Joe Emmick '92

I almost didn’t use this photo of Joe, taken at the Chicago Holiday luncheon.  He’s doing his dog-gone best to keep that strong business look on his face as President White thanks Joe for his work at Wabash.  Those folks at Elmhurst might see that look a time or two – who knows?

Tough business guy or football announcer…Joe has been a clear difference maker here.  He stepped in to finish the Campaign for Leadership at a point where the only apples left on the tree were in the top branches.

He handled the transition to a new president and new challenges with style and grace…and guts.  He crafted a plan to help diminish the impact of the economic crisis that hit in 2008…and it’s producing.

Wabash Advancement today is different…better…because of Joe’s non-stop efforts.

Joe Emmick – Some Little Giant!

So, I apologize for a text only update.  BORING!  I am back and pumped about the semester ahead.  Basketball team rolling – good Annual Giving numbers, a talented team working together, the whole 9 yards.

I need a little flexibility.  Can’t promise daily updates….the days, for some strange reason, seem to be flying by.  You nine guys need to stick with me…please!

See you tomorrow!

Be out of pocket for the rest of the year.  Spoilage planned.

Regardless of your faith, this is a special season.  Enjoy it.  Hug a kid…or a couple of them.  I will…for sure.  It’s what a Gentleman does.

Wabash Always Fights!

Aaron Warnke ’98 sent this in to us.  It’s a photo taken in a Pub located in the Singapore American Club.

As you can see, there are a lot of pennants from US colleges and universities.  And right on the front door?  A Wabash pennant placed there by Aaron.  As he said, everyone going through the door gets to meet Wally!

The Monon Bell Poster

Chet Turnbeaugh ’14 is one of the guys responsible for the Monon Bell poster you see here.  It’s regular poster size and printed on nice, heavy stock.  You can get the poster one of two ways.  Through the Wabash Bookstore or ordering it on-line here.

32-19…47-0…45-7.

I like it!

Coke, Gillette, Keystone

Artist is Paul Liu '12

Several Art 227 art projects are positioned around campus.  I thought this particular one was exceptionally thought provoking in a very simple way.

Paul captured the conflict,I think, with the traditional tree decorated in “ornaments” shaped as corporate logos.  There’s Apple, Dell, Chevy (for my friend Jim Davlin ’85!), GNC, McDonalds, Bud Light, Nike, etc.

It makes you think.  Isn’t that what all art does, anyway?

Nice work, Paul!

Happy Holidays!

The Best Line of the Bunch - Line #3

Midnight Munch.  I know, I know, I tell you every year how much fun this is…and this year was no exception.  We had almost 50 faculty and staff working that evening.  In all, we served 376 students.  That’s over 50% of the students left on campus by Tuesday evening.  Chip Timmons and I always try to get there early and sign up for Line #3 – as well as get on the short list for “bacon testers”.  Many reasons for both and all classified!

The first guy in line!

You have to get there early – and he did.

"Pancake Pat" White at the controls

At the end of a long day, Pat White had a lot of valid reasons to skip…but he didn’t.  He was even making Monon Bell pancakes.  I’ll bet his counterpart was not making Monon Bell…

Lines #1 and #2

We served a total of 200 students in the first 20 minutes.  It was wild.

Midnight Munch is the essence of Wabash College in a fighter pilot-it-must-be-simple-to-understand way.  The community – faculty, staff, Bon Appetit – all there to cheer the guys on to do their absolute best.  It’s not about the bacon and pancakes, it’s about the true sense of community.

Lilly Library

I’ll never give a talk to seniors on their last weekend here.  That’s OK.  Much smarter people with better comm skills handle those tasks.  But if I ever did…

I’d tell the guys they MUST walk the campus alone and in the dead of night.

Walk by the library…listen for the decades of Trustees discussing in earnest the future of this good place.

Hays Science Hall

Then turn and look at Hays Hall.  In this place, and Waugh before it,  young men learned the fundamentals that gave them the skills and the drive to save and enrich lives.  If you look real close, you can see Tom Cole, Willis Johnson, and Ed Haenisch  working with students in the labs.  That’s them keeping an eye on Lon Porter, Ann Taylor, Eric Wetzel, Scott Feller, Wally Novak, and the entire crew.

Stop by the senior bench…and just listen.

Swing by Center Hall…and just listen.

Walk the Arboretum…and take it all in.

Stand on the 50 yard line and look at the home stands.  See those guys in striped pants?

Bottle that all up and take it with you – share with your sons and grandsons.  Tell them this is the place that formed you into the man you are.

That’s what I’d tell them.

Prof. Martin Madsen and his students

Martin Madsen and his students gathered for the final in their Freshman Tutorial an hour early this morning.  They’re starting the day with a hearty breakfast.  After that they’ll go through their presentations.  The class is on “Lord of the Rings”.

Brain food!

The guys were pretty loose, especially for this hour of the morning.  I think this will pay big dividends as they make their presentations.

It occurred to me that this was a mini-midnight Munch.  It’s the entire Wabash community cheering on our guys to do their absolute best.  It wouldn’t happen at a big school.  It’s standard for Wabash!

Russ Harbaugh ’06 has graduated from Columbia and is living in New York City.  The film he “debuted” here on campus last semester, Rolling on the Floor Laughing, has been selected for the Sundance Film Festival – quite an accomplishment.

That's our Russ Harbaugh

Russ was an English major, star quarterback, and now his film making is getting attention.  WOW!