Singing, Serving & Swinging: Spring Break 2010

Final Thoughts from New Orleans

Tue, 16 Mar 2010 08:04:40 -0500

Professor Jon Baer - We returned to campus in good order after an outstanding week in New Orleans. During our five days of work rebuilding homes destroyed by Hurricane Katrina we were able to accomplish a great deal. Our main project was a new build; thousands of homes in New Orleans were so compromised by the hurricane and resulting flooding that they had to be demolished so new homes could be constructed on the lots.

We focused our efforts on a site where we found an elevated platform (new homes are being built four or six feet off the ground) upon our arrival. By the end of the week, we had constructed the basic framework of the house — walls, trusses, sheeting, etc. We worked very hard and made huge progress towards rebuilding the home of a displaced New Orleans resident. A couple of students from our group also worked two days on laying tile in another home, and all of us spent an hour or so during a rainstorm in a third home moving sheetrock to help prepare the house for an initial inspection. Other volunteers who stay at Westside Mission will continue the work at each of these homes in the days and months ahead.

The woman who resided at the main property at which we worked is Rose Gueringer, a long-time New Orleans resident. For years Mrs. Gueringer’s mentally handicapped brother lived with her and her husband, but not long before Katrina both her brother and her husband died. Mrs. Gueringer faced the hurricane and dislocation and exile in its aftermath alone, and she wants nothing more than to live her remaining days in her own home in her own neighborhood in her own city. Since Katrina, Mrs. Gueringer has been living 135 miles away near Lafayette, Louisiana, but we helped her take a significant step back toward Carnot Street, in the Gentilly or Elysian Fields section of her home city of more than 50 years.

The residents of the other homes we worked on — Lou Bautiste and Margaret Banks — have similar stories, and indeed the stories of tragedy and suffering are multiplied thousands of times over. I’m grateful that along with hundreds of other volunteers at Westside, we’ve been able bring some measure of hope and renewal to Mrs. Gueringer, Mr. Bautiste, and Mrs. Banks.

I thank God for the privilege of serving people in need in New Orleans. I’m also thankful for and immensely proud of the 11 Wabash students who participated this year. Each of them could have chosen a more relaxing, easier way of spending his spring break. They could have rested, spent their time catching up on schoolwork, or perhaps even headed to a fun beach location. Instead, they chose to drive 15 hours for the opportunity to get up at 6:15 each day to labor building homes for strangers they may never meet in a city far from home, then turn around and drive back. These are young men of strong character and abiding faith, and they represent the best of our Wabash mission to “act responsibly, lead effectively, and live humanely,” and even to “think critically” (it takes a lot of critical thought, calculation, and planning to build a home).

I’m also grateful for the fortitude, camaraderie, and compassion of Prof. Dave Maharry, who models the rich tradition of Wabash faculty committed to the well-being of students and the larger community. Without the dedication, planning, hard work, and faith of Keith Strain, Paul Cass, John Hooper, and Dave Lunsford, from First Christian Church in Crawfordsville, we would have gotten much less done; indeed, the trip would not have been possible without their efforts. As you’ll see from this blog, all of us — students, faculty, and Crawfordsville residents — learned a lot about ourselves, about New Orleans, about suffering and hardship, and about service, grace, and hope. Finally, I remain inspired and not a little in awe of Brother Vance Moore, whose faith, commitment and desire to help those in need has enabled more than 5,000 volunteers from around the country to rebuild homes in New Orleans.

One afternoon in New Orleans we cut off a bit early because a downpour had begun, so we took the students to the Lower Ninth Ward, the hardest hit area of the city and where we had worked the last two spring breaks. The devastation and destruction that remain in lower-class and working-class areas like Gentilly are hard to believe, but in the Lower Ninth Ward it is astounding and profoundly disturbing. Four-and-a-half years after Katrina it looks like a war zone, filled with vacant lots, houses that appear just as they did when the waters receded, piles of refuse, and much brokenness.

