Faculty, Staff and Administrators

Faculty/Staff Announcements from Campus Connection

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• December 01: SAAC sponsoring a toy drive to benefit DMC Children’s Hospital until Dec. 16

  Friday December 01, 2023
  

  

  Detroit Mercy’s Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) is sponsoring a toy drive to benefit the Child Life Toy Fund at the Detroit Medical Center (DMC) Children’s Hospital of Michigan.

  SAAC is also competing with other Horizon League institutions to see who can collect the most toys! The toy drive runs through Saturday, Dec. 16. Only new toys will be accepted.

  Developmentally appropriate toys and games are essential to providing children with opportunities for play in the hospital. Bring a smile to a child’s face and help Detroit Mercy collect the most toys in the Horizon League by donating a toy this holiday season.

  Please drop off your donations to Calihan Hall or contact Amy Gasahl at palingal@udmercy.edu to schedule a pick up for your department or group.

  More on the toy drive!

  

• November 30: Fall 2023 Spiritus magazine now available online

  Thursday November 30, 2023
  

  

  The fall 2023 edition of Spiritus, the magazine of Detroit Mercy, is now available online!

  This edition features stories on the deconstruction of the Fisher Building, cholera research with faculty and students, a former Titan as an Olympic hopeful, the origins of our beloved Tommy Titan and the social work of dogs, among others.

  It also features updates from around the University’s campuses and photos from events this school year, including Homecoming, Safety Street, Celebrate Spirit and Titan Fest.

  Check out the full edition online!

• November 30: Mascot origins: Titan collaboration helped ‘Tommy’ take off in 1977

  Thursday November 30, 2023
  

  Different versions of Tommy Titan, including the original on the far right, depicted by a student.

  A reader’s response to a feature on the new Tommy Titan in the Spring 2023 edition of Spiritus prompted a deeper dive into the origins of the beloved mascot. This story is featured in the Fall 2023 Spiritus magazine, arriving in mailboxes this week.

  The Titan men’s basketball team was in the midst of a historic 1976-77 season — Dick Vitale’s last as head coach — yet something was lacking that many top institutions in that era possessed: A school mascot.

  The University, which changed its nickname from “Tigers” to “Titans” in 1924 in part to avoid confusion with the city’s baseball team, had various St. Bernard puppies as mascots at U-D football games in the 1940s and 50s. But there hadn’t been a physical or caricature mascot since.

  Behind a call from the University and assistance from both a U-D alumnus and student, that would change in time for a thrilling finish to a historic basketball campaign.

  Ken Thelen ’72 and Tom Cieszkowski ’80 didn’t know each other beforehand, but both played vital roles in helping the first Titan mascot come to fruition in 1977.

  Before Tommy, U-D’s mascot was a St. Bernard.

  A couple of years earlier, in 1975, the Varsity News had begun to run advertisements for a student to fill the mascot role. On Feb. 1, 1977, the VN once again ran an ad from the Athletics Department.

  As a student, Cieszkowski already brought a lot of energy to Titan basketball games and figured if nobody answered the advertisement after an issue or two, he would throw his name in the hat.

  “It was divine providence,” Cieszkowski said. “I was always jumping up and down in the seats. If I’m going to be excitable, I might as well be out there, being positive and bringing good energy.”

  But before “Tommy” could spark the Titan faithful, he needed a costume fit for a Titan.

  That’s where Thelen came in. A graduate from a few years prior who was enjoying the success of the Titan basketball team, Thelen wanted to help with the mascot project in any way he could.

  The Titans had recently defeated rival Dayton on the road, were stringing wins together and had entered the top-20 rankings nationally.

  “I was under-employed at the time and I took the day off and went down to the Memorial Building (now Calihan Hall),” Thelen said. “I knew Vitale, had spoken to him a few times. I told him I wanted to try and go to Marygrove College, I knew they had theatrical armor, so Vitale wrote me a letter, reading, ‘please give Ken any help you can, Dick Vitale.’”

  While Marygrove couldn’t help Thelen with the armor he needed, they gave him an address to a place that could help, Tobins Lake Studios, near Ann Arbor. There, Thelen found everything he needed.

  He bought five sheets of Vacuform, thick-gauged armor for $25, which was a considerable amount of money then. Thelen, however, knew someone in the Titan Club, who offered to cover the entire cost for the uniform.

  After purchasing the sheets, the costume project turned into a family affair. Thelen’s wife, Nancy, made a white tunic with red trim on it and his father, Ken Thelen ’52, a skilled wood worker, crafted a spear for the Titan mascot.

  Thelen cut out the sheets for Greek armor, a breast plate, back plate and shin guards. He taped the edges and spray painted them black and then silver. He also created a helmet, which had a feather crest, red and white in alternating feathers.

  Cieszkowski made his debut as the mascot on Feb. 12, 1977, at Calihan Hall against Wayne State, a triumph and win No. 19 in the team’s win streak.

