 9
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Values in Action: Service to Others
Serving others is part of the Catholic tradition and Siena
students sustain the tradition in various ways. Last spring, a
delegation of nine students, all members of SAVE (Siena
Against Violent Environments), spent their spring break in
Appalachia with SAVE faculty advisor Dom Scibilia as
volunteers assisting with construction projects, housing
assistance and health care. This spring, Pat Schnapp of the
English faculty plans to lead another volunteer group to
Jamaica to work at a school for orphaned and delinquent boys.
Closer to home, Siena Heights students are involved in a range
of service projects, from Make a Difference Day and the
annual CROP walk to Red Cross blood drives and
philanthropic fund raising.
Siena Heights graduates continue to serve in many ways long
after they leave the campus. Of special note in this regard is
the recent election of Janet Capone, OP 80 as Prioress of the
Adrian Dominican Congregation, effective July 1.
Siena Heights Archives:
Preserving our Past for the Future
Who is there left among you that saw this temple in its
former glory? And how does it look to you now?
(Haggai 2:3-4)
With those words, Helen Duggan, OP 41 (formerly Sister
Ann Charles) (at right in photo) and Marie Irene Miller, OP
36 began their 1987 report on the history of Siena Heights
buildings and the rooms within them. That report--which
documents the evolution, for example, of Sacred Heart Hall
102, from home economics lab to storage area, art studio,
admissions office, development office, and now
communications and alumni relations office--marked the start
of an ongoing historical research project and the beginning of
the Siena Heights Archives.
Sister Marie Irene now offers encouragement from the
sidelines as Sister Helen leads the effort to gather, organize
and catalogue the papers, pictures, publications and
memorabilia that give shape and meaning to the history of
Siena Heights. Official records and Adrian Dominican
documents, school yearbooks and student scrapbooks, and
tapes of 120 oral interviews with faculty, staff and graduates
of many eras are among the pieces of this historical puzzle.
First housed in a former janitors closet, the Archives
(established officially by President Artman in 1996) now have
a permanent home in the Library, where Sister Helen is
centralizing records and establishing a consistent filing
system. A 1996 grant from the Michigan State Historical
Records Advisory
Board enabled
Helen to engage a
professional
consultant, hire
student assistants
and purchase proper
storage materials. A
1997 gift from an
anonymous friend of the college will support necessary
renovations in the Archives office.
I am not writing a history of the college. I am just
preserving its history, Sister Helen says modestly. Those
who see her at work, week after week, know thats a big
just. And thanks to her work, those who build this Catholic
colleges future, now and tomorrow, will have a better record
of this temple in its former glory.
Add Your Piece to the Puzzle
When cleaning closets or emptying attics, remember: Your
discards may be an archivists treasures. Instead of throwing
them away, send yearbooks, pictures and event programs to the
Siena Heights College Archives, c/o Helen Duggan, OP, or call
Sister Helen at (517) 264-7648. When packaging information,
always indicate dates and names, and include your own name,
address and telephone number in case questions arise.