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August 19, 2014The historic gymnasium at Villa Angela-St. Joseph High School – once known as the “Purple Palace” and now called the “Viking Village” – has undergone its first major transformation since it was built in 1950.
The “new” Viking Village was unveiled on Sunday, August 17, in a community-wide celebration of numerous improvements throughout the school.
“The thing about VASJ is that it is family,” said Don Dailey, a 1970 graduate who now serves as chairman of the school’s Board of Advisors. “I attended school here 40 years ago, and the memories have never gone away. Today was like a new beginning, although we did quite well in the old gym and we liked that, too.”
Dailey and his wife, Mary Jo, provided a lead gift of $125,000 with an additional $125,000 loan in order to make the new gym possible.
“We are here today to celebrate our renewal – not our rebirth, because our faith never wavered,” said VASJ President Richard Osborne, a 1969 graduate of the school. “Today we celebrate the resurgent strength that defines the character of Villa Angela-St. Joseph High School.”
In addition to the Daileys’ gift, the school’s Oarsmen booster organization has guaranteed $30,000 toward the completion of the gym project. Athletic Director Nate Zavorek ’94 explained that Phase I – state-of-the-art bleachers, repainting and other upgrades – will be followed by a second phase consisting of new and larger restrooms, a new concession stand and a spirit store.
Phase II will be completed next summer.
“Mr. & Mrs. Dailey are believers,” said Zavorek. “They believe in the students at VASJ, the school and, most important, the administration that is leading this institution to its new era. I personally would like to say thank you for believing in me and the VASJ community.”
The Daileys were presented with a plaque from a group of VASJ student ambassadors, commemorating the day’s event as the opening of the “new” Viking Village.
“This is beyond what we could have imagined,” said Dailey. “It is a special place for a large group of people. For us, it is not about individuals. It is just a great honor to be part of this.”
Bishop Roger W. Gries, O.S.B., concluded the program by blessing the gym.“To everyone at Villa Angela-St. Joseph High School, congratulations on what you have accomplished and I hope and pray that with the blessing of this renovated gym that things will continue to be successful as you move forward here,” said Bishop Gries.
“I think a very important part is to bring God into the picture,” he added. “It was the hands of humans who did the labor but God was the inspiration. All of the wonderful things in the renovation, God gave us that gift.”
The event, called “Look At Us Now,” also showcased other improvements throughout the building while highlighting improvements still to come.
More than 400 alums and friends of VASJ attended the event. Students led tours of the building, making stops at the other renovated spaces including the main chapel, the Villa Angela Heritage Room and the chemistry lab.
The chapel has been rechristened Founders Chapel, honoring the founders of the school’s sponsoring orders, the Marianists and the Ursuline Sisters of Cleveland. The Villa Angela Heritage Room, located in the upstairs library, now serves as a multipurpose room for meetings and special events.
Phase one of the chemistry lab renovation has been completed, including new cabinetry and other improvements made possible by the Lubrizol Foundation. A planned second phase will include new work stations.
Along the tour, event attendees also noticed newly painted walls, tile and lockers in the hallways on all three floors of the school. The work was performed in-house by VASJ’s property management department and included the efforts of 12 students who worked at the school this summer.
VASJ Principal David Csank noted that the school is celebrating much more than the physical improvements to the building.
“For the third year in a row, 100% of our graduating seniors will be attending college,” Csank said. “Although small in number, the Class of 2014 earned over $4.5 million in college scholarships.”
The school’s growing enrollment is even more cause for celebration. “Both the incoming freshmen and overall enrollment numbers are the highest they have been in many years,” Csank said.
VASJ’s enrollment is expected to be about 420 this year.
“We’ve come a long way,” said Osborne. “And I am happy to report that we are positioned to continue serving this community for generations to come.”
Villa Angela-St. Joseph High School is a Catholic, comprehensive college-preparatory school rooted in the Ursuline and Marianist traditions and committed to the spiritual, academic, and personal growth of each student.
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