  “I brought all of the stuff down there and we went into the locker room before the game and I showed him how it worked,” Thelen said. “He was fearsome, he looked like a Fifth-Century B.C. warrior and that’s kind of how we wanted to portray him as a Titan.”

  Cieszkowski shined as the first mascot for a pivotal stretch of Titan basketball. He even signed autographs as “Tommy Titan” playing off his first name. The moniker was born.

  Two games later, with Tommy Titan in attendance, the Titans defeated eventual 1977 NCAA champion Marquette on the road, 64-63, the 21st consecutive win that season, still a school record. Later that year, in a memorable moment for Cieszkowski, he chased a man across the court at Loyola University Chicago to retrieve his helmet the man had snatched off his head.

  He later made the trip to the NCAA Tournament with the Titans, who were led by future NBA players Dennis Boyd, Terry Duerod, John Long and Terry Tyler. He was in attendance for the Titans’ first-ever NCAA Tournament win, a 93-76 triumph over Middle Tennessee State and then at Rupp Arena, where the Titans fell, 86-81, to Michigan, finishing the season 25-4.

  “It was a thrill to be around the team and Dick Vitale,” Cieszkowski said. “He could make you run through a brick wall. It gave me a great opportunity.”

  Tom Cieszkowski was the first Tommy Titan.

  The first iteration of Tommy Titan lasted for a couple of seasons, with Cieszkowski passing off the role eventually to another student. He also transferred to Mercy College, where he finished his studies, becoming a true hybrid alumnus of UDM.

  After that, the Athletics Department went from a real, physical Titan to a caricature form of Tommy, where the identity of the person inside is hidden, such as the current Tommy that is visible at various events across the University’s campuses.

  But, even so, the loveable mascot was off and running permanently.

  Thelen, who still brings his grandkids to games at Calihan Hall, takes pride in his role in helping the mascot come to life in the school he attended.

  “It had been working in my mind for a couple of years,” he said of the idea for the mascot. “I’d go on the road and they all had mascots. When we beat Dayton on the road that season, I was fired up, the alumni were fired up. It was the perfect storm, so I did it.”

  Cieszkowski, who embraced the spirit of U-D so much he painted a University logo on his car, was in the perfect position to portray the first “Tommy.”

  “I felt the best that I was enthusiastic at every game,” he said. “I let the spirit flow through me. There was something guiding me and I enjoyed creating a little atmosphere, encouraging people when we were down or behind, or leading a cheer. I’d get out in the middle of the court when we were hoping to make a comeback. It was a fortuitous, fulfilling experience.”

  — By Adam Bouton. Follow Detroit Mercy on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram. Have a story idea? Let us know by submitting your idea.

• November 30: Late Night Munchies kicks off finals week, Dec. 11

  Thursday November 30, 2023
  

  

  Detroit Mercy’s annual Late Night Munchies event for students prior to the start of final week (Dec. 12-16) is set for 9 p.m. Monday, Dec. 11 in the Titan Dining Room on the McNichols Campus.

  Late Night Munchies will feature wings, loaded fries, soft pretzels, hummus, sliders, nachos, vegan chicken fingers, cotton candy and popcorn.

  Free entertainment includes two caricature artists, a henna artist, photo magnets and a photo booth that is brought to you by Alliance Credit Union. There is something for everyone, bring a friend!

  

• November 30: University Chorus concert set for Tuesday, Dec. 5

  Thursday November 30, 2023
  

  

  The University Chorus will present a short concert featuring group songs, solos and more including show tunes and holiday favorites at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 5.

  The concert will take place inside the St. Ignatius Chapel. Admission is free for all!

  A performance from St. Patty’s Day in 2023.

• November 30: Winter term payment plans open Dec. 1

  Thursday November 30, 2023
  

  Winter Term payment plans are open for enrollment on Friday, Dec. 1 and run until Feb. 1.

  Sign up before Jan. 1 to take advantage of the five-month payment option. If you would like assistance enrolling in a plan, please contact Transact at 1-800-339-8131, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. or visit studentsupport.transactcampus.com/hc/en-us anytime.

  With further questions or assistance, please contact the Student Accounting Office at studentaccounts@udmercy.edu.

• November 30: Phi Beta Sigma hosting winter clothes drive through Dec. 16

  Thursday November 30, 2023
  

  

  Detroit Mercy’s Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity is hosting a winter clothes drive through Saturday, Dec. 16.

  The fraternity is asking for donations of new or the gently used variety, including winter hats, gloves, scarfs, coats, hoodies, socks and blankets.

  There are three donation boxes located throughout the McNichols Campus in the Student Union basement, Briggs Building basement lounge and the College of Health Professions student lounge.

  With any questions, please reach out to the fraternity by email at rhonu1914@gmail.com or direct message on Instagram, @rhonu1914.

  Detroit Mercy is also hosting other drives this holiday season, check them out!