Highacres highlight
Campus personalities give perspectives on life a
Special campus feature by Jerry Trently
This article looks at
the history of the Hazleton
Campus from a perspective
that does not concentrate on
dates, but on the way of life
and attitude of former af
filiates of this campus.
It was during the depres
sion that the Hazleton Cam
pus was born, 1934 to narrow
it down, and it, along with the
Schuylkill Campus, was the
first campus in the Com
monwealth Campus system.
It was not called the Penn
State Hazleton Campus in
itially, but the H.U.C. or the
Hazleton Undergraduate
Center. As an interesting
sidelight, the campus basket
ball team was called the
Hucsters, using the letters
HUC.
Highacres was not always
the home for the campus.
Originally, the campus was
spread about, buildings in
downtown Hazleton, and it
was a few years until the
campus was moved to its pre
sent spot. The move to
Highacres, _ formerly the
Student turned teacher discusses campus change
Tom Caccese has shared
the rare experience of being a
member of both the student
body and the faculty here at
Highacres.
As a faculty member, he
reflects back on student life
as it was just one decade ago.
"There was a fantastic
student-teacher relationship
then," tells Caccese. "Almost
every teacher went to the
SUB during the lunch period
and we talked on virtually
any subject the whole period
with them." He goes on to ex
plain that the SUB was the
Student Union Building now
known as the Commons.
Then, comparing the times he
comments, "I think that that
kind of student-teacher rela
tionship has vanished from
the campus. Teachers now
have more demands, like
their, requirements for
tenure, to go to the Commons
and share a lunch period with
the students. Besides," he
chuckles, "the Commons is
much too crowded for that
kind of thing anymore."
"The Commons was built in
1958 with money donated
through the years by
students," he explains. "Just
think what it would be like to
ask students today to donate,
oh say, ten dollars towards a
student building to be built in
the 19905."
Another difference is the in
crease of students coming
estate of Eckley Markle, was
a marked improvement for
the school since it centralized
the whole campus at one loca
tion. -
Aside from the centraliza
tion, the homey atmosphere
at Highacres seems to have
rubbed off on the faculty and
"Students of today are
much more self-conscious
than students were in past
years."
Francis Pierucci
alumni that have come in con
tact with it. "It has a homey
atmosphere," tells Leonard
Shaevel. "When .I first came
here, it was only supposed to
be for three years and then
move on, and I'm still here."
Shaevel first came here in
1966 and teaches physics.
Expansion has been a
trademark of the campus.
The Library, Classroom
Building, and Physical
Education Building are all
from all across the state, and
even nation, as opposed to a
student body comprised
almost all of Hazleton-area
residents. "That was a time
when your professor was your
next-door neighbor, or so
meone you knew or heard of
because of his local origin,"
says Caccese.
During his affiliation with
the Hazleton Campus, he has
seen the destruction and con,
struction of several buildings
here. "When I was very
young," he reflects, "and my
friends and I would walk by
the entrance to the campus,
we would never venture in.
Tom Caccese
fairly new additions to the
Hazleton Campus, especially
when compared with
buildings like the Administra
tion Building, which was
built during the 1920. Unlike
the new buildings that are
built with conventional
materials, the Administra
tion Building is built with
rocks handpicked from the
mountain on which it is built.
Changes in the construction
of buildings on campus were
not the only noticeable
changes. Over the years,
faculty has noticed a change
in the quality of the student.
"Students of today don't have
the background students had
years ago. The precollege
educational system is
deteriorating, I mean from
the grade school levels right
on up," says Shaevel. "But
that is not to say that the
students themselves are not
better than students in the
past. Students today are
much more open than they
were when I first came."
Francis-Pierucci, a language
instructor, tends to agree
with Shaevel. "Students of to
day are much more self
We thought we'd be arrested
or something. It had that aura
of a prison, yet we respected
the ivy-covered, strict image
it represented." Then, when
he was attending the campus,
his boundary was the Ad
ministration Building.
"Security sort of frowned
upon us for venturing past the
Administration Building area
because the university did not
own past that point at that
time."
Eventually, after the
university purchased the rest
of the land it now owns, he
would make the walk up to
the second mansion that has
by Jerry Trently
conscious than students were
-in past years," explains
Pierucci. "However," he con
tinues, "students used to try
harder. Today's students
seem to expect the easy
grade, but I think part of this
had to do with the war (Viet
nam). Then it was a choice of
keeping your grades up or be
ing drafted."
