On facebook I have run into many other Sacred Heart Grand Coteau graduates who speak fondly of surviving the Sr. Saizan bootcamp experience. :) She was a prickly pear with a razor-sharp mind and this sweet, sweet heart if she let you see it. She was known to throw a book (or two), scream in frustration and "tap" someone on the head with her cane and a scowl if they dared pass a piece of litter on the sidewalk without picking it up. She turned 99 on January 2, 2009! Few have inspired (and intimidated) so many!
Here are some of my favorite Sr. Saizan memories in random order.
*In high school she took me on as her special project, called my parents and talked them into having me stay late after school most afternoons so she could tutor me in math and whatever else I was doing poorly in.
*The day of graduation...after I'd cried my eyes out cause I didn't want to leave school and face the big bad world, I was balancing a glass of punch on top of my diploma (folder), she and others came to hug me and I spilled punch down her top.
*Upon visiting her after graduation, feeling so grown-up and hopeful, she asked what I was majoring in and I answered "French!" thinking she'd finally be proud of me. She narrowed her eyes and glared at me and said, "French? Why are you studying French? Didn't you make all those pottery pieces that won awards?" "yes, I did but....(I started to say when she interrupted), "And isn't your mother an artist and your sister and artist?" "You, MY DEAR, are MEANT to be an artist!" "It's in your genes, why are you going against your genes?" ...
As I muttered and started to walk away she further added insult to injury by asking me if I was still "boy crazy". ugh...
Why I put myself out there again to interview her, I'll never know. But the best part of that experience was when she and my grammer-nazi-esq (sorry sarah) editor went pen-to-pen when she reviewed the article as she'd required BEFORE it was printed. I'd never even heard of a gerund and though I still don't understand it? It haunts me to this day. Though I guess in the end she was pleased enough that she called my publisher and recommended he hire me as a full-time staff writer which he did.
There was one other moment when I visited her later and mentioned I'd been making jelly? I think it was? She asked if I had any left and when I told her the jars were spoken for she smiled and sang a little "Greedy, greedy gumdrops" song to me while shaking her finger back and forth.
Relating to her was like being a bug under a microscope. You enjoy the attention but at times it's a little unnerving. That said, I love her, I know many others do. Would love to hear your battle stories and adorations if you'd like to leave them under the comments!
DK
Below is the article I scanned. Some of the page cut off so I added the missing text as you'll see. Click on the pages in order from top to bottom to enlarge them and tell the story as it was printed. Just hit the back button when you're done with one page, then click on the next!
