President Hess presented the State of the College to a full house.
President Hess presented the State of the College to a full house.
President Hess presented the State of the College to a full house.
Todd Hanlin '69 enjoys a quiet moment on the mall before the Saturday activities began in earnest.
The smile on the Class of 1969's Craig Fox's face was matched only by his shirt.
Alumni Chapel Master of Ceremonies Steve Hoffman '85 takes a moment to check his notes.
Harry Hanson '69 was all ears on Saturday.
It's always attention getting when 'Old Wabash' echoes through Pioneer Chapel.
Gene Schofield '69 shares a laugh with a classmate.
Carl Michaelis '79 was essential to the Alumni Chapel.
Class of 1984 members (from left) Todd Glass, Jim Kilbane, and Bill Havlin showed a ton of school spirit.
Rob Bloss anchored the Class of '09's effort.
For Andy Walsh '14, flanked here by classmates Ben Cook (left) and Ryan Cloyd, his last note was his finest.
Dan Werbe '69 stopped in at the Psychology Department reception in Baxter Hall.
Here, Walsh chats with psychology professor Eric Olofson.
Tom Pizarek '09 visited the Physics Department reception in Goodrich Hall.
Steve Mathys '99 talks with phyisics professor Dennis Krause on Saturday.
Nnamdi Nwosa '04 presented a stellar colloquium.
Greg Scott '79 gave an energetic colloquia on Cybersafety, saying, 'We don't have to be cyber victims. This is the society in which we live. We built society to be this way. We need to better understand this stuff. You have to learn to help yourself.'
Wabash is always on our minds.
First Lady Lora Hess hosted a reception for spouses and partners at Big Bash.
First Lady Lora Hess hosted a reception for spouses and partners at Big Bash.
First Lady Lora Hess hosted a reception for spouses and partners at Big Bash.
Campus was bustling as 293 alumni and their guests were on campus for Big Bash, Wabash College’s annual reunion weekend.
Reunion activities began Friday morning with a golf scramble and ran through Sunday’s Big Bash Awards Brunch with spur-of-the-moment mini-reunions, great meals, colloquia sessions, and the must-see Alumni Chapel Sing on Saturday.
“Big Bash really gets to the heart of what Wabash is all about,” said Steve Hoffman ’85, Director of Alumni and Parent Relations. “Our graduates leave with such strong connections to the people and the place, and returning to campus only reinforces those bonds. This weekend we witnessed old friends reunited and connections to Wabash strengthened. It’s personal. Ultimately, that’s Wabash.”
The 50-year reunion is the lasting Big Bash highlight and occurs during the Friday evening banquet. President Gregory D. Hess presented each 1969 graduate in attendance with a reunion medallion. In turn, the Class of 1969 surpassed last year’s record-setting class gift with its gift of nearly $12.8 million.
Now in its third year as a part of the Big Bash lineup (and 10th year overall) is the faculty, alumni, and staff symposium on Friday, which this year spotlights football and the liberal arts. This symposium, "Wally 1st & 10," featured alumni, faculty, and staff presenters who demonstrate the breadth and depth of the liberal arts. Presenters included alumni Steve Campbell ’92, Chris Carr ’82, Jake Gilbert ’98, Daniel Kraft ’85, and Steve Woods ’93; professors included Mollie Ables, Jim Brown, and Stephen Morillo, while emeritus professor David Phillips H’83 and sports information director Brent Harris H’03 also presented.
Saturday opened with a morning fun run and walk, a bike tour through Montgomery County, campus tours, more colloquia, academic and department receptions. Each class held individual Saturday night dinners at locations throughout campus.
Saturday afternoon Wabash President Gregory Hess delivered a State of the College address and alumni presented colloquia including Ken Crawford ’69, Nick D’Angelo ’84, Nnamdi Nwosa ’04, and Greg Scott ’79.
The 2019 reunion closed Sunday with the Big Bash Awards Brunch.
A Big Bash Podcast
This week’s edition of the “Wabash On My Mind” podcast talks with Dick Sadler '54, who talks of his Big Bash road trip, his Wabash experiences, and his love of cars. Sadler is driving his red convertible from his home in Laguna Woods, CA, to Big Bash!. Just click the red play button inside the graphic to enjoy an audio preview.