It’s not every day that you get to see the past and present collide! At Indiana University Northwest’s 2018 IU Day celebration, students and alumni came together to celebrate the institution’s academic impact as well as its history. Between caramel apples, build-a-bear stations, caricature artists, and music from the IU Calliope, there was something for everyone to enjoy.
“What we’re doing today is celebrating IU. Wherever you are in the world, we are hoping our alumni are celebrating,” said Paulette Lafata-Johnson, Alumni Relations Director at IUN. “We’re just celebrating IU, hoping people will want to support us in other ways, like donating on our Fundly page. All that money will go to scholarships today.”
While there was a lot to do at Moraine Hall, the main attraction was the rare IU Calliope. Situated on a circus wagon, the large, steam-powered instrument played on and off over the course of the day, bringing joyful music to students, faculty, and staff across campus. The instrument was operated by Travis C. Vasconcelos, Rivelorian and Calliopist Officiant, who was introduced to this particular instrument 40 years ago.
“There’s only about 12 [calliopes] functioning in the nation today, that are steam powered,” said Vasconcelos. “Indiana should be very proud because four of them are in this state.”
Calliopes were originally designed to replace church bells; however, they were quickly repurposed for showboats. The IU Calliope got its start on the university’s riverboat, “The Majestic,” and in the 1960s it was transferred to a circus wagon. Now the calliope is on tour again! The loud, high pitched tunes can be heard for three to five miles, gracing listeners with a sound that hearkens back to its heyday.
“A steam calliope, it’s forte is treble...So when I fire it up here, you’re going to hear it halfway across town!” said Vasconcelos. “Some of the songs that are typically played on one of these instruments would be the Top 20 of 120 years ago, but I’ll try to throw some modern stuff in. The IU Fight Song is the number one and, of course, ‘Back Home Again in Indiana!’ That’s it’s heritage.”
All fun aside, IU Day is also about celebrating the university’s students and academic excellence. Amanda Geary, a senior at IUN, explained her love for the school and her eagerness to direct like-minded students to apply to IUN.
“I would definitely recommend [IUN] and tell people that if they want a good education and they want to be close to home and they want a community-based relationship that they should definitely come here,” Geary said.
Amanda’s sister, Alexis Geary, a sophomore, pointed to the small class sizes and the dedicated professors at the school.
“If you want to have more one-on-one time with professors, they’re definitely more willing to help you [here] than at big campuses...They know your name here,” Alexis said.
IU Day is one of the largest fundraising events for IUN. To show your support, learn more about the institution by visiting their website or making a donation on their Fundly page.
