Mark Dewart ’74 sworn in as a Lake Bluff Trustee

Guest Post from John Dewart ’10, a proud son:

Ainsley Rose Wagner, 19 months

We were getting ready for Church and the baby needed something to wear in the interim.  Thus, this Wabash man found a shirt on the top of the stack.  Ainsley Rose Wagner, who is now 19 months, said the guy on the shirt looked like a “monkey.”  A potential alias for Wally Wabash?  I’m not sure.  Better consult Amidon and company on that one.  Had to shoot you the pic and the story.  Hello to all in lovely C-Ville!!

Peace,
Ben

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Ben – Not sure about the monkey part but there’s no doubt she’s a beautiful young lady!

Pam Guiden, Tim Guiden ’82, and Peter Frederick H’92

From Tim:  Pam and I met with Peter Frederick this past week in La Crosse, Wisconsin.  Thought you might like a photo of the reunion.  Hope all is well as the year winds down.  Peace…

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Tim has a former life…similar to the Grunge.  Tim was a lawyer in the Air Force before retiring a few years ago (No, he isn’t the one who told me to take the fifth…)  He now works in Campus Ministry at Saint Mary’s Spring Academy High School  in Fond Du Lac, Wisconsin.

Dr. Michael Thorp ’86, Dean of Enrollment Management

Dr. Michael Thorp, flanked by Wabash legends David Phillips H’83 and Aus Brooks ’61, talks with the Sugar Creek group during their weekly luncheon.  Michael had been on the job, in his words, for “4-point-5 days” at that point.

Thorp talked about the opportunities that lie ahead for Admissions and Wabash.  He’s focused on a longer term recruiting cycle, engaging high school students earlier.  Using what he calls a systems-centered approach, his team hopes to identify young men who have what it takes to be Wabash men and start introducing them to Wabash as soon as we can.

Michael was an athlete during his student days at Wabash and, it’s safe to say, is “off and running” in his new role!

The Patio

Spring has sprung…finally.  Heck, it should be here…classes are over.

As I passed Caleb Mills in the alley – anyone named Grunge is comfortable in the alley – the light was hitting the trees just right.  The tree colors were popping.  The patio looked so relaxing…the only addition might be some TWR.

On this tiny little campus, there are many places just like this.  Places to temporarily enter a time warp…and relax.

I’ll let you in on a little secret.  In about 5-6 weeks, you’ll find the Class of 1965 sitting there.  They’ll tell stories from the “glory years” of Wabash College.  On that patio, their record in the Monon Bell game will probably be a perfect 4-0.  They’ll all have been in that Phi Beta Something  or Summa Cum Something fraternity.  You know, that’s OK.  Because those guys from 1965 did go out and change the world – just like they were instructed to do by none other than Byron K. Trippet.

I hope that patio is still there for the Class of 2015’s 50th reunion.

Scott Crawford, from Career Services, hands a young man his “munch”.

I know…I know…

I write about Midnight munch every time I go…but I can’t help myself.

If Chapel Sing is an enduring mark of this place, Midnight Munch can’t be far behind.  We talk relationships, we talk engagement, we talk brotherhood, we talk family…and all of that is on display at the Munch.  It’s Dean Mike Raters making the pancakes.  It’s Dean Michelle Janssen cleaning tables.  It’s Chip Timmons from Admissions testing each batch of bacon before he declares it fit for consumption.  It’s Mary Jo Johnston from Bon Appetit making sure we “temps” don’t screw up the finely-tuned machine.  It’s Professor Laura Wysocki from Chemistry greeting the students as they arrive.  It’s Mark Elizondo (head trainer) washing dishes non-stop for almost 2 hours.  It’s Richard and Eileen Bowen (Glee Club and Fine Arts) , Professor Greg Dallinger (Chem – Rich’s son), and many others serving with a smile and encouragement on an always-tough week at the Bash.

The Grunge?  I helped Brent Harris (Sports Information) and Mark Elrod (Bio) run food to the lines to make sure we always had plenty.  And I smiled a lot.

In our classrooms the next day, there will be test takers and test administrators.  But this I know.  No one will be cheering any harder for success than those administering those tests.

It’s what a family does…and it’s a way of life at the Bash.

The Pre-mission brief. Chef gave us all detailed instructions.

This bacon personally approved by Chip Timmons…and the Grunge.

Dr. Marta Collier’s Enduring Questions Class

Dr. Marta Collier teaches Enduring Questions to a set of Freshman.  To give them a capstone event for the individual projects, she set up the opportunity for the students to answer questions about their projects, similar to the Celebrating Student Research event.

It was fun.  These students are second semester freshmen but the poise and skill is just superb.

Ben Johnson ’18 talks about the death of protest music to a fellow student

Kudos to Marta for a great idea!

