Wednesday, October 31, 2012

New Faces of Kohawk Tennis - Zach (Butters) Decker

Zach

Name: Zack Decker
Birth date: 01/27/1994
Hometown: Born in Rochester, MN and I live in Wyoming, MN. I attended Forest Lake High School in neighboring Forest Lake, MN.
Favorite Tennis Player: My favorite tennis player is Lleyton Hewitt.  He is my favorite because he has made a career out of counterpunching and staying consistent, which is how I want my game to be.  Also, he has unrivaled intensity that I love watching.
Favorite non-tennis sport/hobby: My favorite non-tennis sport is snowboarding.  I used to more often when I was younger but haven't had much time to until recently.

Butters


General background information: My parents are Mark and Pat.  My father is a professor at the University of Minnesota and my mother is a psychologist.  I am an only child.  I played many sports as a kid, but only tennis later on when I became serious about the sport.  I was a captain in high school and 3 time all-conference.  I made individual state in doubles 3 times, my senior year taking second place.
What separates you from everyone else: I like to enjoy myself in whatever I do, especially in tennis.  I don't understand why you would do something so often if you didn't take enjoyment in it. So likely I will have a goofy, unexplainable smile on my face at all times.  Also, my newly assumed nickname is butters, which is pretty original as well.

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Kroll Report 8

This past weekend was Family Weekend at Coe. A lot of my friends were expecting their family and friends to come visit them and were some felt it necessary to talk about it all week. My family members were unable to make it to family weekend and the idea of a trip away from Coe came up. Ryan and Shade and I started throwing ideas around about making a weekend trip Chicago. I applied to go to Chicago for Fall Break through the Academic Achievement Program but the trip was cancelled due to a lack of applicants.

We left Friday afternoon and headed to the city. We also left without any sort of plan, so there's that. We said we would find a hotel when we got there but in reaching complete euphoria while driving straight through Chicago, we lost our plan. We parked and started walking. We found the Bean. We found the Chicago theatre. We found a two story Walgreens and it was probably one of the coolest things I have ever seen.

We obviously looked like the worst kind of tourists taking pictures of everything in sight. It was slightly embarrassing. Yet, the way some people chose to present themselves in the city was probably really embarrassing for them. So it was all fine.

After seeing the heart of downtown Chicago we decided food was a good idea. Since the restaurant we planned on eating on would take about 90 minutes to walk to we decided against it. We ate at this little deli near the theatre. I had a roast beef sandwich, my favorite sandwich to get at real deli's. So there we were sitting in the deli still without a hotel. We proceeded to take the next 45 minutes calling every hotel in the area. The problem wasn't room availability, no, it was that we simply weren't old enough. Panic set in and we considered sleeping in the car...which would have cost a ton of money.

Finally we found a hotel fit for a C-List celebrity and spent a lot of money for the room. However, we were in a nice area (about 4 blocks from Wrigley Field) and we weren't scared. Plus, we all got take "Mariah Carey" showers in the amazing shower. Overhead music video rainfall shower. Basically, my entire life was complete and I ran through a couple songs while showering that the rain (shower) would compliment if I ever get to perform at the Grammy's.

We ate at the Continental breakfast provided by the Hawthorne Terrace (Best Western) Hotel while Shade informed us that she made a quick trip around the entire city. She got up a little earlier than Ryan and I, probably due to the fact that she was literally shaking with excitement the entire weekend. She definitely would have slept outside with the homeless people if she absolutely had to. We caught the Red Line (what is that?) over to Chicago/State (where?) which is near the Magnificent Mile (SHOPPING). We spent most of the day around this area, and I spent money I shouldn't have, then we ate lunch and headed over the to the Navy Pier. After taking pictures at the Pier we headed back to the hotel retrieved our car and headed home.

Here are some pictures from the weekend:

No I didn't apply an Instagram filter to this picture... (yea i did) The beauty of the city is unquestionable regardless.

This is the apartment building I live in. We decided that I am from Chicago.  A picture below demonstrates.

Another beautiful shot of the city. 

Wrigley. A 10 minute walk from out hotel and a three minute walk from various sports bar full of drunk people for Saturday's Hawkeye game. 

And finally, we see a true young urbanite, struggling to find his way in the world. I'm obviously working the streets of Chicago and loving every minute of it. The weird face I  have on is due to peasant tourist getting in my way, taking pictures of their friends in front of building's and such. What noobs. 

The weekend was a success. No, it wasn't the most responsible thing to do. Yes, we should have had a better plan. But as we drove towards the sunset back to Coe, away from Chicago, I realized that our short escape from reality was much more than an irresponsible decision. It represented what I want the next four years to be like. Full of adventure and spontaneity, living life and experiencing new things. Yes, I could have been more conservative by spending less money (I didn't spend a ridiculous amount) but what I took away from the trip was extremely valuable and for that I am glad I went. I felt alive in Chicago, like I haven't felt in a long time. I was on my own, with some of my closest friends and it was awesome. I'll never forget it, and I hope to make more memories like Chicago in my four years at Coe.

Monday, October 29, 2012

Monday Randomness from the HC

Changed Today's Column heading after writing post.....random seemed appropriate.

.....Cedar Rapids last Wednesday was nearly 80 degrees. With imminent colder weather forecast, my neighbors were out in full force in their yards. Why? Well, it is October and leaves are departing trees and taking up residence on the ground. I glanced around, and listened, and discerned no fewer than 6 leaf blowers operating. Not one rake in sight......I don't own a blower.

