Fall 2011

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Allegheny Football Game

The weather was “less than optimal”.  In other words…temperatures in the 30s…if it wasn’t raining, it was snowing.  They were “full metal” bleachers.  We were 7-plus hours from home.

But it all didn’t matter.

Our fans showed exactly what “Wabash Always Fights” when to comes to supporting our young men.  Yelling, cheering, stomping…everything they could to get the guys going.

It worked.

A tip of the hats to our alumni, parents, families, and friends.  Well done – Some Little Giants ALL!!!

Frederick Whitmer '69

Prominent New York attorney Frederick Whitmer ’69 told it like it is – litigation is war. His audience included several faculty members and many of the Pre-Law students.

No sugar coating.  None.

But in explaining it all, he hit upon the attributes every Wabash guy should have. Boldness.  Courage.  Communication so that the facts are clear and understood.  Summed up really well when he said: “One of the greatest things about a liberal arts education is it teaches you the ability to be creative and imaginative.”

Frederick Whitmer kept the students engaged and taking notes

I had to smile a little because it was a talk where I could replace “litigation” with “flying fighters” and it all fit.  Heck, the only difference between fighter pilots and attorneys is we are about 50 points lower on the IQ scale…and work for 10% of the income.

A good session, full of thought-provoking moments, especially for young lawyers in the making.

The Wabash Web Site

Note:  The football game on Saturday will have live stats, a television feed, and radio coverage.  Please also note that the Grunge has no control over the line feeds (the TV comes from Allegheny), signal strength, WI-FI, or any other factors.

Trippet Hall

OK…I admit it.  Got a little lazy and walked all the way to the front porch of Hays Alumni Center. (About 25 feet…including the trip around the desk!)

However, the sun was hitting the porch of Trippet Hall just right and the leaves you see were fighting a losing battle to stay on the branches just a little longer.

Days like this are good for the soul.  The air is cool and dense (in my former life that meant shorter takeoff rolls and more thrust!) and there’s a faint smell of leaves burning and footballs flying in the air.

I have a rare vantage point and it really gets me thinking on days like today.  I get to see these young men in complete student mode.  I also see the yearbook page of a 1950s graduate (thanks to Beth Swift.)  The hair is different, the suits (suits!) are different, the professors are different, and the campus is different.  But in much the same way, they are taking it all in, just as their predecessors took it all in back then.  All too soon, the current crop will find out there’s a world out there that doesn’t have weekday sleep ins, fall breaks, and summers off.

But it is as it should be.  They are young with a future yet to unfold.

Back to work.

Yesterday Mike Funk ’89 passed away after a courageous battle against cancer and pneumonia.  As it is, there just aren’t the right kind of words from a poor, dumb fighter pilot.

I didn’t know Mike personally but I know a couple of his close Wabash friends.  That tells me all I need to know.

John Panozzo ’89, my Colorado doc, says Mike’s nickname is “The Gamer” because Mike always came through in the clutch.  John visited Mike for a week not too long ago.  They took in every single inning of the National League and American League Championship series together.  John said it was quality time – in every sense of the word.

You’ll recall a bunch of Wabash guys joined Mike in Atlanta for the 2010 SuperBowl.  Mike shaved his head as he started Chemo – they all did as well.  Wabash guys – you just wouldn’t expect anything less.

It isn’t the length of the journey that matters – the destination and your traveling companions are the real counters.  “The Gamer” won on both counts.

Please keep Christie and their children in your thoughts and prayers.

At Saturday's game

At Wabash, football is BIG…B-I-G!

But our guys have their heads on straight as well.  They get it.  The big picture, seen through the “lens” of a liberal arts face mask, if you will.

Took this picture Saturday – one of our wide receivers had on the pink gloves signifying his support of Breast Cancer Awareness month.

The cool part?  There were several players sporting the gloves, shoe strings, etc.

Breast cancer has touched the lives of many in our community and we can do our part in supporting research that is looking for a cure.

…act responsibly…live humanely…

Monon Bell Telecast Locations

Not interested or not able to attend the Monon Bell game in person?  No problem.

Thanks to the generous work of volunteers all over the United States you have your choice of 60-ish locations to watch the game.  All in Hi-Def.  All with a opportunity to join other Wabash fans…and a few DePauw fans as well.

Just click here for the map complete with information on each telecast site. (Check back often as more are being added.)

WAF!

Bill Cook '66 - Complete with African Garb

Bill Cook spoke in Chapel yesterday.  He reviewed the immersion trip he and Prof. Rick Warner led last summer to Kenya.

WOW!  We often talk about how these trips are life changing for our guys but this one was eye-opening and life-changing…and deeply good for the soul.  It was all about the people they met along the way, their unwavering love of life, and their deep faith.  Make sure you see it on You Tube.

Of course, it was all told in true Bill Cook fashion…high energy the entire time.

Old Wabash

Bill suggested in his summary that the guys should belt out the second verse of “Old Wabash”.  They did!

2011 Monon Bell Tickets

We have our tickets…Carol and the Grunge will be there.  Rumor has it only 2,800 are available.  Better get yours soon.

By the way, do NOT buy the GOLD ones on eBay…you’ll be sitting on the home team sidelines.