2023 Big Bash, Camp Rotary

 

June 1-3, 2023

Wabash Delt Alumni and Actives are clearly the most widely seen fraternity brothers on campus.  Our visibility has been increasing ever since the re-establishment of the chapter in 2015.  The actives immediately made known their presence by demonstrating their campus leadership as scholars, athletes and sheer size of membership.  Several Key Alumni worked behind the scenes to enable the re-colonizing of the chapter, notably Chuck Candiano, Mike Shaver and Richard Sword, all Brooks-Seymour Award Recipients.

At this year's Big Bash, most of the Delts were from "out-of-cycle" years.  Even so, we were one of the largest contingents celebrating the Big Bash.  Our visibility was so grand that we had a college officer and unnamed others adopting our "uniform" of the new Hawaiian-style Wabash shirt.

The early crew and committee arrived early to
set up Camp Rotary and took an evening off to
enjoy a great baseball game with the Indy Indians.
Steve Wakefield, Larry Norris, Ralph Dixon,
Brad Ballentine, Randy Allen, Allen Murphy,
Craig Schroer with Julie.

Steve, Murph, Larry, Ralph, Brad, Julie, Craig

Kicking off the Big Bash weekend at Wally's! 
Included Peter Toll, Delt, Class of 1963, and
Bill Maxwell, honorary Wabash Delt
(great friend of Randy Allen and builder of the Wabash corn hole boards). 
Brad, Randy, Greg Fuchs, Peter, Bill, John Murphy,
Craig, Dan Walters (603 Big Bash Chair), Murph

Dan, Brad

Greg, Randy, Murph, Bill

At registration on Friday morning the Alumni Delts
met several active Delts from the Class of 2026,
exactly 50 years after this author's Class.

Alumni Brad greets a student Delt.

Craig, Dan

Dan, Brad, John M., Randy, Craig, Murph, Greg

Randy, Craig

Dan, Murph, Craig, Randy, John, Brad, Greg

An alumni contingent enjoyed a tour and tasting at the
Old 55 Distillery just northwest of C'ville.
Craig, Randy, Murph, Dan, Greg, Brad, Ralph, Paul Braun,
Mib Braun, John Clark, John M.

Happy hour at the Backstep Brewery in C'ville.
We met Kendra Clark, CFO of Wabash College,
here and she quickly became a fan of all guys
Delt.  Check the photos of Saturday's events,
as she sports a Wabash Hawaiian shirt, just like the Delts!
Murph, John C., Randy, Brad, Greg, Steve,
Ralph, Dan, Craig, John M.

Dinner was at the Mexican restaurant, El Charro,
in C'ville.  As it was also John Murphy's
birthday weekend, the restaurant celebrated
with a free dessert and sombrero while
Greg planted a big smooch! 

The student Delts joined the Alumni at Camp Rotary for 
corn hole and story-swapping around the campfire.

One of the college events was
a bicycle ride through C'ville
and around the county roads.

The first stop along the bike ride was to find the location of
the first Wabash College building which was
located a few blocks from the present campus. 
The building was later moved to the current site. 

Second stop on the bike tour was a visit to the grave of
Ralph Lee Wilson, who died from an injury at a
Wabash game in 1910.  His last words when he awoke
before succumbing in the hospital were,
"Did Wabash Win?"  Those words are now
inscribed at the new Wabash Little Giant Stadium.

The Delts were represented on the ride by Murph, 
in the scarlet "DELT" t-shirt.

This group of Delt alums establish the
new Hawaiian shirt as a Delt uniform!

The Delt actives join the alumni.

At the college luncheon on Saturday.
Brad, Rick Batchelder, Mike Shaver, Gumby's '73 classmate,
Randy, Craig, Kendra Clark (note her attire!)

Pam and Harvey Vandenburg, Sandy and Mark Stuaan,
Murph, Mib and Paul Braun.

Patrick Murphy, John's son.

Delt actives joined alumni Dan, Steve, John C.

At the Chemistry Reception, Murph and Dan chat with
Jojo, Wabash Class of 2024 and star football running back.

Delts return to Wally's for more conversation and stories.
John M., Steve, Randy, Dan, Craig

Has Kendra adopted the Delts?
Randy, Craig, Kendra, Murph, Dan

Patrick, John M.

Mark at Wally's with the
quote from Thad Seymour behind him.

Randy

John M., Murph, Patrick

At Camp Rotary for a cookout dinner and campfire.
Craig, Greg, Randy, Steve, Brad, Murph, Paul, Ralph,
Dan (Chairman of the 603 Events), John C., Batch,
John M., Delt students

The Delt Ladies joined the photo taken by the students.
Brenda Wakefield and Mib Braun. 