.....Election Day in eight days. Good! I don't watch much TV, but if I did, I would be really appalled at the viciousness  of the political ads. Especially, but not exclusively, the Presidential Ads. Each Party would have you believe the other is just shy of being a wanton criminal. That said, please VOTE next Tuesday. Whatever your political affiliation, your vote is the only way to express your opinion.

.....Coe College's undefeated Football team moved to 8-0 and #14 in the national rankings with a 35-7 beatdown of Wartburg. Good for Coach Staker and Coach Staker(son Tyler is the OC). Football winning also keeps the AD pleased. Especially when combined with a Packer win on Sunday. Should be an OK week around here!

.....In Istanbul, Turkey (since when is Istanbul a hotbed of Tennis and deserving of hosting the WTA year-end championships?) Serena once again won. As stated somewhere in this column before, no doubt in my mind that a "Fit" Serena is the best female player in history......just hasn't happened all that much in the past 12 years.

.....ATP wraps up play for the year with the Paris Masters and then the London year-end Championships. No Nadal. Out with lingering knee issues. Paris is worth at least monitoring, as Federer (aka The GOAT--Greatest Of All Time) drew recent nemesis Tomas Berdych in the Quarters, on fire Andy Murray in the Semis, and if he survives, Djokovic in the Finals......with London beginning on November 6th, I wouldn't bet the ranch on Federer winning. The Skeptic within would not be at all surprised to see NONE of the top three win in Paris.....Just Sayin'!

.....speaking of The Skeptic, how about that Lance Armstrong saga with the USADA? Ugly. And predictable. Similar to Baseball's steroid years, pretty sure all cyclists were "cheating". Mr Armstrong was just the best at deception. USADA's quest seemed reminiscent of a Salem witch hunt. Why? Oh, and did they take away all the HR's and Strikeouts from the "cheating" baseball players? Uh, no they didn't.

.....I just noticed...well, Curtis told me: there is no NHL right now. My thought: Will anyone besides Curtis(and Scott) know if they don't play this year? I have no idea what the Owners, or Players Association are thinking in this case. But isn't the cantankerous Donald Fehr involved? Just sayin'....

.....Finally, it is a good time of year(except on the East Coast with Hurricane Sandy) get Outside and do something. Anything. Everything. The World spends too much time indoors, even when exercising. 

.....Take a Hike!

Saturday, October 27, 2012

Coe Football!

The undefeated Kohawks (ranked #16 in the country) are up 14-7 against Wartburg at the moment.

Brad, Noah, Emmie and myself at the football game; early in the first quarter.  Picture captured by Jordan.  The hot chocolate allowed Emmie to stay through Coe's first touchdown.  She then informed me that we were leaving.
I would point out that Brad is one of the few fans in shorts.....but I found myself no smarter than he!

Fall Clinics are also underway (two weeks in).  This year, the first and second year players have taken charge and are running the clinics on a volunteer basis as a fundraiser for our program.

Pictures of the Week

Coming at you a day late.  I don't have the same excuse that Kroll did (papers to write), but I was busy myself.....
Captured by Coach Rodgers.  One of the fences around the fountain in front of Clark Racquet Center.
Emmie outside of her school on a Fall afternoon.
Emmie treating one of our dogs, Turner (named after Turner Field; the Braves), as a doll.

Playground of Science

Coe hosted their annual Playground of Science this past Thursday.

Emmie and I attended with Natasha, Sasha and Zoe.  As always, a great event FREE to the community!  Students assist in making this event a success; reaching out to over 1500 children / participants each year.  Honestly, the best part for me is being able to see the tennis players wearing a different hat, and in their academic element.  This year's highlight was Daken demonstrating Dragon's Breath with a blow torch outside and the FireBall!  Also spotted were Jordan, Diannah, Amy and Michelle (with children that she babysits for).  Likely missed others.

First year, Amy Sebastian, on the left playing a statistical based game with Emmie.
The forces around us.....or maybe air pressure?  I was busy taking pictures.
Fire generated via sound waves.  Emmie was scared, and WARM! 
Kids surprised at the POP (the infamous Mentos experiment).

Thursday, October 25, 2012

Brad's Top Women to Watch


Before I get started I need to say a happy belated birthday to my mother (to all you mothers out there, I’m not as bad a son as it sounds). 

A few weeks ago I listed my favorite male tennis players to watch. I want to be equal opportunity with my love (and hate), so here are my top 3 female players to watch. Remember, this is not who I think are the best three players in the game. These are simply my favorite players to watch.

Let’s start out with a few players who didn’t make my list and why.

Sharapova/Azarenka/any body who screams

I don’t care how good looking Sharapova is. I don’t care that Azarenka started out 2012 so well. They are annoying. End of story. Their constant shrieking is off-putting to spectators and casual tennis observers alike. And most importantly it’s off-putting to me! It’s like they are declaring war on their vocal cords and they are having a tougher battle exorcising those things than Emily Rose. Watch a men’s match and the only annoying noise is constant whining coming from Andy Murray. You may notice I only listed Sharapova and Azarenka by name, but if a player sounds like they are challenging a jumbo jet to a yelling match there’s a good chance I don’t enjoy watching them play.

