This young lady attended Commencement this past Sunday. Half of me, in reporter fashion, wanted to follow up. I knew she was from Texas, had a pretty good idea of who she was “cheering” for, but I wasn’t sure if she was a sister or girlfriend to the graduate.

However, the other half of me said that part really isn’t important. Her emotions tell the story…her expression shouts pride, happiness, admiration…and thanks. There’s no way I needed to interrupt her moment – it was too special.

There were 186 special young men, all with their own set of moments.

With their diplomas in hand, ands a rose for the special lady in their life (they better have given it to Mom), the Class of 2008, 186 strong, belts out “Old Wabash” for the first time as alumni.

Talk about the entire range of human emotion…it was there in Chadwick Court…

That’s Associate Registrar Sharon Lawton at this past Sunday’s Commencement Ceremony. She has the look of a mother watching over her prides and joys – 186 of them!

The Registrar’s office, as you probably know, makes sure the guys get in, get educated, and graduate…in a round-about sort of way. When I stopped by Sharon’s office last week, all those sheep skins were sitting in her office…checked, rechecked, and checked again. In precise order…

It’s people like Sharon Lawton who quietly do an outstanding job at the College. She started at the College in 1973 and moved to the Registrar’s office in 1978.

Imagine how many young men and their diplomas…

It’s just not the same anymore…

I remember picking up my son Chris at the end of school one year. I drove in from Virginia in our Ford Escort – a small car. The next day Chris and I loaded ourselves, and everything he had at school, into the Escort and headed back to Virginia. We loaded everything…

I guess you could say the times have changed.

This is a BIG horse trailer – but it wasn’t hauling any horses this past weekend. It was loaded with “stuff” – the stuff of one of our seniors. No, not a house full of them, just one.
One senior, from Oklahoma, sold a bunch of his furniture to another senior from Fort Wayne. The parents from Oklahoma were nice enough to load the trailer and truck all the furniture to Ft. Wayne before returning and loading up again for Oklahoma.

Now that’s family…Wabash family.

It’s “dead” week – the time between finals and Commencement. I just saw Jesse James ’08 headed to the gym to work out and Jeremy Burton ’08 riding his bike across campus. Both smiling…both looking ahead…and behind.

However, in Baxter 114 though (above), it’s serious business. Those guys are right in the middle of the LSAT Boot Camp. This course, the brainchild of the NAWM board of directors, helps get our guys ready for the LSAT. As law schools rely more and more on standardized test score results, our alumni wanted to make sure our guys are fully prepared for those tests. What better to do than send them to Boot Camp.

Look at the booklet below…Formal Logic. That’s one of a bazillion reasons why I was a fighter pilot and not a lawyer!

The skies might tell it all. The Commencement stands are on their way up but those clouds…they look a little threatening.

Here’s one weather report. I hope for our seniors and their families that the rain stays away.

Wabash was featured on the television last night, at least as far as election coverage goes. Check out Hugh Vandivier’s ’91 blog here.

That’s Keith Veal ’92 – alumni leader. He serves on the boards of the Indianapolis alumni association and the National Association of Wabash Men.

You can read about Keith in the latest Wabash Magazine – he’s profiled as one of the College’s “39 under 39”. He’s truly an entrepreneur – Sustainable Solutions is his company, his vision, his dream.

But even more, he’s a change agent for the better. As Carol would tell you, he’s one of those guys whose glass is always well over half full and he’s looking to share with others. As the guys in my profession would tell you, “he has his stuff together!”

Catch the story here.

I was surprised and not surprised, all in one, when I got the news from Dave Callecod ’89, a member of Wabash’s alumni board, that he would be moving from running Marion (IN) General Hospital to become president and CEO of Lafayette General Medical Center in Lafayette, Louisiana. Basically, he’ll be running a four-hospital regional system in the south central part of the state.

Dave has been super successful at Marion General and the hospital has garnered a number of awards. †He’s built a great team and they have really flourished during tough economic times. I knew a bigger operation would come looking…and that’s what’s happened.

Dave’s about to learn an entirely new accent and taste for food. We wish him the best!

Forbes Magazine reports that the Center for College Affordability and Productivity (CCAP) ranks Wabash College #10 in the nation. †This group measures colleges and universities on their results.

There’s another liberal arts college in Central Indiana ranked in the top 50 as well – it’s ranked at #31. We’re in the middle of a challenge with that school right now. Click here for more details.

Screen shot courtesy of Forbes.com.