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History of LVC in 25 Objects

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These 25 objects define the History of LVC in a unique perspective.

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Page 1: History of LVC in 25 Objects
Page 2: History of LVC in 25 Objects

Table of ContentsAcademics

1. Curriculum......................................

2. LVC Diploma............................................................

3. Presidential Medallion...................

4. Mace of Ebony and Silver................................

5. Cuewe-Pehelle................................

Social Life

6. The Railroad Tracks........................

7. Chicken Tenders.......................................................

8. Tug of War.......................................

9. Miller Chapel Steeple..............................................

10. La Vie.............................................

11. Quittapahilla..........................................................

12. African Robes...............................

Page 3: History of LVC in 25 Objects

Athletics

13. Hot Dog Frank.............................

14. John Zola Statue..................................................

15. Marching Band Uniform...............

16. Championship Basketball....................................

LVC Lore

17. Bow Tie.........................................

18. Lenny the Leopard................................................

19. Red Avenger..................................

20. Revolver.................................................................

21. Flying Dutchman.........................

22. Dink and Tie...........................................................

23. Ghost of Mary Green..................

24. Tombstone.............................................................

25. L Book..........................................

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The curriculum at LVC, when first founded in 1866 by inaugural president Thomas Rhys Vickroy, was comprised of the general subjects of a then liberal arts degree. President George D. Gossard, 1912–1932, achieved accreditation from the Middle States Association of College and Schools, which led to the expansion of the curriculum in many ways. The music program was established during this period and was endorsed by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The liberal arts curriculum currently consists of more than 30 majors, three master’s programs and a doctorate program in physical therapy, as well as self-designed majors for students seeking a high-impact experience in an academically rigorous environment.

ACADEMICS

Curriculum1

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The LVC Diploma; it’s the goal of every student when they enroll for their first semester classes freshmen year. Students who work hard throughout their time at LVC and earn 120 credits earn the diploma at Commencement. It is handed to the soon-to-be alumni by the College president when they cross the stage and shake hands.

ACADEMICS

LVC Diploma 2

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The Presidential Medallion is worn by the President at Commencement, Convocation, and other events every year. It bears the seal of Lebanon Valley College as well as college motto, John 8:32 which reads, “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” The medallion represents the prestige of LVC. Most recently, the medallion was bestowed upon Dr. Lewis E. Thayne at his inauguration ceremony.

ACADEMICS

Presidential Medallion3

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Much like the Presidential Medallion, the Mace of Ebony and Silver is used every year at Commencement. It is also used on Founders Day and all faculty processions. In 1957, Dr. V. Earl Light ‘16 designed the current mace. The silver orb that sits atop the ebony stand is adorned with the College seal and a torch of learning, representing the basic standards of the College. The mace is topped with a cross that represents LVC’s religious background. Overall, the Mace of Ebony and Silver represents the College’s traditions and ideals.

Mace of Ebony and Silver

ACADEMICS

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In 1997, the Cuewe-Pehelle statue was dedicated at LVC. It was a gift of Drs. Edna and Clark Carmean (Former Dean and professor of music). Cuewe-Pehelle is a Greek Goddess whose name translates to Quittapahilla, a Native American word meaning a stream that flows from the ground among the vines. The sculptor, Audrey Flack, was introduced to LVC when she had her work featured in an exhibit in the Suzanne H. Arnold Art Gallery in 1996. The statue represents the agricultural bounty of LVC, the Quittapahilla creek, and the surrounding region. Quittapahilla overlooks the academic quad and sits near the library, Lynch, and the Niedig-Garber science building.

ACADEMICS

Cuewe-Pehelle5

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The railroad tracks that run through the heart of campus were once an essential means of transit for people from Annville to anywhere in the United States. The black and white photo above depicts the scene on Feb. 15, 1943, when 29 Lebanon Valley College students made their way to the train station and departed for active duty. The train station was located just east of the College. Now the tracks simply serve as a means of hauling freight, as no passenger cars travel them any longer. They also serve as a constant reminder of what once was, as the trains that still run on them can be heard at all times of day across campus.