Even in downtown New Orleans there are numerous high-rises and large buildings that stand defunct with shattered windows and other remnants of late August 2005. But in the Lower Ninth Ward that afternoon we passed by the homes of Ray and Clara Foxworth, Thelma Tyler, and Ray’s brother Willie Foxworth. A group from Wabash and First Christian had worked on these homes in March 2008, and they’ve now been occupied for well over a year. Last year I had the pleasure, along with David Swann ’10 and Eric Griffin ’10, of visiting each one of these homes and talking at some length with the owners. Similarly, we passed by homes we worked on last year, some now occupied. And I look forward to future visits with Mrs. Gueringer, Mr. Bautiste, and Mrs. Banks. There is more than enough despair to go around in New Orleans, but there are also signs of hope renewed, lives restored, and love amid the ruins.

Matt Hayes ’11, Paul Hudak ’13, Jeff Kessels ’10, Matt Levendoski ’12, Chris Pearcy ’10, Cody Schroeder ’11, Brock Sibert ’12, Cory Tiedeman ’11, Tom Wade ’11, Garrett Wilson ’13, Graham Youngs ’11. Some Little Giants!

Trip Had Bigger Impact than Expected

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 07:49:23 -0500

Brock Sibert '12 - Well, we are currently on I-57, just southeast of Ullin, Illinois. We have been on the road for almost 11 hours and still have about 300 miles to travel before we reach Crawfordsville. Nonetheless, the long ride home has allowed me to do some reflecting. This past week has really been one of the most fulfilling experiences that I’ve ever, well, experienced. I can be the first to admit that I was a bit skeptical about coming on the trip. Not being an extremely religious person myself, I had this pre-conceived notion that I would end up feeling out of place or out of my comfort zone doing mission work for Brother Vance and his Westside Mission. But, my fraternity brother, Jeff Kessels, insisted that I go, convincing me that it would be a great experience. So, I hopped into the van at 5:30 last Saturday morning and we began our journey to the Big Easy.

Monday morning began with a bit of a hiccup, as my clumsiness got the best of me, and I took the honor of garnering the first “on-the-job injury.” However, I was left with a pair of my own personal stigmatae (I tripped, my hands came down on top of a wire fence, and a couple of wire spindles went into the middle of my palms.) and the rest of the week went without a hitch.

We managed to get a lot of work done, including building the frame, putting sheeting up on the sides, and getting all of the trusses up. I was also able to gain some new friends, creating new relationships with a great group of guys whose hearts are definitely in the right place. To top it off, I know that Ms. Rose will greatly appreciate her new home once it is completely finished.

Overall, the trip was wonderful. It was comforting knowing that a group of guys who previously didn’t know each other could come together and accomplish a feat such as building a house in order to help out a city that is in dire need of assistance. There is a lot of work that still needs to be accomplished in New Orleans but every little bit counts, and with a little effort and faith, this work will eventually be completed.

I want to give a huge thank you to Dr. Baer, Dr. Maharry, Brother Vance and his Westside Mission, all of the guys from the First Christian Church in Crawfordsville, Father Dave, Lambda Chi Alpha-Alpha Kappa Zeta, and all of the guys that accompanied me on this wonderful trip and made it a week to remember!

School Sweet School

Sun, 14 Mar 2010 10:08:56 -0500

Gary James ’10 - After six action-filled days in our nation's capital, the six externs and I are now back at school.

It’s only been a day, but the realization that school (and all that comes with school) begins tomorrow is weighing down on my body like damp clothes after a winter’s storm and on my psyche like a guilty conscience.

Here’s to dry days and a clear conscience.

Don’t forget to move your clocks and watches forward.

Reflecting on NPR Changes

Sun, 14 Mar 2010 09:56:44 -0500

Gary James ’10 - One doesn’t have to search very far or for very long to see how changes in technology and communications influence the way businesses and organizations operate. National Public Radio provides an instructive example of this phenomenon.

The extern group visited NPR national headquarters on Massachusetts Avenue Tuesday morning, and we were given a lot of information about how the organization is growing and has grown.

Most people are probably aware of NPR or NPR-affiliated programming like Morning Edition or All Things Considered available on the radio. However, NPR has extended its reach to multiple platforms now. One can get most if not all NPR programming at npr.org. I can’t remember the last time I actually listened to NPR on the radio since I don’t have a car.

Many NPR or affiliated programs can be downloaded on iTunes or with iPhone apps. But even more than programming, NPR now has a presence on twitter and facebook. NPR music and Digital News have a wide selection of tunes and commentary. The increasingly integrated nature of NPR mirrors our increasingly hypermediated world.

