Belleville Honors its Alumni, Making History Accessible and Meaningful for Students
October days bring with them a community spirit that is timeless – especially as Belleville students and families gathered last week to celebrate “Homecoming” once again. The tradition of football games, seeing former graduates in the stands, and lining the streets of Belleville to take in the music and formation of the Belleville High School (BHS) Marching Band during the parade, commands a special place in a small town’s memory bank. These special events hold a place in the hearts of each graduating class and become relatable no matter one’s class year.
While Belleville has made a significant effort to honor its graduates over the last few years through the Wildcat Wall of Fame, there may be additional ways to showcase and learn from alumni, and Belleville’s Middle and High School’s library is spearheading an effort to do so by starting to develop a small collection of artifacts that help to further tell the Wildcat story.
“When Marie was hired, she always had in the back of her head a strong desire to bring her library studies and past work in archival science at the Minnesota Historical Society to the high school level and help students,” says District Administrator Nate Perry.
Beautiful alumni gifts, such as a 1951 majorette uniform from alumna Sylvia Anderegg Zentner, are getting a new look as a way to reconnect with Belleville’s rich history in the library. Working with alumni Bart Morrick, the school library (with support of the school district) hopes to create a small archival collection to highlight its alumni history and teach students about learning from artifacts and primary resources. If all goes well, it will be housed in the Belleville High School Library Media Center. As a Wildcat, Bart Morrick is excited to see this project get off the ground!
“I think it is in human nature to want to be remembered after we are gone. And I think this is especially true in small communities where oftentimes, students are 2nd, 3rd or even 4th generation attendees. A few years ago there was a visceral response from quite a few alumni when there was consideration to changing the ‘leaping Wildcat’ logo that had been in place since the early 1960’s and I think that goes to the deep seated feeling that we all want to be remembered in some way. Seeing a majorette uniform or a jersey from a time when you were there or from someone you knew, plays into that need. When I personally see this display, I will think of Sylvia and the years that she worked with my wife at the Belleville State Bank, of her husband John, who was the head janitor at the school for decades and Fire Chief of Belleville, and her daughters who were classmates of my siblings at Belleville. Others will see different things of different times and maybe that will spark an interest in history for them as well,” says Morrick.
From an educational standpoint, students are asked to learn about Wisconsin’s history as part of the state’s educational standards, so having a historical collection that is more relatable can offer a great way for students to connect with their community’s history and learn from artifacts that make sense to them. We need to engage with our local history so students learn to cherish the Wildcat legacy. As current students, they are becoming a part of this history and it’s a neat way of connecting the past, present, and future for our students.
Perry notes (as part of her role as MS/HS Library Media Specialist): “Libraries are what we make of them, and I want to make ours about the students and community we serve while connecting our alumni’s memories with the Wildcats of today.”
