Tag: student life

The Spalding community joins the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth in saying a loving goodbye to Sister Julia Clare Fontaine, a former Spalding biology professor and department chair who died on Feb. 22 at the age of 97. Here is a link to her obituary and video replay of her funeral.

Among Sister Julia Clare’s many contributions to Spalding and her religious community, she will be fondly remembered as the creator of one of the university’s proudest and most fun campus traditions: the annual Running of the Rodents. The first Spalding rat race, as its commonly called, took place in 1973, and the 46th edition will be held on April 12.

In honor of Sister Julia Clare, let’s look back at an interview with her about the history of the Running of the Rodents that was originally published in the Winter 2012 issue of the former Spalding Magazine:

When former biology professor Sister Julia Clare Fontaine overheard a student complain about the “rat race” of finals, she immediately had an idea for a stress reliever before spring session final exams—racing lab rats. Since 1973, the Running of the Rodents has been a fun-filled, annual Louisville tradition that serves as both a stress reducer and a unique method of teaching students about animal care as well as behavior modification techniques.

Since its inception, the Running of the Rodents has received much attention, and, according to Sister Julia Clare, it has made news on national syndicates as well as BBC London, BBC Mexico and BBC Canada. Trivial Pursuit® coined the race as “The Most Exciting Two Seconds in Sports” after 1987’s rat, Deep Throat, won the Rodent Derby in 1.8 seconds.

This year marked the 40th anniversary of the event. With the theme “Viva Rat Vegas,” the campus was alive with decorations and costumes representing everything Vegas from Elvis and Frank Sinatra to characters from movies such as “Vegas Vacation” and “The Hangover.” Racing rodents donned names such as Lady Luck, Roulette, Burlesque and LibeRATce.

Spalding University sat down with Running of the Rodents creator Sister Julia Clare after the event to talk about the event’s history.

SU: From your perspective, how did the rat race begin?

SJC: It was a biology senior seminar, and I was giving out assignments when one of the students said, “Oh, I’ll be so glad to get out of this rat race.” And I thought, “We have pet rats in the lab. Let’s go outside and race them.” We found boards about 10 feet long, and we assembled them in to four tracks. We put the rats in and let them run. And then, [over the years], it developed into a whole take on the Kentucky Derby.

SU: In what ways has the rat race developed?

SJC: Well, we had a student’s father who made us a round track, and then a few years later, [Spalding alumna and former Rat Queen] Madonna (Ebernez) Wilson, who was studying architecture at U of K, constructed a oval track with an infield, starting gate, a quarter pole, a three-quarter pole and a final. I think it’s the one they are still using today.

Two to three years after the first race, we got the students, regardless of their major, to train the rats prior to the race. We used FrootLoops® in those days. A rat would run so far. and then it would get rewarded with cereal. Then it would run a little farther, then farther, then farther. It took a long time to train them, but those students were very careful with training and taking care of the animals, and the rats would learn to know their trainers. It’s a whole thing on animal behavior.

Students also used to use what I call thoroughbred rats—the Norwegian lab rat—a black and white rat. They are a loving animal like a kitten, and they are not as big as the other rats. One student said her rat would watch television with her. They learn their trainers so that as soon as they hear the trainer’s voice they will come to him [or her]. I used to get them from the medical and dental research building.

SU: Tell us a little bit about the themes of rat race over the years.

SJC: The students picked the themes over the years, but my favorite was probably the year we used the theme of Dallas. Of course, we had a rat named JR. At the time on the show, there was a character named Kristin, and I don’t know if she had her eyes on JR or what, but she got pregnant. It just so happened that year, one of the rats was named Kristin, and don’t you know, she got so pregnant that she wouldn’t fit in the starting gate so we had to scratch her. CBS national news picked it up that year, and they started the news program with Cliff [from Dallas] saying, “I’m gonna get that dirty rat.”

SU: It must be satisfying knowing that something you created has grown from something so small to something that has lasted the past 40 years. How do you think the Running of the Rodents has changed over the years?

SJC: Well, we used to race outside in the [Mansion] parking lot and in those days I got four sets of bleachers from Metro Parks brought in to the lot. [The location now in the ballroom] is the biggest change, I think, but we also used to have betting. You’d put a quarter down on a winner, and you got 30 cents back. [Laughs.] There was one Courier-Journal reporter that said, “Now, how can you as a Catholic condone gambling?” And I said, “You’ve got to be kidding; it’s more of a gamble to walk across Fourth Street and get there safe then it is to put a quarter down on a rat.” [Giggles.]

