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AQUINAS VIGNETTES
This section adds stories provided by Aquinas students. It will be added to as additional material is accumulated. If you have a remembrance to share, send it in an email to the webmaster at sdb1215@sbcglobal.net. There must been hundreds of stories out there about student experiences that would probably fill a book.
Father Francis Clementine McKenna, O.P.
Father McKenna wore more hats at Aquinas than most people have in their closets. During my time there he was the Athletic Director, Religion, Latin and Spanish teacher, Public Relations Director, and bookstore manager. During the summers he oversaw the maintenance of the buildings and grounds and managed the summer student crew providing the labor. He was excitable, funny, and beloved by most.
Being such a busy man, he carried a key ring that had to contain scores of keys. During the spring of 1957 we had a gloriously nice day and the windows of our 3rd floor classroom were opened wide. When Father Clem entered the classroom for our religion class, he was confronted with a talkative audience which he attempted to quiet. As the din lowered a voice in the back of the room exhorted something about his bald dome. His face turned crimson. He stared the student down, took his key ring from his sash, and flung them at the offending student standing in front of the window. The student ducked just in time and the keys flew out the window like a scared bird. The silence was deafening until the now under control teacher announced that we would move the morning religion class outside to take advantage of the beautiful day God had given us. Once assembled, the offending student led us in the Rosary as we all got down on our knees and started the search for the scores of keys.
Contributed by Louis A Nobile, class 1957
Father Keefer O.P.
I'd like to share a quick memory of Fr. John Edward Keefer O.P. if I could. I had him for English class in 1964 and I remember him assigning several books by Charles Dickens for his Summer Reading program. I also enjoyed reading "Moby Dick", which always interested me in marine mammals for my later work with NOAA. He also always assigned Shakespeare, especially "The Merchant of Venice", to his classes. I also enjoyed his cheer leading efforts at basketball games where he used to shout "Huzzah!" often to the crowd. Finally, he asked his class what author they liked the best and he really liked it when I said "Jules Verne" for all his SiFi works. He was a true inspiration to me!
Contributed by Steve Holt, class 1965
You Would Think Your Safe on a City Bus
Contributed by Louis A Nobile, class 1957
Back in the late 80's, Bill Quinn, class 1960, took a long trip around the country by himself and decided to visit Dave Farenbach, same class, who lived in Seattle. One night at dinner Bill told the following story:
"During his sophomore year, Bill and two of his buddies were caught smoking on a city bus. Fr. Smith had spies everywhere and this transgression was quickly brought to his attention. Quinn and his fellow offenders were called into Fr. Smith's office for 'counseling'.
Fr Smith began the counseling by describing the transgression in a low, controlled voice while simultaneously removing his rings and watch. He calmly and quietly continued to describe the reasons why the act in question was against the rules while rolling up his sleeves. At some point, he came flying out from behind his desk, grabbed the tie of the guy on the left and delivered an open-handed round-house right to the left cheek. He would then grab the tie of the guy in the middle (Bill Quinn) ... Smack! Then the guy on the right...Smack! Then the guy in the middle (Bill)...Smack! Then the guy on the left...Smack! Back to the guy in the middle (Bill)...Smack!... on and on until Father got tired or his hand was getting sore. As he was catching his breath, Fr Smith asked the three students if they had learned anything over the last few minutes. Quinn chirped right up with; "Yes Father, I've learned never to be the guy in the middle!"
Contributed by Dave Farenbach, class 1960
Father Smith's Desk
I didn't start attending Aquinas until my sophomore year. Needless to say I had never heard about Fr. Smith. On the first day of school I arrived just before classes were to start. Walked into the main office on the ground floor where a priest was seated at a desk in the back corner. Walked back to the desk and immediately noticed the immaculate glass top. Bent over the desk placing both hands on the glass while introducing myself. Fr. Smith swiped at both my hands brushing them off his desk. He then reached into his desk drawer, pulled out a Windex bottle, and proceeded to polish his glass top while lecturing me on never to touch the desk. He then spotted a lump in my left shirt pocket immediately frisking me for cigarettes. It was my rosary case. Such was my introduction to Fr. Smith.
Contributed by Steve Brown, class 1960
Bring me the salt... George
I worked in the cafeteria during lunch hour. There were usually two priests in the lunchroom. Fr. Minichiello took money for lunches, controlled the line making sure nobody ditched and barked orders to the kitchen staff and student helpers as only he could. Fr. McKenna was the patrol boy who walked though the lunchroom making sure students behaved.
