Kim Johnson – I mentioned last week in my first post how much I am enjoying getting to know this campus and my surprise at all that was happening in this little community inside the community I’ve called home for so long.
This week as I wandered through my week still trying to get my bearings I couldn’t help but wonder if the students, staff and community (myself included) really understand how lucky we have it to be so close to Wabash College and Crawfordsville.
I spent part of evening yesterday listening to award winning writer Philip Caputo read excerpts from his new book Acts of Faith. He is this year’s Will Hays, Jr. Visiting Writer. He told about the events that led to his writing of this book and detailed a few of his real-life encounters that brought life to his characters. Afterwards, he signed copies of his books and answered questions from the audience that included Ginny Hays, wife of the late Will Hays, Jr.
On the other side of the wall in the Fine Arts Center, the play Never the Sinner was opening the curtains on the second night of its four night run. The show includes several Wabash students, staff and community members. It is the opening show of this year’s theater season. (Check it out if you can!)
Just a few blocks north and east in downtown Crawfordsville, The Vanity Theater is kicking off its second weekend of The Sting while many of the downtown store fronts are lit up through this weekend with art for the 6th Annual Crawfordsville Art League Juried Art Show.
A couple friends of mine from West Lafayette came to town this week to see the art show and commented on how impressed they were with the show, the uniqueness of its presentation and the caliber of the art in the show. While many of the artists are from “the big cities” of Lafayette and West Lafayette there are 37 artists in the show from right here in Montgomery County! Two of the award winners (Professor of Mathematics Robert Foote and Steve Miller ’08) and seven others are connected to Wabash College.
I realize there are events like this going on all the time on college campuses like Purdue, Butler, and IU and all around Indianapolis and Lafayette/West Lafayette but how many rural Midwesterners can say they drove or walked less than ten minutes in virtually no traffic and spent $10 or less to participate in such events (most of the events are totally free of charge!)?
With all that said, even I like to throw some sports in every now and then. We have that too! There are three county schools with outstanding athletic programs and two of those schools go head-to-head tonight on the football field for a great match-up. The Wabash football team is currently ranked 15th in the AFCA’s Division III poll and 16th in the D3football.com poll. (They play away this weekend but will be at home for the next two.) It’s all the joys of college football – great football, tailgating, great atmosphere, an energetic mascot. The added bonus is it makes for a great Saturday activity for the entire family without having to fight your way through 75,000 of your closest friends!
Every week there are great events just like these all over campus and all across the county. I’m glad I’m finally coming to senses enough to recognize what awesome opportunities are right in front of me on a daily basis. I just wish it hadn’t taken me 31 years to realize it!
