The Wrap Van at Grunge's humble abode

Just finished loading her up.  Of course, cool tailgating always starts with a cool ride and we have the best!  It’s a great recruiting tool – people have followed us not parking lots to talk Wabash.

The business end

This is the “light load” option.  (No big grill.)  Will top off with food in the Cleveland/Oberlin area.

Carol, CincGrunge, is the brains behind the operation.  She always comes up with something different.

Steve Charles H'70 and Rick Warner

Yesterday, Wabash presented its second Wabash Wednesday.  Wabash Wednesday is a live, interactive conversation about your College.  You can tune in on the web and you can ask questions via social media or email.  Very cool.

Yesterday’s program featured Steve Charles H’70, our Magazine guru, and one of my favorites, Professor Rick Warner.  I think you’ll see from the replay (link below),  if you didn’t see it live, that Rick’s classroom is international and learning occurs every day and every hour of that day.

See Steve and Rick on YouTube here.

Wabash Day - Oct 15-16, 2011

It’s WABASH Day this weekend.  (I know – sounds strange for a “day” to be a “weekend”.)

But there’s nothing strange about WABASH Days intent – performing community service in your local area.  We have almost 35 different alumni groups: from Minneapolis, MN to Houston, TX and from San Francisco, CA to Washington, DC. Some projects are cleanups, some help Habitat for Humanity, and some are working in Food Banks. Regardless, it’s Wallies taking a little time, in their own communities, to make things better.  It doesn’t get better than that!

It isn’t to late to be a part of the movement.  Go to the Wabash Day website and find a project near you.

You can find them both on the alumni site (www.wabash.edu/alumni) by selecting “Alumni Quick Links”

Lt. Dominique Thomas

When I think of Dominique Thomas and shooting, I think of Chadwick Court and basketball.  But those are the old days!

That’s Lt. Dominique Thomas, United States Marine Corps.  I’ll just call him “Sir”.  He was and is a special young man – who can forget that infectious smile.  He  probably has also added a “No s#$% / all business” look at well.

The few…the proud…the Little Giant Marines!

What a great time of year.

Took these yesterday morning…didn’t have to walk far.  Fall…football…tailgates…I am choosing to have the glass half full!

In front of Caleb Mills

Sometimes you just need to sit back and remember the main reason we exist…and it’s these guys.

Wabash Always Fights!!!

Senior Bench

Took the walk around campus this morning.  Too nice to stay inside.  Tyler Wade ’12, Sphinx Club president, said they would paint the bench last night…it looks great.

Some Little Giant

No dry eyes…even on the bench.

Of course, no trip complete without a stop at the Scarlet Inn.

"The" round table

Better get back to work.

The Apple Web Site

Steve Jobs passed away Wednesday.  My son, Jeremy, an Apple store manager in Denver, Colorado, told me people were showing up at the store bringing flowers.  That’s a retail store several hundred miles from Cupertino and all that is Apple.

It gives you a small sense for the loss many of us are feeling.

Steve Jobs is one of a kind for sure.  Apple, and it’s impact on the world, is still there today.  Sadder, sure.  But still a difference maker in our lives.

What has all this to do with Wabash?  Steve Jobs is one of us.  A liberal arts guy.  Reed College, Portland, Oregon.  Steve dropped out but never left, so to speak.  One of his favorite courses?  IT?  No, calligraphy.  And there’s an Apple connection there as well.

As the Commencement speaker at Stanford a few years back, he laid it all out.  You can see it here.

“Connect those dots”…

“It won’t be easy, it will be worth it”…

“Stay Hungry.  Stay foolish.”…

“Guts…brains…spirit…strength”…

Steve Jobs…meet Bill Placher…and Vic Powell.

I believe Giants roam the earth.  In fact, I have proof positive.  I have met a couple – on college campuses, no less.

Father Ted Hesburgh is one of them.  President Emeritus of Notre Dame, he is humble and larger than life in person.

The other is a guy named Vic Powell.  A true Wabash legend.

Both of those Giants are in their 90s.  One is no longer physically with us.

The Wabash flag at half-staff today

We lost Vic Powell today – October 6, 2011.  We knew it was coming.  As you can imagine, it wasn’t Vic’s mind and soul that gave way.  It was simply time for him to join Brigance in the heavenly debate club.

I often reflect that the people who have had a profound impact on my life are the ones who challenge me, through thought and action, to be more like them.  To be better.  To be more understanding.  More compassionate.  More committed.  More spiritual.  More of everything.

It’s one thing to encourage another person to be good.  It’s another to be so good, in so many ways, that those around you get caught up in it…feed off of it…get stoked by it.

Father Ted and Professor Vic – two such men.

I took several classes at Wabash from Vic.  I can’t remember any of them.  No outlines, no tests, no assignments, no titles.  But those things just aren’t important.  I remember two things vividly.  I remember standing up in front of my classmates and attempting to communicate.   And I remember Vic’s presence and his ability to effortlessly do what he was trying to get us to do.  Vic could certainly communicate…in a magical way.  What you always saw was a great delivery – an instant connection to those around him.  What you had to look hard for was the intense research and preparation.

I have often thought that when the inevitable happens, and Vic and Father Ted make that trip to heaven, that I would be lucky enough to somehow not know – maybe sleep through the day or something.  Wake up and they’re declared saints.  Cowardly, I know.  It’s like avoiding a root canal or a checkride.

Will there still be a special place called Wabash after Vic?  Sure.  Take comfort in the fact that there are about ten “junior Vics” on campus.  But you know…it just won’t be quite the same…and it shouldn’t be.

Giants do roam the earth…and we lost one today.

“Hey, Grunge, where can I find XXXXX on the new web site?”

www.wabash.edu/alumni

Most of the information for alumni is found under the second level menu “Alumni”.  So, if you’re on the main page, just click on “Alumni”.

Alumni Quick Links

If you then click on “Alumni Quick Links”, you’ll find a whole host of web pages.  Everything from the Annual Fund to Assisting Admissions (including a referral) to the Fine Arts Calendar to Regional Groups to WABASH Day is here.

Note that the link to the current issue of the Bachelor and to the Reunion page (Big Bash) are also here.

Take a minute or two, while your significant other is watching “Dancing with the Stars”, and pull it up on your laptop or iPad.

Consider it homework!