Wabash College - Class of 1991

I just thought I'd let you all know that I turned in my two weeks' notice on Monday at my current job. After putting in more than three years of work there, I find that it's time to move on. It wasn't an easy decision to make, and I don't feel comfortable going into too much detail about the circumstances behind my decision, at least not on a "public forum" such as this is. I'll only say that the company has not been doing too well of late.

During my tenure there, I was fortunate to learn a lot about online sales and technical training and especially get my feet wet in making corporate videos and documentaries. I was very fortunate to assist in the making of a documentary on Wabash's Malcolm X Institute of Black Studies. (I worked as associate producer, researcher, and interviewer on the project, in addition to helping edit the film.)

As I make my bold move forward, it gives me the occasion to make a good pitch for the College's Office of Career Services. It's director, Scott Crawford, was extremely helpful in helping me polish my resume. He and his staff are doing a great job in helping students as well as alumni in their career search. If you find yourself in a similar situation, I heartedly recommend utilizing their services.

My other observation is how loathe many of are to ask others for help in a situation like this. Maybe it's a guy thing, or maybe it's a Wabash thing. We often feel like we have to be these independent, resilient, self-made men. What we often forget is that we do, indeed, stand on the shoulders of giants. If help is sought sincerely, others will readily give aid. So my first mission as I set out on my own is to work the network...

I received this update in an e-mail from Vinny Recinto last week that I thought I'd pass along:

I have a new job at the Imiloa Astronomy Center of Hawaii, so I've been busy putting together the tour and all that for them. Vonda is in massage school, so she has more to do now!

As Director of Information Technology Services for Wabash, classmate Brad Weaver is the guy who helps keep students, faculty, staff, and yes, us alumni connected.

He's also keeping people connected in a different way, by setting up a Tech Notes blog in August. In addition to addressing the usual IT needs on campus, the blog contains updates his department has been making to the College Web site, its infrastructure, and the online tools that people can use to more efficiently communicate with each other.

But, like with most blogs, every once in awhile you'll find stellar tips and news, like the series he posted on digital photography. Brad's series covered the following:

• Buying a digital camera
• Tips for taking great pictures
• Digital editing tools
• Printing pictures
• Sharing pictures online

It's an outstanding resource for figuring out how to get those great shots of your kids or your last vacation cleaned up and posted or shared over the Internet. Thanks for the great tips!

I like crossword puzzles. Along with my morning coffee, they help get me ready for the workday. Every once in a while, I tackle the granddaddy of them all, the New York Times crossword. When it's not taxing you with clever twists of phrase, it's stumping your complete lack of knowledge about opera or geography or, in this case, ornithology, in Friday's puzzle. Funny how sometimes the wrong word fits perfectly, like in 4 Down...

We just received this e-mail from Pete Miesel:

I just relocated from Indianapolis to Boulder, Colorado, taking a job in the Marketing Department of ValleyLab. Me, Kristin, and the cats are happy and enjoying the new hippie digs.

Pete would like to catch up with John Martin.

David Ricke and his wife, Kirsten, announce the arrival of their new daughter, Pacific Luna Ricke, on March 13th, 11:45am in Juneau, Alaska. She's 7lbs 2oz, 20 1/2" with brown hair. Dave reports that she's "healthily breast feeding, and bonding with mom and dad." A year ago they were traveling in Argentina, and soon they will be living down the street from pledge brother Vinny Recinto in Hilo, on the Big Island of Hawaii. Congratulations, Tricky!

Kip's latest Class Agent Letter is out. Read it by clicking here.

If you haven't sent us an update in awhile, you have three easy options:

• Submit a class note online.
• Send an e-mail to the Alumni Office.
• Send Kip or Hugh an e-mail.

Don't forget to include any pictures of kids, vacations, anything.

The campus has been quiet this week, as Wabash students have headed out of C'ville for the annual rite of Spring Break. But rather than venturing to warmer climates down south (and running afoul of law enforcement in South Padre Island, Texas, for example), an increasing number of students are using the week off to learn. Check out the Wabash Web site for blogs about immersion trips to Europe to study the EU, NYC and DC to study African-American rhetoric, Germany to discover German language and culture, or New York to explore its art scene. Seven students are partaking in an "externship" in our Nation's Capital. The Glee Club is touring the Midwest. The baseball and golf teams are in Arizona, while the tennis team is in Hilton Head.

One such excursion barely even crosses the borders outside Indiana: the Marketing Immersion Trip. Yesterday, the group started in Indy and ended up in South Bend at the College Football Hall of Fame. Upon their arrival, classmate Roland Morin addressed the group at the South Bend Chocolate Company. Roland is the managing director of Morin & Company in Mishawaka.

Looks like the guys will have to save the fun and sun for Pan Hel week!

Kip Aitken and I were recently tipped off to something that appeared on the DePew Web site. And no, it wasn't news of the ATO's kicking non-jocks out of their house. Check it out...

DePauw's Alumni Giving Rate Second to Notre Dame Among Indiana Colleges

February 24, 2007, Greencastle, Ind. - "The Indiana colleges and universities with the highest alumni participation rates are elite private institutions," notes the Journal and Courier of Lafayette. Citing the Council for Aid to Education's survey of more than 1,000 colleges nationwide, the newspaper notes that "Notre Dame topped the list with 44 percent of its former students giving to the school. The other schools in the top five were: DePauw University (32 percent); Wabash College (31 percent); Rose-Hulman (31 percent); St. Mary's College (29 percent)."...

This prompted Kip to write...

WHAT! DID I READ THAT RIGHT? WHAT AN OUTRAGE!

Surely, we Wabash men will not sit around and take this kind of crap from DePauw. Our class must take charge and lead the way for the others to follow. We have to do our part to raise Wabash back in front of DePauw in this critical statistic. Is it possible that the Dannies are more loyal to their alma mater than we are to Dear Old Wabash? Is DePauw a more “elite private institution” than Wabash? We mustchange this statistic so that it more accurately portrays reality.

In my humble opinion, we should be closer to Notre Dame’s alumni giving percentage than Rose-Hulman’s or DePauw’s... Puh-lease! In fact, we Wabash men (band of brothers, as Hugh likes to state) should be above Notre Dame to rank first in the state. Now grab your checkbook and let’s get to work on this. Any contribution helps our percentage regardless of the amount.

I couldn't have said it better myself. We're told that if everyone donated this year who gave last year, we could beat the Dannies (up our rate to 33%) if each class had just five new donors this year. We'll, we had 86 donors last year, so--in some strange numerological twist of fate--we can do our part by getting 91 guys to give. The irony is palpable...

Leave it to the good folks in Development to make it even easier to donate to Wabash. To learn more, click here.

There, giving speil over. Just remember to help do your part.