Both Pierucci and Shaevel
agree that students are
groomed better than they
were in the 1960 s and early
70s. "They dress better now
and are more aware of their
appearance," tells Pierucci.
Shaevel adds, "Oh sure, I
once had a kid that looked like
a grub. It was a two term
course, and I told him not to
come back into my class
. unless he got a haircut. He ob
jected, but his mother called
and thanked me."
Stories of this nature are
common all throughout this
special feature. In an effort to
avoid repetition, many of
them can be found in the
other articles concerning
other members, both past and
present, of the Hazleton Cam
pus.
since been dismantled. "It
was really a marvelous
building," recalls Caccese. "I
remember there were several
buildings around it. A garage
and a greenhouse I believe.
They used to grow their own
vegetables in the winter
time."
He worked for the campus
one summer. "I remember
painting the fire escape on the
Administration Building, Of
course, from that high up, the
view was breathtaking and
you could see up the valley for
miles." He also tells how
things on campus shut down
at night. "This place virtually
shut down at 5:00 when I was
a student. Of course,
everyone went home right
away because there really
wasn't much to do on campus,
since the gym and library
were not constructed and we
didn't have dorm students.
Sometimes, after everyone
would leave, I would go up to
the scenic overlook and study
or just relax for awhile. It
was really quite peaceful. I
guess some of the tranquility
came from the Tact that we
didn't have all the large,
newer buildings we have on
campus today, and there was
a great deal more woods
around. It made you feel
isolated."
The parking situation was
really something at that time
also. According to Caccese,
Former director reminisces
Frank Kostos
Frank Kostos sits back in
his chair, relaxing while he
lights a cigar and tells the
story of the Hazleton Campus
from a former ad
ministrator's point of view. It
was his job to work closely
with not only the students, but
the faculty as well.
He said that many faculty
members are former
students of the Hazleton Cam
pus. "You must remember,"
he says, "that we've been go
ing since 1934... People don't
realize, that a number of
alumni are around the area. I
"We used to park our cars on
a dirt lot near the area where
the dorm lot is now. The trou
ble was getting down the hill
to the lot in the winter. We
had a hell of a time since
there were no lights or
anything, in fact, there was
only a dirt path leading down
there., All we could do was
make our way through the
darkness, and it was pitch
"There was a fantastic
student-teather relationship
then. Almost every teacher
went to the SUB during the
lunch period and we talked on
virtually any subject the
whole period with them."
Tom Caccese
dark sometimes too. He con
tinued on the parking situa
tion, "I remember when they
built the big three level park
ing lot at the bottom of the
hill. People laughed and said
they wouldn't fill it, and look
at the crowded parking condi
tions we haVe on campus to
day.'
Without the Classroom
Building, classes had to be
conducted in other buildings
on campus, including the Ad
ministration Building. "I had
a Biology class on the third
floor of the Administration
i
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itt'!!:;:',.. ,. ,::".::!i!illiailifle1111111 . 61
mean the . doctors,
tists, and the lawyer
in town. At one ti
was a study of it a
rather surprising
professional peop
back and stayed in t
As he talks of fort
ni, he expresses th
he feels when 1
newspaper clipp
former Highacres
who have become s
yet who have nei
mention their attei
the Hazleton Camp
all," he says, "it Ist
of the institution
ters. There are a lo
sometimes that
perhaps an exposu
one or two factors,
turn a person's I
down. And the next
know, there it is."
of a person becm
cessful, it appears
content with his
with Penn State.
sketch of the Adm
Building hangs in
room.
Like others who-
Building. It was
cramped, but muc
than the classroon
today. Since it w
third floor, the c
slanted on the si
Caccese. He also
classes were some
ducted outside. "V
warm outside, w
wait to have clas
because it got hot
small classroom."
The sports pr
campus • was
restricted when ii
here, due largely
of facilities. "We 1
athletic field down
where the tennis
now," he expll
played some tou
and a little softlx
much softball bec
too easy to loose tt
it was hit back in
The only sport we
for the college v
ball, since that w
sports team we
Hazleton Campus.
Both sports an
are now a part o
cese's life. He is
basketball coach
dors and a physic;
teacher. He wet
times at Highacri
was a student bi
and being coact
present student:
State's Hazleton C