I’d be interested to see the trainers get back in to using the “thoroughrats”—it would be more scientific. Honestly, I can’t think of anything more that Spalding could do for the Running of the Rodents that it isn’t doing now. When I was there, I was a full-time professor with a full load organizing the race. It’s nice that university has [Student Development and Campus Life] to organize things like the cereal eating contest and penny wars. It’s all right. … I am proud of them.

 

Here’s the word for the bird: The new Spalding mascot will be named Ollie.

Ollie was the winner of the online vote by students, alumni, faculty and staff to name the school’s first-ever Golden Eagle mascot.

Ollie pays homage to Ali, as in Muhammad Ali, the legendary heavyweight champion and humanitarian who first learned to box as a teenager in the building that’s now Spalding’s Columbia Gym.

“Ollie” earned 111 votes, or 33.2 percent, of the 334 votes cast during the weeklong balloting of five finalists, beating out Eli (84 votes, 25.2 percent), Naz (63, 18.9), Blue (42, 12.6) and Clay (34, 10.2).

The announcement of the winning name was made on Thursday, Feb. 22, during an appearance by the Golden Eagle on WHAS-11’s “Great Day Live.”

Spalding’s athletic nickname has been the Golden Eagles since 2006, but the university has not had an actual mascot to represent the school at games and community events. Spalding unveiled the mascot earlier this month and accepted suggestions from the public for its name via social media, email and a paper ballot box. Spalding received more than 200 nominations and narrowed it to the final five.

The mascot made the media rounds during February. He was introduced to the public on “Great Day Live” on Feb. 2. He was on WLKY-32’s “Sports Saturday” newscast the weekend of the Super Bowl, and the Eagles, appropriately, won that big game. He also was “interviewed” by the Courier Journal for an online video that included lots of bird puns.

Now it’s all come full circle for the Spalding mascot, and we have all precincts reporting. Welcome, Ollie!


View transcript

Spalding University students are encouraged to dress to impress and take advantage of an opportunity to improve their job-landing prowess at Spalding’s annual Career Expo on Feb. 21.

Located in the Spalding Library and held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., the Career Expo will bring hiring representatives from 40 businesses and organizations to campus to accept resumes and cover letters from Spalding students and meet with them about potential job openings. Alumni are also invited to attend and explore career opportunities.

Even if the interviews don’t lead to job offers – or if some students aren’t necessarily interested in working for some of the organizations – the meetings can serve as important practice for students who are set to enter the job market. Alumni are invited as well.

“It’s about practicing acting appropriately around potential employers,” said Spalding Academic Support Director Katherine Walker-Payne, who oversees career development. “We do have employers who meet our students and start making connections, either to bring them in on a short-term basis or to start building relationships to bring them on long-term. … And I tell all students they should come (to the Career Expo) at least to practice.”

Walker-Payne said the Career Expo will host a variety of businesses and organizations that would employ people from a range of academic backgrounds and majors.

Among the organizations expected: Baptist Health, Clark Memorial Hospital, UPS, KentuckyOne Health, Louisville Visual Art, Northwestern Mutual, Spectrum, River City Bank, St. Joseph Children’s Home and Volunteers of America.

Students are expected to wear professional attire that would be appropriate for a job interview and to have plenty of copies of their resume to hand out.

Walker-Payne said students should take advantage of the career development resources offered by Spalding, including resume and cover letter reviews, mock interviews, job search strategies and aptitude counseling.

Spalding students and alumni also have access to the online content and tools of the College Central Network, which includes a job board, resume and portfolio builders, networking contacts and links to podcasts about career and job-search advice.

The Golden Eagle has landed. Now the new Spalding mascot needs a name.

Spalding unveiled its new athletics mascot – a big blue-and-gold eagle – on Friday morning, Feb. 2, in conjunction with Homecoming Week. Spalding’s athletic nickname has been the Golden Eagles since 2006, but this is the first time the school has had a physical mascot to patrol the sidelines of games and help spread awareness of the university at other events around the city.

The bird is loaded with competitive spirit and never backs down to rivals of the NCAA Division III Golden Eagles. But the eagle is also a lovable, friendly new member of the campus community who’s eager to meet and greet.

