Mahomet-Seymour auditorium named after beloved teacher
May 24—MAHOMET — The name of one of Mahomet-Seymour's most beloved teachers will adorn the space where many knew her best: the high school auditorium.
By unanimous vote, the school board voted to name the MSHS theater after Judy Swiger, who taught speech, drama and English at the school for 32 years and served as an active mentor in the local theater community before she passed in 2020 at the age of 73.
The two-year effort to rename the theater after Swiger was spearheaded by Sarah Henrikson, a support services teacher at the school, and Karen Slezak. Together, they sought out community members to sign their petition, sometimes working crowds at performances and sporting events to get to about 200.
"I am delighted that the board saw the dedication Judy had toward the department, her students and the community, and I know Judy would be proud of the dedication everyone put into this," Henrikson said. "She deserves to be recognized for the wonderful person she was."
Swiger earned her master's in theater history from the University of Illinois in 1986 before she went on to teach at Mahomet-Seymour.
She directed plays for countless classes in the Drama Club, organized festivals and, after retiring, became state director of the Illinois Thespians Educational Theater Association, where she helped run workshops that drew students from up to 25 schools.
Andrea Bennett, who teaches seventh-grade language arts in the district, remembers having Swiger as a teacher before graduating in 1998. Bennett said she was one of those educators whose class every student looked forward to, which made them enjoy literature that much more.
Swiger was partly the reason why Bennett became a teacher and, during the holidays, she teaches the "Christmas Carol" by making a stage in her classroom and having her students get in character.
Bennett said that's exactly what Swiger encouraged: Putting yourself in your characters' shoes and considering the emotion and humor behind their words, not just reading their lines.
Now, Bennett's son is involved with the theater, though Swiger retired before he entered high school. Regardless, Bennett said she appreciates that the dedication of the auditorium will help keep Swiger's legacy alive.
"She just came to everything, even after she retired," Bennett said.
"I really can't think of anyone else or any other name that would be fitting for that because she was that — you think of the drama department, and she's the first name that comes up."
