When we covered the Sports in the 1960s reunion, we knew the memories would spill over into their own story. As our readers contribute more stories to that growing assemblage of anecdotes, we hope they will also be able to help us confirm the identities of these footballers from the early part of the decade. We believe #52 is Bill Simon ’64, and #64 is Bill Campbell ’62.

Alumni Sports Memories Evoke a Storied Decade

We can’t fit all the good stuff into each new issue of St. Norbert College Magazine that lands in your mailbox, but luckily there’s room at snc.edu/magazine for plenty of online exclusives. Here’s a sampling to whet your appetite. And, we invite you to contribute your own!

What a Decade! Alumni Tee Up Memories of Sports in the 1960s
Athletes from the 1960s gathered last summer for a reunion and a celebration of bygone days on the fields and courts of St. Norbert College. We invited attendees to share their memories of their coaches, teammates and experiences.

Here’s Wayne Lubner ’71 on the fine dining on road trips for football games: “They would pack sandwiches in these big coolers. We would get out at some wayside and eat a cold ham sandwich.”

Lubner’s most memorable road trip was against Southwest Louisiana during his junior season: “That was the first time most of us flew. We lost 48-37. Southwest would play a yard off the ball, so you had to go out and get them. We pounded the ball with Krause [Larry Krause ’70]. We would have like a 25-play drive. They would throw two passes and we would be back out there again. It was a lot of fun.

“We had a lot of small-town guys. Look around this room – Random Lake, Greenwood, Denmark, Laona, Lena, East De Pere, West De Pere, Bloomer, Black River Falls – all small towns. Good values, good people. We had a lot of guys who were overlooked by [the University of] Wisconsin. Howie [Kolstad] actually wanted to scrimmage them [the Badgers].”

…

Ed Sturzl ’71 remembers the tough demeaner of Howard “Chick” Kolstad, who coached football from 1960 to 1978. “Ronnie [Ronnie Blaha ’70] was playing middle linebacker and he filled the wrong hole. Howie asked him, ‘What are you doing?’ Ronnie said, ‘Coach, I was thinking.’ Howie cut him off and said, ‘Don’t think, Blaha.’ He used that a number of times with players: ‘Don’t think.’”

…

Larry Krause ’70 shares a memory of Kolstad: “We were practicing at Minahan in November. Howie wore one of those old Army coats. He would say, ‘Take my coat if you’re cold.’ I took it one day – not a good thing.”

Sturzl says he and a lot of players admired Kolstad: “Even the guys who struggled to get along with him, respected him,” says Sturzl. “You knew that he was trying to do what was right for you.”

We hope these stories and others in Athletes of the ’60s Huddle to Reminisce and What a Decade! get the ball rolling and jog your own memories. We encourage you to contribute your own thoughts, anecdotes or reflections related to St. Norbert College sports teams in the 1960s – or indeed any era! Send them to magazine@snc.edu, and we will add to our published selection. Read more

Involved
There are 109 student orgs active on campus this year. We spoke with a few of them at September’s Involvement Fair. Watch the video

Installed
When the seventh abbot of St. Norbert Abbey was blessed at his Installation, he found a unique way to honor those who had held the sacred trust before him. Enjoy our photo gallery

In the hands of the experts
Revisit some of our most notable buildings via our student-led virtual video tours. Join the tour!

In recognition
Each year, we are impressed all over again by the character and achievements of our alumni. We offer our congratulations to this year’s Alumni Awards honorees! Read more

Nov. 16, 2018

Also in Print

Tom Conner (Modern Languages & Literatures) has been recognized by the government of France as a chevalier (knight) in the Ordre des Palmes Académiques (Order of Academic Palms). The order, established in 1802 by Napoleon Bonaparte, is France’s highest national order for distinguished academics and figures in the world of culture. Conner received the decoration this fall at the French Consulate in Chicago.

Conner is being recognized for his service over more than three decades to “promote French language and culture in the United States,” as well as for his pioneering work in the former French colony of Cambodia. The citation accompanying the decoration also includes mention of his extensive service to the profession and of his two most recent books (on André Gide and on the Dreyfus Affair).

Big-Ticket Ticker

When student researchers set about developing a lab exercise to model the process of cardiac defibrillation, their shopping list posed a problem. They needed a model of a human torso created out of electrically conductive ballistics gel, as well as real AED units for testing – all big-ticket items.

Psychology major Claire Rosenberger ’19 reached out to a number of companies asking how a team like theirs might acquire old, out-of-service AED units. Cardiac Life responded with a donation of 10 units – enough to equip an entire lab, with two left over for testing/spares.

Michael Olson (Physics) says: “I think this is an excellent example of self-advocacy, something we are always trying to promote with our students. Moreover, the seniors are providing mentoring for a promising first-year student.”

Rosenberger is working with her project partners Alexis Puyleart ’19 and Leah Zimmer ’22 – both physics majors – to not only draft an official thank-you letter but make a plan to keep the company informed of their progress as the year goes on. Oh, and the human torso created out of electrically conductive ballistics gel? “Ah, yes,” says Olson. “No such thing exists. A major part of their research is to figure out how to create one. In fact, that’s what they are working on right now.”