On with the new

The Speaker of the Faculty is a faculty member elected for a three-year term to plan and lead Faculty Meetings and serve as the faculty representative on a number of university committees. The position was created in the 1990s, with Wallace Growney serving as the first Speaker. Since then, the position has been held by Linda McMillin, Thomas Peeler, Jeffrey Whitman, and David Richard. In September, 2012, Michele DeMary was elected Speaker of the Faculty. The first meeting that she led was held on Sept. 24.

Upon becoming speaker, Linda McMillin purchased a copy of Robert's Rules of Order. She inscribed it and passed it down to Tom Peeler, who inscribed it and gave it to Jeff Whitman, who inscribed it and presented it to Dave Richard in 2008.

On Sept. 24, Dave added his inscription and passed it to Michele.

 



This is how college professors have fun.

Commencement 2010

And then they were gone.

For all the commotion that the class of 2010 made rehearsing for graduation and celebrating afterward, they were gone in an hour. All that energy and excitement--gone. We looked at each other and realized that it was for the last time.

For the graduates who return only every five years, for their reunions, we watch them grow up as if by time-lapse magic. Many have found life partners by their fifth reunions, and little children gambol at the tenth reunion. Weight increases and hairlines decrease by the fifteenth.

They come to Susquehanna as rough drafts of whom they will become, and they leave with still more revisions to be made. We applaud them when they come because we believe in their promise; we applaud them when they leave because we're proud of their accomplishments.

Commencement rehearsal, May 15, 2010 (click to enlarge)

Commencement rehearsal, May 15, 2010 (click to enlarge)

President Jay Lemons asks the students who completed the Mount Mahanoy hike to stand and be recognized. They signed a banner as a memento. May 15, 2010 (click to enlarge)

George Thies obituary

Source: Bergen County Record, www.northjersey.com

WAYNE - George H. Thies, 72, of Wayne, died July 20, 2009.


Born in Englewood, Thies grew up in Teaneck, graduating from Teaneck High School in 1955 and Susquehanna University in 1959 and was a member of Phi Mu Delta fraternity.

He had lived in Wayne since 1970. Thies was a trustee with the Wayne PAL actively serving more than 35 years there and was the bingo chairman for over 20 years.

He was the owner of Meadowlands Paper Products, Fairfield, since 1981.

Thies enjoyed travel, model trains, his garden at home, yard work and politics - having served on the Republican County Committee.

Thies was predeceased by his wife of 39 years, Arlene (Silber), in 2000.

He is survived by his son George D. and his wife Lisa of Fairfield; daughter Christine A. Brown and her husband Mark of Wayne; and four grandchildren.

Arrangements: Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home, Wayne.

Memorial donations: Multiple Myeloma Foundation, 383 Main Ave., 5th Floor, Norwalk, CT, 06851.

Students Venture Mt. Mahanoy Climb

Source: The Susquehanna, May 12, 1959 p. 1

By George Gopie

(Travel Editor for The Susquehanna)

Chapel

It’s Monday morning and, as usual, President Weber is in charge of the service. Today he is continuing his series of talks on the Seven Great men of Greece. Suddenly, without lifting his voice or dropping his tone he changes abruptly from his regular discourse. What he has to say next draws spontaneous cheers from the students. What he says may be summarized in the following words: In an effort to revive an old tradition whereby seniors of SU were required to climb the Mahanoy Mountain before they can graduate, today is declared a Senior’s Holiday. They are excused from classes for the rest of the day. Lunches have been packed, and at ten o’clock busses will be here to take them to the side of the mountain. The seniors will climb Mt. Mahanoy today.

Get Ready…Get Set

It’s one mad dash as soon as chapel is over. The senior women are busy changing into old clothes. The men are hurrying off to the Fraternity Houses to slip on sneakers and dungarees, and at the same time to rouse some of their sleeping class-mates with the words, “A climbing we will go!” The busses are parked in front of Seibert Hall. By this time, the seniors can be singled out from the rest of the students by their out-doors type of dress. Carl Catherman is sit- [SEE STUDENT VENTURE—P. 6] ting disconsolately in front of G.A. Hall voicing his disappointment in no uncertain terms. Evidently, his student teaching duties stood in the way of his joining his class mates on their way to the clouds. “And I’m such an old mountain climber from way back,” he says to the circle of sympathizers.

The seniors are now seated in the two buses. No, one bus is encountering some difficulties. Doc Boyer, sitting next to the food, cannot restrain his fingers from delving into some of the lunches. Quite soon he is joined by Kate Henry and it is only the stern voice of a certain Miss Royer, that finally shoos them both away from the victuals. A little after ten o’clock, the busses leave SU and before long the class of ’59 is safely deposited on the side of Mt. Mahanoy.

Now Go Man, Go

One look at the imposing peak of this mountain is enough to discourage even the most energetic of the seniors. As for the women…they got off the buses, took one look at the mountain, then looked helplessly at each other. “WHAT..!”, “Are we going to climb THAT?” (Mt. Mahanoy is supposed to be at least eighteen hundred feet above sea level. From where the seniors stood, the peak is only fifteen hundred feet away.)

The preliminary gasps and sighs are soon dispensed with. Led by little David Lauver, a ten-year-old student from Selinsgrove Junior High School, the seniors, lunch bags in hand, fall in line and start the great trek to the summit.

