Historic La Salle

By Liz Wagner
Collegian Editor
April 2, 2009

While working in the office late one evening, Kicks editor Joe Kain and Entertainment Magazine editor Mandy Bee went on a quest through the Collegian’s very own archives to find an old comic for Classic Kicks. After poring through piles of dusty papers in the rows of filing cabinets, the two found a comic—and learned something very interesting about one of the paper’s own staff members, as well.

“I thought it was neat looking at old staff members’ names to see if I saw any familiar ones,” Kain said. “Low and behold, I came across a very familiar one, not once, but twice.”

On one of the entertainment pages from the first paper was an article called “Platter Chatter,” a column about records you should be out buying, dated 1945. The other, from the early ’80s, was a review of symphonic English-rock band Electric Light Orchestra. Both were written by Francis Farrell.

Frank Farrell, for those who have not met him, is currently a freshman English major. He’s one of the newest members of the La Salle’s Improv 101, enrolled in the Honors Program and will be playing the part of “Officer Brophy” in the Masque’s production of Arsenic and Old Lace in April. He was a member of Project Appalachia, and traveled to Kentucky over spring break to help build houses for low-income families.

He’s been writing articles for Collegian’s Entertainment Magazine for months and is slated to be taking the position of editor for the section in the fall.

He is also walking in the footsteps of his father and grandfather, who both wrote for the paper during their respective times at La Salle.

Farrell’s grandfather attended La Salle for two years before transferring to Villanova. Farrell’s father, contrary to his four brothers who attended Villanova as well, came to La Salle and graduated in 1983.

“I knew my dad was friends with people on the Collegian,” Farrell said. But he hadn’t known his father was a writer. “I think he just did it for the concert passes.”

And, who wouldn’t? Farrell’s dad got free tickets to see the Rolling Stones and George Thorogood, Yes, ELO and Bruce Springsteen (though someone else actually wrote the article for that one).

While at La Salle, Farrell’s dad was an officer in the Students’ Government Association, a student worker for Campus Ministry and a resident assistant in St. Edward and Francis Halls. He was a political science major and later got his master’s in theology, also at La Salle. He is now a theology and philosophy professor at Manor College in Jenkintown, Pa.

Farrell’s mother was a psychology major at La Salle and is now a doctor of osteopathic medicine. She was on SGA with Farrell’s father.

Farrell is the oldest of five, and is pretty sure at least one of his siblings will attend La Salle.

Only time will tell if any of the younger Farrells will continue their family’s journalistic legacy.

wagnere1@student.lasalle.edu