At Julian and Beyond

Once again, the Circle of Life has brought me back to June 8, the anniversary of the day in 2005 when I had my last day as a student at Percy Julian Middle School and graduated.

I was well aware that something special had happened during my time as a Julian student, and as I mark the 16th anniversary of my 8th grade graduation, I marvel at what has become of it.

I had been shaped in so many significant ways during my years at Julian in those characteristics that are so important in describing fundamentally who I am as a person.  The years since, especially since graduating from ValpU, have had abundant opportunities to put to use those characteristics in giving of myself to others.

One great example happened 9 weeks ago, on April 6, when I served as an election judge for the municipal elections in Oak Park.  As with the previous four times I've worked at a polling place, I was assigned to serve the 16th precinct at the Maze Branch Library.  For me, there is a distinctly spiritual aspect to serving as an election judge at that location, because my home parish of Ascension is located in precinct 16.  And there are many parishioners who live in that precinct and who I see on Election Day.

I saw a few fellow Knights of Columbus come to vote, along with the parents of my former Religious Education students, and even some parents of students who I was currently teaching at the time in grade 8 class.  It was great to have that opportunity to connect with them, and made all the effort I put into the long day worthwhile, especially when meeting one mom who I had never had the chance to meet.

One couple came by about half an hour before the polls closed, three of whose children have been my students in RE class. Their oldest had just turned 18 earlier in 2021, making this day the first election she was eligible to vote.  As I talked with the mom, she told me her daughter had missed the deadline to register.  When I informed her that she could register right then and there on election day, she was clearly unaware of this possibility, and she immediately contacted her daughter about coming to register and vote.

After the parents left, their daughter walked in a few minutes later.  I made sure to offer some pomp and circumstance to her arrival into the room before I sat down at the e-pollbook to register her.

The excitement of the moment was not lost on me one bit, that after having taught her in RE class years before, and even being present for her Confirmation, I could be a witness to another important moment in her life, and be part of that process by registering her.  That moment really stands out among all the memorable interactions of that day.

As I reflect on Election Day, April 6, I see so many of the most important aspects of my life converging.  I served at the Maze Branch Library, which was the place I first came to appreciate the role of libraries and the impact they have on my life, ever since my Kindergarten class took a field trip there.  I then opened myself up to the opportunity to serve my community by volunteering there during the summers in my teen years.

And then I was back at Maze to serve the community by working as an election judge, exercising my civic duty, contributing to the democratic process of the republic of the United States.  It was in middle school that I came to first appreciate the story of the USA, and how I could take my part in upholding it.  With that sense of patriotism, I was so excited to vote for the first time almost 12 years prior to this year's election day, and just about a half-mile away, when I walked into the Oak Park Conservatory to vote for the first time on Tuesday, April 7, 2009, which was also a municipal election day.

Furthermore, it was also in middle school that I came to first appreciate my faith in a deep way.  It seemed fitting that after becoming even more zealous for faith while at ValpU, I would go back to middle school by teaching RE to current middle schoolers.

I have realized my middle school experience in a profound new way by being part of handing on the great gift of faith to others, especially my students.  And it was so exciting in the case of this one former student, after having taught her, to hand on a sense of civic duty and patriotism by registering her to vote, and be there for her first time voting.

Indeed, it's experiences like Election Day and each week of RE class that give me so much reason to celebrate my 8th graduation 16 years later, because of what I've made of it.

10 Years as a Deacon

I had an early start on the morning of Saturday, June 4, 2011, for a very important day.

Bob Marben, a beloved and active member of the St. Teresa's community in Valparaiso, had discerned the next step for his life was to answer the call to serve as a deacon, which culminated in his ordination to the diaconate on that day 10 years ago, along with several other men.

When I found out not too long before that day about the Mass, I decided, almost on a whim, to attend.

I rode the South Shore Line from downtown Chicago to downtown Gary, which meant catching the early morning departure from the Millenium Station at 8:40 so I could be in time for the Mass.

Once I arrived in Gary about an hour later, I waited for Dan and Ann Ruggaber to pick me up at the station and take me the rest of the way to the Cathedral of the Holy Angels.  While waiting, a car pulled over on the street by me, and a window rolled down.  My initial thought was that someone was going to ask me for directions.  Instead, I was pleasantly surprised and delighted to hear the greeting of Father Kevin from inside the vehicle, who was on his way to the ordination Mass.

A few minutes later, Dan and Ann arrived, and we made our way there.

It was a hot summer day, and the sanctuary was the one part of the Cathedral's facilities that wasn't air-conditioned, which made it feel like my home parish at Ascension during the summer months.

Notably, I had just been at this Cathderal exactly 6 months prior for the ordination Mass of Father Ted.  Much of the music was the same, with prayerful lyrics speaking to God's calling in our lives.  Father Ted was also there, and during the communion procession, he helped direct the flow of attendees toward the Eucharistic minister stations.

One part of the rite of ordination for deacons includes the line: "Believe what you read, teach what you believe, and practice what you teach."

Father Matthew Spencer discussed this line on his program St. Joseph's Workshop on Relevant Radio.  One major idea of his discussion was that these words apply to all the baptized:  We are called to read the Word and come to a life-giving belief in it, and then to hand it on to others while also putting into practice the very Words of God.  God has brought life by speaking His very Word to us, and we're called to be transformed by that Word to be a blessing in the world.

I heard another deacon, Lendell, once remark that a deacon's role is to be an icon of Christ, which manifests itself in how the deacon assists at Mass in proclaiming the Gospel reading and during the Eucharistic prayer, along with other acts of service in the community.

The St. Teresa's community is so blessed to have Bob Marben.  And so it was an even greater joy that he discerned this next step to serve the community in a more involved way.