Serena Williams

To say “she’s not my favorite” would probably be the understatement of the decade. If the fate of the world was in my hands and watching Serena would save humanity and not watching Serena would kill everyone, then my decision would be incredibly tough. Who am I kidding? That’s not a tough decision. Sorry world.

Don't give me that look. I will not be swayed!

During the 2011 US Open final she basically marred a great match being played by Sam Stosur with her antics which was nothing compared to her outburst during her semifinal against Clijsters in 2009. Serena became the only professional player I have ever seen on TV to lose because of point penalties. Serena was famously recorded telling a lines person all sorts of unscrupulous things, especially involving some very inappropriate uses for a tennis ball

I'm certain there's a warning label against that somewhere

Of course, after the incident Serena said she couldn’t remember what was said. “Hey I got an idea. Watch the video. If you do that, then you may remember when you told the line judge you wanted to **********censored*********.

Now, I present my Top 3 Female Players to Watch

3. Kim Clijsters



I know, Kim Clijsters is retired now. However, she did play this year which means she can still make the list. When I re-evaluate myself for the new year, I’ll have to find someone new to enjoy watching. Until then, I’m sticking with Clijsters!

I will admit I didn’t like Kim Clijsters very much at the beginning of her career. It wasn’t any indictment against her, but rather an indication of how I felt about the people associated with her. Clijsters was dating Lleyton Hewitt early in her career and there were two things I was sure of at that time in my life, a) Hot Pockets were delicious, and b) I did not like Lleyton Hewitt (I was wrong about one of those). To my teenage mind, Clijsters was associated with Hewitt which made her unlikable. Also Clijsters was Belgian, just like Justine Henin (back then it was Henin-Hardenne) and I disliked Henin, so once again Clijsters was disliked by association even though Clijsters and Henin had little in common and weren’t exactly best friends.  Now that I look back at those years, I’m not sure I liked anyone besides my dog and Andre Agassi.

We all love a great comeback story, and I loved watching Clijsters play in the 2009 US Open as part of her un-retiring. I especially loved the semifinals against Serena for reasons you have already read about. During her time off having kids, Clijsters somehow gained the ability to hit the ball harder and play smarter than the rest of the women’s field. It was great watching her absorb everyone else’s pace it put it right back at them, but it was also amazing to watch someone play with a game plan and adapt. I believe Sharapova’s game plan is something akin to this: Hit Ball. Hard. The great comeback story of Clijsters and her versatility warmed my heart, Grinch style, until I couldn’t help but root for her.

2. Caroline Wozniacki



Yes, tell me how Wozniacki isn’t very good at tennis (you’re wrong). Tell me how she didn’t deserve to be number 1 (wrong again). Tell me how she only makes the list because she’s good looking (ding, ding ding! We have a winner!). Okay, you have me there. Her looks are not the only reason I enjoy watching her play, but that sure doesn’t hurt. Wozniacki is good looking. I know it, you know it, she knows it. If you think that’s unacceptable criteria for choosing favorite players let me explain how un-correct you are. Sharapova is one of the most popular women in the game. If she is playing at a slam, you can bet her match will be televised. Now, do you think she would be so popular if she looked like Schiavone? Probably not. Her looks are one of the main reasons for her popularity. Please send angry emails about my blatant sexism to iwontreadthis@dontcare.com

But just to make sure I’m giving equal opportunity here, let’s talk about some guys. I can’t tell you how many women I have heard talk about how much they love Rafael Nadal (sometimes Verdasco is thrown in there too). When I point out that he’s always injured or was jedi mind-tricked by Djokovic for a whole year they stare at me like I just tried to explain Schrodinger’s Equation.

When did they start throwing letter in there?

“I don’t care. He’s hot!” is usually the response I get to that. I’m not even sure they are aware he’s left handed. It works both ways, looks matter. I do enjoy watching Wozniacki’s play as well. She’s a grinder in a game now dominated by aggressive baseliners. And while many deride her time at number one, I would like to point out that she held that position for longer than any woman has lately. Before Woz held that spot for 67 weeks, the number one spot was a roller coaster of players ascending to the top then nose diving down. She played a lot of tournaments, she had many good results, and I like watching he play.

1.Sam Stosur



I love watching Stosur play and there are a couple of reasons for this. First, she is jacked. Look at that picture above. Any woman who can undoubtedly lift more than me and beat me up automatically has my complete respect – and also my phone number if they want it. I don’t know what Stosur’s workout routine is, but it sure yields some awesome results.

Another reason for my Stosur love is the fact that she’s an Aussie and (I know Coach Rodgers will back me up on this) Australian people are awesome – Lleyton Hewitt notwithstanding. One of my favorite authors, Bill Bryson who I talked about last week, wrote a great book about his travels in Australia called In a Sunburned Country. Ever since reading that book I’ve wanted to visit Australia and have known that Aussies are cooler than everyone else.  Just listen to Stosur being interviewed. She has that sweet accent that everyone loves which says, "I mean business but I like to party too."

Kinda like a tuxedo shirt

Stosur also has a fun game to watch. Her one-two combinations with her kick-serve and forehand make for some very good tennis. Everyone knows the pattern, it’s just a matter if it can be stopped or not. And above all that, Stosur laid the proverbial smack-down on Serena during their US Open final which was a sweet symphony of forehand winners for my soul.

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Kroll Report 7

I have two big papers due next week. So this is my blog post.

