Category Archives: Valparaiso

Leaving Valpo, and what’s ahead

Posted on April 25, 2012 | 3 Comments

In September 2009, I left the Knoxville News Sentinel and returned north to my alma mater, Valparaiso University, for a job with the marketing and communication department.

I got the chance to work with my good friend Tom Wyatt. I broadened my professional horizons and made new friends along the way.

Some of my favorite memories are from two service trips to New Orleans that I took with Valpo students.

I also benefited from close proximity to friends and family in nearby South Bend — where I grew up, and where we celebrated our 20th high school reunion last year.

It’s been a great 2.5-plus years. Some of those reading this who know me well are already aware that I have some major changes coming up. I’m starting a new job, in Durham, N.C., with the Herald-Sun. And I’m getting married. Julie lives and works in the region of North Carolina where I’m moving. It’s an exciting time for us. I’m going to miss Valpo and its people, but I can’t wait to get started on this next chapter.

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Posted in Journalism, Valparaiso, Valparaiso University, Work

So, so close

Posted on March 21, 2012 | Leave a comment

Valparaiso University’s men’s basketball team came within one game of returning to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2004. Unfortunately, they fell short, and the University of Detroit reaps the rewards.

Also unfortunately, I was unable to attend the game, because I was (and still am) fighting off a terrible sinus infection. I’ve never had allergies or any kind of sinus issue before in my life. I am pretty sure that I’ve never even bought a box of tissues before. All I can say is that I have sympathy for anybody who has had this sort of problem before. I’m finally starting to feel a bit more human after three trips to two different doctor’s offices. Ugh.

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Posted in Basketball, Sports, Valparaiso, Valparaiso University

Tagged , , ,

Office Space

Posted on October 2, 2011 | Leave a comment

At work last week, we moved into our new office area. It evolved from this:

To this:

It’s in the basement of the Harre Union. We like it so far. Our former space was bursting at the seams. What we have now is much more friendly to creativity and collaboration. You can see more photos here.

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Posted in Design, Valparaiso, Valparaiso University, Web/Tech, Work

Valparaiso University Communiversity 2011

Posted on September 4, 2011 | Leave a comment

If you missed Communiversity 2011 at Valparaiso University, then you missed out.

The weather got a little crazy for a second, but it ended up being not too bad. A good time was had by everyone, although the Crusaders came up just a little short on the gridiron.

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Posted in Outdoors, Photos, Service, Valparaiso, Valparaiso University

Communiversity Day at Valparaiso University

Posted on September 21, 2010 | Leave a comment

A good time was had by the thousands of folks who came out for Valpo’s inaugural Commmuniversity Day.

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Posted in Sports, Valparaiso, Valparaiso University

Race recap: Hilltop Hustle, Valparaiso, Ind.

Posted on June 21, 2010 | Leave a comment

The Hilltop Hustle 5K/10K recap you’ve been waiting for is here.

My pal Andy placed 11th overall in the 5K at 27:34 (96 finishers). Congrats to Andy!

My pal Tom place sixth overall in the 10K at 46:29 (and first in his age group). Congrats to Tom!

I placed 11th overall in the 10K with a time of 48.25, and second in my age group behind good ol’ Tom.

Regular readers will recall the by-gum wager that Tom and I had.

My task was to finish within seven minutes of Tom. Obviously, it’s mission accomplished for yours truly. Lunch is on Tom.

It was a bit warm on race morning. The course was two loops west-to-east around the Valparaiso University campus (one loop for the 5K). It got hot by the end. I started out a little too fast, trying to keep Tom in my sights (which didn’t last long). I more or less hugged the 7:45 mile pace the entire way, getting a bit faster for the final half-mile or so. Overall, it was a big improvement from the 50-plus-minute 10K I turned in at the Sunburst a couple of weeks ago.

Back to training.

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Posted in Running, Valparaiso, Valparaiso University

10K challenge in Valparaiso!

Posted on June 18, 2010 | 3 Comments

I’m running in the Hilltop Hustle 10K this weekend.

If that isn’t fun enough, I’ve got a bet going with my pal Tom. His last 10K was in the 43-minute range, and mine was 50:17. So we decided that I get a seven-minute head start. Whoever loses buys lunch for the winner. I’ve been plotting my strategy in my brain. I figure if I can shave off a little more than a minute, I should be able to prevail. So I’m going to shoot for the low 49s and hope that Tom doesn’t have too awesome of a day.

My mile splits for my last 10K a few weeks back were 9:02, 8:39, 8:38, 8:22, 8:05, 7:18. I figure that I left a lot of time on the table in that first mile. And since I ran a 7:05 last mile in a recent 6-mile progression run, I’m hoping to still finish strong even if I crank up the pace a bit early.

Our mutual pal Andy is also running, but in the 5K. Next time we’ll make it a triangular wager with some multiplication figured in.

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Posted in Running, Valparaiso

Running in Northwest Indiana, Part One

Posted on May 3, 2010 | Leave a comment

Shoes

Two summers ago, when I lived in Knoxville, Tenn., I messed up my achilles pretty good. Only now is it feeling back to normal.

Last week, I reached 40 accumulated miles in a week for the first time since my injury.

The number 40 doesn’t carry a great deal of significance for me, and my times (between 9:45 and 10:30 per mile for the most part) aren’t anything special. What’s more important to me is how I feel: Healthy. Fitter. More like a runner than I have in years.

The passage of time causes us to forget. I forgot a couple of things. One is that, when healthy, I’m entirely capable of covering 40-plus miles in a week, and turning in some decent (to me) race times, which is what I’m hoping to do later this summer.

Another thing I forgot is how much thinking I used to get done while running. Now that I’m spending a fair amount of time on the roads, I remember how much I missed that extended time to think.

At the start of the year, I set a goal of running 1,000 miles in 2010. I’ve run a little more than 258 miles so far, the weather’s heating up (finally) here in Valparaiso, Ind., and I’m feeling good. That thousand miles looks a lot closer than it did on Jan. 1.

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Posted in Outdoors, Running, Valparaiso

Valparaiso University president for a day

Posted on March 31, 2010 | Leave a comment

Today, a Valparaiso University student switches places with President Heckler. We’re streaming it live here via ustream. Since the student, Nathan Kellams, is a physics major, while attending Nathan’s classes the president will get to brush up on quantum mechanics and nuclear physics. Nathan will navigate a presidential-style meeting schedule.

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Posted in Valparaiso, Valparaiso University, Web/Tech

Let it snow

Posted on January 8, 2010 | 2 Comments

I forgot about the snow. I know it sounds dumb, but, living for the last several years in Knoxville, Tenn., I forgot how much it snows up here in Chicagoland.

Inches upon inches, but usually not quite as much as predicted, which is what’s happened in this latest round, although my folks, an hour east of me in South Bend, Ind., have gotten a couple of feet.

I forgot about the huge piles of snow that plows leave in corners of parking lots, piles that can last all winter. I forgot about needing a brush as well as a scraper for your car, and how irksome it is when the car ahead of you on the road hasn’t been brushed off, and the resulting deluge of snow left in its wake when it picks up speed.

The footing is bad when it’s warm enough to run. You need to clomp off the snow from your boots when entering a building. You have to watch your step on icy outside stairs and steps. I kind of forgot about all of this stuff.

On the other hand, I also kind of forgot how nice the snow can be to look at.

Snowbench

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Posted in Valparaiso