Posted: 04/18/07

Goodbye vanderHeyden's
St. Michael's prepares for President vanderHeyden's departure

Sarah Coghlan | contributing writer
scoghlan@smcvt.edu

With his departure drawing near, students, faculty and the community are honoring president of St. Michael’s College, Marc vanderHeyden, in the best ways they see fit. Recently, there has been an award given in vanderHeyden’s name, a concert in his honor and an upcoming gala will be held for vanderHeyden and his wife Dana, says Marilyn Cormier, director of community and government relations.

And the award goes to…

President vanderHeyden was honored with the creation of a service award in his name established by the statewide student service organization Vermont Campus Compact (VCC), Cormier says.

VCC is a statewide coalition of college and university presidents, established to promote the integration of public service into the academic, student life and civic goals of member institutions, according to the organization’s Web site.

President Marc vanderHeyden is retiring after the 2007 academic year. (Echo archive, photo)

Vermont Gov. James Douglas presented the Marc vanderHeyden President’s Service to Vermont award during a ceremony at the Vermont State House in Montpellier on March 29, Cormier says.

Acting as a liaison between the external community and St. Michael’s, Cormier was responsible for keeping the news of the award from vanderHeyden, she says, which was not an easy task.

Cormier’s secrecy paid off, however, and the creation of an award in his name came to vanderHeyden as shock during the ceremony, he says.

“It was a surprise, no one gave me a clue,” vanderHeyden says. “Usually, they give you a clue so you can prepare to respond. This [award] was not in my script.”

If vanderHeyden could not speak so eloquently off the cuff, there would have been forewarning, Cormier says.

“He is such a wonderful speaker,” she says. “Marc vanderHeyden is one of the best speakers I know. He got up and made one of his great remarks.”

Although honored, vanderHeyden believes the focus of award ceremonies should be toward putting the students and faculty first, he says.

“I think it’s a very nice thing, but we would be better naming these things after students,” he says, noting student and faculty recipients of past service awards.

It is only fitting that vanderHeyden would be given such an honor, due to his role at St. Michael’s and in the larger community, Cormier says.

“Service is like a part of life here,” she says. “Reaching all the way back to the Edmundite community, it is embedded in everything we do and everybody is tied to it. Of course there is the M.O.V.E. program, but there is so much more service that goes on here that people don’t know about.”

With his departure approaching, the Marc vanderHeyden President’s Service to Vermont Award will act as a emblem of his legacy at St. Michael’s, Cormier says.

Let the music do the talking

On April 13, the vanderHeyden's were honored in another way, through music. Directed by pianist Paul Orgel, the St. Michael’s College Humanities Concert Series presented a free public concert of Czech and Belgian music honoring the vanderHeyden's European roots.

Orgel, violinist Soovin Kim, cellist Jon Dunlop and soprano Cecilia Redmond performed a program of music Orgel chose in recognition of the vanderHeydens’ home countries, Orgel says.

Although the program was chosen by Orgel, Dana vanderHeyden did have a special request, Orgel says. The request was for the performance of Antonin Dvorak’s “Song to the Moon” from the opera “Russalka,” which was performed at the vanderHeydens’ wedding, he says.

A concert only seems the natural course to take in honoring such devout supporters of the arts. During his eleven year term as president of St. Michael’s, he and his wife Dana have been tremendous leaders in the artistic community of Vermont, Orgel says.

In addition to attending and financially supporting the college’s Humanities Concert Series, the vanderHeydens have supported the Vermont Symphony Orchestra, the Vermont Youth Orchestra, Vermont Public Radio and the University of Vermont’s Lane Series, Orgel says.

It is important to dabble in different genres and develop an appreciation for more of the classics, Orgel says.

“My favorite music is definitely the Beatles,” he says. “That’s my music, that’s my generation. But there are so many different varieties. That is what’s important. You have to be prepared to grow in and out of things. I think it would be good for students to listen to Vivaldi every so often.”

The concert played to a packed house in the McCarthy Arts Center and the performers were met with more than one standing ovation. Orgel and Kim performed an encore piece, closing the concert with Czech music.

It’s going to be a gala  

To show its support and appreciation for all that vanderHeyden has done for St. Michael’s, the Student Association will be hosting a Goodbye Gala for the vanderHeydens on April 21.

There will be an honorary gala held on April 21, honoring Marc and Dana vanderHeyden. (Echo archive, photo)

All students are invited to this formal evening of music, food and dancing says Mallory Wood, secretary of communications for the Student Association.

Much of the evening’s activities have been kept from vanderHeyden, as the gala is usually something he oversees as a way to honor outstanding faculty members, he says. The focus of this year’s gala will be on his outstanding achievements, Wood says.

Speeches honoring vanderHeyden are being prepared by students and the event will act as one last way for students to show their appreciation for everything vanderHeyden has done for St. Michael’s, Wood says.

Cormier encourages students to attend the gala as well, noting the success of past formal events such as the Centennial Ball. This may also be the last time for students to see the vanderHeydens at this type of social function, she says.

“I think a lot of students should take the opportunity to attend and mingle with Marc and Dana,” she says. “This is a chance for an adult type event.”