Name the Spalding mascot

Now the eagle needs a name, and Spalding is asking the public and its students to help.

Through Feb. 12, anyone can submit a name suggestion for the Spalding mascot via social media or email or in person. Male, female and gender-neutral names are all eligible. Of course, no profane or offensive names will be considered.

Here’s how to submit a name:

  • On Twitter and Instagram: Name suggestions can be made using the hashtag #SpaldingMascot, and users are encouraged to tag the Twitter accounts @SpaldingU  or @SU_GoldenEagles.
  • On Facebook: On Spalding’s Facebook page, find the post and (awesome) video from Feb. 2 about the new mascot, and leave a comment that includes your name suggestion. (You can also watch that video below or at this YouTube link.)
  • Email: Send entries to [email protected].
  • In person: Name suggestions can also be submitted at the Homecoming doubleheader basketball games against Eureka on Saturday, Feb. 3 at Columbia Gym, 824 S. Fourth St. There will be a blue box at the Campus Activities Board table for naming entries. (The women’s game is at 1 p.m. and the men at 3 p.m. Expect the eagle to make a grand debut appearance! The first 100 students who show up in with a Spalding ID will receive a foam eagle claw.) The box will also be set up at the College Street Cafe dining hall through Feb. 12.

After all the entries are received, five finalists will be chosen, and students will vote for their favorite via an online survey with a link to be sent out later. Students who vote will be eligible to win a voucher to shop at MySpaldingGear. The winning name will be announced near the end of February, and the eagle will have its name moving forward!

View transcript

 

Spalding University will honor diversity and African-American culture and history during February with multiple events to celebrate Black History Month.

Here a few things for students to see and do:

  • “Marshall” film showing: At 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 7, the Spalding Library, in conjunction with the offices of Student Engagement and Student Leadership and Multicultural Services, will show the film, “Marshall.” The 2017 movie, starring Chadwick Boseman, is a biopic about Thurgood Marshall, the first African-American Supreme Court justice. The movie will be shown in the lower-level Library Lecture Lounge, and a discussion of the film will follow the conclusion. (Here’s the link to the “Marshall” IMDB page.)
  • “Share Your Love”: During lunch hours on Feb. 14, Student Leadership and Multicultural Services will host an event at the POD dining center where Spalding community members will celebrate what they love about various identities.
  • Book display: All month, there will be a literary installation of books and movies available for checkout on the first floor of the library. The books display will include popular and scholarly works of fiction and nonfiction by African-American authors or about African-American-related issues or history.

In addition, the Global Mixed Gender Basketball league (GMGB site here) – a co-ed professional basketball league started by the rapper Master P – is sponsoring the Balling For a Cause youth basketball camp to celebrate Black History Month at Columbia Gym on Feb. 10 (10 a.m. to 2 p.m.).

Louisville community activist Christopher 2X, who does community outreach nationally for the GMGB league, organized the leadership and skills camp, which is for middle school boys and girls ages 11-13 and has the theme of “Celebrating the Black Athlete.” The free camp is invitation-only for players through participating schools and intramural organizations, but anyone is welcome to come watch.

The life of a college student can get pretty hectic. Sometimes you are so busy juggling class, homework, work, social activities, etc. that health and self-care often fall to the bottom of the priority list. It’s much easier to do well in college if your physical and mental health is taken care of. Here are three tips for staying healthy in college:

#1 Time Management and Planning

Be careful and particular where and how you spend your time. Accept that you can only do two of the following things: get 8 hours of sleep at night, make a great GPA or spend all the time you want hanging out with your friends. Prioritize these things. Set aside time during the week to work on your papers and study for exams. Take that time very seriously and accomplish the goals you set. This way you’re free to use your weekends to hang out with your friends and do things that make you happy.

#2 Pay Attention to your Physical Health

Physical health means something to different people, but in general, it’s important to pull yourself out of the library to get some exercise and time away from your studies. Luckily, there are simple ways to get exercise like walking to class or taking a few minutes to go to the campus gym. Universities tend to make student health a priority and have facilities to help. One of the main health issues with college students is sleep deprivation. Manage your time in a way that allows you to go to bed at a reasonable time and still have finished your paper due the next morning (see tip number one). Try using a monthly planner to map out your daily schedule and keep you on track, there are tons of time management apps that could help as well. Also, try to develop a moderately healthy diet. It can be hard to eat well all the time, especially if you are always on the go. Aim to make the healthiest food choices you can but don’t stress yourself out.