SOCIAL LIFE

Railroad Tracks 6

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A much more recent tradition on campus, Chicken Tender Thursday has become a favorite of many students and alumni. The tradition occurs every Thursday during lunch, when chicken tenders, macaroni and cheese, and French fries are served in the hot food lines. The tradition has grown to the point where Thursdays are now occasionally celebrated, with the staff in the cafeteria wearing chicken hats and playing the “Chicken Dance”. It is one of the many parts of LVC which make it feel less like a college campus and more like a home.

Chicken TendersSOCIAL LIFE

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Photo Credit: Katie McDonald

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The tug O.’ war was once a contest fought between the incoming freshmen boys and the sophomore men. Every year the new freshmen were forced to get together by the Quittie creek and engage in a struggle with the sophomores of that year. The sophomore team would generally always pick the higher ground and win; however some exceptions did take place. If the sophomores won, the freshmen had to continue wearing their dinks and ties, and if the freshmen won they could take them off and no longer be ridiculed by the upperclassmen. The tradition has long since ended, but as of Dutchmen Day 2013 included a tug o’ war for anyone who wanted to participate. No stakes were wagered and no classes pitted against each other, however.

SOCIAL LIFE

Tug Of War Rope 8

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Built during a year-long celebration of the College centennial in 1966, Miller Chapel serves as a meeting place, a place for academics, worship, music, and games. Related to the Methodist Church, Lebanon Valley College was founded on Feb. 23, 1866. The United Methodist Church is the product of several mergers, and the actual body committing itself to the College was the East Pennsylvania Conference of the Church of the United Brethren in Christ. United Brethren, like their Methodist cousins, developed out of the evangelical pietism which swept the United States after the Revolution, and were ambivalent toward education. Nonetheless, the college has a rich religious history, and the steeple atop Miller Chapel in the center of campus serves as a daily reminder of that fact.

Miller Chapel SteepleSOCIAL LIFE

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SOCIAL LIFE

La Vie CollegienneLa Vie Collegienne, or La Vie, is LVC’s student run school newspaper. Over the years, La Vie has been called The College Forum, The Crucible, La Vie Collegienne, The College News, and The Quad. It covers campus news, controversial issues, LVC sports, and other stories relevant to LVC. Every year La Vie publishes a special edition for April Fool’s Day, which features whacky stories that provide students and faculty with a good laugh. La Vie is a biweekly publication that represents LVC student’s voices.

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The Lebanon Valley College yearbook was known as The Bizarre from 1899–1915 and then changed to The Quittapahilla in 1916. The Quittapahilla captures memories from each year. It is one of a few traditions that have survived the test of time. Electronic versions of every yearbook since 1899 are available in the library.

SOCIAL LIFE

Quittapahilla11

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These garments were given to Lebanon Valley College as a gift from its first African American student, Alfred Tennyson Sumner of the class of 1902. He brought these robes back from Sierra Leone. Alfred’s son, the Hon. Doyle Sumner also attended LVC from 1936–1938. Alfred’s robes represent LVC’s strong commitment to diversity and equality for all people.

SOCIAL LIFE

African Robes12

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One of the great traditions in LVC athletics is Hot Dog Frank Day, held annually on a Saturday in February during a basketball doubleheader. Hot Dog Frank Day is named after Frank Aftosmes, a local businessman and avid supporter of LVC. Frank was always willing to lend a hand to students and supported LVC athletics, especially basketball. Unfortunately, he passed away just hours before his beloved men’s basketball team won the 1994 NCAA National Championship. In memory of his support, a statue of Aftosmes stands in LVC’s Peace Gar-den, and a national championship ring is on his right hand. LVC legend states that Frank’s spirit helped the team win that day.

