The sense of community at Notre Dame is one of the things that makes our college special. It's one of the first things that prospective students notice when they visit, and one of the important factors that brought many of us here. For some previous students, it also drew them back to their alma mater as faculty or staff members. I was able to interview several of these special alumnae.
Sibyl Snow, class of 2006 works as an admissions counselor at College of Notre Dame and says that she loves her job because she is able to share the many great memories she has of her time as a student here, and has the opportunity to travel and meet new people. She also loves the sense of community and seeing the accomplishments of current students. As a student, Snow majored in English with a concentration in creative nonfiction. She participated in the Morrissy Honors program, was a member of Sigma Tau Delta (the English honor society) and the Student Environmental Organization and worked as a student assistant for Dr. Farrington. Her most memorable experiences were attending the National Honors conference in New Orleans and getting to see the city in all its glory before Huricane Katrina, as well as studying abroad in Florence. She also treasures the friendship she and fellow admissions counselor Megan Walton have shared since they were students. Both Snow and Walton worked at the Catholic Review before returning to the college. Snow would like to encourage students to study abroad and to take a women's literature course with Dr. DelRosso.
Dr. Desiree Melton, assistant professor of philosophy, returned in 2004 to teach at her alma mater. Dr. Melton was a biology major and a philosophy minor. The college did not offer a philosophy major at that time. Melton remembers her late-night visits to Paper Moon to study and talk about philosophy with friends. She also enjoyed hearing the speakers who came to campus, and poet Nikki Giovanni's visit was especially memorable. Dr. Melton still enjoys attending presentations on campus, and wishes that more students would take advantage of these opportunities. She also wishes that she had been more involved on campus, and wants to encourage students to participate in campus events and attend sports games. She says that while she appreciates the students' dedication to their academics, she would like to see students become more active, and thinks that this would make them feel more fully a part of the community. Although Melton was a nontraditional student, she still felt like she fit in at Notre Dame. She looked forward to returning as a professor because she knew from experience that Notre Dame was a special place with special students. She hoped that she would have the same sense of belonging as a faculty member that she had as a student, although at first it was awkward working as a colleague with professors who had taught her.
Dr. Susan Barber ‘84, associate professor and chair of the department of history and political science, also attended Notre Dame as a non-traditional student. As a student, she had several professors who still teach at Notre Dame, including Dr. Ritter, Dr. Storey, Sister Marie Michelle, and Sister Trinitas. She especially enjoyed the literature classes of Dr. Trishler, who was honored at this year's Honors Convocation.
Dr. Barber had the unusual experience of taking Dr. Ritter's senior seminar when she was neither a senior nor a history major. When a classical literature course she had signed up for was canceled, she met with her advisor to find a replacement course. At that time she was an English major who still needed a history credit, so her advisor suggested that she take "Readings in US History". Barber was uncertain, but her advisor reassured her. She persevered in Dr. Ritter's class and discovered her love of history in the process. She added a history major and then went on to study history at the University of Maryland.
Dr. Barber returned to the college part-time in 1989 and taught US history to international students, which she enjoyed. She joined the college full-time in 1996, and in 1997 she started the clothesline project with Helene's logistical help. Many changes have taken place on campus since Barber first came here as a student in 1978. As a student, she enjoyed being able to walk through the tunnel from her English classes, which were in Fourier, to her history classes in Gibbons, and stop for a bite to eat at the Charles Street Connection in the basement of Meletia all without having to go outside. Several buildings have been renovated since then, the Charles Street Connection became the multi-purpose room, and Gator Alley was created to replace it as an alternative food option. Recently, the college has also become more complex with the additions of the school of pharmacy, school of arts and sciences, and school of education. Dr. Barber says that this change is good because it shows that the college is growing, but it has also created administrative issues that take time away from research and teaching. She also hopes to see enrollment increase so that the college can offer more courses to students, and feels confident this will improve in the future. Through it all, Barber loves the college's commitment to the liberal arts, which hasn't changed.
Helene Mertha ‘72, the director of the Center for Service and Honor, returned to Notre Dame in 1992 to work with campus activities. Mertha was a Math major with an English minor, and earned her teaching certification at Notre Dame. She played tennis all four years and was involved with her class board, which planned most of the events on campus, and looked forward to Singsong, where classes competed to write and perform songs about Notre Dame sung to popular tunes. She worked the serving line in Doyle, the desk in Meletia, and the sumer tennis camp, but her favorite job was working in the campus pub that was located in Rice Hall. Mertha has been a part of several memorable times as both a student and a staff member. When she was a student, Mother Theresa of Calcutta came to campus, and Centerstage performed in Leclerc auditorium when the theater had to be repaired after a fire. More recently, she saw Pope John Paul II ride in the Pope mobile down Charles Street, and took students to Pope Benedict's mass in Washington DC. Mertha says that she especially appreciated how the whole Notre Dame community came together and supported each other after September Eleventh, and enjoyed helping students plan the first Winterfest.
Interestingly, when Mertha was a student, she had to take ballet and swimming to graduate. The MBK complex had not been built, and there was no Gator Alley or Charles Street Connection where students could eat when nothing in Doyle looked good.
The alumnae who work at Notre Dame have seen the college grow, and have a unique opportunity to be part of their alma mater's future. But what they say that they love most about the college are the things that haven't changed: the mission, values, and community atmosphere are what set Notre Dame apart from the rest,
Be the first to comment on this article!