1994-03-17

              P.O.Box 1866

Saint John's University

Cotlegeville, MN 56321

The Record

Non-profit organization

US Postage paid

Saint John's University

Volume CVII, Number 3

Official Student Newspaper Since 1887

March 17, 1994

Fire in the Chapel

By Timothy M Gerrety

Staff Writer and T. Riley Cheesebrough

Editorial Staff Writer

On Saturday, March 5, an unidentified CSB student reported a fire at the Stella Maris Chapel to Br. David Paul Lange, OSB.

"She approached me on campus and said, *We were not sure who we were suppose to tell, but the Chapel altar is on fire! The fire is smoldering; we tried to put it out with snow, but that didn't work/" Lange said.

Lange was unsure as to why the student did not call 911. Since the altar was just smoldering, he assumed that it was not an imminent emergency.

Lange proceeded to go into the monastery and recruit two monks to assist him in extinguishing the blaze. Fr. Timothy Backous, OSB, Br. Bradley Jenniges, OSB, and Lange ran to the Firehouse where they loaded two ATVs with ground and brush fire equipment, water backpacks, shovels, and brooms.

Their first attempt to reach the

chapel was unsuccessful. The trip ended when the four-wheeler got stuck in snow near the Stone Gate. The only other route was across Lake Sagatagan.

Lange, driving the three-wheeler, was the first to reach the lake. The trip across the iced-over lake was described by Backous as "scary."

"I was a little nervous since both vehicles were loaded down," Backous said.

They arrived at the chapel and found the majority of the altar had been burned.

"The wood altar is made of thick, heavy timbers that were slow-burning from the center. We dismantled the remains and threw them in the lake," Lange said.

The remains of three fires surrounded the chapel from the outside; while candle wax, matches, and ashes signified that several fires burned inside, as well.

The three suspected the altar had

See Fere page 4

The two stone pillars are all that survived the altar fire, (photo by Ben Knuth)

Pruett named principal of St. John's Prep

St. John's Spanish instructor returns to Prep School after four years

Students getting down and dirty in the mild March weather.

(photo by Peter Raih)

By Marty M. Wolske

Staff Writer

St. John's University Spanish instructor Sarah Pruett announced Saturday that she would accept the position of principal at St. John's Preparatory School beginning July 1, 1994.

Pruett will replace Ian Dommer, OSB, who is the current Dean of Instruction, when Mark Thamert, OSB, takes over as the new Prep School Headmaster. The Headmaster of the Prep School indicates who he wishes to have as his principal,butapplications were accepted from anyone who was interested.

Pruett said the decision evolved through conversation between her and Thamert as early as January. The two shared and discussed different ideas about academic excellence and other issues concerning the Prep School. Finally, Pruett made the decision to accept the change.

This will notbe the first time Pruett has worked at the Prep School. She is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame and Carleton College, andreceivedherM.A. from

the University of Illinois at Cham-pagne-Urbana. Pruett began teaching at SJP in 1984. In 1988 she started the ESL program at the Prep School and in 1990 became an instructor of Spanish at SJU.

Pruett currently teaches Spanish and English-as-a-Second-Lan-guage (ESL) at SJU. ESL is a class offered for students who do not

She is a very dignified role model both women and men."

for

speak English as their first language. She will continue teaching ESL at SJU in the fall, but will no longer teach Spanish.

Pruett has mixed feelings about leaving the university.

"I will miss certain aspects of my job over here, and 111 miss my colleagues, but I like variety and the challenges of anewjob,"Pruett said.

Pruett is anxious about the new challenges that await her.

"Having been at the Prep School for six years, I'm excited about going back and doing what I can to

strengthen the school academically," Pruett said.

One of her main focuses for the upcomingyear is to continue building on the faculty and staffs number one priority of academic excellence at the school. For example, Pruett wishes to see a greater collaboration between the Prep school, SJU and CSB, especially in theESLfield. In 1995,Pruett hopes ___ __, to develop an English Institute to educate not only Prep students, but __ college students, monks and Ecumenical Institute people as well.

Another plan is to begin the International Baccalaureate (IB) prp-gram. The program is similar to advanced placement programs in high schools, but the IB program is one which is recognized internationally, not just nationally, as the advanced placement program is.

Pruett hopes to make the Prep school an even more distinct school in this area. She sees her relationship with Thamert as a terrific one, as they both share similar goals.

See Pruett page 4