The other day I featured our students, under the guidance of Media Center director Adam Bowen, and their professional-level work in televising the basketball games.  Last night, at an important point in the game, the referees used the Wabash replay to sort out a foul.

Using the Wabash replay

It’s not the first time the officials have turned to the work of Adam and his crew…well done!

Adam Bowen (left) making a few adjustments

Our multi-camera setup

The cameraman in action

I think his t-shirt sums it all up.  At Wabash, you do not have to wait to get involved in whatever you want to explore.  It’s all right here.  Just jump in!

That’s 3 Degrees

Had a chance to talk to freshman Alex Hernandez (That’s Class of 2016!!!) last night before he participated in a small focus group for the NAWM board.

Alex is here from “Da Region” – but the other “region” – South Texas.

Alex just pledged Kappa Sigma and is getting used to pledgeship and the transition from independent to a fraternity member.  Alex credits Chip Timmons ’96 for introducing him to Wabash and helping him through the process.

At the time of our meeting, the temperature outside was a balmy 12 degrees.  At that point Alex noted he was really cold – “this is the lowest temperature I have ever seen”, he said.

Checked my phone this AM – 3 degrees – and thought of Alex.  He has a new personal best!

Took these at the Max Servies Wrestling Meeting last weekend.  These young ladies would steal any Wally’s heart.

Look at those eyes and the pearls

Pearls and a rose!

Prof. Wally Novak’s daughter…she’s always photogenic.

Playing at a Pro level

As many of you know, Wabash made the move to purchase good equipment for doing web broadcasts of different events on campus.  In these photos, you get an inside look at the crew, behind the scenes, doing the Wittenberg game.

It’s serious work!

Check it out.  Sound control and balance, several cameras.  That equals cool and challenging.  Adam Bowen, director of the Media Center, is the master at these things and he has our guys learning the right way – good equipment plus hands on learning.

Serious learning in a different classroom.

Who Will Ring This Bell in the Fall?

The three Presidential candidates will visit campus this week.   We should know at the conclusion of the Trustee meeting later this month who will lead Wabash as the 16th President of the college.

Interesting times at Wabash.

Wabash Wrestling Will Be Broadcast Live

Our friends in Communications and Marketing have teamed up with Information Technology and the Media Center to bring you a host of live web broadcasts.  Here’s the information.

Between January 16 and February 7, the media center is scheduled for live web broadcasts (www.wabash.edu/live) of seven sporting events, across four sports (basketball, wrestling, track and field, and swimming and diving):

• Wednesday, Jan. 16 – Basketball vs. Wittenberg University (7:30 p.m.)
• Saturday, Jan. 19 – Indoor Track and Field – Wabash Invitational (noon)
• Wednesday, Jan. 23 – Basketball vs. Ohio Wesleyan University (7:30 p.m.)
• Friday, Jan. 25 – Swimming and Diving vs. Illinois Wesleyan (7 p.m.)
• Wednesday, Jan. 30 – Basketball vs. DePauw University (7:30 p.m.)
• Saturday, Feb. 2 – Basketball vs. The College of Wooster (2 p.m.)
• Thursday, Feb. 7 – Wrestling vs. Manchester (6:30 p.m.)

These will be our first broadcasts for wresting and swimming and diving, and only the second for track and field.  All times are local (Crawfordsville) times.

Tune in!  Go Little Giants!

Steve Charles H’70

In my time as a staff member at Wabash, I have heard a lot of…”it”.  Sometimes good “it”…sometimes the other “it”.  The most “it” I have heard…and second is a long way behind…is that the Wabash Magazine is absolutely the best of the best.

I couldn’t agree more with that statement…my other favorite higher education institution has a very good magazine…and they should.  But I always find myself looking at it and thinking that our Steve Charles could have made it better.

Today is Steve’s birthday.  I don’t know how many and don’t care.  Steve is timeless…in many ways a reflection of the class he picked as his class here…the Class of 1970.  Many of that Class are legends…and certainly Steve is one as well.

I stand in constant awe of Steve’s ability to capture a theme and communicate it in a way even poor, dumb fighter pilots can understand.  Every time we talk, Steve drives me to think about things in a deeper and richer way.

And…best of all…he’s a trusted friend.

Happy Birthday Steve!

Lots of Pizza! But we also had salads and dessert!

It’s a brand new “tradition” – formed the way all traditions are formed at Wabash – it happens!

The Annual Giving and Alumni Relations teams – under the leadership of Associate Dean Joe Klen ’97 and Mike Warren ’93 – came up with a great idea.  As the seniors transition our of written comps and into oral comps, let’s host a pizza dinner for them.  Many of the fraternity houses really aren’t fully up and running so it just made sense.  Plus, there’s some theory out there somewhere that pizza is fast-tracked to brain cell stimulation.

Will Arvin ’08 talks to a senior about comps as Associate Dean Joe Klen ’97 looks on

Biggest tip I heard throughout the evening?  If you’ve worked hard over your time at Wabash, you’ll be prepared.

A good crowd.

Steve Wildman ’71

Alex Miller ’71 called the Grunge to me know that his pledge brother Steve Wildman is on his way to Washington to serve an eight month appointment as the chief economic advisor to the Federal Communications Commission.

Wildman takes a short leave from his current position at Michigan State University as the  Director of the Quello Center for Telecommunications Management and Law and Professor of Telecommunications Studies.

Steve holds an Economics degree from Wabash and a Masters and PhD from Stanford.  For more about Steve, click here.

The Nation’s Christmas Tree

‘Tis the Season.  The Season of Giving.

A couple of days ago, I mentioned the Excellence Boys Charter School in New York.  What a great place for a gift.  Impact.  Targeted impact (sounds like a fighter pilot, I know.)

There are others…places where you feel like you’re investing.  Dedicated, focused efforts to make people and things better.

Smile Train is a Grunge favorite.  I think it’s because these kids get a second chance to make a first impression for the rest of their lives.

Riley Hospital is another.  After months of trying to find out what was wrong with my brother (many, many moons ago), the docs at Riley found it and fixed it.  They continue to do the same for kids today.  And in Grunge’s perfect world, kids never get sick.  So their mission at Riley is even more important to me.

Wabash College.  Just like Smile Train, just like Riley, and just like Excellence Boys, we are targeted…we produce young men better educated and equipped to lead in our world.  You can make a targeted gift here as well.  A scholarship, faculty support, athletics, you name it.  Pick a category…make your gift special and exactly where you want it.  I picked an internship fund, started by a classmate, for my gift this year.  I want our guys to have the ability to compete with anyone, anywhere.  Internships offer them a golden opportunity to hone their skills.

Hope you’ll join me – ‘Tis the Season.  Tell them the Grunge sent you.

Hot buttons to make a gift:

Wabash College

Smile Train

Riley Hospital

Excellence Boys Charter School

Grunge headed out for the Holidays.  See you in 2013!