Sean Webeck ’03 reports he has just been named as a 2011 Boren Fellow, which will give him the chance to study abroad and further his understanding of the Middle East.  Sean, a master’s student in security studies at Kansas State University-Manhattan, will travel with his family in December to Amman, Jordan, to spend a year studying Arabic. 

Sean has frequently traveled and lived abroad. As an undergraduate at Wabash he studied in Spain, and then taught English for one year in China. He served five years in the U.S. Army as an Arabic linguist and was deployed to Iraq from 2007 to 2009.

Click here for the KSU press release to learn more about Sean’s academic studies, the Boren Fellowship, and his career aspirations after his year in Jordan.

News story courtesy of
Kansas State University News Services

The New Soccer Field

In another week or so, the new soccer field will be complete.  The 10 inches of rain we had last week washed tons…that’s right, tons…of rock away but we’re back on track now.

How nice is the field?  Good enough to eat, reports our local deer population.  Evidently, the deer that live in the woods next to Mud Hollow have tried to dine on the field…without success, thank goodness.

Looks good to me!

The crew working on the soccer field is busy putting in the lines and on-field signage.  Here’s a shot of the Wabash College logo they were laying out to insure it all looks right before putting it in near the Lambda Chi side of the field.

You don’t realize how wide a soccer field is until you directly compare it to a football field.

And, just because, I figured I’d add a shot of the baseball field as it matures…you know the Little Giants are conference champs, right?

Batter up!

Grunge is turning into GaBunge today…back in C’ville in time for the Road Trip.  Hope to see many of you in Merrillville, South Bend, or Fort Wayne.

Grunge

Reverend Michael Reding, pastor of St. Bartholomew Catholic Faith Community in Wayzata, MN has been named to the Benilde-St. Margaret’s board of directors, effective July 1. Fr. Reding will serve as the representative of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis.  BSM is a Catholic, coeducational, college preparatory school serving grades 7 through 12 in St. Louis Park, MN.

After graduating from Wabash as a political science major, Mike spent six years in a business career before entering the Saint Paul Seminary, School of Divinity where he was ordained in 1997.  Mike returned most recently to campus in June for Big Bash 2011, where he shared Sunday morning worship services with Adam Fronczek ’01.

Fr. Mike Reding '86 (left) with Adam Fronczek ’01, Associate Pastor of Chicago's Fourth Presbyterian Church

“Andrew Dits’ current role scares him:  ” . . . onstage alone for an hour, and I’m trying to be Jesus . . .” begins the South Bend Tribune article describing “Memoirs of Jesus,” a one-night production at Trinity School at Greenlawn.  Click here for the complete story of how Andrew became inspired by the play and ended up being directed by director Dana Vagg for the production.

During his sophomore year at Wabash, Andrew won the lead role in the play This is Our Youth and uncovered a passion for theater and the arts. He was a key player in the student arts scene, continuing to act, produce films, and write poetry.  With a Wabash degree in philosophy and double minor in Spanish and English, Andrew studied theater and filmmaking in Mexico and Argentina and then in 2010 earned a master’s degree in acting at the University of Southern California.  He lives in Los Angeles and has acted in theater, television, and an independent film since graduating from USC.

Andrew Dits performs the Rev. Harry Cronin’s “Memoirs of Jesus” at 7:30 p.m. Thursday [June 30] at Trinity School at Greenlawn, 107 S. Greenlawn Ave., South Bend, IN.  Admission is $8 at the door.

Story courtesy of
South Bend Tribune

Roy was named VP of Marketing and Strategic Planning at Trott & Trott, P.C, a Farmington Hills, MI-based law firm serving the mortgage banking industry, where he will develop marketing and internal communications programs.

An Alumni Affairs Officer at Wabash from 1998-1999, he then worked in marketing and communications for ten years in the Oakwood Healthcare System.  Roy earned a Master’s degree in Theatre on 1997 from The Ohio State University, and an MBA from the University of Michigan. He is a member of Leadership Detroit, Class XXX and is a governor-appointed member of the Michigan Council of Labor and Economic Growth. Roy is active on several nonprofit boards and committees, including First Step, Penny Seats Theatre Company and the Spotlight Players.