#3 Self-Care, Self-Care, Self-Care

It’s impossible to place too much emphasis on the importance of practicing self-care. According to the American Psychological Association, 61 percent of college students seeking counseling report anxiety, 49 percent report depression and 45 percent report stress. Because anxiety, depression, and stress are so prevalent among college students, it’s essential to find time to focus on yourself and your mental health. Self-care could be anything from exercising to going out with friends to reading a non-school related book, whatever helps you clear your mind and recharge from the stress of college life.

A slice of the Big Easy will come to Spalding University next week as students celebrate a Mardi Gras-themed Homecoming.

Spalding Homecoming is Saturday, Feb. 3, with a big student and alumni cheering section encouraged to come out to Spalding’s home basketball doubleheader against Eureka. The women’s game tips off at 1 p.m., and the men will follow at 3. A Homecoming dance will start at 9 that night at the College Street Ballroom.

Students who wear Spalding gear and have a valid Spalding ID will be treated to free pizza and drinks.

“We’re hoping to have a big turnout for a pep club for the basketball teams,” said Michaela Patton, president of the Campus Activities Board, which organizes Homecoming.

Between games, this year’s Homecoming Court will be announced, as voted on by the student body. Spalding also has a special announcement planned for that time.

The Homecoming winners will be crowned that night at the Mardi Gras dance (free admission), and other Homecoming Spirit events are planned during the week. (See bottom of the story.)

Online student voting for the Homecoming Court will run Monday through Thursday. The ballot is based off nominations from faculty and staff who wanted to recognize students who work hard in the classroom, are involved with campus activities and represent Spalding positively.  Students can vote once.

It’s only the second year Spalding has held a Homecoming week. Patton said adding on-campus social events was a priority for CAB last year, and when students were asked what kind of events they wanted to see, a prom-style Homecoming dance was consistently mentioned.

“We had a sense of involvement but didn’t have what some of the bigger schools had,” she said. “I was really excited about getting the students involved. I think it brought the school together.”

About 150 students attended last year’s dance, and she said it was probably the most well-attended CAB event of last school year. She’s hoping for an even bigger crowd in 2018.

“I’m really excited and honored to bring this tradition to Spalding University,” she said. “It’s a big thing to honor our students who do well, and I think it’s going to be a good thing.”

Spalding Student Engagement Director Anna Foshee said that she is proud of the work CAB has done to create fun, attractive events and enhance campus culture.

“It’s great,” she said. “It’s really important for us to build a campus culture here at Spalding and to create and embrace traditions. (Having a Homecoming) is familiar to people, but it’s new us, and we’ve ‘Spaldingized’ it for us to fit in with (the university’s themes of) inclusiveness, compassion and mission. It’s really cool how it really came about and was really borne out of the students.”

Patton said CAB members have bought “tons” of Mardi Gras beads and other New Orleans-themed decorations. Students can come dressed however they like, but she suggested many will be there in semi-formal attire and have been excited to go shopping and plan their dresses and outfits.

The Spalding Homecoming dance will be a convenient activity for students who live on campus, but Patton, who is a resident assistant at Morrison Hall, also encourages those who live off campus to attend and celebrate the social and community aspects of being a Spalding student.

“It’s all just about being able to let loose and relax, dance, take pictures, eat some food,” she said. “I think it’ll be really fun.”

Spalding Homecoming Spirit Week Schedule
Monday – Pajama Day
Tuesday – Twin Day
Wednesday – Senior Citizen Day
Thursday – Spirit Day
Friday – Flashback Friday
Saturday – Basketball games vs. Eureka (women 1 p.m., men 3 p.m.) with Homecoming Court unveiled and special Spalding announcement between games; Homecoming Mardi Gras Dance, 9 p.m.

Get meaningful holiday gifts and support the students of your favorite university at the same time?! What a deal.

It can be a reality tonight (Monday, Dec. 4) from 6 to 8 p.m. at during the Community Shopping Night at Just Creations, 2722 Frankfort Avenue.  A portion of all sales will go toward the Spalding Study Abroad in Ireland program.

Global education is an appropriate cause to be associated with Just Creations, which is a Fair Trade nonprofit organization that provides marketing assistance to low-income artisans and farmers throughout the developing world. Your purchase of gifts, household items, clothing, jewelry, and food helps to provide a fair wage for the artisans and enables them to pay for food, education, health care and housing.

