Leaving the Nest

Two members of the class of '07 were Nick and Tim Smalarz. Their graduation has ended a La Salle legacy and, in my opinion, is a loss for the University!

Tim and Nick worked on a documentary of La Salle's history, helped out in the archives, and one was an assistant in the history office and got rave reviews from faculty and staff. We're going to miss them.

Their father, John was a La Salle grad and proposed to their mother Debra in the University's Chapel. The oldest son, Matt received his BA and MA (one of the first in history) at La Salle; in fact, he was selected the outstanding student in the master's program.

Matt is on his way to earning a Ph.D., Tim is going to grad school for history, and Nick is working for an audio-visual company in Philadelphia. I guess we'll have to wait for one of their children to enroll to keep up the legacy.

Below is a story we did on the family.

Family Business – John Smalarz and Three Sons
Are Building a Legacy at La Salle University

John Smalarz asked his girlfriend Debra to accompany him to the chapel at La Salle University on December 8, 1977. At the time, he was a student in La Salle’s MBA program, studying finance.

Debra knew why they were going there that night – it’s where he wanted to propose to her.

"I knew how important La Salle was to him," she said.

Now, almost 30 years later, the couple's oldest son, Matt, is the first person to earn a degree from La Salle's Master’s program in History. This was after he won an award as the top undergraduate student in history.

John’s and Debra’s twin sons, Nick and Tim, will be seniors at La Salle this fall and have already made a mark at the University with the creation of a video documenting the school’s history.

"We didn't push the boys to go to La Salle," said John Smalarz, who earned both a bachelor’s and master’s from the University. "We traveled all around with Matt to look at schools, and at first I didn't think La Salle had much of a shot. I hadn't been there in a while and I figured it just couldn't compete with the schools in New England. But Matt was in College Hall for about half an hour when he turned to me and said it felt right."

While the elder Smalarz started the family legacy at La Salle, his sons have taken the La Salle experience to another level.

"I wasn't involved when I went to school,” the father said. “So I always pressed home to the boys how important it was to get involved. Of course there is a misconception that you can't get involved if you are a commuter student. I didn't. But they did and they are all commuters."

Matt Smalarz started Histories, the literary magazine for history students, and created a symposium program, which his younger brother Tim has taken over. Tim was also the editor of Histories.

."I think the History Department is the strongest department on campus. But I may have a bias," said Matt Smalarz. But then Nick Smalarz points out that the Communication Department (which is his major) happens to be the largest on campus, which amounts to “fighting words” in the Smalarz household.

While Matt was an undergraduate he studied European History. As a graduate student, he focused his attention on American History, in particular 19th and 20th Century American History, a change he attributes to Dr. Francis Ryan, Director of La Salle’s program in American Studies. "His insights into my personality helped me develop as a student. He is a true mentor," said Matt Smalarz. "It feels like a family there. The faculty really encourages you and your goals."

Nick Smalarz was working with Brother Joseph Grabenstein, F.S. C., the University’s archivist, who gave lectures in the school’s First Year Odyssey program, which introduces freshmen to La Salle, its history and the city of Philadelphia. But scheduling problems made it difficult for Brother Joseph continue, so Tim suggested they produce a documentary to fill the void. (This was nothing new for the pair: they have formed their own video company, Moose Crossing, named after a road sign in Vermont where the family vacations.)

Nick Smalarz worked seven hours a day, every Saturday during the summer of 2005, minus the week he was away on family vacation, with Brother Joseph Grabenstein. He compiled footage of Philadelphia, La Salle’s campus, photos of earlier La Salle campuses and other materials. A script was written and recorded by Brother Joseph. The material was then turned over to Tim for editing.

A month and a half later, their work was ready for their family to see it. “Our family is the first to see our projects.” Nick says. “We have a lot of respect for our parents. They have been in the adult world a lot longer and so they have a better idea of what people will expect.”

The result is Together We Remember: a Legacy of La Salle, a 41-minute video that starts with the history of the Christian Brothers, the Catholic order that founded the college, up to the present.

“I am more proud then ever to be from LaSalle, now that I know, about the Brothers and where La Salle came from,” said Matt Smalarz. "I think the values La Salle imparts on its students are important, but I don't think that you have to go to La Salle to understand that ethic. At the very least, my children will have relatives to indoctrinate them into this belief system and impart the value of education on to them."

Added Tim, "We were predestined to go to La Salle. I mean the bus in front of our house can take us there. You can't take a bus to Boston University….well you probably could, but it isn't going to drop us off right at our house."