I feel I live my working life pretty much chained to my desk but, any time I venture out on campus, it’s dangerous – you invariably come back with a story. Among things I found out this week:
- Two of our alums, now married to one another, first met in our cadaver lab. Now, they have given a gift to endow said lab.
- We have a thriving lacrosse team on campus, which travels to compete against other Wisconsin schools. “We are not at all intense about practice. But we are very serious about playing.”
- The student team that has established a community garden on campus this summer has so far donated 800 pounds of produce to local non-profits. (We have been maintaining a watching brief on this group, to see if they persisted. Who knew?! Next year they hope to fund student worker positions by selling to local businesses, so that they can grow and donate even more. Humbled.)
- One of our alums grew up in a household that was crazy about Disney. I mean, there were rooms in his family home decorated in Disney. Now he works at Disney World as manager of performers. Vocation speaks.
- The Rev. Stephanie McCarthy ’05 (who may be our first-ever woman grad to be ordained) says “Preaching is God’s work, not mine. I tremble before it.” (Steph, a Lutheran pastor, is the subject of the alumni mini-feature in our upcoming fall issue.)
- You can get fired in one class taught by Jamie O’Brien (Business) this semester. His sophomores are undertaking a simulation exercise (in partnership with Breakthrough Fuel) in which, if their group fails to meet their target, they are required to fire one of their members. With compassion and sensitivity. Because it’s a real-life experience – one that many of us will face at some point in our career. Jamie’s wife Hannah (who teaches journalism at UWGB) and I inquire as to the likely grade of the student fired. We feel they should merit an A if they navigate this difficult passage with grace and dignity.
- One Guy Allen ’13, an erstwhile student of Jamie’s – and, as it happens, also son of your editor – was in a similar group in one of his classes that came 30th IN THE WORLD in a competitive simulation exercise, according to Jamie. Mothers: always the last to know. (Said son is now embarking on his first business trip – two weeks in Baltimore as representative of his employers of just four months – so it just goes to show.)
- The class on posters in pop culture and, particularly, rock and roll, taught by Brian Pirman (Art), takes place at 8 a.m., Tuesday. This is not the best news since Brian has graciously invited me to attend in quest of a future feature. Therefore, am anticipating my first-ever 8 a.m. class in a long career of avoiding mornings. Watch out, Tuesday: I may not be my best self.
