Mary Frances Consola, Interview with Regina Hong, 2020

Mary Frances Consola, 1968 Mundelein College graduate, was interviewed by Loyola graduate student, Regina Hong. As a student, Consola organized variety shows and participated fully in her dormitory life at Northland Hall and Coffey Hall. Consola recounts her rigorous coursework  in mathematics and economics, her study group called “Null Set,” and the breaks she and her classmates took on the lake. Consola also discovered literature and theology at Mundelein and characterizes her student years as “the full college experience.” The 1962-1965 second Vatican Council had a major impact on her life during her time as a student. Consola concludes the interview by recollecting her encounters with other Mundelein alumni through the years. 

Content Note: These collections may include language or descriptions of events that may be upsetting to some users.

2020

Mary Frances Consola was born in 1946 and the second of five children. Consola was a member of the Mundelein class of 1968, and was the first in her family to graduate from college. Her parents moved to Orland Park, a suburb to the southwest of Chicago in the 1950s, where they opened a restaurant. Consola and her siblings learnt to cook as well as perform other tasks such as cleaning and sweeping at the restaurant.

Consola majored in Mathematics and minored in Economics at Mundelein College, where she lived on campus at Northland Hall for all four years. Some activities she took part in were being part of the football team, participating in the annual revue shows during her sophomore and senior years, and the Big Sister program. She also worked as a student aide for Sister Josetta Phoenix, BVM, and Dr. Michael Fortune.

After graduating from college, Consola worked primarily in the life insurance industry for over 40 years. In 2019, she joined the Mundelein Board.

Regina Hong is a graduate student in the Digital Humanities program at Loyola University Chicago and a Sesquicentennial Scholar at the WLA. She was raised in Singapore and lived in Japan for two years prior to moving to Chicago

Mary Frances Consola
Interview with Regina Hong, July 15, 2020
Via Zoom
Time Log

TIME LOG AND OVERVIEW FOR SESSION 1

0-5 minues
Consola’s childhood, family background, reasons for enrolling at Mundelein, reason for choice of major and minor at Mundelein
5-10 minutes
Annual variety shows at Mundelein, Consola’s own involvement in the shows, Class Days, Big Sister Program, Mundelein football team, Simon and Garfunkel concert, Early Bird Program for high school juniors and seniors at Mundelein, reason for Consola’s father agreeing to her being a residential student
10-15 minutes
Student work on campus, Consola’s work as a student aide for Sister Josetta Phoenix and Dr. Michael Fortune, process of using various machines for work with English department, attending college day at Mundelein as a high school student, experience of living at Northland Hall, reason for there being mainly men on Loyola’s campus at the time
15-20 minutes
Dormitory (Northland Hall and Coffey Hall) facilities, residential rules, attendance at assemblies
20-25 minutes
Electrical appliances in dormitories, purchase of a popcorn popper, parties held at the dormitories, indoor swimming pool at Mundelein, lifesaving practice with Consola’s friend, paper study breaks at Thirty-one Flavors, time spent at the lake with her friends, die-off of smelt in 1967
25-29:31 minutes
Blizzard of 1967, favorite place to study in Mundelein, taking an economics test, meal cards
*Note: The segment on meal cards continues in the next recording.

TIME LOG AND OVERVIEW FOR SESSION 2

0-5 minutes
Meal cards, friends skipping lunch to get Diet Rite, dishes served at the tea room, dances and live bands at Mundelein, Granada Theater, The 400 Theater, meaningful experiences at Mundelein – literature
5-10 minutes
Starting a study group “Null Set”, lessons learnt from study group, events that impacted Consola’s Mundelein years, student involvement in Selma March, Vietnam War protests and presidential campaigns
10-15 minutes
Events that impacted Consola’s Mundelein experience, studying Vatican II documents during theology courses, social aspects of being at Mundelein, Move-In Day, meeting other students on campus, Consola’s definition of the “full college experience”
15-20 minutes
Consola’s definition of the “full college experience”, choice of residential hall, Big Sister program logistics and activities, punishments for not wearing beanie as a freshman, Consola’s experience of being a Big Sister
20-25 minutes
Rules for walking on the marble staircase in the Skyscraper, sports at Mundelein, women’s sports in general
25-30 minutes
Popular books and movies during Consola’s time at Mundelein, Class Day traditions, Mundelein’s transition from semester to trimester system
30-35 minutes
Mundelein’s transition from semester to trimester system, skits for Class Day, Consola’s job as a student aide for Sister Josetta, student jobs on campus
35-40 minutes
Work for Dr Michael Fortune, reason for non-involvement in campus student activist efforts, reflections on how timing of Mundelein school years with important events such as Vatican II shaped her college experiences, reflections on continued friendships with classmates
40-42:01 minutes
Reflections on being recognized by and meeting other Mundelein alumnae at various places

Mary Frances Consola 2020 Index

KEY
MFC S1 = Mary Frances Consola Interview Session 1 (S1)
MFC S2 = Mary Frances Consola Interview Session 2 (S2)