Brad, in his kilt, student Delts of 2026, Craig

Ralph, Greg

Batch, Mark, Sandy, Randy, Steve, Mib, Paul, Murph

Steve, Mike Shaver, Greg, Sandy

Delts are significantly PC. 
Brad in his skirt,
Gumby with his all-pronoun restroom and
John M. wearing his "senior socks."

Brad's competition at the Chapel Sing.

Additional data on the bicycle ride.

Additional data on the bicycle ride.

Indy Motor Speedway

In November 2022 I met Andrew and Jamie Bowman from Goshen, IN while at a Boondockers Welcome site in New Boston, TX (just west of Texarkana).  As I went to high school and college in Indiana, our conversation centered on Indiana topics until the Indianapolis 500 and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway came up.  It turns out that Jamie runs the employee campground at the Speedway and Andy is the supervisor in charge of the intersection of Gasoline Alley and Pit Lane.  They invited me to wowrk at the Speedway in May of 2023, so Here I Am!

View of downtown Indianapolis from the Speedway parking.

This tribute to the Borg Warner Trophy is on 
display in downtown Speedway, Indiana.

Fireworks at the track as
seen from my campsite, 
just north of the track.

At my "office" working for the IMS.
My post is on Gasoline Alley at Pit Lane.

Pit Lane, looking north

Pit Lane, looking south

Preparation for the GMR Grand Prix at IMS

On the Pagoda Plaza
The team I work with are known as "Yellowshirts"
for obvious reasons.

That's the same "Yard of Bricks" that forms
the Start/Finish Line on the main track. 
It runs under the Pagoda onto the track.

While living at the Employee Campground just north of the track Murph biked and hiked several trails and streets in the area.  For details on those treks, Click Here.

Murph at "work."

Murph and "Super Fan"
Michael is "Super Fan", we met at 
the GMR Grand Prix.

The start of the GMR Grand Prix.  

The white Corvette pace car roars by on Pit Lane, 

quickly followed by the Indy cars racing on the main road track.

My boss at the IMS, Andrew Bowman, was
honored with the addition of his name on
the Crown Royal Veterans' Wall near the IMS Museum. 
He served a full career in the US Army.

That's Andy working the intersection of Gasoline Alley and Pit Lane.
Andy and I are both members of the American Legion, so
this pic showing Alex Palou driving the Legion car
is meaningful to both of us.
Palou won the GMR Grand Prix!

Palou won the GMR Grand Prix!

The Yellowshirts start Race Day well before dawn.

This marker is located on the base of the Pylon,
which is a memorable sight on the track.

The Yellowshirt team moved the
Borg Warner Trophy to the 
Winners Circle this morning. 

The Official Photo of the Yellowshirt Team responsible for moving the trophy.

This old race car from decades ago
was in the parade before the race.

My duties included clearing the track of 
the visitors from the public.

The Yellowshirts joined other officials on Pit Lane for the
National Anthem and jet flyover during the 
Opening Ceremonies.

Just before the National Anthem.

I felt like a celebrity when this pretty young lady
asked me for a photo together.  Of course,
we know each other as she is
the daughter of a good friend of mine.

My view of the Indy 500.

I caught this video of Pato O'Ward in a pit stop during the Indy 500.

Josef Newgarden wins the 2023 Indy 500

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is big .  .  .  .

This aerial view gives some idea of the size.  The
straightaways are one mile long, each, with
a quarter-mile between turns 1 and 2 & turns 3 and 4, each,
for a total track length of 2.5 miles.

This comparison using Satellite photos really puts the
size into perspective!

Model Ts, Wallace Garage

Bill, Randy and I enjoyed our breakfast at the Wallace, Indiana Highway 341 Cafe', better known as the "Wallace Opry!"  Afterwards, we noticed that someone had opened the Wallace Garage, a spot depicted in photos on the wall at the "Opry," and a spot where Randy hung out with his Dad over 60 years ago.  We discovered that the current owner is a collector and rebuilder of Model T Ford motorcars.  The Wallace Garage is now full of old Model T's in various states of repair and finished examples.

Bill & Randy

The owner, facing the camera, explains his
fondness for Model T's to Randy & Bill.

College Buddies

Brad, Randy, Murph, Craig, Steve

Several college buddies convened in Crawfordsville to catch up with each other as well as plan last minute details for the "Big Bash" our annual college reunion weekend which takes place next month.

Murph & Randy meet the night before to
enjoy the brewery at Backstep.
Smithwick's & Guinness

Dinner was at Greek's.  They are
big supporters of the local teams
including Wabash .  .  . 

.  .  . & Randy's high school: C'ville Athenians.

We even joined in the singing for a 

local birthday boy and new friend!