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Rededication of 'brighter, livelier' Stockdale Center a highlight of Monmouth College's Family Weekend

by Barry Mcnamara

Monmouth, Ill. (09/23/2024) — Nearly two full years after smoke damage from a fire caused its closing, Monmouth College's Stockdale Center is not only back, but it's better than ever.

A person who would know is Dean of Students Karen Ogorzalek, who was the first speaker as the college held a rededication ceremony Sept. 20 for the building, which is named in honor of Vice Adm. James Stockdale '46 and his wife, Sybil. The ceremony kicked off the college's celebration of Family Weekend.

One of Ogorzalek's former job titles at Monmouth was director of the Stockdale Center. She praised the changes at what she called the "newly renovated space in the heart of campus."

"Now, it's truly a student center and space," she said, before turning over the podium to Isabel Gimm '25 of Liberty, Illinois. Gimm, who serves as the lead mentor of the college's prestigious Stockdale Fellows program, spoke of the many opportunities she's had as a fellow.

"I've had countless opportunities for leadership and growth," she said. "It's helped me realize my full potential."

Assistant Director of Fraternity and Sorority Life and Student Engagement Cullen Marshall '22 first encountered the Stockdale Center as a transfer student in the fall of 2020 - a time when no building on campus was "normal" due to the pandemic. During his final semester in 2022, just as daily campus life was regaining that sense of normalcy, the Oct. 6 fire occurred.

"We've all made the best of it in the meantime, but luckily, that no longer needs to be the case," he said. "The new and improved Stockdale Center is a brighter, livelier, more welcoming space."

One of the many uses of the space is a meeting spot for Scots Student Senate, which was represented at the ceremony by its president, Carina Engst '26 of Bloomington, Illinois, who appreciated that student input was solicited in the renovation.

"We aimed to capture a variety of student perspectives in the renovation design," she said, noting that a new sensory room space will be completed soon, as well as the popular Scotland Yard eatery and Scots Market.

During her time at the podium, Vice President for Business and Finance Holly Tharp thanked the many subcontractors for their help in the project and gave "a very special thank you" to the college's food services provider, Aramark, for its willingness to work through the many logistics challenges of the past two years.

President Patricia Draves was the final speaker, thanking Tharp and Ogorzalek for their leadership on the project and stating that the ceremony was held at a very appropriate time.

"Stockdale Center is the living room for our students," she said. "Just like you have in your homes, it's the family room where students can be together and relax. It's very fitting that we rededicate it on Family Weekend."

Other Family Weekend highlights

A quick-moving storm rolled through Monmouth just before noon on Saturday, bringing about an early end to the Fighting Scots women's soccer match against Illinois Wesleyan University. The visitors came away with the victory, but one member of Monmouth's squad still managed to capture an athletic win on the day, as freshman Mylee Hansen is also part of the football team.

In the fourth quarter of the Scots' 52-6 victory - a contest that also experienced a delay due to the storm - Hansen even made history, booting the extra point after the Scots' final TD to become the first female player to score a point for Monmouth's football team, which has been playing intercollegiate games for 136 years.

That evening, two Monmouth music groups - the Chorale and Wind Ensemble - entertained a Family Weekend audience in Dahl Chapel. Directed by Justin Swearinger, the Wind Ensemble performed a few selections, highlight by "My Dearest Jane," which was inspired by Jane Austen and served as a prelude to the theatre department's production of Pride and Prejudice Sept. 27-29. Directed by Tim Pahel, the Chorale performed two selections: the exuberant piece "Joy," by Hans Heruth, and "Domaredansen," a fast and fun arrangement of a Swedish folksong.

Earlier in the day, the college recognized legacy students at a brunch gathering, and physics and engineering professor Michael Solontoi spoke on "Rocks from Outer Space" as part of the college's Great Lecture Series.

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Pictured from left at the rededication ceremony are Cullen Marshall, Holly Tharp, President Draves, Carina Engst, Isabel Gimm and Dean Karen Ogorzalek.

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