ATHLETICS

Hot Dog Frank13

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The John Zola statue represents the “fighting spirit” of the Dutchmen. In 1961, John Zola was poised to break out as a prominent member of LVC’s football team. However, John’s legs gave out during a game against the Drexel Institute of Philadelphia. Zola became very ill and was taken to the hospital. Doctors performed an emergency surgery to remove a blood clot in his brain. Unfortunately, John succumbed to his injuries and passed away a few days later. John’s last words to his coach were, “I’m all right [Sic], coach.” John’s fighting spirit lives on in the hearts of those who don the name of the Dutchmen.

ATHLETICS

John Zola Statue14

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Every Saturday in the fall semester, LVC’s Marching band marches through campus to Arnold Field. Known as “The Pride of the Valley”, the marching band represents LVC’s music program and the its connection to LVC athletics. The marching band performs their show at half time at LVC football games and pumps up the crowd with their enthusiasm and stand music.

ATHLETICS

Marching band uniform15

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On March 19, 1994 the NCAA Division III National Basketball Championship game was held at Buffalo State College between LVC and NYU. LVC emerged as the victors after going into overtime, and became the first and only LVC team to earn a national title. The team’s success is attributed to many factors. The fans who followed and supported them throughout the season, and the team’s WE attitude allowed them to play unselfishly and win it all. Co-captains Mike Rhoades ’95 and John Harper ‘94 were named to the all-tournament team. Pat Flannery was the coach who led the team to victory, and did so in his fifth season with the Dutchmen.

ATHLETICS

Championship Basketball 16

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Every college receives guidance and special influence from it’s president. The bow tie represents the steady influence from past LVC presidents. Dr. Stephen C. MacDonald, president emeritus, served from 2004–2012 and wore bow ties that became an iconic representation of his influence. President MacDonald’s tenure produced major building and capital projects, the expansion of the LVC’s academic programs, and the deepening of its relationship with the neighboring community of Annville. Without the leadership brought by its most influential presidents, the college would be nowhere near the level of academia that is present today.

LVC LORE

Bow Tie17

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Lenny the LeopardLVC LORE

Lenny, a stuffed leopard from Sierra Leone, West Africa, was the prized gift given to LVC by missionary William M. Martin ‘18, who shot the leopard on a hunting exhibition in 1922 . For years, Lenny was on display in the Biological Museum on the third floor of the Administration Building and sometimes in the library. One day Lenny ended up on the steps of the old Post Office where he had a standoff with a member of Annville’s police unit. Students would take Lenny with them on vacation and pose in pictures with him. He would always return to LVC. However, Lenny disappeared forever in 1994. Some think he was stolen. Others think he got lost when the library was renovated. Hopefully, Lenny will return home to LVC soon.

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LVC LORE

Red Avenger

The Red Avenger is LVC’s infamous maker of mischief. Many theories exist on the origin of the Red Avenger. One theory is that a secret organization is responsible. No matter the theory, the one consistent belief is the Red Avenger never acted alone and always had an accomplice or two He normally appears at special events, most notably homecoming weekend, dressed in red. The return of the Red Avenger in recent years is one of many LVC traditions making a comeback. Red reminds us to relax and laugh a little bit, as his “mischief” is delivered through mild-mannered pranks.

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Photo Credit: Nick Gould

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RevolverLVC LORE

The revolver represents the infamous annual murder scene. In the first half of the 1900s, upperclassmen, along with the police and residents of Annville worked together to stage a “murder.” It was so realistic that unknowing freshmen cried and called the police. The murder story usually involved a dispute with two upperclassmen fighting over a girl. Unfortunately, the annual murder became a casualty of World War II. A group of students who had been in the war heard rumblings of the make believe murder and prepared to protect people using military tactics. The once comical murder scene struck a real fear in students and staff. Members of LVC’s faculty banned the annual “murder” in 1946.