Life of a college student.

Peace.

Half Marathon

Over 6 months ago, I was talked into doing a half marathon with a longtime and very close friend, Kylie.  Kylie gave birth to her second child, Baylor, on 4/24/12.  Thus, the IMT Des Moines Marathon served as her motivation to get back in shape......and I somehow got roped in to this endeavor??


I have always had the utmost respect for runners, because I am not, nor have ever been one, myself.  Runner's high?  Does that actually exist?  

Well, the time passed far too quickly.  Just over 12 weeks ago, Kylie informed me that she (and two other friends that live in the Amanas with her) had started a training plan.  Chose to wait on the training front myself.

With 8 weeks to go, we start season....and fitness classes.  Find myself active, and on my feet / on court, 3-5 hours a day.  Cannot justify a training run / additional abuse to my body.  This mindset persists for all 7 weeks of season; further justified by the onset of tendonitis in one of my knees.
Manage to sneak in a periodic 3-4 mile run and/or a 12 minute warm-up jog to start fitness class.  That counts, right?

Season wraps.  Recruiting takes over.  

The Friday before.....3 miles on the indoor track at a half-sprint speed.  Hoping the pace set on Sunday seems easy in comparison to.

Sunday, October 21st arrives.  8 AM start.  Inform Kylie (and the other two running with us) that I am confident in being able to keep pace with them for 5 miles, and will push through 8.  Personal goal is to not walk, with distant (literally) hopes of coming in under the 2 hour mark.  

Miles 0-3:  Weather is awesome.  A tad chilly to start, but makes the first 2 miles breeze by since under the guise of warming up.  Find ourselves ahead of the 2 hour pacesetter (gentleman that carried a sign throughout the race).

Mile 4:  Calf cramp.  That could be a problem.  Spectator holding a sign....."Don't stop; people are watching."  True, and incentive.

Mile 5:  Sign in the ground....."Bet this seemed like a good idea.....4 months ago."  Insert 6 for 4.  Also true.

Half-Way Point:  Just over an hour.  9:22 pace.  Kylie, with enthusiasm, informs me we're over half done.  Contrary to my personality, quickly come to conclusion that we're ONLY half done.

Mile 8:  Kylie and I each insert headphones.  Had the MP3 player stashed in my sports bra (as a tribute to Hannah Jensen).  Kylie pulls slightly ahead.  

Miles 8-10:  Believe self to be moving incredibly slow and quite sure that the 2 hour pacesetter passed me at some point during this oblivion.  Side cramp.  That IS a problem.

Mile 11:  Crap, was hoping had missed that sign and was ahead of where was.  Not too long after, the 2 hour pacesetter sneaks up on me.....really?  Didn't see that coming.  Confidence boost, and second wind because of it.  Stick with him for a couple minutes, before kicking it in and moving ahead.  The Coach in me surfaces.....consider rallying those around me to surge forward.....decide against this since not sure can last.

Mile 12:  Surge doesn't last.  One intelligent decision tallied for the day.  Pacesetter catches up to me again.

Mile 13:  Tell self can do anything for 10 minutes.  A thank you to my fitness class for consistently telling me they can do anything for (insert time span I tell them) minutes.  Stick with the 2 hour guy.  Make assumption that I will be able to sprint to finish line once I see it.  Wrong again.  Finish without walking and just ahead of my newfound friend.  

1:59.47 in total.  9:13 per mile pace.  Did not walk.  In a daze.  Kylie finished just ahead of me, and met her goal of being under the 2 hour mark.  She was ecstatic for me, but also said, would have been upset had I beaten her (without training!).  Assured her that I had in fact trained.  Am always training to be better. The Kohawk Tennis way.  My training was simply not specific to the sport of running.

Spent 10 minutes at the hotel taking a COLD shower (for recovery).  Stomach unrest most of the day.  Made the drive back from Des Moines to Iowa City to spend a relaxed afternoon with family.  Or not....was assigned 90 minutes of strenuous yardwork.  My parents, not being sports enthusiasts themselves, were a tad ignorant of my morning expenditure.  "Figure if you can run 13 miles, you can jog down the hill to retrieve that shovel and dig this plant out of the ground."  (not spoken, but certainly thought...yes Dad, but maybe not on the same day?)  In the end, good for me, right?  No complaints.  Walked with my Mom for an hour also.

Fitness class on Monday.....that 12 minute warm-up jog previously referenced....difficult!  IT bands on both sides in pain.  Still struggling with the knees....will go see Shaun!

Any tips on how to drink water without having to walk?  Pretty sure I looked something like this.....
Moving forward......no half marathons in the near future, but re-motivated on the triathlon front?


Tuesday, October 23, 2012

IIAC Awards



The Fall 2012 Women's IIAC Awards have been released.
http://www.iowaconference.com/news/2012/10/23/WTEN_1023123155.aspx

Tai Lucero was selected as the Iowa Conference Women's Tennis Player of the Year (MVP), and Head Coach, Eric Rodgers, received Coach of the Year accolades.

SEVERAL Coe players named to the All-Conference Team as well:
Singles - Ferree, Lucero, Ohlman, Schupbach, Sebastian
Doubles - Birky, Ferree, Lucero, Schupbach
Honorable Mention - Hoffmann

* Coach Rodgers also received COY for Men's Tennis in 2012.


