Features

IU Southeast: A campus rich with a history of tradition

Tina Reed

April 28, 2014

The sun’s reflecting rays shimmer on the lake and the ripples in the blue water are calm until the paddlers begin to work their thighs up and down at an alarming rate. White water pours from out of the paddle wheels as the paddlers increase their speed in the long stretch of the lake. The ripples in the lake intensify and the crowd goes wild as a paddle boat crosses the finish line and wins the paddle boat regatta at IU Southeast. This was one of the many traditions that were home to the university.

Art in the park became an annual event in Warder Park in Jeffersonville. Pictured is the spring time art festival in 1966. The picture is from the book, “Indiana University Southeast, A Brief, Informal History.”

Traditions are a big part of history, and IU Southeast has had quite a few. From the early days of the hanging of the greens, the paddle boat regatta, and the egg hunts, to the more recent speaker series events of the Common Experience and the newest tradition that just started this spring, GUSTalks, there is always something for everyone to enjoy. Things are a changing here at IU Southeast.

Gilbert Atnip, professor emeritus of psychology and dean of the faculties emeritus, said he remembers the end of the academic years when former chancellors Edwin W. Crooks and Leon Rand had a pig roast at their homes for faculty and staff.

Atnip said that was a very nice event for everyone except for the chancellors and their spouses, who had to put up with having all those people at their houses.

“I also played on a couple of faculty intramural teams, basketball and softball,” Atnip said. “Those did not last long because we were trying to compete against student teams who were a lot younger than we were.”

James St. Clair, professor emeritus of journalism, said he recalls a tradition called convocation. This event brought prominent people who would make a presentation on campus for students, faculty and staff.

“As a student I had the honor of introducing Harry Reasoner, who at the time was the nightly anchor of ABC-TV news,” St. Clair said. “As a faculty member, I introduced Steve Kroft of ‘60 Minutes.’”

This program was stopped several years ago. St. Clair said it was likely due to cost.

“That’s a shame,” St. Clair said. “It was a great event not only for the campus community, but also for the community at large. It drew large crowds and generated a lot of positive publicity for the campus.”

Myra Wright Powell, IU Southeast alumna, said she remembers having humongous Easter egg hunts and boiling and dying 2,000 to 3,000 eggs.

“It was one of those years when I was student body president, and we wanted to do it for a community service activity,” Powell said. “It seemed to grow each year. I’m not sure if it still goes on, but I don’t think that it does.”

One tradition that has lasted the test of time is The Ed Quinn Memorial Fellowship, or EQMF. This is a faculty gathering held after the commencement to honor deceased faculty and staff and to collect money for a scholarship fund, Atnip said.

“I believe the current venue is the New Albanian on Grant Line Road,” Atnip said.

Thomas Phillip Wolf, emeritus professor of political science, said he also remembers when the Ed Quinn Memorial Fellowship tradition started and that it started with just a couple of guys.

This paddleboat team seems a little confused during the annual Regatta Sunday. Pilots and crew are (from left) Tami Shireman, Mike La Grange, Cullen Kennedy, Beth Frankouski, Lee Fisher and Randy Waiz. The picture is from the 1978-79 The Student newspaper. The annual event was started in the 1972-1973 school year.

According to the book “Indiana University Southeast; A Brief, Informal History,” IU Southeast was the first regional campus to establish a student newspaper, and since 1947 the paper has been a mirror of campus life.

St. Clair said that the paper is a longstanding free student press tradition that gives him great comfort and satisfaction to see alive and well.

“That is something I enjoyed as a student editor and faculty adviser,” St. Clair said.

According to “A Brief, Informal History,” The Horizon – then known as The Southeastern Student – started on March 12, 1947 by Andrew Beeler and students in a writing course.

St. Clair said that traditions start with an idea and a group of dedicated people to get things started and to keep it going, which is the hardest part.

“Students, of course, move on after four years or so and those who remain may not be as interested in the ideas as those who started the activity or event,” St. Clair said. “The challenge is even greater on a commuter campus, though that’s changing at IU Southeast with campus housing.”