Visitors to our parish office at St. Elizabeth might notice a little motto tacked to secretary Stacey Knepper's bulletin board, just behind her desk. It reads, "You will never look into the eyes of someone who God doesn't love. Always be kind." If you distilled all of the ways we tend to distinguish ourselves in … Continue reading Always be kind
Author: reneecollins
I am a retired journalism professor, having taught 14 years at Adrian College in Adrian, Michigan and currently an adjunct professor in English at Siena Heights University. Prior to that, I spent 20 years working as a reporter and editor for The Saline Reporter and Milan News-Leader, small newspapers which were purchased in 1995 by Heritage Newspapers. Those papers were shuttered permanently in the mid-2010s. I also free-lanced for The Daily Telegram and currently am a regular contributor to The Tecumseh Herald and Homefront publications. I am an alumna of Siena Heights University, where I earned a bachelor's degree in English in 1980 and the University of Toledo, where I received my master's degree in 1982.
Newspaper Addict
Published in the Tecumseh Herald, Oct. 22, 2024 I'm addicted to newspapers. Not just writing for them, which has been spectacular, but the smell of the ink, the rough texture of the paper under my fingertips, even the sound of the newsprint crackling as its pages are turned. As a kid, I even liked the … Continue reading Newspaper Addict
Reading is Fundamental in more ways than one
Published in The Tecumseh Herald, Dec. 3, 2024 I've always had a passion for reading and writing, going back as far as I can remember. The first book I remember reading was "Hop on Pop," the classic Dr. Seuss I mastered before entering kindergarten at Tecumseh Acres in 1963. I remember reading the Beverly Cleary … Continue reading Reading is Fundamental in more ways than one
Christmas Cards
Published in The Tecumseh Herald, Dec. 22, 2024 It's the most wonderful time of the year, or so we've been hearing since October. Now Christmas Day is upon us--less than 48 hours away as I write this column. Here at the Collins Compound, we've already celebrated with my family of brothers and sisters and nieces … Continue reading Christmas Cards
Good English skills are critical
Published in The Tecumseh Herald, February 5, 2025 Good English is fundamental. That was the headline of an Adrian Daily Telegram article written by Dr. Mary Louise Hall, O.P., an Adrian Dominican Sister who taught English at Siena Heights from 1970 until the mid-1980s, when she suffered a debilitating stroke and no longer could speak. … Continue reading Good English skills are critical
Goodbye, Lou
Published in the Tecumseh Herald, January 16, 2025 He called himself my "Italian Papa," and just before the new year, he died. Dr. Louis C. Vaccaro, known to most simply as "Lou," was 94 years old. He had a long and storied career in higher education, where he had a profound impact on the lives … Continue reading Goodbye, Lou
Beethoven’s 9th: a joyous message for the ages
May 7 marked 200 years since Ludwig von Beethoven's Symphony No. 9, the "Choral Symphony," premiered in Vienna. Even if you know nothing about Beethoven, you likely are familiar with this work--its fourth and final movement contains the "Ode to Joy," a tune that permeates our culture even today. Beethoven was born in 1770 in … Continue reading Beethoven’s 9th: a joyous message for the ages
Games people play
"Oh the games people play, now." The Joe South hit from 1969 makes a fitting soundtrace for the games people will be playing next weekend as part of the Bicentennial Celebration. Earlier this year, a committee led by Mary Tommelein and Kathy Smith--retired educators and expert organizers--worked with other volunteers to develop the "History- and … Continue reading Games people play
Gas theft returns
Some of us today can travel back 50 years and remember when siphoning gas was a somewhat common occurrence. Fueled by the 1973 oil crisis, the OPEC oil embargo, and the subsequent jump in gas prices caught a lot of folks unawares. There were endlessly long lines at gas stations, even in Tecumseh, and fuel … Continue reading Gas theft returns
Yesterday is a Kodachrome Memory
Back in 1973, Paul Simon wrote a catchy tune he called "Kodachrome." The refrain went something like this, "Kodachrome. They give us those nice bright colors, they give us the greens of summers, makes you think all the world's a sunny day." I was a freshman in high school that September, walking the halls of … Continue reading Yesterday is a Kodachrome Memory
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