New Faces of Kohawk Tennis - Shade Hannum


Name: Shade Hannum
Birth date: 5/24/1994
Hometown: Albuquerque, New Mexico
Favorite Tennis Player: My favorite player is Serena Williams. She is able to generate an amazing amount of spin and power on her serves which I find fairly inspirational.
Favorite non-tennis sport/hobby: I enjoy most sports and outdoor activities. I find golf incredibly frustrating, but I’m thinking about making that a project for next summer! Maybe improving my patience through golf will translate to more self-tolerance on the tennis court.
General background information: My parents are Eric Hannum and Kim Brusuelas, both of whom reside in Albuquerque, New Mexico.  I have three younger siblings Ryland, Benjamin and Pearl. I started playing tennis the summer before my freshman year of high school, prior to tennis I played both soccer and softball. I played tennis all throughout high school and co-captained the team my Junior and Senior year. I have to thank my step-dad Ed Benavidez for introducing me to tennis and for supporting me in my various athletic endeavors.
What separates you from everyone else: the Kohawk women’s tennis team is home to players with a wide array of playing styles, each with their unique strengths. As a player, one of my biggest strengths is my serve, a skill I hope to continue to develop during my time as a Kohawk. I also hope to learn from the strengths of my teammates and end each season as a better, more well-rounded, player than I was at the start.

Monday, October 22, 2012

HC Musings

Weekly thoughts, observations and rants on a stormy Monday in Cedar Rapids.

.....slept outside on the deck one more time with my three dogs last night. Great weather, and managed to be up, and inside drinking coffee when the first drops of rain fell. Dakota(my eldest husky) came staggering in a few minutes later. She appeared very disgruntled at the thought of spending the day inside.

.....Got to work at seven and despite Joe(RC Custodian extraordinaire) and I checking for leaks every fifteen minutes, court #2 still flooded. PPlant sent help immediately and damage control was minimal and all courts up and running by 930am. We did discover the problem; a plugged gutter combined with a detached roof membrane. Good early morning workout moving water around!

.....Was out running errands yesterday and my path took me past Brad's favorite store. And one of mine. Of course I had to go inside. I was proud of "escaping" Barnes & Noble with only a modest expenditure. I am now set with reading material for my upcoming December "walkabout"!

.....Speaking of December Walkabouts, I have begun checking the weather in Big Bend NP, Death Valley NP, and the Tucson AZ area. Half the fun is the anticipation!

.....In the middle of a busy month of Recruiting. Quick trip to KC and back over the weekend. Found myself seeking food at 9pm Friday. Found an open grocery store and then was able to procure a loaf of fresh pumpernickel AND a loaf of sourdough. Plus the hotel room had a toaster so two meals were taken care of with one stop! Did violate my no food after 8pm rule tho.

.....WTA Year-End Championships begin tomorrow(Tuesday) in Istanbul, Turkey. Play all week is on the Tennis Channel(DirecTV 217). Doubles Final is Sunday on TC at 730am Central and the Singles Final is live on ESPN2 Sunday at 1pm Central. Serena and Vika are the obvious favorites. Rumor has it Brad will be commentating on his favorite female tennis players to watch in his Thursday forum.






Saturday, October 20, 2012

New President


David McInally has been selected as the 15th president in the 160-year history of Coe College. McInally, who currently serves as executive vice president and treasurer at Allegheny College, in Meadville, Pa., will take office on July 1, 2013. He succeeds James Phifer, who is retiring next year after serving 18 years as president of the college.

The appointment was made after a unanimous vote by the Coe College Board of Trustees at its Oct. 19 meeting and was announced by Dave Carson, chair of the Board of Trustees and a member of the Coe College Presidential Search Committee.

"The Coe College Board of Trustees was unequivocally impressed with Dr. McInally’s breadth and depth of experience at a highly successful college that is similar to Coe," said Carson. "His commitment to private, residential, liberal arts education is evident and his enthusiastic commitment to help Coe achieve the next level of success is clear. We are confident that he will be an outstanding president of Coe."

Dr. McInally has spent his entire professional career in higher education and has been at Allegheny College since 1986. During the succeeding years, he has taken on increasing levels of responsibility and has extensive experience in all aspects of college operations.

"My deepest professional ambition is to serve a private residential college with a genuine emphasis on academic excellence and a commitment to the highest quality of teaching in and out of the classroom," said McInally. "Many aspects of the Coe presidency have a strong appeal for me and I am honored to be chosen as the next leader of the college."

Carson, a 1972 Coe alumnus, also praised the steadfast work of the Coe Presidential Search Committee, which was comprised of trustees, faculty, staff and students. The committee was formed last December and was led by Gene Henderson, Coe class of 1968, who is also the outgoing chair of the Coe Board of Trustees.

At Allegheny, McInally was initially the assistant dean of students, then named associate dean of students. In 1992, he was promoted to dean of students and was responsible for residence life, diversity affairs, international programs, career services, counseling, health services, religious life, security, athletics and recreation, student activities and food service.

From 2001 to 2006, McInally served as secretary of Allegheny College, responsible for college communications, human resources, student affairs, athletics and recreation, public affairs, strategic planning, and coordination with the Board of Trustees. In 2006, he became vice president for finance and planning, where he kept his former duties and became responsible for the budget, investments, accounting and financial services.

