Plainfield dog brings light to Illinois campus Christmas

Golden Retrievers seem born to make friends, and Polly (pictured above) was no exception.

When Plainfielder John Hartman left the cozy charm of his home on Colonial Circle for a small apartment at Seabury-Western Theological Seminary, located adjacent to the campus of Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, Polly went along.

Polly, who enlivened her Plainfield neighborhood on her frequent walks with John, never seemed to see a person she did not want to immediately make friends with -- hoping perhaps for a good belly rub or a little frisky play.

Polly's personality was just as infectious at the seminary, where John had enrolled in the fall of 2005 as a student, looking forward to ordination as an Episcopal priest. She and John were familiar figures on the wide sidewalks of the famed Illinois campus.

It was common during their walks was for Polly to be greeted by, or to greet students, faculty, and staff. Often students would approach saying, “Oh, I had to leave my dog back home, and I miss her so much. Thanks Polly, you made my day.”

During one such walk, Polly and John met Tom Rochow of the Ford Engineering Design Center of Northwestern University, located directly across the street from Seabury.

The Ford Engineering Design Center, which opened in 2005, is a focus of the McCormick School of Engineering at Northwestern, and has earned a silver LEED certification for its green design. The building is especially noteworthy for having 75% of its interior space flooded with natural light -- even though two of its six stories are below ground.

Part of the Ford Center's curriculum involves students fabricating solutions to design problems that they will face in the real world.

Tom, who is the Ford Center's facility manager, and his wife love Golden Retrievers. They themselves had two at one time, but over the past few years both had died. During the next several weeks, Polly, Tom and John became friends. Whenever Polly saw Tom, she would turn over expecting and getting a big belly rub.

It was during such a visit that Polly and John got a grand tour of the Ford Center, which has one of the largest and most comprehensive fabricating workshops of its kind. Tom explained that engineering design students used the workshop to complete various class assignment projects from design to production.

It was during the walk back to Seabury after visiting the facility that John came up with an idea that would involve both Seabury and the Ford Center students.

During the Advent season, one of whose themes is waiting for light amid darkness, the services at the seminary's chapel utilize pew candles on tall staffs to softly light the worship space. These candle staffs were at the end of their life span. The wooden staffs upon which the lighted candles perched were known throughout the entire seminary community as being delicate.

After seeing the workshop, meeting the engineering design students and reviewing a sampling of their fabrications, John knew they could produce an entirely new pew candleholder for the Seabury chapel that would be beautiful as well as functional.

John approached Tom with the idea of involving the Ford Center in solving the problem.

Tom liked it, but he had one condition, that the joint undertaking be called Polly’s Project. Tom was quick in pointing out that had it not been for Polly, they probably would never have met. In a way, the project became a memorial to Polly, who had died unexpectedly in March, 2007.

A small committee was appointed by the seminary's dean to coordinate the project with a four-student design team from the Ford Center. The team came up with two prototype designs. The Seabury committee selected the design that utilized a metal pole, which was simple, and elegant with the poles fitting into a wood mounted holder at the ends of each front row pew.

The new candleholders in place in the seminary chapel.

The candleholders were installed in early December 2007, in time for the seminary's traditional Advent Service of Lessons and Carols. Several members of the Northwestern community attended this beautiful Advent service.

In her infectious way, Polly had laid the foundation for this cooperative project between the two schools and can be said to have brought some new light into the grey, wintry days of Advent.

Which may be what the Lord had in mind when he created Golden Retrievers in the first place.

NOTE TO JOHN'S FRIENDS: This is John's third, and final, year at Seabury-Western Seminary. He graduates this spring, and is looking forward to ordination as a deacon at Trinity Cathedral in Trenton on Saturday, June 7th (mark your calendars!). Ordination to the priesthood usually follows about six months later. I will keep everyone informed.

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• Website: "Seabury-Western Theological Seminary"
• GreenBean: "The Ford Design Center at Northwestern University"

-- Dan Damon

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