I spend more time being stunned on Commencement Weekend and the first few weeks of August every year.

Yesterday was another classic example. Seniors milled about the Mall Sunday morning, visiting with parents and guests while waiting to for the Baccalaureate service to begin. Some students, like Tim Schirack and Drew Weintraut, I know are seniors. But it still seems like it was just a year or two ago when we first met to discuss the possibilities of working in the sports information office.

Tim and Drew are just two of many outstanding young men I have the pleasure of working with during the school year. They are like so many who have graduated ahead of them. It seems like they were only here for a short time, but their contributions are numerous.

Schirack might be easier to recognize in his familiar number 44 jersey on the football field. But his voice is just a recognizable after serving as the "Voice of Chadwick Court" as a freshman before stepping behind the radio microphone to become the "Voice of Wabash Basketball" for the past three years. Now he heads to Chicago to begin a new chapter in his life, but one that will certainly be just as successful as his four years at Wabash have proven to be.

You might not know Weintraut as well, but his accomplishments are no less spectacular. Drew has always been one of my go-to guys. He's entered nearly every football statistic into the scoring computer during the past season, including the Monon Bell game. Want a challenge? Try sitting at the Monon Bell game as a senior without being able to cheer for the players as the game goes on, particularly when your friend --- Tim Schirack --- makes a huge catch to set up an early touchdown, then makes another spectacular grab for his final career TD. Drew might pump his fist and high five the rest of the stat crew quickly, but then it's right back to the keyboard to enter the play so the media and Wabash fans watching the live stats around the world can keep up with the action.

Drew even interviewed for a job this spring with former Wabash baseball pitching great Matt McGuire '00. During the interview the talk turned to sports. When Drew returned to campus, he wanted to get McGuire's stats and send them to him as part of a thank you for the interview, even though Drew decided to accept another job offer after graduation.

It's a classic case of two Wabash men connecting via their common bonds at a college that sent another 160 talented and unique young men into the world after Sunday's Commencement.

To view photos and stories from the three-day Commencement weekend activities, check out this link.

Photo - Drew Weintraut is flanked by two of his classmates as they head to the Baccalaureate service.