School’s out and the nights roll in; Man, just like a long lost friend; You ain’t seen in a while; And can’t help but smile. – Kenny Chesney
Clayton Randolph ’16 – The Chesney lyrics from Summertime may describe what most college students feel when classes finally end. But at Wabash, a few students remain on campus, some with professors gaining valuable job experience in fields such as Economics, Small Business, College office internships, and conducting research.
To outsiders, it may seem obvious that translates to students and more downtime for everyone.
Associate Professor of History Dr. Richard Warner, who has been at Wabash for 15 years, agreed the summer is a different animal. “The summer is much quieter,” Warner laughed. “One of the favorable differences is that we have very few meetings.”
Since most Wabash professors are actively engaged with students, including clubs and activities, it leaves little time for research. First year Assistant Professor of Political Science Michael Burch has already traveled to Ghana for field research. “As soon as classes ended and grades were in, I went off to Ghana for a few weeks,” he said. “My plans for the summer are to take all of that research and create a couple of articles.”
Warner will be completing a filmography article that outlines what movies will work well in a classroom. “It is a list of films that can be used in History classes, 150 different films.”
Fabian House ‘16 and Tim Livolsi ’16 said the summer is more tranquil.
House, interning in the Admissions and Financial Aid Offices, said the campus is more relaxed. “Weekends can even be quieter because a lot of people leave.”
Livolsi, interning in the Information Technology department, agreed with the laid back description. “I do not have anything to worry about in the evening, compared to during the school year when I have no time at all.”
The two agreed the living arrangements make for an interesting summer and can cause issues. “Independents and fraternity men definitely become closer in College Hall, and there is the kitchen dilemma where a group of guys have to use one kitchen,” Livolsi said. “It is a bit more frustrating because we have to provide food for ourselves and the kitchen is always a mess.”
A summer at Wabash provides the opportunity to meet new people, relax, and worry about when you can start grilling on the George Foreman. For professors, it is a time to catch up on research and attend fewer meetings.
Students and professors seem to agree the change of pace is a nice step away from the rigorous academic environment. Nearly 100 students are taking advantage this summer to work and learn in a less chaotic atmosphere.
Clayton Randolph ’16 is a summer intern in the Communications and Marketing office. He is a History major and Economics minor. Clayton is the lead play-by-play radio broadcaster for Wabash College baseball and also broadcasts Wabash College football. He does sideline reporting for Wabash TV during home football games. Clayton co-hosts The Montgomery County Gridiron Report radio show every Friday night on Thunder 103.9 in Crawfordsville. He also calls county high school basketball games on Crawfordsville’s Thunder 103.9 and True Country 106.3.