Since 2010, he has served as executive vice president and treasurer at Allegheny, where he manages a $107 million operating budget and a $160 million endowment. In addition to the overall budget, investments, student affairs, athletics, physical plant and food service oversight, he also coordinated the college communications team of enrollment, development, information technology, athletics, media, publications and public relations.

McInally has had primary leadership responsibility to move Allegheny ahead on several fronts over the past few years. He authored and coordinated the college’s last two strategic plans. In addition, he has implemented a comprehensive multi-year financial model and helped to grow the college by 200 students. McInally has been a successful advocate for increasing faculty and staff salaries, and has been heavily involved with Allegheny’s current $200 million capital campaign.

The new Coe president has a passion for sustainability issues, and has been a leader in green activities on the Allegheny campus. He has presented at college and university sustainability conferences and authored several articles and papers on the topic. McInally is the co-author of "Greening the Campus: The Economic Advantages of Research and Dialogue," which was accepted for the World Symposium on Sustainable Development at Universities.

In the college classroom, McInally has taught courses in liberal studies, writing and English composition.

At Allegheny, he has received many awards, most notably the Outstanding Student Organization Advisor Award and the Robert T. Sherman Distinguished Service Award. He is a member of the National Association of College and University Business Officers and is active with the American College and University Presidents' Climate Commitment and the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities of Pennsylvania.

McInally earned a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration and a Master of Arts degree in English language and literature, both from the University of Akron. He received his Doctor of Education degree from the University of Pittsburgh in administrative and policy studies. His dissertation topic was "Liberal Education in American Research Universities."

McInally is also actively involved in the Meadville community, including as an ordained elder in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). He and his wife, Janice, are parents of two children - Will and Susannah - who are both in college. The family will reside in the historic Pleasant Hill Coe president's home.

Members of the Coe College Presidential Search Committee were: (Trustees) - Gene Henderson '68 (chair), Dave Carson '72, Ken Golder '82, Shirley Hughes '67, Mary Jeanne Krob '73, John Strohm '79, (faculty) Louie J. and Ella Pochobradsky Associate Professor of Business Administration David Hayes '93, Associate Professor of Political Science Kimberly Lanegran, (staff) Director of Alumni Programs Jean Johnson, (students) Hailley Fargo '14 and Maxwell Stanford '14.

To see a photo gallery of today's introduction, click here.

To view the video of Dr. McInally's speech, click here.


To view a webpage with complete information, click here.

Thursday, October 18, 2012

Picture of the Week

Coach Brad and I hit on the indoor courts today.  Coach Rodgers pulled out some wood racquets for us....in part to perfect my volley technique, and in part (I believe) to humor himself.  Definitely heavier, and built up the forearm!

With technique being paramount, quite evident that my forehand tech is better than that of Coach Brad. Unfortunately, lose that battle on the other side though.


Blurry, and not the best photo of myself.  But wanted to point out whose side of the net all the balls are on......get off my court, and go read another book Brad! *
* Brad beat me pretty handily in a set on Wednesday.

Brad's Top 4 Books


I have mentioned previously how much I love Barnes and Noble. I practically slobbered all over my computer when talking about how much I enjoy going to B&N – slobbered with love. While I detailed everything about why I enjoyed the place and posted my to-read list in all its glory, I didn’t give much detail on books that I had already read. Obviously, nobody wants to read a treatise on books that were, “eh okay” or “not bad, but definitely not my favorite” (thanks for nothing Rich Roll). With that in mind I would like to present my Top 4 Books you need to read. 

4. The Kingkiller Chronicle by Patrick Rothfuss




I’ve counted books in a series as one entry. Otherwise all the entries would be from my top choice. The Kingkiller Chronicle is an epic fantasy set in the Four Corners of Civilization. The protagonist, Kvothe, is an innkeeper with a storied past who tells his epic tale to a scribe staying at the inn. I know you probably think this sounds like a completely stupid series and you’re already moving the mouse to look up something important (most likely the weather because looking outside takes up so much time), but wait just a second. The series combines elements of music, magic, and university social dynamics to make a very interesting story. The reader is given the impression that although Kvothe is now a lowly innkeeper, he was once one of the most feared people in the world.

I fall for stories like this every time. A character with a mysterious back story who is actually the greatest warrior ever is something I can’t resist. Jason Bourne? Yeah I can’t get enough of those movies. I even watched the newest one, The Bourne Legacy, which was conspicuously absent of Jason Bourne. Go watch the film Unknown and you’ll discover it was a terrible movie, but I watched all of it because of the promise that Liam Neeson was secretly someone amazing.

Kvothe tells his life story, mainly focusing on when he learns all his skill during his university days. He isn’t yet the great warrior/killer we know he is going to turn into, so it’s incredible interesting to see how he learns everything. Multiple times I have been reading and just knew that whatever situation Kvothe was in, this was the time he was going to do something awesome. Often he ends up getting beat. Badly. It’s as if we got to see Jason Bourne’s training before he knew how to beat up knife wielding assassins with a rolled up newspaper.

Stop it Jason. I'm not a dog

The main drawback to this trilogy is that it isn’t finished yet. The first book was published in 2007 and the second one didn’t come out until 2011. Remember this post four years from now when the final book of the series comes out.

