Sphinx Club President Jimmy Kervan ’13

That’s Jimmy Kervan ’13 coaching up the pledges at a basketball game this past winter.  Jimmy is finishing up in a few weeks and will be headed to work for Target Corporation.  If his performance there is anything like it has been here, his future is bright and unlimited.

Jimmy has been president of his fraternity – Beta Theta Pi.  He’s a member of the track team.  He’s been the Sphinx Club president.  He’s been the President of College Mentors for Kids.  He is a member of the Sons of Wabash.  And, he’s also found time to be a college student.

Jimmy is, of course, the guy I turned to when I needed to find the requirements for paint quantities for the Senior Bench.  I had the answer in less than 24 hours.

At this point, I am always asking myself if we can replace guys like Jimmy.  Thank goodness we can.  Regardless, Jimmy’s fingerprints are all over Wabash College and that’s a good thing.  Luck for Wabash, the Class of 2013 has many guys who have had the same kind of impact.

Here’s a list of some of the jobs and graduate schools for our seniors.  More will be posted as they complete their senior outprocessing.

FULL-TIME
–  Faculty Intern, Global Studies Program, Culver Academies, Culver, IN
–  Sales Support, Laurus Strategies, Chicago, IL
–  Bird and Plant Technician, Mississippi State University, DeKalb, MS
–  Account Representative, Adams Remco, Indianapolis, IN
–  Target Corporation, various locations (several management trainees)

GRADUATE SCHOOL
–  PhD Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
–  College of Law, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN
–  University of Illinois College of Medicine Chicago, IL
–  Plant Ecology Intern, Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, Edgewater, MD
–  PhD Molecular and Cellular Biology, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire
–  School of Medicine, Indiana University
–  Masters in Environmental Analysis and Decision Making, Rice University, Houston, TX
–  School of Law, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI
–  Robert H McKinney School of Law, Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN (at least three headed that way)
–  PhD Translational Biology and Molecular Medicine, Baylor University College of Medicine, Houston, TX
–  PhD Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL

Jet jockies?  Wait until next year…

Here’s the announcement.  Rudy, Matthew, Jimmy, and JJ are all great guys.

“This Thursday at Chapel we will be having Senior Speak. Senior Speak is an old Wabash tradition that was revived by the Sphinx Club this past year. Our Wabash Brothers that will be speaking this year are as follows:

Rudy Altergott – Lessons Learned 

A Political Science major and History minor. He came to Wabash from Hinsdale Central in Hinsdale, Illinois, a southwestern suburb of Chicago. Rudy has been involved in various campus organizations, including service as President of the Independent Men’s Association, Class Representative and Senator in the Student Senate, and, most proudly, as a volunteer videographer for Wabash Football.

Matthew Paul – These Fleeting Years

Originally from Bloomington, Indiana, he played four years  of soccer at Wabash and was a senior captain. He has been an RA his sophomore, junior, and senior years. He studied abroad in Granada, Spain last year. He will spend next year as the faculty intern within the Global Studies Program at Culver Academies in Culver, IN.

Jimmy Kervan – Wabash College: My Safety Net

Originally from Indianapolis, he is a History major with an Economics minor. He runs track and for the past two years has done cross country for Wabash. He has been lucky enough to serve as President of Beta Theta Pi, the Sphinx Club, and College Mentors for Kids.

J.J. Peller – Walk in Like You Own the Place

Originally from Valparaiso, Indiana, he is an Economics major and  Spanish minor. He is glad to be a brother of Phi Delta Theta Indiana Beta. ”

The You Tube video should be up Friday or soon thereafter.  Here’s the link to our You Tube site.

Dutch Loved the Sigma Chis

Received word last night from Dan Susie ’68 that G.W. “Dutch” Freise ’48 passed away while on a cruise off the coast of Spain.  His health hadn’t been the greatest lately but he still kept a pretty hectic travel schedule.  Some poetic justice that he went from the cruise ship up to meet St. Peter.

Dutch loved Wabash, Ben Rogge, conservative values, Frank Sparks, private enterprise, conservative values, Hillsdale College, conservative values, Barbara his bride, and Joy his true friend and companion in later life.  Oh, did I mention conservative values?

Every visit with Dutch took on the same scenario.  We’d get together, he’d lambast me about something he didn’t like going on, then we’d talk like good friends do.  Life, family, Church, Wabash, etc.  He was a great friend, it turns out, to my namesake, Tom Mason ’47.  Uncle Tom was a Wally headed to Dental School with a permanent detour to a career as an Air Force pilot. Dutch would always ask about Tom’s widow, Aunt Margot.

Dutch made sure the new Sigma Chi house had the absolute finest kitchen setup possible. He also funded a scholarship to Wabash for young men from his neck of the woods.  He cared deeply about Wabash and what it offers young men.