I was reminded about this by Pam Dorsey, our externship contact at NPR, who described changes to the organization. NPR operations will be changing locations to a bigger building. NPR HQs is currently divided among three buildings. Soon they will all be in one. The mostninteresting part of this is that all is that most of the staff will be on one floor.

One floor.

To put this in perspective, NPR has about 415 employees. The reporters, editors, and producers are distributed among a few floors currently, mostly cubicles but some offices too. Most of those people will soon be on one floor. The goal is for the organization to be more integrated and more efficient.

I think this vision for a more integrated organization mirrors the realities of today’s world – our insatiable hunger for information and the many ways we have to receive it. It makes one wonder not just where NPR will be, but where we will be in 5-10 years, when the world we know today will be a little out of date.

The Next Opportunity

Sat, 13 Mar 2010 10:33:46 -0500

Andrew Swart '12 - Well the weekend wasn’t as I had envisioned our start to be. After a fairly successful campaign last year, the team’s expectations were high going into our first 2010 game. However leaving them our outlook on the season could have been a little different. The two teams we played gave us a good indication of the work we had in front of us. I still had the positive mind set although the taste in my mouth was anything but sweet. Dave Seibel said it best Sunday after our fourth game, “lets get the heck out of Alabama”. I agreed with Dave, and was ready for a new environment and a new start. Monday we set out for Dallas, Texas, which was to be our home for the next five days.

Along the eight-hour trip we stopped half way in Jackson, Mississippi, at the Mississippi Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame was another awesome opportunity for us Wabash men. For the second time we had been fed and entertained by Wabash alums. Chris Dieg, Derrick Bailey, John Pennington, and I all talked with Dr. Taybos (left) who is the head of the Oral Oncology program at Mississippi University in Jackson. We talked about a wide variety of topics, anything from his experiences at Wabash to the life of medicine. The conversation was not only incredibly interesting, as we touched on how traditions have changed, such as sphinx club involvement, to how Wabash prepared him for Medical school. Since all four of us are pre health we were all quite interested in what he had to say.

Beside the great opportunity with different alums I myself had an amazing time catching up with family from Mississippi. My Aunt Belinda, Uncle Ron, and Cousin Austin, all joined the team for lunch and hung around to talk about Wabash. Austin being a senior in high school is in the middle of his college search and hopefully after today won’t have to look far. It’s amazing how Wabash has not only brought current students and alums together through the love and desire acquired after you graduate from Wabash, but also possibly bringing a family such as mine together. Austin living 800 miles away, we rarely saw each other except for around the different holidays and now we have the chance to not only attend the same institution but also play on the same team.

The Hall of Fame Museum was great but as we embark on our journey home I can’t help to think about the next chance at redemption I’ll have. Unlike a position player a starting pitcher doesn’t get a chance to rid the soar taste from his mouth the next day. We have to wait for our next start. So as I sit on the bus and try to envision a brighter outcome for the Little Giants and myself It’s hard to push that last game to the back of my mind.

Brittain Warner '13 - While most people spend their spring breaks sitting on the beach, the Wabash Baseball team would rather spend it on the baseball field continuing to improve and compete every day. Thus far we are 3-5, and are continuing to improve our record after a slow start. The competition we face is great and really tests our ability to perform well. We are beginning to come closer as a team, and it shows with how much we have improved. All of our hard work in the off-season is beginning to show.

Personally, I have had a great experience so far. I have seen some time as pitcher and a bit as a hitter. My first game starting as a Little Giant was a JV game against Letourneau University. I was nervous, but ended the game with 2 home runs! It felt great to do well, and I cannot wait to prove what I can do again.

Thursday we were given a tour of the new Dallas Cowboys Stadium. It was unbelievable! I have never seen so many flat screen TV’s, which included the world’s largest HD jumbotron! The locker rooms were incredible! I went to Tony Romo’s locker (right) and saw letters from girls who had given him their numbers to call them back. It was hilarious! We also got the privilege to get a tour of the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders' locker room. There were pictures of every cheerleader above their locker and they were gorgeous. Overall, it was a great experience and I will never forget it.

End of Week Provides Time for Reflection

Sat, 13 Mar 2010 10:19:55 -0500

Graham Youngs '11 - At the start of our stay in New Orleans Pastor Vance challenged us to identify what motivated us to participate in Westside Mission this year. As my week comes to a close it seems clear that I have gained several things in the process, namely: a sense of accomplishment, a feeling of satisfaction, as well as a fairly ridiculous farmers tan.