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LVC LORE

The Flying Dutchman

The true origin of the Flying Dutchman nickname is somewhat ambiguous, but is known to have originated from an article that appeared in the Lebanon Daily News on Sept. 12, 1932. Writer G.O. Gettum stated “The Blue and White collegians, like most superstitious athletes, believe a mascot of some kind would bring them more good luck.” A few days later in a new article, on Sept. 15, 1932, the Flying Dutchman nickname was first proposed. Gettum wrote that the name, from an unattributed source, was appropriate because “Lebanon Valley College is almost in the center of Pennsylvania Dutch country.” The name first officially appeared in an LVC yearbook in 1935. The current Dutchman mascot outfit came about in 2008 as a gift from the Class of 2008. The previous version of the outfit vanished 14 years earlier and was last seen in action at the March 1994 NCAA Division III National Basketball Championship game at Buffalo State between LVC and NYU.

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Photo Credit: Michael Crabb

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Dink & TieLVC LORE

A tradition that ended approximately 50 years ago, all incoming freshmen at the Valley experienced a little taste of initiation. The organization known as White Hats was responsible for this “initiation.” The freshmen class had to wear dinks, which were little hats with their class year on it. The boys also had to wear short ties–adding to the ridicule. The attire and jokes were all in good fun. The fresh-men had to stop on a dime when they heard the words, “Freeze Frosh.” The up-perclassmen would then have some fun with the freshmen sometimes having them sit outside for extended periods of time with trashcans over their heads. Another rule was freshmen had to walk behind and to the right of the upper-classmen. But, all the hazing would come to an end if the freshmen beat the sophomores in a tug of war match. If the “Froshes” won, then the hazing was done with, but if not, it continued throughout the semester.

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Ghost of Mary GreenLVC LORE

The Ghost of Mary Green is just one of the many ghosts that are purported to roam the college campus. Seen by some and denied by many, these spirits are well known myths which are explored once a year by Dr. Kevin Pry on his annual Ghost Tour during homecoming week. Arguably the most well known ghost on campus, the Ghost of Mary Green was featured on the television show “School Spirits” on the SyFy channel in the 2012 episode “Collision Course/Deadly Dorm Games”. Legend has it that a young girl was chasing after her ball which had rolled onto the train tracks when the train arrived too quickly and killed the girl. She is now occasionally reported to be heard bouncing her ball at night on the third floor of the Mary Green residence hall which is right next to the tracks where she was killed.

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TombstoneLVC LORE

The tombstone represents the “darker” side of LVC’s history. Its significance arises from the Death League, a secret society that originated the year of LVC’s birth in 1866. In 1908, Ollie Butterwick, a student and younger brother of professor Robert R. Butterwick, lead the death league into some of its darkest days through traditions comparable to those of the Ku Klux Klan (KKK). One of the death’s league’s less intense traditions included the “sermon at the stone.” Every year, the death league would tie a freshman ministerial student to a tombstone in the cemetery, and make them deliver a two hour sermon. Amen! In 1912, President Keister abolished the Death League.

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L BookLVC LORE

The L book encompassed all of LVC’s traditions and served as a handbook for incoming students. Different sections of the book included: The Freshman, Christian Associations, Governing Bodies, Organizations and Publications, Athletics, Advertisements, and Miscellaneous Information. L books became a thing of the past as the Cue–P, a student directory, and other things replaced it. It is rumored that the L book is making a comeback in some capacity and may be utilized once again in the future.

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The EndCreated by Mike Lebo and Ethan Grodzinski

We would like to take the time to thank our contributors to this project:

Maureen Bentz, Access Services Librarian.Emily Summey, Director of Media Relations & Campus Communications.Jasmine Bucher, Director of Web Communications & New Media.Thomas Hanrahan, Director of Marketing & Communications.

Without their help this project would not have been possible.

Sources: 1. Bentz, M. (2013). Interview by M.S. Lebo []. Miscellaneous history.

2. Trosa, G. (2008). The l online. Retrieved from http://welcome.lvc.edu/l-online/traditions. aspx?bhiw=1394

3. Wallace, P. A. (1966). Lebanon valley college: A Centennial History. Annville, PA: Lebanon Valley College.