The Climb

At first, the climb appears to be very easy. Walking parallel to the highway for some four hundred feet, the seniors actually go down a little depression, but without any warning, the course changes abruptly. They stand face to face with the steep side of the mountain. There is a little path leading to the top, but as it winds itself among the trees and rocks, it soon becomes hard to follow, and most of the time each senior can be seen wandering off into some little trail of his own. The climb is a back breaking affair. Once you start up the side, you start a laborious struggle with nature. You can hardly go for more than two or three minutes at a time without stopping to catch your breath. Using the little path, you look around in your tired condition, to find an easier way up, but there is none. Sometimes, it happens that just as you begin to think that you can travel just a little faster because the grade has decreased slightly, you come upon a huge boulder, and by the time you are through surmounting it, it’s time to sit and catch your breath. It really does help to sit for a short while, but there is always the fear lurking in your mind that if you rest for too long a period you will never have drive to go on.

There are trees as far as one can see. Sometimes along the path, you have to stoop to avoid the overhanging branches. Sometimes, you are forced to make a semi-circle in order to by-pass an impudent overgrown twig. The little trail is all covered over with dead leaves, and this makes it harder for the climber to get a firm footing. The dead leaves act as a good camouflage for little boulders, so that as you are laboriously dragging yourself upwards, you may suddenly step on one of these hidden traps and find yourself kissing mother earth. The journey seems never to come to an end. The higher you go, the longer the trail seems to be. You do not see the top until you get there, as there is nothing with which to judge as to how far above you may be, or how much farther you may have to go. After you are one quarter of the way up, you are tired beyond all reason. And, as if the climb itself were not uncomfortable enough, the heat adds its own unpleasantness.

The seniors are acquitting themselves in a superb manner. As they started upwards, jovial songs and the mocking laughter soon leave their lips. With a grim determination they forge their way upwards. The dead leaves serve as comfortable seats of repose. The obstructing trees are used as handholds, and the deceptive rocks are good excuses for some tired senior to take a short rest once he is involuntarily brought to earth.

Individual Methods of Assault

All the way up, little Miss Doris Shoemacher plays the role of the casual mountaineer. She walks all by herself, and stops to rest as if she is just enjoying the scenery and is not really tired. Pete Pace, with a few lunches tucked under his arms, is having a slightly difficult time of it. And as he trips up occasionally, Betsy encourages him to remain seated so she can enjoy a few moments of respite. Mrs. Weber and Miss Heinley are the first to introduce the system of sitting right down if you are tired. Shoes, Joe, and Stoney travel in a group, and rest in a group. As they are passed on the way, they stare with blank expressions on their faces and sweat pouring down their faces. Dr. Weber is off to a good start. He soon loses some of his original speed and is able to snatch moments of rest as he passes out words of encouragement to the straggling seniors. Ray Stiller seems to have no problems. With his head down, he makes his way onward in a calm and effortless manner.

On Top of Old Mahanoy

After about an hour’s travel, the senior class is safely lodged on the summit. The view from up there is quite beautiful. Some of the buildings on our campus can be seen in the West without the use of field glasses. Still looking Westward, we see a group of islands in the Susquehanna River. One of them has a complete farm on it. Looking Southward, one sees the beautiful countryside, with well ordered pine trees and gently rolling fields. It is hot today and there is mist hanging over the trees in the distance.

As soon as a senior reaches the top, he is greeted by a chorus of voices, “You have to touch the flag pole. That’s the tradition.” The flagpole referred to is constructed of six pieces of iron pipe. On top of it hangs the remnants of Old Glory. Not to be outdone by the group which placed that flag up there, our seniors decide to place SU’s banner on the pole. The foremost volunteer for this job was George Thies. His first attempt wasn’t too successful. Aided by some of the broad-shouldered men, he scrambles up to the top, but only succeeds in tying the banner at a considerable distance below Old Glory. Looking up at this achievement, Dr. Weber laughs and says to those standing around, “We’re flying our flag at half-mast for those seniors who did not make the trip.”

Not entirely satisfied with his achievement, George Thies decides to try once more. This time, with the aid of Nick Yost, he succeeds, and even now, SU’s banner is waving in proud conquest on top of Mt. Mahanoy.

The seniors dispose of their lunches without much ceremony. After a while, Dr. Zimmer leads a group to the old incinerator where they dispose of the waste paper. After lunch is over, there are about two hours left for the group to dispose of in any way they care to. Jerry Fletcher has his own ideas about life in the wilds, so he goes off and kills a copper-head snake. Pretty soon Betsy Walker is seen holding a turtle. The remainder of the group is trying to rest for a while, and Bob Kenyon perches himself so precariously between some rocks and trees, that those people who can see him are unable to have any piece of mind, expecting him to fall off any moment. Pete Pace and Les Rudisill are busily engaged in carving their initials on trees and bits of rock.

The Quick Descent

Soon, it’s time to start down. The return journey is not as difficult as the ascent. It is actually thrilling to start running and then find to your discomfort that stopping is not as easy as you may think. The incline is so steep, that you know you’ll eventually end up at the bottom of the hill, whether you want to or not. Perhaps the leaves are a little too helpful, because Joe Barlow seems to be having a few spills. Eventually the seniors get to the busses. Sitting on the roadside, or reclining in the bus, they talk about the climb. Doc Boyer is sitting very quietly, taking good care of the dead snake in his pocket.

It’s Here to Stay

In spite of the hard work involved in getting to the top, every senior is expressing his approval of the trip. What a great time they had!


[Also on Page 6 of that issue, in the Lambda Chi Alpha bulletin, was another account of the hike. It estimated that 60 seniors were led by Dr. Zimmer, Miss Heinly, and Dr. and Mrs. Weber.]