Today as we erected the final trusses on the roof, I had a funny feeling that this trip has been more service oriented than I originally thought. True we spent the week building a house for a Ms. Rose; however, we did not actually see her reaction to the completed house. I have often participated in mission programs and served impoverished people face to face. These sorts of programs allow you to see the direct benefits of your labors in the form of gratitude. Perhaps a simple ‘thank you’, or smile.

This week however, we simply served as another cog in the Westside Mission machine. Ms. Rose will never know our faces and we most likely won’t be there to witness her initial reaction to her new home. Instead it seems to me that gratitude has been manifest in the overwhelmingly kindness shown to our group by many inhabitants of New Orleans.

Our service therefore, was not merely building one house in Elysian Fields, but continuing a sense of hope for the Community in New Orleans. I’m not sure if I could identify exactly why I chose to participate in this year’s trip, but at the end of the week I can say for certain that I was able to provide a needed service.

Finishing up in New Orelans

Sat, 13 Mar 2010 10:15:19 -0500

Paul Hudak '13 - Last day down here in New Orleans was amazing. Garrett and I went to this other site for the second day to work on ceramic shower walls. This process took a long time. There had to be at least fifty different ceramic tiles that had to be cut for just one bathroom. Once all the tiles were cut the rest of the walls were put up pretty quickly. At the end of the day you could not tell where our hands ended and the adhesive began. It looked like a two-year old kid finger painting. Unfortunately, we did not finish the bathrooms, there still needs to be a wall put up in one room and another row in the other.

When we got back to the other site it looked like a different house. All the trusts were put up when we got back all they were about ready to head back to our place of residence. On the way back we hit the more traffic today than the rest of the week. But today is the last day we will get stuck in New Orleans traffic.

Later on in the night the French Quarter will be the last place we will visit down here in New Orleans.

The Final Day

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 20:20:40 -0500

Jake Ezell '11 - Sadly, today was our last day in Las Delicias. I can honestly say I will miss those kids and working in the clinic. We had told the kids we usually played with during the lunch hour that we would be leaving after today on Thursday. I was completely surprised when, in between helping the doctor intake patients, a little girl with a Styrofoam cone-cup full of Coke came in to give me a drink as a treat. Walking outside the clinic, I saw the kids had brought pieces of banana and fruit gum as well as Coke to share with us on our last day. I was completely floored by their generosity and taken aback by the fact that those kids had found the means to carry out such an act of kindness. It meant a lot and hopefully stands representative of a week well done.

To to bottom of page to see a video Alex Moseman '11 put together about the trip.

The rest of the afternoon, we painted a Wabash mural on the clinic wall, “Wabash Always Fights” above the exam room door, and played cops and robbers as well as danced with the kids. When we went to leave, the kids found some sharpies, asked us to sign their arms, and then did the same to us. After some departing hugs, the bus driver took off in a hurry as the van fell somber and silent as 5 Wabash men reflected on the work done. Two minutes later, the sub-woofer in the bus rang out, the smiles returned to the guy’s faces, and we enjoyed one final ride through Las Delicias waiving to the people with whom we had spent the last week.

I honestly cannot say enough about my time spent here in El Salvador. It was a trip filled with statements such as, “Man, I am going to move down here someday,” “I can’t wait to come back this summer,” and “I’ve never done that before.” I think each of us genuinely took some life changing lesson from the trip. Most shocking to myself was how pleasant the people here were. With 50 pounds of bananas stacked atop their head and a toddler holding onto their first hand, the people would never hesitate to wave and smile with the second offering a friendly, “Buenas.” It is simply shocking to me how these people possessed none of the commodities and items of luxury we have in the United States, but never once complained or appeared to stop loving life. I think there is a lesson to be learned for us all in the way these people live and at the very least a cause for reflection on how we live, what is important, and where we’re going with our lives.

Three Alums Infuse Pragmatism and Professionalism into Careers in Politics and Public Policy

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 15:40:32 -0500

Gary James ’10 – Americans’ confidence in Congress is anemic. I’m no different.