There was a separate table in the middle of the dining area where students could get various condiments. You were supposed to take your lunch to the condiment table where your applied your salt and pepper, catsup, etc. Some students were violating the rule and Fr. McKenna stopped all activity to make a very public announcement "that nothing was to be removed from the table." Just then, my friend and classmate George Allen walked into the cafeteria to get his lunch. He had missed Fr. McKenna's announcement. He worked his way through the line then headed to the condiment table. I was watching him from the back of the cafeteria. Just as he arrived I hollered "George... bring me the salt." He reached for the saltshaker... Fr. McKenna exploded as only he could. He had observed my interaction with George and knew immediately who the real culprit was. He came over my table, gave me the hardest open-hand slap I've ever experienced, and banned me from the cafeteria. During my remaining time at Aquinas, I never spoke to him and he never spoke to me.
Contributed by Steve Brown, class 1960
Where's my jacket?
I'm of the 1956 class, but as a freshman in 52, I was aware that we were not to bring coats to our last class, but to retrieve them from our locker after class. It was Spring and I had a very light jacket and was sure I could roll it up and place it under my desk with books pilled on it to make it undetectable. The last class was General Science. The Father whose name I cannot recall would teach as he walked up and down the aisles. I was the last one in the row, and became aware he had stopped behind me. He reached down and retrieved my jacket while continuing to teach, went over to the window (we were on the third floor), open the window, tossed out me jacket, and said "the next time that will be you!" Guess who never did that again for the next 4 years! Because of the discipline at Aquinas, a few years later I joined the Navy and had no trouble with the rules in Boot Camp. I will always cherish my years at Aquinas as the foundation for the rest of my years
Contributed by Jim Snyder, class 1956
Note: The priest in question mentioned above was Father Motti, a large man, who smoked big cigars.
Father Gyroscope
I am not what you call a writer with a gift for humor. My son-in-law once told me that I think I am funny, and I am not. So really what does he know? He is a meat head anyhow. So hidden in all the folklore of Aquinas is my story. I hope it gives you a chuckle or two. Yes, I ran it by my son-in-law but no I didn’t even get one chuckle. Imagine for a moment those early days of school when summer hot days lingered on until fall finally came about. It was one of those days when Fr decided he needed to open all the windows to bring in some fresh air.
Well Fr on that day showed us his gyroscope from his tour of service in the Navy. I think he described it as a device used for measuring or maintaining orientation and angular velocity. I saw it as a weapon when he started spinning its wheel in such a way that on its axis it was freely rotating wildly and threateningly. He announced that if we didn’t settle down and take our new school year seriously, he had a plan for those unlucky students where he detected any deviation. Yes, that seemingly holy Dominican priest would have that unfortunate student opens his chops and have that student bite down on that spinning wheel. Well, I wanted no part of that friar or his mid-evil gyroscope. So, I took one shuddering sigh and hunkered down for once.
That didn’t last long with all the windows open. Guess what happens when windows have no screens, and it is Aquinas. One thirsty hornet flies in at that moment to find one fearful dude. Yes, that hornet made a beeline straight for me as if it could smell my fear?? I held my breath as the hornet hovered right above my head, saying a prayer to Saint Francis that I would turn invisible to avoid the buzzing and that hornet. Alas, however the hornet made its way to me, but hovering, taunting, teasing. Finally, after holding my breath and closing my eyes, I felt the flying creature land right between my eyes. So, with a hornet crawling between my eyes and heading south on my nose I was ready for action.
I swear that hornet was having a laugh itching ever so close to struck me on the tip of my nose. So, what do you do when the entire class was in stitches and all eyes were on me. I thought of Fr Smith., He might enjoy this outcome and pounce on me for failing to swat that intruder.
However, it wasn’t Fr Smith but Fr Gyroscope who was watching me and seemingly holding the threatening gyroscope for me to see. He said if I even attempted to move an undeveloped muscle to swat it, I might have the gyroscope to chomp down on. So, the entire class was watching this hoping to see who would win. Fr Gyroscope bellowed out for me to freeze, not to move, or I would be the first to chomp.
The hornet was amused, for I swear I heard it chuckle, seeming to taunt me with a promise that swatting would give my classmates a good show. But that hornet did not stand a chance since in all my four years at Aquinas I feared those men in Priestley white so much so that I would gladly take a hornet sting over the castigation from any priest. I froze for what seemed like a lifetime, sweat dripping down my temple. The entire class gazed at me from my periphery with amusement and relief that they were not me. Father Gyroscope picked up his tool of torture and strode toward me eagerly awaiting my failure. As he approached, I prayed a silent prayer and thanked the Lord; my prayer was answered. It was either an answered prayer or maybe the hornet was bored because he decided he would be better off flying away to the safety of the outside. As I breathed a sigh of relief, Fr Gyroscope could not hide his disappointment at missing the chance to use his treasured spinning wheel on my chops.
Contributed by Ed Price Class of 1964