It’s loaded with cool, one-of-kind items, and you can feel good about yourself when you buy it, knowing you’re making a difference.

We’ll see you there.

In a presentation she hopes will be “eye-opening, brain-expanding, assuring and educational,” sexual identity expert Robyn Ochs will speak at Spalding University at 6 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 9. It’s free and open to the public at the College Street Ballroom, 812 South Second Street.

Ochs will deliver an interactive program called “Beyond Binaries: Identity and Sexuality,” which tries to educate people on how to understand sexuality and which labels they may use to describe sexual orientation.

“It’s my personal belief that we are too complicated to fit perfectly and neatly into labels or categories, and yet we keep trying to do that,” she said. “Labels can be good when we understand them as tools we can use. They can be dangerous if we think they mean more than they do. They can either help our thinking or limit our thinking. This program is really about trying to get us to think about identity and labels in a way that helps us understand and doesn’t get in the way of our understanding.”

Ochs, who travels nationally for speaking engagements, said the topics can be important to deliver on college campuses, in particular, because the “college years are a time when many of us come to terms with or develop a greater understanding of our own identities and our own roles in the world.”

She hopes her program will teach the audience some tools to better understand themselves and others. The interactive program will include an anonymous study of the people in the audience. Audience members are invited to complete a short, anonymous questionnaire. They’re shuffled and handed back out randomly to others, preserving every individual’s confidentiality while showing a look about who’s in the room.

Ochs said that an audience member at a recent presentation of “Beyond Binaries,” sent a text message afterward to the campus organizer that said, “This is the program I’ve been waiting for my entire life.”

“I think it does so many things and really helps people understand the broad array of experiences and perspectives in the room,” Ochs said. “I’ve had people say, ‘I feel so much less alone,’ ‘I feel affirmed,’ ‘I feel reassured.’ The program is designed for people of all identities, not just LGBTQ people. It’s for people all genders, all sexual orientations.”

LISTEN TO ROBYN OCHS ON WFPL’S ‘STRANGE FRUIT’ PODCAST

 

 

 

A few weeks into their lives as college students, Spalding University freshmen were given a greater sense about the mission of their new school and their importance in contributing to that common cause at Convocation.

On Sept. 6, the entire freshman class attended Spalding’s third annual Convocation ceremony at the University Center Auditorium. The first-year students were officially welcomed to campus and given advice from administrators and current and former students.

Spalding President Tori Murden McClure presented each first-year student with a coin engraved with key words from the university mission statement: diversity, learners, spirituality, service, peace and justice.

McClure instructed the students to rely on others and to surround themselves with dynamic people because the close relationships they foster will have the biggest influence on their lives and character.

“Surround yourself with people who fill you up, not who attempt to tear you down,” she said. “… One of the things I really enjoy is surrounding myself with people who are better than I am at something. … I can learn from them.”

The freshmen were told to hold onto their coin for the next four years, then upon graduating, give it to a person they consider a mentor.

“I got a lot out of (Convocation),” said nursing major LeeAnn Weppler, who was one of 174 freshmen to register for classes this semester. “I was able to really see what Spalding was about and to see how the mission statement actually stays true to the faculty … I’m meeting so many diverse people, and everybody is so nice here. It’s an awesome community, and I’m so glad I chose Spalding.”

Another new nursing major, Callie Mansfield of Whiting, Indiana, said she was drawn to McClure’s message.

“From the first time I came here, I’ve looked up to her,” said Mansfield, who plays softball for the Golden Eagles. “Even though she has accomplished so many great things, she just keeping going. … That’s why I look up to her. … She’s an amazing role model.”

Recent alumna Crystal White, who earned her Master of Science in Occupational Therapy in June, gave a memorable speech about staying dedicated to academic pursuits, even in the face of tragedy.

White, a Louisville native who attended Moore High School, said two of her friends were killed and her brother paralyzed from the waist down during a shooting in Nicholasville, Kentucky, in May.

At the time, White was only weeks away from completing her degree and was wrapping up classwork and a research project.

Despite the adversity, she stayed on course and got her master’s degree with a 3.75 grade-point average.

“I didn’t share this story with you for sympathy,” she told the first-year students, “but to remind you that perseverance is the hard work you do after the hard work you’ve already done.”

She added: “If I can make it, you can, too.”