Blasts from the Past: October 19, 2017
An exterior look at the Jaeger Center (Photo courtesy of Gettysburg College Athletics)
By Shannon Zeltmann, Staff Writer
This week in 1897, the weekly “Town Notes” section of the paper reported a fire that had broken out in a stable on Baltimore St. right before 5pm of Henry Brinkerhoff. However, the firemen were “excellent and intelligent” and quickly had the fire under control. The fire also somewhat spread to the neighboring barn of William Martin, however that was also put out. The Gettysburgian also reported how the town had a distinguished speaker during the week- the Governor of Vermont, Josiah Grout, “with a party of 75 persons.” Grout visited with the Pennsylvania Secretary of State, David Martin, on the battlefield. He and his party stayed two days. It was a busy week in the small town of Gettysburg!
This week in 1942, a second year of a new wartime tradition was discussed in The Gettysburgian. The “Keep ‘Em Smiling” program was created to send letters to Gettysburg students and alumni who were off fighting in the war. This program was chaired by Edward K. Stipe, chairman of the Service Contact Committee of the Student Christian Association. Students in fraternities sent letter to those who were part of their fraternities, while other students wrote to the ones who were not part of them. Stipe said they hoped to send two letters per week to the Gettysburgian service men. These were also mailed free, thanks to the efforts of the program, as to not to deter students from writing letters. This program made a sincere effort to keep their fellow alumni smiling, even in the hardest of conditions.
This week in 1992, Kristen Schwarze, a ’93 special education major, took a hundred-day Semester at Sea. The Gettysburgian reported she visited Venezuela, Brazil, Kenya, India, Taiwan, and other places. Schwarze had to take historical, cultural, and language classes in preparation for this trip. She learned about the domestic issues of each area she visited and at each place, she had a unique experience. In Venezuela, she faced a country in political turmoil with a coup to overthrow the president on the day she left. She learned about the racial tension in Cape Town, South Africa. She went into the safari and see elephants, gazelles, and other animals. In Malaysia, she was met with the cultural diversity and friendly people. In Hong Kong, she was surprised by the high tech and packed city. In the end, Schwarze said the trip changed her because it allowed people to “get a taste of everything.” It must have been an interesting hundred days for Schwarze.
This week in 2007, a new fitness center was in the works. The Gettysburgian reported it was an extension of the Bream-Wright Hauser Athletic Center. It cost approximately $25 million and the center would be 55,000 square feet. The main feature of the fitness center was the new natatorium as the pool was fifty years old. They were not sure what to do with the fitness center in Plank Gym. However, the updates were all necessary, especially with the healthy lifestyle that seemed to be trending.
These archived “Blasts from the Past” were compiled using online archives, which are available via Special Collections in Musselman Library. They were compiled by staff writer Shannon Zeltmann. To see more, visit our archives on the Special Collections website.