For whatever reasons, Americans from all political stripes seem relatively united in their anxiety about the future of our country and skepticism with Washington’s ability to address this anxiety. For me, this anxiety has manifested itself in a type of cynicism about American political culture and institutions. This cynicism has been ameliorated by discussions with three Wabash alumni.

Mark Walker, Bert Salinas, and Allen Chatt all work on the hill in very different capacities. I had assumed our meeting with them would only give us insight into their jobs, but the meeting gave us an insight into the professional political and policy culture on the hill as well. It’s a lot more nuanced than the talking heads on cable news.

Chatt, Walker, and Salinas reaffirmed their concern – not just for success for their own political parties – but doing their jobs well.

For Chatt, that means treating every constituent who calls, mails, or visits the office with dignity and respect, even if they try his patience.

For Salinas, his judiciary committee work requires him to be more of a legal advisor and a policy wonk than a politico.

For Walker, much of his work over the years has focused on foreign affairs and making sure local constituents are receiving their benefits.

Despite their differing political allegiances, they were not only cordial but fairly unified in their impatience for excessive partisanship. They all have friends who are staffers in the other party. Much of the work gets done at the staff level, and their connections with other staff members across political and geographical aisles allow for that work to be done. They have found that obsessively partisan professional s tend not to like the hill because congressional staff work focuses more on pragmatism, at least as it relates to working relationships.

My experience on Capitol Hill has definitely helped to abate to some degree the cynicism that had clouded my political psyche. Maybe there is a future for me in politics after all.

Photos - Mark Walker, Bert Salinas, and Allen Chatt

Good Results Bode Well For The Season

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 14:45:39 -0500

Luke Moton '11 - Finally, the weather was amazing, 75 degrees and sunny. We traveled to Florence, Arizona Thursday to play in a four-team tournament. The teams consisted of Mesa Community College, Concordia University, Upper Iowa University, and Wabash College. The course we played was Poston Butte. We all played very well, considering it was our fourth round of the year. The scores for the day consisted of 75, 79, 79, 80, 83, 83, and after taking the best four scores accumulated a 313. The scores from today show a very promising spring semester of play.

After the round we traveled back to Mesa to meet with alumnus Tom Bennett ‘60 at Si Senor for a great dinner. He and his wife were of great company to end the evening. After a great day of golf and socializing, the team and I are ready for an amazing Friday to end spring break 2010.

Maharry Finding Insight in New Orleans Labor

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 09:30:24 -0500

Professor Dave Maharry - As we finish our fourth day working here in New Orleans, I have found myself thinking about how this kind of work can make us think about how we might approach all of life. We come ready to work on a project that we feel is important, and it is, but then something else comes along, maybe rain or missing materials or just an unexpected project that needs to be attended to immediately. We need to be ready to change direction or change our focus. We need to be aware of so much in our world, needs of others, beauty in nature, the enjoyment of the folks around us, as well as the work we set out to do.

We have already accomplished so much working on the house which has been our main project. But along the way we have been aware of the changing weather, clouds and sky, the Mocking Bird that has been watching us and talking incessantly.

We have even talked about the rhythm of the pounding of multiple hammers as different men have worked on different projects around the house, a rat-a-tat of work making a rhythmic music in the background of our work. During a quick rain storm we broke off work on our new house to go to another site to move wallboard up to the second floor, a dirty, tiring, but much needed job. The rain storm, which seemed to block our primary focus, turned into an opportunity to cool off and complete another job, then return to our primary work renewed.

Lots of life can be like that if we let it.

Amazing to See One Week of Work

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 09:28:56 -0500

Cory Tiedeman ‘11 - This is my second year now coming down to New Orleans on the Wabash Spring Break Mission Trip. We have just finished up day four on the worksite and I have been surprised at how much progress we have done on the house. When we got there on Monday, all that was done was the floor.

In four days, we put up all the walls, boarded the outside and started on the trusses for the roof. We thought that we would miss two days due to rain earlier in the week but were blessed with good weather all week.

It was very interesting helping to build a new house from scratch since I just worked on gutting and putting in a new floor last year on this trip. It has been a long, hard, and tiring week but still I have had a good time working with everyone and getting to know a few Wabash men a little better. I am also excited about finishing up work tomorrow and visiting the French Quarter tomorrow night.