3. Born to Run by Christopher Mcdougall




There are many popular books available over distance running and the amazing people who find running marathons just a little too easy. The quality of these books runs the spectrum from great to something that’s only great as kindling. Ultra Marathon Man was a very good read, Finding Ultra was not. The best of these books, by far, is Born to Run. The pinnacle of the running genre covers many topics in running and it details a tribe of distance runners in Mexico who can run amazing distances. The main treatise of the book is that the root cause of the pain many runners feel today is because of their shoes. If you’re looking for the start of the barefoot/minimalist running craze, this is it.

Vibram Five-Fingers have seen an explosion in sales over the past few years and they can trace that back to the success of this book. I have a pair of Five-Fingers myself, and I will smugly say that I got them back in 2009 before they were the “in” thing to wear. Five-Fingers are the “toe-shoes” that you see everyone wearing around. If you haven’t seen these shoes before you either live under a rock or haven’t interacted with a group of physically active people in a very long time.



Wear you’re minimalist gear around other runners and they almost always come talk to you about running and “the book”. There’s no need to even call the book by name. We all know what it is. Minimalist wearers are almost like Motorcycle riders now in that we will wave at other motorcyclist while inwardly believing our gear is better.

Oh, you have Fila Skele-toes? You should really upgrade to Vibrams

 Even if you aren’t an avid runner the book is still a great read. McDougall’s prose is very good and the book is able to pull off the difficult task of providing a good deal of scientific information while still being humorous.

2. A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson


The title of this book sums up very well what the book is about. Everything. It is still the most accessible science book I have ever read. In fact, I’ve read this book multiple times. Bill Bryson is one of my favorite writers and is known for his hilarious writing detailing his travels around the world. Another of Bryson’s best books is a memoir about growing up at his childhood home of Des Moines, so if you’re from Iowa go check out The Life and Times of The Thunderbolt Kid.

What makes A Short History of Nearly Everything great is that Bill Bryson is not a scientist, and approaches every subject with a layman’s point of view. What science topics does he cover? Everything from cosmology to chemistry to meteorology to mathematics.  Did you know that the average adult has enough potential energy stored in their body to explode with a force of 30 large hydrogen bombs? If only we could liberate it somehow.

But it’s not just about the science, every topic includes views into the lives of the scientists who achieved great breakthroughs in their fields, often quite humorously. Bryson says that chemist, "Pilatre de Rozier tested the flammability of hydrogen by gulping a mouthful and blowing across an open flame, proving at a stroke that hydrogen is indeed explosively combustible and that eyebrows are not necessarily a permanent feature of one's face." There are many interesting stories throughout the book, but the greatest thing you’ll takeaway from the book is that, “There are three stages in scientific discovery. First, people deny that it’s true, then they deny that it is important; finally they credit the wrong person.”  

1. A Song of Ice and Fire by George R. R. Martin


If you don’t recognize the title of this book series you may know it better by the first book published: Game of Thrones. Anyone who has ever watched HBO, instantly knows what I am talking about. The television series based on these books is the most popular show HBO has ever had.

I was introduced to this series by a college roommate. When I asked about the books on his shelf, he got a glowing look in his eye as if he was about to let me in on state secret that most poor schmucks will never know. My roommates exact word about reading the books were this, “These books will ruin your life.” Yep, that sounds like a good endorsement to me. Where do I sign up?

A Song of Ice and Fire is another epic fantasy, but it has very adult themes. The fantasy elements are really played down, so it’s basically a political thriller with a medieval/fantastic background. It is the opus of the genre, without question. And it was all written by this guy

Keep working on your writing kids and you could be just like me

What makes these books great is the emotional investment one has with every character, and it is well known that no character is safe. In most books and movies we all know that our hero will make it through. They paid Johnny Depp all that money; Jack Sparrow isn’t going anywhere.

Those who saw the ending of season 1 of the TV series know that even the best character in the show is not immune, but that’s nothing compared to another event that happened in book three which was possibly the saddest moment in my reading history. That doesn’t happen if you don’t care about the characters. What’s more, we see get to see characters from both sides of the struggle which means no matter which side wins, one of our favorite characters will lose. If you can’t tell, I really like this series and have had to wipe saliva off the keyboard several times. When the latest installment, A Dance With Dragons, came out, I read it in 4 days…all 1040 pages of it.

The drawback to this series is, once again, that it’s not finished yet. The first book was written in 1996. The fifth book came out in 2011 and there are two more left in the series. Frankly, I’m just hoping it gets finished within this decade. And you may have noticed from the picture above, Martin isn’t exactly a young man. Hopefully he doesn’t discover a new-found love of dying anytime soon.
Martin, you better be writing right now!

When the boukz ahhr compleze, you haz my purmishun to die

Off-Season Upgrades!

As many of you know, I utilize the off-season for projects.....around the Racquet Center, at home, etc!  The project pictured below was actually an idea that Coach Rodgers had.  Apparently, even he has come around to the idea of re-modeling?  A more likely explanation though:  early signs of boredom since he is unable to be on-court with the players!



Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Video Link - The Sports Desk

Tai and Michelle featured on The Sports Desk!

VIDEO

New Faces of Kohawk Tennis - Riley Galbraith

Name: Riley Galbraith
Birth date: 9/26/93
Hometown: Cedar Rapids for my whole life
Favorite Tennis Player: My favorite player is Serena Williams. If you’ve met me you know this and if not you will soon.
Favorite non-tennis sport/hobby: My hobby outside of tennis was always working on the school newspaper, and was the editor-in-chief my senior year.
General background information: (family, pets, sports, etc.) Brother (Reid) Mom (Shelly) Dad (Tom).
What separates you from everyone else: (funny or serious) The main thing that separates me from everyone else is my intensity on the court. It doesn’t matter who it is, I have no friends when a match gets close.