Last time I saw Dutch he unloaded with both barrels on me.  It hurt.  Subject matter not important.  In the grand scheme of things, I hope Dutch didn’t pay any attention to my reaction.  I can be a h@#$ a%^ at times too.

Dutch – by now you’ve probably told St. Peter to get a real job, one in Industry.  I’ll bet he still let you in.  Thanks, my friend, for remaining so despite it all.

Dutch Freise – Some Little Giant.

It is the week that was…is…and will be…

So, it’s Pan Hell Week…

Oh, the stories…

One starts this way:  there was this XX feet long semi truck parked on campus near the XXXXX.   The truck was loaded with XXX cases / kegs of adult beverages.  It was so full, and the day was so warm, that it literally sank XX feet into the (pick one): ground, aspault, solid concrete, floor of Chadwick Court, bowling alley of Sparks.

All was not lost, however, as the men of the (living unit) rode in on their XXXXX and saved the day by (                    you can add this                             ).

It’s all true because it was reported in the _____________________.

Bed race today!

Registrar Julie Olsen explains some requirements.  That’s Tobey Herzog H’11 on the right.

Senior Check Out Meeting.  This year, this past Tuesday.

In the Fall of 2009, they all thought these next few weeks would never get here.  Now they are a blink away from that real world – the one with rent payments, grocery store visits, dental plans, 401Ks (hopefully), car repairs, spouses, partners, kids, tuition payments…

But they enter a world much, much smaller than the one I entered.  Most of them will have multiple career fields.  Most of them will travel or live overseas.  All of them, I hope, will change the world…for the better.

Remember?

The Class of 2013?  Good guys.  I have come to know them well. YOU, Wabash alumnus, parent, or simply friend, can be proud of them and what “this good place” has done with their DNA.

The Lot This Morning

In a conversation yesterday, Steve Charles reminded me of a sage observation about Wabash men – look at their vehicles.  You get a sense of who they are from the vehicles they drive.

Thought of that this morning driving in from Lafayette.  Had to take a couple of photos in the lot behind us where several of our students keep their “rides”.

Trucks…Jeeps…Toyotas…a Pontiac for good measure.  Further down you’ll find a Mustang and a Mercedes Benz station wagon from more than a few years ago.

Had to include this next shot.  It shouts a lot of things.  You can fill in your own caption.

Grunge’s bumper sticker on his “ride” says “My other ride is an F-111F”… but that sticker is really fading…

Received an email from Eriks following a casual get-together Monday, April 1, in Pittsburgh.  Dwight Watson and some of the cast from Wabash’s upcoming production of Jitney were there for a reading at the August Wilson Center.  Here’s Eriks’ report:

Tom,

Had a GREAT evening in Pittsburgh last night. I think we had 9 alumni or friends of the college in attendance (which was a little lower than I had hoped), but the students were just incredible. Their performance was powerful. One gentlemen associated with the August Wilson Center stood up at the end and said that they did August Wilson proud. Local actors were inspired by the intensity in which our students approached the play.

Afterwards, we all gathered for a couple hours at a local brew pub and talked about Wabash and the play and Pittsburgh. The students were engaging, circulated to all alumni, and their pride in what they delivered was obvious (and well deserved). Two things I loved about the social time: 1.) Members from the August Wilson Center joined the celebration and students did a great job sitting and talking with them and also reaching out to the alumni. They seemed to be soaking it all in- Pittsburgh, August Wilson, and Wabash. 2.) The bus driver that transported our students to Pittsburgh joined the group and I watched the students sit and talk with him all evening as well. They wanted him to feel part of the group.

 One of those evenings that confirms in your heart what is right with Wabash.

Eriks – great summary, my friend.

Eriks is also one of those guys who makes you proud of Wabash. Eriks lives and works in Wheeling, WV where he is president of the Oglebay Foundation.  He makes the commute to Pittsburgh, an hour each way, to participate in Wabash events whenever possible.  He also now serves on the Board of Directors of the NAWM.

This is interesting reading – check it out: http://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2013/04/02/do-you-know-alma-maters-president-can-you-locate-northwestern#.UVrJPnFUY30.email

Only 32% of alumni can name the President of their Alma Mater.  One third.  I’ll bet over 80% of Wabash’s alumni know Pat White.

What do you think?  Am I high?  Low?  Let me know!

Chris Petruzzi’s new book, cover above, looks to be a very interesting read.  Here is the beginning of the description on the back cover:

“As the Bride of Christ, the body of Christian believers has been called to serve Him. One aspect of this calling is that we are God’s instrument to change the world. is book addresses the question of how Christians should go about facilitating that calling.

Politics is the process through which some people attempt to prevail over others for the control of government. Is that what Christ wants for his holy people, or is the lure of politics an attempt to bring us into Satan’s world?”