TRADITION!
2:
ANNUAL
FASHION SHOW
Even the university’s Annual Fashion Show is rooted in VJC tradition,
according to Johnston. “I came across photos of students in 1960s
in beautiful gowns on a walkway in front of a barn, and I found the
juxtaposition of the two interesting and wanted to learn more,” he
says. “I found that the barn became the office portion of what is
now the Cuvilly Exchange—and on a warm day, in that part of the
building, you can still smell the hay and manure.”
Johnston hypothesizes that the show was originally likely
4.
associated with class in sewing. Today, Stevenson is proud to host
two fashion shows each spring, one of which is produced by Fashion
Design and Fashion Merchandising students and the other by
member of the Black Student Union.
1:
A COMMITMENT
TO STUDENTS
Fittingly, the ultimate tradition comes back to one person. “The
entire order of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur was based
on teachings of St. Julie Billiart,” Johnston says. “That was her
commitment: not to education alone but to the needs of students.”
Johnston has interviewed several alumni from the early days of
the college, and one of his favorite questions is what they did to
get in trouble at Villa Julie. He cites answers ranging from smoking
cigarettes, searching for bumps in road to make cars go airborne,
and playing bridge when they shouldn’t have. “They all said that
One such board member was Henry Knott Sr., a successful
Baltimore developer who was heavily involved in private
philanthropy.
Another
was
well-known
Congressional
Rep. Helen Delich Bentley, supporter for whom the Port of
Baltimore was named because of her staunch advocacy of the
city’s maritime industry. “We always had a good selection
of friends to the institution, whether on the board or in
government. They did well for us,” Johnston says. Friends in
government were helpful in obtaining funds for Villa Julie’s
expansion and helped build out the Greenspring campus.
People such as U.S. Sen. Barbara Mikulski and Rep. Helen
Delich Bentley were instrumental in getting earmarks in
the federal budget for Stevenson initiatives to expand its
computer base as well as its computer training capabilities.
“The work of Carolyn and Rose in getting powerful
members of the community who could do good things for the
institution paved the way for our success,” Johnston notes.
Rose Dawson, Dean of Students, never disciplined you. Instead,
she educated you, talking about how your actions made you seem
a much smaller person than you were, bringing dishonor on your
family name, and changing your reputation amongst people who
thought highly of you. For all of them, the repercussions of what
they did wrong was far more effective than actual discipline.”
Dawson pulled inspiration from another quote of Saint Julie’s
that has lasting impact. Paraphrased by Johnston: “We don’t have
time to discipline children, we only have time to educate them. The
best way is through a loving approach to growth as opposed to a
negative approach through discipline.”
That remains a philosophy for the institution, which reminds
all faculty, staff, and other members of the community that the
students are the reason that we are here today. Through traditions
that embody the values of a Stevenson education, the university
fulfills the implicit promise made on Oct. 1, 1947: Pro Discendo,
Pro Vivendo. For Learning, For Living. SU
STEVENSON.EDU
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