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

The Sports Desk

Women's tennis players Tai Lucero and Michelle Schupbach sat in on The Sports Desk Tuesday afternoon. Video link coming soon.....

Kroll Report 6

Fall Break left the campus feeling like a ghost town. Luckily, a couple of the women were unable to return home for the short break and we found plenty things to do instead of our school work.

My Friday night was spent in the racket center with a group of middle schoolers. Laura and I ran a couple of drills for them but quickly found out that the attention span of middle schoolers on a Friday night on tennis courts is not the strongest. With the help of Kris, we bribed the kids with homemade pizza and juice boxes. They were calm for about 30 seconds and they were off again, running through the racket center playing tennis, hide-and-seek, ping pong and watching TV. The amount of energy in these kids was astonishing and it left me feeling old. I'm only 18 so I can't imagine how depressing it must be to actually get old.

On Saturday Kohawk Tennis hosted a community event called Fun, Fitness and Philanthropy. I was in charge of the obstacle course that lasted an average of 5 minutes of the fifteen per rotation. The following ten minutes often resulted in the kids running around like mad-men and me doing somersaults for the 4 year old girls who told me I was 4,000 years old. Another one of those daggers to the heart.

After the community event me, Diannah, Tamara, Shade and Laura went to the Caf to eat, however, they forgot some students would be staying on campus for fall break and served an extremely limited menu for the entirety of fall break. We walked to Zio Johno's for lunch and hung out for the rest of the day.

Shade and I accompanied some of our California friends to dinner at a local Vietnamese restaurant  After dinner Shade and I continued into downtown Cedar Rapids and found some cool places. We will most likely be seeing a play down at the Cedar Rapids Theatre. We are pretty excited. Maybe we could drag the rest of the freshman or the entire team along as a classy team bonding activity.

Sunday was highlighted by dinner and a movie with the same group above. We ate at Carlos O'Kelly's and a saw Pitch Perfect. I have a theory that Carlos O'Kelly's was bought out by Inspired Mex because it was the only name on the newly designed menus. Pitch Perfect was hilarious and everybody should see it. Earlier in the day my aunt and uncle from New Hartford came to town and took me to lunch and drove me around Cedar Rapids. It was a nice break from campus life.

On Monday Kris kindly offered to take Diannah and Laura on a driving lesson. The two have their learners permit so I was surprised that Kris was willing to take them out in her own car. Brad and I tagged along for the fun. We almost hit a couple cars and I walked directly in front of a car while enjoying my Reese's Peanut Butter Cup DQ Blizzard. Didn't she see me eating?

The weekend was a good one and a much needed break. Though I managed to completely neglect my studies and homework until today, I am telling myself it is ok because of the weekend I had. Go me.

Monday, October 15, 2012

HC Monday Musings

Thoughts, rants, and other non-essential information on a Monday morning

.....OK, so I did have the opportunity to view some of the Shanghai Masters. (Federer, Murray, Djokovic) I am more convinced than ever of how one becomes a top of the world player these days.

     1--identify an athletic kid or 100 of them.
     2--teach them all beautiful shots
     3--put them in competitive play
     4--they are all trained in purely defensive tactics
     5--hope a few of them grow big and strong(so their defensive shots are now offensive)
     6--train them physically until they are amazingly fit(being a world class athlete helps) 
     7--assume one of the 100(or 1000, or 10,000) will emerge

     Seriously, the top 4 ATP Players have these heights/weights listed:

     1  Roger Federer      6'1"  187lbs
     2  Novak Djokovic  6'2"  176lbs
     3  Andy Murray       6'3"  185lbs
     4  Rafa Nadal          6/1"  188lbs

Numbers two, three and four all play inherently defensive tactics. #1 plays defensive on his left side, because he hits a one-hand BH (and BTW is limited as to his defensive quality because of one-hand)

TV Announcers said Murray trains by doing 400 meter repeats......at 55 seconds(Confession: I ran a 57" once, at age 21, and thought my heart had jumped out of my body taking all oxygen with it. Have done repeat 400's also....at 80". Cannot imagine doing repeat 400's at 55")

Federer disappears into the Middle Eastern deserts every December and emerges fit and injury free and has been without injury his entire career.

Djokovic doesn't eat anything and appears to have taken stretching to a new level. His body is pliable to say the least.

Nadal is the most human. At least his body shows wear and tear. But any of you who believe Rafa's weight is 188lbs.....well, contact me: I have some Iowa mountainside property to sell you.
 

.....Fall House Cleaning continues: who knew what had been, and could be, stowed under the home office futon? I made my contribution to the Recycling Dumpster.

.....Fall Break at Coe is an opportunity for the HC to make progress on a rather large TO-DO list.

.....Two days of significant rain, combined with a 25 year old roof equals a non-conventional workout of moving water in many diverse ways.(see pic in previous post)

.....October Goal for HC: do not play tennis this month(attempting to revive aching knees that have been protesting). I have made it 12 days......this is and will be a difficult goal to achieve. Think it last happened(non-surgical intervention) in December of 1977