SIUE Holds Memories and Promise for Friends on Reunion Tour

SIUE Holds Memories and Promise for Friends on Reunion Tour

This summer, new sights on the campus of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville have been the perfect draw for summer campers, academic conferences and a walk down memory lane for Cougar alumni. One main attraction for recent reunions has been the Health Science Complex, which opened within three years of its initial groundbreaking. SIUE alumnus Charlie Dragovich, '86, who received his degree in chemistry, suggested HSC as the starting point for a guided tour. Dragovich and a small group of friends, their spouses and former college roommates would meet up after 40 years.

On Saturday, June 13, Director of Development for the School of Pharmacy (SOP) and School of Nursing (SON) Nick Niemerg hosted the mini-reunion with a welcome by former SOP dean Gireesh Gupchup, PhD, FAPhA, the founding Associate Dean of SOP until 2010. Gupchup is currently the SIU System Vice President for Academic Innovation, Planning and Partnerships. He shared with the group the recently reported economic impact of SIUE of nearly $1.3 billion, generating nearly 7,000 jobs.

"You can't really go anywhere in Southern Illinois without walking somewhere and finding an SIU grad, right? It does have an impact," said Dragovich, a retired pharmacy executive and consultant, who was an inaugural member of School of Pharmacy Advisory Board and established the first endowed scholarship in Pharmacy.

"I love that Charlie's done so much for the School of Pharmacy. That's something to be really proud of," said Karen Harrop, '89, who graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Accountancy. She, her husband Greg, formerly a roommate of Dragovich, and friends who traveled to town the night before, stayed up late to catch up on the last 40 years. Now with HSC their SIUE experience includes a realistic, simulated hospital, which Dragovich claimed was "much needed."

"It's much different than what we had. We didn't have to worry about plugs for our laptop, and study space was in the hallway," said Dragovich. "I think it [HSC] probably needs to be a little bit more promoted within the community for what it does for the people of Southern Illinois."

"This is fascinating to see. The last probably 12 months of my career, I've spent supporting laboratory spaces like this," said Wes Sanders, '88, now retired from a career in management information systems. "We're standing in places right now where there was an open field when we went here. As we were driving in, I'm going, 'Okay, that building wasn't here, that building wasn't here, that building wasn't here,' but it's just great reconnecting with old friends and reliving the memories that we had from here."

Upon entering Morris University Center (MUC), these friends felt transported back in time.

"I remember dust mopping the floor. I was a janitor here for a quarter," said John Kufrin, '86, who graduated with a Bachelor of Science in what he said is a "world-changing, life-altering parks and rec degree." Kufrin majored in parks and recreation administration in the School of Education and is currently market director for Samsung Electronics America. "This [inside the MUC] doesn't look any different. I thought this was going to look completely different."

John Sawyer, '88, who graduated with a degree in civil engineering agreed on the decor, but seemed to get a kick out of how far technology has advanced.

"We had punch cards! Remember registering for classes? There were machines, you put them in again, and they run through to the mainframe computer. Everybody's running from table to table to get their little punch cards for their classes," said Sawyer. "And--oh my God-if the class was closed out well, come to the class anyway, and maybe something would open up later."

As the group moved onto the School of Engineering building, Sawyer recalled that a mere 15 engineering students made up his graduating class. Eventually joining the engineering program was Greg Harrop, '87, who earned a bachelor's in Art Studio and a Bachelor of Science in Construction in 1989. Harrop, a Project Manager/Director with Haberberger Mechanical Contractors, has returned to campus numerous times.

"I taught here three and a half years, and then we started a Mechanical Contractors Association in Eastern Missouri student chapter here in the Engineering School," said Harrop. "I ran the alumni group with the construction department for a few years, and now I'm hiring summer intern students. I've got an engineering student working for me this summer."

When asked for stories from the roommates about their days at Tower Lake (the former name for Cougar Village) the friends shared, "We'll keep those to ourselves."

PHOTO: Student Senate campaign buttons; photos by Howard Ash