The Atlanta Olympics, a national championship and more campus happenings 30 years ago

The Atlanta Olympics, a national championship and more campus happenings 30 years ago

By Brad Quarberg, emeritus distinguished university relations specialist

Remember the Macarena? When we weren't "doing the Macarena," we were watching "Seinfeld," "ER" and "Friends" - and not binging them on Netflix.

The year was 1996. The Unabomber was finally caught. President Bill Clinton was re-elected. And the first mammal cloned from an adult cell, Dolly the sheep, became a reality.

Locally, the popular iconic ice cream shop downtown, The Pearl, was in its third year. Howie's on La Crosse Street (the original) was just into its second half century. And the Olympic torch passed through La Crosse.

Here's a look back at campus happenings in 1996, 30 years ago.

An Olympic touch

The Olympic flame passed through campus and La Crosse on its trek across the country to Atlanta, home of the 1996 Olympics.

Brought via rail to the Amtrak station, the torch was passed down to runners who relayed the flame among thousands who lined city streets and filled the Veterans Memorial Field Sports Complex on June 2 for a short program. They caught a glimpse of the flame that eventually burned over the Centennial Olympic games.

See page 15 of the fall 1996 Alumnus.

A million-dollar milestone

The UWL Alumni & Friends Foundation's first $1 million gift started humbly - a brochure with a memorial sent from a faculty member as a tribute to his student.

When physical therapist Cindi Stoller Polek, '81, died of cancer at the age of 35 in 1992, her husband, Rich Polek, established a scholarship in her name after one of her UWL instructors, Jim Gould, included a brochure outlining Foundation fund standards. It noted that only $5,000 initiated a perpetually endowed scholarship. Polek already had $15,000.

A $1 million boost came when neighbor Ernie Matejaitis - who could be described as a cast member of "Grumpy Old Men" - left the donation in his will. He adored Cindi and was crushed when she died.

The endowment continues to fund scholarships for those in UWL's Physical Therapy program.

See page 12 of the spring 1996 Alumnus.

Ahead of her time

She grew up interested in sports on the East Coast but played her best game in La Crosse.

Bridget Belgiovine arrived on campus in July 1991 as the first woman to serve as director of UWL Athletics - and one of the first women to hold a director position in what is now known as the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.

Under her leadership, by 1996 UWL had captured eight additional national championships in men's indoor (3) and outdoor (2) track and field, football (2), and women's gymnastics (1).

Along with competitive victories, Belgiovine emphasized academic success, as well as increased community visibility and financial support.

When she left in 1997, UWL was well on its way to becoming the state's most successful Division III athletic program, a title it still holds today.

See page 10 of the spring 1996 Alumnus.

Almost time for some REC

Construction continued on the $10.2 million student life center, as it was called then, during 1996.

The student fee-supported building, between Wimberly (then North) Hall and Whitney Center, was completed in summer 1997 and eventually named the Recreational Eagle Center. The facility houses recreational areas for intramurals, along with administrative offices and a childcare center.

See page 11 of the fall 1996 Alumnus.

The eagle has landed

The veterans monument near Veterans Memorial Stadium was completed and dedicated in September 1996.

Alumni joined La Crosse residents, businesses and others to support the $225,000 project, the first honoring all the armed services in La Crosse County. The monument, capped with the national bird, a bald eagle, continues to stand as one of the university's most recognizable structures.

See page 14 of the fall 1996 Alumnus.

Football frenzy

Campus was still screeching about the UWL football team winning the NCAA III national championship and completing a perfect 14-0 season. The Eagles' win over Rowan College, 36-7, in the Stagg Bowl in Roanoke, Va., in December 1995 was their second national football title in three years, adding to '92 and an NAIA II title in 1985. The '95 run was the football team's only perfect season and its last national championship.

Early in 1996, pro football player Tom Newberry hung up his cleats after 10 years as an offensive lineman in the NFL, nine for the Los Angeles Rams and one for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was part of the Steeler team that played in Super Bowl XXX on Jan. 28, 1996, losing to the Dallas Cowboys. Newberry was a member of the 1985 NAIA II championship team.

See page 16 of the winter 1996 Alumnus.