2026-09-29T23:28:47+00:00 Zend_Feed_Writer https://rattlersremember.stmupublichistory.org/ Rattlers Remember https://rattlersremember.stmupublichistory.org 2019-05-02T16:24:31+00:00 2019-05-08T01:16:38+00:00 https://rattlersremember.stmupublichistory.org/items/show/6 Nicole Johnson In 2013, after the passing of the Marianist brother and artist, Mel Meyer, his art studio asked St. Mary’s University to browse Brother Mel’s career-long collection. After St. Mary’s University was offered first choice of Brother Mel’s collection, an informal selection committee was formed. Brian St. John, Chair of the Art Department at St. Mary’s University, was a member of this committee. He recalls choosing pieces based on the types of lighting required to showcase each piece properly. After careful selection, brothers from St. Mary’s University headed to St. Louis, Missouri to bring colorful, inviting, and meaningful pieces of Brother Mel’s art to St. Mary’s University. Students, staff, faculty, and visitors can now enjoy these unique and abstract artworks as they stroll through campus. Brother Mel Meyer dedicated his life to producing purposeful art that embodied Marianist principles, even in the most abstract formats. He never lost sight of the meanings behind what he was creating. When creating his pieces, he took every color and detail into consideration. The intricacies and ideals behind his artwork generated a large amount of interest, which eventually enabled him to support the Marianist community through his earnings. The Marianist brothers at St. Mary’s University have deeper ties to Brother Mel beyond selecting these pieces to bring to campus. Brother Brian Zampier was one of the Brother Mel’s artist assistants. Brother Zampier painted many of Brother Mel’s sculptures, including the Statue of St. Francis, which stands by Assumption Chapel and St. Louis Hall. This statue has had a profound impact of students boarding in Chaminade Hall, and notably, it has helped one student overcome family hardship and grief by inspiring her to write poems about the statue’s light reflection on Chaminade Hall. Brother Mel’s artwork extends beyond the limits of the St. Mary’s University Sculpture Garden. His paintings and murals can be found in many different spaces around campus. Look around and see the gifts that Brother Mel has provided to the campus of St. Mary's University! For more (including 3 images and 1 sound clip), view the original article. 2019-04-30T18:46:17+00:00 2019-05-08T01:16:38+00:00 https://rattlersremember.stmupublichistory.org/items/show/5 Kacey Diaz When you drive past St. Mary’s University or walk the campus, what stands out most to you? St. Louis Hall? Chaminade Tower? The water fountain in front of the school? Whatever it may be, nothing stands out more, literally, than the Barrett Memorial Bell Tower. The late Susana Barrett envisioned a striking centerpiece for the campus that would bring together the St. Mary's community. With the help of her son Charles T. Barrett Jr., a St. Mary's alumnus, this vision became a reality. It was primarily through his efforts that this project was funded and in addition, met with President Cotrell and Brother Jim Jakely, to form a committee which traveled around the country examining other school's bell towers in order to get inspiration for our own. The 100-foot memorial tower was dedicated to the Barrett family at a ceremony on February 2, 2007. At this ceremony, the former President of St. Mary's, Charles L. Cotrell, Ph.D., recognized the Bell Tower as the "centerpiece of the campus landscape" and an area that "[transformed] this space into both the geographical and spiritual center of the St. Mary's campus." Although the Bell Tower is relatively new to campus, it can be hard for those who attended or worked at St. Mary's before the construction of the tower to remember what the school looked like before it was built. LaRae Sleeter, attended St. Mary's from 1988-1993, remembers that part of this area was an accessible parking area, and the other part was a large open field where intramural sports took place. One of her first memories of this area was a story she heard of the naming of the mascot, the Rattlers. According to Sleeter, the area where the Bell Tower is now used to be the football field that would have to be cleared of rattlesnakes before games were played. Even though it may be difficult to imagine what the Bell Tower area used to look like, it’s hard to negate the fact that the Bell Tower is an aesthetically pleasing asset to the school. The Bell Tower captivates everyone's attention at St. Mary’s. Before there was a Bell Tower, when the school song, "The Bells of St. Mary's," was sung, faculty, staff, and students would point in any direction while singing this song. After the tower was built, it's now tradition to point towards the Bell Tower when singing the song. The original placement for the Bell Tower was going to be in Alkek Plaza, but this idea was quickly dismissed by architects, engineers, and St. Mary's community members who were working on the project. They felt the placement of the Bell Tower in its current location was more appropriate because of its centrality to campus. Today, the Bell Tower serves as a central meeting area for groups on campus including the Marianist three o'clock prayer. One of the most shocking facts about the Bell Tower is that the bells inside of the tower aren't real bells, they are made of styrofoam. All the aspects, including the design, the engravings, and the bells, that make up the Bell Tower are what make it unique and special to this campus. The Barrett Memorial Bell Tower of St. Mary’s University will forever, as former President Cotrell describes, “symbolize the strength, heritage and traditions of excellence at St. Mary’s.” For more (including 3 images and 1 sound clip), view the original article.