INDEX
31 Flavors, Granville Avenue, Chicago, MFC S1 20-25
400 Theater, Chicago, MFC S2 0-5, MFC S2 25-30
Adams, Audrey, MFC S2 10-15
Art Institute of Chicago, MFC S2 25-30
Bahamas, MFC S2 40-45
Basketball, MFC S2 20-25
Biology, MFC S1 0-5
Broadway, Chicago, MFC S2 0-5
The Buckinghams band, MFC S2 0-5
BVMs, MFC S2 10-15, MFC S2 35-40, MFC S2 40-45
Cassidy, Mary Pat, MFC S1 25-30, MFC S2 5-10
Chemistry, MFC S1 0-5
Chicago, Illinois, MFC S1 0-5, MFC S1 25-30, MFC S2 15-20
Christmas, MFC S2 35-40
Coca Cola, MFC S2 0-5
Democratic National Convention, 1968, MFC S2 10-15
DePaul University, MFC S1 0-5, MFC S2 25-30
Driscoll (Professor), MFC S1 25-30
Economics, MFC S1 0-5
English, MFC S1 10-15, MFC S2 0-5, MFC S2 35-40
English as a Second Language, MFC S1 10-15
Evanston, Illinois, MFC S2 15-20
Football, MFC S2 15-20
Fortune, Michael, MFC S1 10-15, MFC S2 35-40
French, MFC S2 0-5
The Graduate, MFC S2 25-30
Granada Movie Theater, MFC S1 25-30, MFC S2 0-5, MFC S2 25-30
Granville Hardware Store, MFC S1 20-25
Hajek, Sylvia, MFC S1 10-15
Halloween, MFC S1 20-25
Harvard Law, MFC S2 10-15
Hitler, Adolf, MFC 2 25-30
Houseman, John, MFC S2 10-15
Is Paris Burning?, MFC S2 25-30
James Bond, MFC S2 30-35
Jerellen (Sister), MFC S1 10-15
Joliet, Illinois, MFC S2 15-20
Josetta (Sister), MFC S1 10-15, MFC S2 35-40
Kennedy, John Fitzgerald, MFC S2 10-15
Keynesian Economics, MFC S1 25-30 
Kipp, Mary, MFC S2 10-15
Kirchberger, Chriss, MFC S2 10-15
Kloss, Mary Anne, MFC S1 20-25, MFC S2 0-5, MFC S2 5-10
Lincoln, Abraham, MFC S1 10-15
Loyola University Chicago, MFC S1 5-10, MFC S1 15-20, MFC S1 20-25, MFC S2 0-5, MFC S2 15-20, MFC S2 20-25, MFC S2 35-40
Loyola University Chicago Women and Leadership Archives, MFC S1 5-10, MFC S2 5-10
A Man and A Woman, MFC S2 25-30
Mathematics, MFC S1 0-5
McCarthy, Eugene, MFC S2 5-10
McGreevey, Maryellen, MFC S1 10-15
Miami, Florida, MFC S2 40-45
Moran, Cecilia, MFC S1 5-10
Mundelein, Illinois, MFC S1 5-10
Mundelein College, MFC S1 0-5, MFC S1 5-10, MFC S1 10-15, MFC S1 15-20, MFC S1 20-25, MFC S1 25-30, MFC S2 0-5, MFC S2 5-10, MFC S2 10-15, MFC S2 15-20, MFC S2 20-25, MFC S2 25-30, MFC S2 30-35, MFC S2 35-40, MFC S2 40-45
Mundelein College Big Sister program, MFC S1 5-10, MFC S2 15-20
Mundelein College Class Days, MFC S1 5-10, MFC S2 25-30
Mundelein College Coffey Hall, MFC S1 5-10, MFC S1 10-15, MFC S1 15-20, MFC S2 0-5, MFC S2 5-10, MFC S2 10-15, MFC S2 15-20
Mundelein College Coffey Hall McCormick Lounge, MFC S2 0-5
Mundelein College Early Bird Program, MFC S2 5-10, MFC S2 10-15
Mundelein College Football Team, MFC S1 5-10
Mundelein College Lewis Center, MFC S1 5-10, MFC S2 0-5
Mundelein College Northland Hall, MFC S1 10-15, MFC S1 15-20, MFC S2 5-10, MFC S2 10-15, MFC S2 15-20
Mundelein College Orientation Week, MFC S2 10-15
Mundelein College Skyscraper Building, MFC S1 10-15, MFC S1 15-20, MFC S1 20-25, MFC S1 25-30, MFC S2 20-25
Mundelein College Skyscraper Building Tea Room, MFC S1 25-30, MFC S2 0-5
National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), MFC S2 20-25
Neal, Mary, MFC S1 5-10
New Colony Band, MFC S2 0-5
Northeastern University, MFC S2 10-15
Northwestern University, MFC S1 20-25, MFC S2 20-25
Northwestern University, Kellogg School of Management, MFC S2 0-5
Novak, Mary, MFC S1 20-25, MFC S1 25-30, MFC S2 5-10
Orland Park, Illinois, MFC S1 0-5, MFC S2 40-45
The Paper Chase, MFC S2 10-15
Paris, France, MFC S2 25-30
Phoenix, Josetta, MFC S1 10-15
Physical Education, MFC S2 20-25
Puchalski, Darlene, MFC S2 10-15
The Red Garter, MFC S2 0-5
Rosemary’s Baby, MFC S2 25-30
Roth, Peggy, MFC S2 10-15
Schmidt, Jean Dolores, MFC S1 10-15
Selma March, MFC S2 5-10
Sheridan Road, MFC S2 0-5
Simon and Garfunkel, MFC S1 5-10
Sklencar, Marge, MFC S2 5-10, MFC S2 10-15
Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, MFC S1 5-10
Sokoloff, Sara, MFC S1 10-15
Spanish Arms Building, MFC S1 15-20
The Three Faces of Eve, MFC S2 30-35
The Uncalled Four band, MFC S2 0-5
University of Chicago, MFC S2 5-10
Valley of the Dolls, MFC S2 25-30
Vatican II, MFC S1 5-10, MFC S2 10-15, MFC S 35-40
Vietnam War, MFC S2 5-10
Watterlohn, Paddy, MFC S1 20-25, MFC S1 25-30, MFC S2 0-5, MFC S2 5-10, MFC S2 25-30
Wegman, Cathie, MFC S2 10-15
World War II, MFC S1 0-5, MFC S2 25-30

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