STAFF EDITORAL SEE PAGE FIVE FEBRUARYFebruary 5, 5, 2021 2021 Wabash Kickstarts Volleyball Program LIAM GRENNON ’24 /PHOTO Ricky Sessions ’24, an outside hitter, awaits a serve during the Wabash College Volleyball Team’s first match against Adrian College. Mills ‘85 Delivers First US Vaccines in law and ensured I walked away with routes at age ten with the Indy Morning a full understanding of the athletic and Star, so I had a routine of starting my day academic benefits Wabash provided as off early. Athletically, as someone not well as the legacy it had for preparing blessed with height (a 5’9” point guard), young men for successful professional I always made it a point to outwork careers in the law, medicine, business, those around me so my size would not and a host of other areas. I was likewise predetermine the impact I had on a game drawn to the small student-teacher or my teammates. I always made it a ratios and was struck by the sense of point to hustle and sacrifice free time by purpose and brotherhood those I met putting in the extra work. My work ethic, had. While I was a little apprehensive coupled with the academic foundation about being at an all-male school at first, provided by Wabash, translated into me I quickly learned there would be plenty of finishing at the top of my class in flight opportunities to engage with my female school and the opportunity to fly the F/A- counterparts at nearby universities as 18 for the United States Marine Corps. well as campus visits. More importantly Throughout my professional career, I for me, Wabash provided me an have learned that putting in the work environment where I could focus on my helps to prepare for the known and the studies while still enjoying a full college unexpected. As a dear mentor once told experience.” Despite not becoming a me ‘Progress Demands Sacrifice’. I’ve lawyer as he once aspired to, Captain found these words to be true and a good Mills often credits Wabash for teaching work ethic is interwoven with sacrifice.” him skills he would fall back upon during Now a member of Wabash’s leading the rest of his career. alumni network, Mills lends the following Despite the renovations and additions advice for current students. “I like to the campus since the 80s, Mills says, to share my four P’s of success and in many ways, Wabash has stayed the significance: Passion, Perseverance, same. “...The campus has managed to Practice, and Purpose. Find your passion retain the same academic and athletic and you’ll never work a day in your life. excellence, small student-teacher ratios, Dream big, audacious dreams and use beautiful campus nostalgia, and strong your passion as your fuel. Know that alumni base ( affectionately known as the no matter how smart or good you are Wabash Mafia) for students to connect to setbacks are part of life, become a person and become part of,” says Mills. who learns to fail fast and not be defined Mills recalls spending most of his time by setbacks but preserves through them. in the Lilly Library or the gym preparing Put in the work… practice, practice, for basketball season. His work ethic practice… you never know when continued to propel him after Wabash. opportunities will present themselves but Within the Marine Corps, he originally know the work and sacrifice you put in served as an F-18 pilot. He has since now will prepare you to take advantage served as an air combat tactics instructor of them when they do show up. Live your and a forward air controller during both life with purpose and you will find more Operation Desert Shield and Storm. than success: You will find significance. Captain Mills has over 100 aircraft carrier As a United States Marine I was proud COURTESY OF COMMUNICATIONS AND MARKETING landings to his name. After leaving the to serve my country and today I am even Houston Mills ’85 (front) delivering the first shipment of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines to the United Marine Corps, he found himself working prouder to serve my community and my States. At Wabash, Mills was a borther of Lambda Chi Alpha, a member of the Sphinx Club and a starting for UPS as a DC-8 flight engineer. After teammates. My purpose is to make a point guard for the basketball team. being promoted into management, Mills difference in the things I have the ability continued to rise within UPS, eventually to influence. To make things better than I filling the role of Vice President of Flight found them. To help others find success. STAFF WRITER • Club, and the basketball team while LIAM GRENNON ’24 | Operations, a position he currently holds. A service before self mindset helped me On Sunday, December 13, 2020, a UPS at Wabash, Captain Mills often speaks Mills credits his father for instilling a find my purpose and helped me take Boeing 575 touched down at Muhammad highly of his time in Crawfordsville. strong work ethic within him. “My work the spotlight off of myself and find true Ali International Airport. On board that Recruited to play basketball at the ethic was a combination of watching my enjoyment by shining it on others. “ UPS flight were the very first doses of College, Mills found that Wabash father, who was a blue-collar worker Mills might not have been able to the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine satisfied both his athletic and academic at Ford Motor Company, get up to go to imagine flying a Boeing 575 with the first to reach American soil. In command of ambitions. “While I was recruited to play work every day without fail or complaint doses of a desperately needed vaccine that flight was Vice President of Flight basketball, I was particularly interested and, as a result, working hard and when he first stepped on campus four Operations for UPS and Wabash alumni, in finding a school which I could both hustling became ingrained in my DNA,” decades ago. But through his work ethic Houston Mills ‘85. Captain Mills, a play the sport I loved while providing says Mills. “As a young boy to make extra and dedication in all facets of life, he Marine Corp veteran and former F-18 a good undergraduate foundation to money, I would cut grass (with a push found himself representing the Little fighter pilot, was an English Major here pursue a career in law,” explains Mills. mower), rake leaves, shovel snow, and go Giants well nonetheless. Both a veteran at Wabash. A member of Lambda Chi “During my recruitment trip, Coach Mac to the grocery store for neighbors to have and father, Houston Mills leads and Alpha, the Malcolm X Institute, Sphinx Petty and staff learned of my interest money in my pocket. I had two paper embodies the life of a true Wabash man. VOLUME 113 • ISSUE 14 NEWS College Updates COVID-19 Guidelines COURTESY OF COMMUNICATIONS AND MARKETING A student walks across the arboretum wearing a “Wabash Always Fights” mask. While the College has revised some COVID-19 guidelines, students and staff will still be required to wear masks on campus this semester. KIHYUN KIM ’24 | STAFF WRITER • We Montgomery County. The color code system COVID. On the possibility of continuing the details about the guest policy such as “how do survived last semester’s total confusion. will determine what you can do and what sign up system post-covid, Dean Welch said, you do registration or how do we make sure Though there were lockdowns and you can’t do. For example, if the level is red, “This has been discussed for facilities beyond guest leave campus when they are supposed quarantines, we stayed on campus, unlike events on campus need the approval of the the Allen Center. I could imagine such systems to every week” are not yet finalized, according several other colleges where there were no President. On the other hand, if the level in place even post-COVID—especially if they to Ann Taylor, Professor of Chemistry and in-person classes. However, it is also true that is blue, approval for events is not needed. provide increased benefits and opportunities Special Assistant to the President for Covid we did not live a normal college life. There Knowing the color code system is crucial to to students, faculty, and staff.” Planning and Response. were a lot of things we had to do to keep understand the college’s policy on COVID-19 4. Physical distancing 6. Off-Campus Travel ourselves safe from the COVID-19 pandemic, this semester. “Certainly one of the best and most Although off-campus travel was not such as 6-feet of physical distancing and 1. Mask effective ways to prevent spread on campus.” encouraged by the college, the real prohibition wearing masks that were uncommon before- Last semester, wearing a mask was required Dean Welch’s thought on physical distancing on off-campus travel last year was visiting Covid-19 era Wabash. Then, what do we on campus. How about this semester, then? obviously shows that physical distancing is still other college campuses. This semester, have to do this semester to keep the Wabash To state the obvious, everyone should still required on campus. although traveling off-campus is allowed, community safe from COVID-19? What are be masked up. However, according to Marc 5. Guest Policy there is a possibility that traveling off-campus the major differences in the college’s COVID- Welch, Associate Dean of Students, there can “Students really want to be able to have could burst Wabash’s bubble.