Spring Break Good Transition to Start Season

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 08:55:50 -0500

Ricky Ritter '11 - Spring break serves as a great transition point for the Spring season. It comes directly in the middle of our schedule and provides a great opportunity to get away from campus and focus specifically on tennis. By this point, the line-up is all but permanent and everyone is playing noticeably better tennis. The season will really pick up when we get back from break, highlighted by three very important tournaments: the Kerry Seward, GLCA's, and the NCAC conference tournament to close out the school year. We will use this great trip to transition into the more important of the two halves of the season.

This week also gave us the chance to play some outdoor tennis. While I've heard that Crawfordsville has had some nice weather these past few days, that isn't usually the case this time of year in Indiana. Coming to Florida assures us time on outdoor courts. Getting this chance earlier in the year helps us to prepare for the all-important (outdoor) conference tournament. Also, four days after we get back to Crawfordsville, we will drive to Terre Haute to play Rose Hulman on their outdoor courts. While the weather is likely to be different than what we are experiencing here, this week has certainly helped us to be better prepared for the Fighting Engineers.

Since our last match was on Wednesday, today was our first full day of rest and relaxation. Since the pace of the season will pick up when we return, these next couple days are a great break from tennis. We will spend a couple days away from our racquets, resting our bodies and minds. We spent today lounging around the pool and the hotel before going to the Orlando Magic game this evening. Tomorrow, weather permitting, we will be going to the beach! Saturday afternoon we will be back at the airport and headed home to Indiana. I am definitely looking forward to the rest of the season, but for now I am going to relish in my last few days in Florida.

In photo: The team enjoyed an evening watching the NBA's Orlando Magic.

A Great Freshman Experience

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 08:13:02 -0500

Frank Ruvoli '13 - The spring baseball trip, as been a lot of fun so far. The weather has been great, baseball has been fun, and we have met many alumni that are very supportive and good men. We've also been privaledged to get the opportunity to tour the Mississippi Hall of Fame and the new Cowboy Stadium.

Alabama and Texas, both, have had great weather. The weather hasn't been below 60 degrees and has been as high as the upper 70's.

It is so much fun to play baseball in this weather. I think that is how the rest if the team feels, as well, because we are doing well. The bats have came alive and it is great to see everyone hitting the ball around the park.

Our alumni have been great. In Mississippi, my team and I were able to meet with alumni that were able to talk with us about our career aspirations, from Pre-Law, Pre-Med, and even Politics. The alumni were also hosted a dinner for us both in Mississippi and in Texas. The Wabash alumi really care abou the young men following in their footsteps.

We also got the chance to tour the new Cowboy Stadium. It was amazing. The stadium is huge, and the jumbotron, that is the biggest in the world, really is monsterous!!! We were even able to see the locker rooms of both the team and the cheerleaders!

The great weather, playing baseball, meeting great alumni, and getting the opportunity to tour the new Cowboy Stadium has made the spring baseball trip a great time. I have had a lot of fun playing here and being with my teammates.

Photos - (top right) The Wabash baseball team at Cowboy Stadium in Texas.

(Bottom left) Hanging out in front of Tony Romo's locker was one of the highlights of the tour of Cowboy Stadium after two wins by the Wabash baseball team on Thursday.

Crawford Visits Externship Sites

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 08:11:57 -0500

Scott Crawford - I always enjoy seeing Wabash students interacting with Wabash alumni, and working on projects. The last 2 days in DC have allowed me the opportunity to see both. Last night we had dinner with DC-area Wabash alumni at the insanely-packed Bar Louie, next to the Verizon Center and a Washington Capitols game. It was great to see the alumni connecting with students and sharing their Wabash experiences. Regardless of how the school has changed over the years, the experiences of alumni and current students seem remarkably similar.

Today I had the opportunity to visit 4 of the students at their externship sites -DESHO Productions, Perkins-Will, and the Embassy of Afghanistan. Two other students were externing with Rep. Dan Burton (R), and American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. The students were all hard at work, completing actual projects needed by the extern site. As the Director of Career Services, it always warms my heart to see students gaining experience....

As a bonus, I learned that as a result of this visit and the connections we've made so far, 3 new internship opportunities are opening up for this summer. Only 1 will be taken by one of these externs, so if you're a Wabash student reading this, and you're interested, you know who to contact.

Photo - Saidel Mayar at the Afghan Embassy.