Molly White (Artist and Daughter) and President Pat White H’10

Chris and Pat White, along with their daughter Molly, were back on campus on May 4th to unveil Pat’s presidential portrait.  The ceremony took place in a packed Lilly Library.  The portrait was special in many ways – probably most of all because Molly was the artist.

Pat White and “his students”

Pat’s legacy will undoubtedly be his love of Wabash and her students.  Pat got the chance to catch up with many of them before the official ceremony.  He was in his element!

Pat White autographs a Pat White t-shirt!

This Wabash student showed up in a Pat White shirt and equipped with a Sharpie.  President White was happy to sign.

Chris and Pat are good people, in every sense of the word.  They are “sit on the patio at Caleb Mills, kick off your shoes, and grab a TWR” kind of good people.  Lives were touched by them and their lives were touched as well.

That’s how it is at “this good place.”

Nickos Kabitsis ’95, Debajit Banerjee ’92, Tze Loong Tan ’95, Faisal Ahmed ’95, Mujtaba Khan (Chotu) ’95, Periclis Hadjisavvas ’94

Chotu Khan writes:

Dear Tom,

Just wanted to inform you that a bunch of us alumni got together recently in Bangkok, Thailand over the weekend of 10-11 April, 2015. Some of us hadn’t seen each other in 23 years!

It was quite an emotional meet – seeing Nick (Nickos Kabitsis ’95), Tze (Tze Loong Tan ’95), and Peri (Periclis Hadjisavvas ’94) after 20 years. I last met Debajit (Debajit Banerjee ’92) in Calcutta back in 1998. I get to see Faisal (Faisal Ahmed ’95) a bit more often as he visits Dhaka from time to time.

All in, it was me (Chotu Khan ’95) along with my wife Lori Simpson; Faisal Ahmed ’95, his wife Rebecca Konrad and their two beautiful daughters; Nickos Kabitsis ’95; Tze Loong Tan ’95; Periclis Hadjisavvas ’94; and Debajit Banerjee ’92 at the reunion. It was quite an international meet (!) considering where we all flew in:

• I along with Lori flew in from Bangladesh where we live along with our children. While I am originally from Bangladesh, Lori is in fact from Crawfordsville, IN. (My son is currently attending Earlham College in IN. Our two daughters reside with us in Dhaka.)
• Faisal, who is originally from Bangladesh, currently resides in Cambodia with his wife Rebecca who is from MN.
• Nick is originally from Greece, but is currently residing in Vietnam.
• Tze flew in from Singapore where he currently resides. He is originally from Malaysia.
• Peri flew in from Greece where he is originally from.
• Debajit Banerjee is originally from India, however currently resides in Vietnam.

It was a great feeling seeing these guys after so long. We are planning another reunion, possibly in Europe, so that few more of us can join in from the US and other places of the world. Shall keep you posted.

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This is why face-to-face reunions are so critical to lasting friendships!

Yandes Hall / Detchon Center

From time to time, about this time of the year, I’ve offered some “Grungy” advice to our seniors.  What follows are two thoughts.

1.  Take a campus tour…by yourself.  Don’t follow a set path or the sidewalks.  Follow your heart.  If it leads to the 50 yard line, go there.  If it leads to a lab in Hays Science Hall, go there.  If it leads you up one set of stairs in Center Hall and down another set, go there.  If it takes you to Chadwick Court, go there.  In between stops, it’s almost mandatory to stop and take it all in.  What is “all” will vary from person to person.  At my stage in life, “all” is the fresh cut of the lawn, the coolness of an April morning, and the force for good and learning you feel at “this good place.”   But it isn’t my campus tour and it is not your last campus tour.  This walk is a time out…a brief escape from the time-crunched present to ponder where you were, where you’re going, and what the impact of Wabash – people, places, things – has been on you.  You won’t need to memorize any images and signs – trust me on this.  They will remain vivid…for as long as you live.

2.  Focus on the whole…not a part of the whole.  I transferred from one high school to another last century…I did that in part because I knew my life was headed in a different direction.  But another part was a small incident that happened near the end of the school year.  In all honesty, I don’t even recall the incident…I just knew it PO’d me and I blew it way out of proportion.  Don’t let this happen to you.  Don’t let a small bad taste in your mouth, maybe a disagreement over something or with someone, cloud your view of Wabash.  You’ll find there’s no place on earth that’s perfect…even as you search for perfection.  Everything is  imperfect…it just means the world is ready for you, Wabash man of 2015, to take it another step closer to perfection.

So, as you get ready to walk across that stage in a few weeks, think back to picking up that red folder on Freshman Saturday a few years ago and fast forward to the man you are as you Commence.  Hug Mom…shake Dad’s hand, thank Coaches and Professors, and walk away knowing that the entire Wabash experience – the good and the bad – made you the world changer you are now.

Safe travels,

Grunge