College Magazine | Fall/Winter 2019 Ahead of the game New ways to celebrate a storied tradition Reflecting the mission of the college, St. Norbert College Magazine links the institution’s past and present by Contents chronicling its academic, cultural, spiritual and co-curricular life. ST. NORBERT COLLEGE MAGAZINE In Print Online Vol. 51, No. 3, Fall/Winter 2019 A sampling of related content available at snc.edu/magazine. Cover Story Page 13 In friendship and charity: “Father De Peaux came to St. Norbert Paul Wadell (Theology & RS, Emeritus) reflects following his high school graduation in (page 7) June 1944. It’s basically been his home on ways we can help St. Norbert ever since. … There’s no question that College to be a place where all can flourish. he’s a treasure here at St. Norbert, and In Spanish: La identidad norbertina a we treasure him.” – Todd Danen ’77 través de las estatuas de SNC (página 8). Page 27 In hindsight: Memories from eight decades at home at St. Norbert (page 13). Among those who make up the SNC community – including students, faculty, Page 20 In seeking ye shall find: With one staff, Norbertines and community partners sacred object already recovered (page 14), – alumni are by far the largest group. We The Long-Lost Books metal detectorist Mike Counter M.L.S. take a look at how that vast network is ’14 (Communications) is continuing his shaping up. of Tongerlo survey of the grounds of St. Norbert Page 23 Centuries ago, they helped identify the abbey. liturgy of the Norbertine order. Today, The Banner Years some of these ancient volumes are In team colors: Our gallery tracks each Page 31 available at St. Norbert College. varsity sport (page 23) from its first year A series of banner-style images chronicle to its newest Green Knights. It was the summer of 2000. Music each varsity sport from its origins to the education major David Baine ’01 was latest intake of Green Knights. In the company of friends: The Knight working checkpoint security at Austin Lights program (page 32) offers alumnae Straubel International Airport, dreaming On our cover: Brianna Braeger ’20 women in northeast Wisconsin an oppor- of the day when he’d be in front of the says that playing varsity softball at tunity for fun and fellowship along with a classroom. And then a French horn came St. Nobert will always hold a special place glimpse behind the scenes of businesses gliding through the baggage scanner. in her heart: “It simply doesn’t compare run by their classmates. to the ‘woo’ any other sport team has brought to me throughout my athletic In recognition: Learn more about our endeavors. You’re treated with gracious 2019 Alumni Award Winners (page 33) respect, support and fan love, like no and their service to the greater good. other.” Braeger, with footballer Walter McBride IV ’20, represent their sports in In return for a $5 bill: Coin-op connois- Departments a compelling new photo series installed in seurs acquire original pieces of art – via the Mulva Family Fitness & Sports Center. vending machine (page 34). 6 President’s Message Page 16 7 News of St. Norbert Will This Be on the Final? 27 Alumni of St. Norbert It’s the little rituals as much as the syllabus that create community in the classroom – Keep an eye open throughout this edition for 34 Connection and SNC professors embrace them! more links to content on the web. Follow us snc.edu/magazine on your favorite social media channel, too. Just search for St. Norbert College. Tales of the riverbank A new day dawns, full of September possibilities. Our drone hovers over the Fox to capture the Ray Van Den Heuvel Family Campus Center and the Ed & Sally Thompson Marina – a lovely sight that reminds us once more of our deep gratitude to those who have loved this college and have generously shared their gifts. This image is available for download at snc.edu/magazine. 4 St. Norbert College Magazine | Fall/Winter 2019 snc.edu/magazine 5 In My Words / President Brian J. Bruess ’90 News OF ST. NORBERT COLLEGE QUOTED About the speakers Paul Wadell joined A place of friendship and flourishing “Communio is the theology and not about erasing religious studies differences, denying discipline in 1998 and differences or flatten- retired in May. His Glancing around the room on this warm late- pay attention to them. Across the generations, our ing differences. main areas of interest August day – faculty and staff gathering to prepare alums regularly and eagerly name the professors, the Communio is about are Christian ethics for a launch of our new academic year – I was struck coaches, the staff people who have shaped how they welcoming [differ- and the theology of by the sea of warm, attentive faces, heads nodding. It think and how they now lead their own lives. Like ences], affirming the church, and he them, embracing has been fascinated was almost as if I could hear hearts opening, each of recent grad Molly Gallahue, currently getting her them and being us awakening in the profound message of Professor Ph.D. in earth and planetary sciences at Northwestern for many years with enriched by them. … the role of friendship Emeritus Paul Wadell’s opening address. University: “The graduate school process was stressful, Academic institutions in the Christian life. Dr. Wadell, recently retired after a distinguished but it was reassuring to know that I had a handful of can be very hierarchi- Among his many career, spoke of how each one of us is responsible professors I could turn to for advice. I had several life cal. But we need to publications are resist that because, for creating a culture of friendship and charity – chats with various professors as I tried to figure out “Friendship & the The topic for this issue’s when hierarchy pre- Moral Life” (1989) and NEWS message from President essential work if we want everyone to flourish here. In what I wanted to do, where I wanted to go or what vails, communio dies. Dr. Wadell’s words: “St. Augustine believed that human life had in store for me. Professor Flood connected “Becoming Friends: Brian Bruess ’90 (above) And it dies because Worship, Justice & the was sparked by words beings are not creatures who can go it alone, but me with several alumni of SNC who were in graduate what is missing is the Practice of Christian from an address given by radically social beings who, if they are to have a good school … so I could network and ask questions.” justice and respect, Friendship” (2002). NORBERT OF ST. Paul Wadell (Theology life, need to learn how to live and work well together Like 2019 grad Hunter Van Asten who just began the acceptance George Mehaffy and affirmation, that & RS, Emeritus) to faculty in all the various settings of their lives. He believed law school at the University of Notre Dame this fall: has served as the and staff at the opening makes everyone feel that the deep meaning of society is that people should “My advisor was Professor Charley Jacobs, and he’s vice president for of this academic year. welcome. … academic leadership Wadell said SNC will not live as friends together, and took this to be true not been awesome. One, he’s really great in class. Then, “At its heart, com- Call to a flourishing future and change at the just be a good place, but only in our personal lives, but also in our institutional he takes an interest in all his students, and when you munio describes an With the 2019-20 academic year joined as one in what they took to be the AASCU for 17 years. a holy place when we can environment where settings. … For him, communio was not a nifty idea, sit down you feel like he is trying to make this the best about to begin, the campus community fundamental calling of their lives.” His 40 years of di- honestly say, “love lives but was God’s plan for humanity; so we’d better get it for you and do what’s right for you.” everyone – not just verse experiences a lucky few – can responded to new calls to community Later the same day, after the start-of- here.” Read more about right, because not to get it right is not to have lived in And recent grad Kelly Heniff who just this fall include more than Wadell’s charge to the flourish. from two dynamic and well-regarded the year address from President Brian any true and rich sense of the word. We are created for joined Teach for America in Memphis: “I received a 20 years of teaching campus community on “It all comes down speakers – one already well known to Bruess ’90, George Mehaffy of the and administration. communio and therefore need to experience it across lot of support and encouragement from Prof. Tynisha to the question of page 7, opposite. them, one visiting from the American AASCU chal-lenged the community to Most recently, he our lives. Communio comes into being in settings Meidl. She is a Teach for America alumna herself, and whether we are willing Association of State Colleges & consider its individual and collective roles organized a national where people support and encourage one another, lift she spoke to me often about how emotionally fulfilling to risk love, in every effort to transform the area of life. If we are, Universities (AASCU). in driving change at the college. He said, of one another up and help each other along.