News and photo courtesy of identifypr.com

George Patton’84 will moderate a panel discussion, “Litigation Strategy: Do Judicial Elections Warrant Different Treatment?” during the Justice at Stake meeting today.  He was selected as a result of his work at the U.S. Supreme Court and U.S. Courts of Appeals dealing with judicial canon cases.  Justice at Stake is a nonpartisan group with 50+ national partners, working to keep state and federal courts fair and impartial, to educate the public, and for reforms to keep politics and special interests out of the courtroom. 

George is a partner in the Litigation Group and former chair of the Appellate Group at Bose McKinney & Evans. While practicing law, he taught Appellate Advocacy and Procedure at Indiana University School of Law in Bloomington, wrote a book on Appellate Procedure published by West Group, authored a chapter in a book of appellate briefs, and published several articles on Indian appellate procedure. While at Wabash he attended the University of Aberdeen in Scotland. He received his law degree from Indiana University Mauer School of Law-Bloomington. He is a member of the American, Indiana State and Indianapolis Bar Associations as well as a board member of the USA Development Trust, University of Aberdeen, Scotland. He also is included in Washington, D.C. Super Lawyer-Appellate (2007-2011) and The Best Lawyers in America® 2011 Appellate Law.

Announcement courtesy of
Bose McKinney & Evans LLP

A Liberal Arts College for Men

We’re nearing the end of the college’s fiscal year,  June 30.  To date, roughly 30% of our alumni body has made a gift to the college.  Think about that.  In a room of 30 loyal alumni, you’d average over 20 who have not made some sort of financial commitment, big or small, to the college.

Can you imagine how high our percentage would be if every alumnus who watched the Monon Bell game, live or on television, made a gift?  Easily over 50%…

So, the Grunge is asking you, as a friend and as a fellow alumnus, to make a gift.  Size doen’t matter on this one.  It isn’t about a name on the Honor Roll or a building named after you.  It’s about saying to our young men that they matter.  Their education matters.

I picked this photo for a reason.  A lot of folks hated these signs when they were new. Those folks were vocal about it as well.  And, while the signs will change, the Wabash behind that sign changes as well.  Believe me, if the college isn’t growing, it’s dying.  There’s no middle ground.

Wabash will be better…with your help.  It will keep the good things you recall…and make them better.  It will make those not-so-good things better…if you invest.

Here’s the link:  www.wabash.edu/alumni/egift

Thanks from the…
Grunge

Michael Medler ’74 was recently named to a three-member panel overseeing the transition of the Department of Toxicology from the Indiana University School of Medicine to the State of Indiana.

Mike was an Indiana state trooper with the Indiana State Police from 1976-2005, retiring as a lieutenant colonel and the leader of the criminal investigations, gaming and laboratory division of the Bureau of Criminal Investigations. While assigned to the Fort Wayne regional crime lab, he managed the field support section of the forensic laboratory and was in charge of the Indiana State Police satellite regional labs.  Mike majored in political science/pre-law at Wabash, attended the University of Virginia while attending the FBI National Academy, and has received training in various forensic, investigative and management programs. He is also a member of the American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors.  His son is Zach Medler ’01.

A second member of the panel also has Wabash connections:  Retired trial and appellate Judge Linda Chezem, wife of Hon. William I. Garrard ’54, is a part-time professor at Purdue University, is nationally recognized for her work with impaired driving for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and is an authority on legal issues dealing with impaired driving, toxicology and forensics.

Story courtesy of
2011 States News Service

When It's All done...

Stopped by the new soccer field on the way to work this AM.  Wondered how much of a problem yesterday morning’s monsoon had caused.  Happily, to this rank novice at least, there didn’t seem to be too much rework required.  A little extra mud but no landslides…

A couple of additional photos here.

Grunge

Michael Bricker ’04, executive director of PUP (see June 13 People for Urban Progress post) sent this quick email:

“We’re up for an inspiration grant from the Million Dollar Road Trip guys. Take a quick minute to vote for us here.

Also, check out what we made for their Airstream Trailer here. (there’s now dome fabric traveling the country!).”

The Million Dollar Road Trip guys are two Notre Dame alumni living in an Airstream trailer on a year-long road trip, whose purpose is to inspire small business entrepreneurship and give exposure to its product or organization.  PUP helped furnish part of the trailer’s interior.  PUP is also up for a Small Business Grant.  Online voting is open until this Sunday, June 19, at 5:00pm.

Of note:  The latest inspiration grant winner, from Indianapolis, was sponsored by Sun King Brewery, which is owned by father-son alumni team Omar ’60 and Clay ’97 Robinson!