Thinking of Deacon Bob brings me a sense of joy.  Whenever I go back to St. Teresa's, when he sees me, his face lights up as he greets me with words like, "Paul, the beloved apostle!"

It was just like during my time as a ValpU student.  Often, he would commend me for the way I offered my services to the community, especially as a lector.

I'm glad I was there to be part of this important moment in his life of faith, as yet another example of how meaningful it has been to be part of the St. Teresa's community, whose people have truly revealed God and His kindness to me in profound ways.  I'm thankful to God the church has Bob as one of many faithful servants functioning as deacons.

How Jim Beautified the Church on Earth

Over the past few weeks, Ascension Church has had extra decorations in place to celebrate Easter Season, which a group of volunteers helped place on Holy Saturday morning as part of an annual custom.

Similar efforts happen annually each year right before Advent starts and in the days leading to the Feast of the Nativity.

For many years, these decorating efforts were spearheaded by Jim Wojcik, a dedicated member of the Ascension Parish community.  I think of him not only because of the recent decorations in Church, but also because today, June 4, is his birthday.

Jim volunteered in many ways at Ascension, including as the head of the Art and Environment Committee.  Then, in 2014, he started working on staff in the parish office while retaining his duties with liturgy and decorations.

A few months ago, he took leave of this life to enter into the fullness of the Church in Heaven.  Yet as I look at the decorations in Chruch, I still think of him and how he had such a special touch for making our beautiful church look so splendid in celebration of the special liturgical seasons.

He would spend a good deal of time arranging the poinsettias for Christmas Season and the Easter lilies for Easter Season so they looked just right.

The liturgical seasons are one major reason I love being Roman Catholic. So I find great meaning in assisting with the decoration efforts, so that I can enter more fully into the liturgical life of the Chruch as we cycle through the seasons, and set the tone to help others do the same.

And so I gladly went up to Jim many years ago when I was a teen and asked Jim about helping with the Art and Environment Committee/

Father Hurlbert, recent pastor of Ascension, remarked in eulogizing Jim that he was a rather private person, not even disclosing many details about the cancer that took him to the end of his life.  But because I worked so closely with Jim for decorating efforts and other liturgical functions, I was blessed that I got to know him so well. 

I could see that Jim was such a dedicated member of the parish community, and he really loved being at Church.  He once remarked something to the effect of how he felt like he had gotten his dream job when he was hired to work at Ascension, which came after many years of employment at the University of Chicago.

He spent several hours at church each weekend, especially on Sunday mornings, arriving early to help get set up for the 7:30 Mass and staying until after the 11 AM Mass.  When it came to special liturgies, like important religious holidays and also Confirmation Masses, he was there to oversee the many extra details involved and to ensure everything ran smoothly.  At one point, he trained me and some other parishioners to serve as a thurifer during Masses at particular times of the year.

He also had a deep grasp of theology, and embraced the deeper meaning behind the days throughout the liturgical calendar, so we saw eye to eye as such.

I also recall his bravery the one time I went up with him and some others into the dome to hang up a large green banner at the conclusion of Easter Season.  In subsequent years, he stayed down below and sent others up, including me--I liked the thrill of it anyway.

It's clear that even those who never had the chance to interact with Jim benefitted from the fruits of his labors.

Jim was so kind to recognize my efforts, offering me a card and a small gift when I came to help with decorating efforts.  He also affirmed me in other ways, like offering compliments to how I served as a lector or in other roles.

I'm sure that when Jim left this life, he went into the very presence of God, who told him, "Well done, good and faithful servant.  Come, share your Master's happiness".  Indeed, he gave so much to edify the church on earth, and I'm sure he is fully enjoying participation in the Church in Heaven right now.

I'm sure he's experiencing the reality of the famous Rublev Trinity icon, taking his place at the table with the Three Persons of the Godhead--one of several icons put out throughout the course of the year for Masses, and also for Taize prayer services.

Happy Birthday Jim! Thank you for all you did for Ascension.

Thanks be to God.

30 for 30 Years in Faith

In reflecting on my 30-year birthday back in March, I wrote a list of 30 experiences in my life thus far.

To follow up on that post, keeping in mind the recent 30th anniversary of my baptism, I here now share a list of 30 experiences related to faith in my 30 years of life as a baptized Roman Catholic.  This list is not necessarily exhaustive, but covers much ground in highlighting a variety of experiences, including finer details within larger events.

1. Spending a week of service at St. Augustine

2. Participating in a Sweat Lodge ceremony in Rosalie, NE, during the week of service in St. Augustine

3. Attending Mass for the first time outside the United States at the Holy Rosary Cathedral in Vancouver

4. the Kairos Retreat with St. Teresa's

5. the Wilderness Retreat with St. Teresa's

6. Attending the Vicariate IV Welcome Mass with Cardinal Cupich in February 2015

7. Attending Father Ted Mauch's Ordination Mass

8. Attending the 2011 Diaconal Ordination Mass for the Diocese of Gary

9. Watching live the introduction of Pope Francis to the world on March 13, 2013

10. Watching live much of the coverage of Pope Francis's 2015 visit to the US, including his joint address to Congress and the Concluding Mass for the World Meeting of Families

11. Joining the Knights of Columbus on August 7, 2018

12. Signing up for the Adopt-a-Student program at St. Teresa's

13. Attending Archbishop Cupich's Pallium Mass on August 23, 2015

14. Attending a joint Roman Catholic-Lutheran prayer service for the 500th Anniversary of the 95 Theses on October 31, 2017

15. Attending a panel discussion with Bishop Harrison, Cardinal Cupich, and Dr. Ryken for the 500th Anniversary of the 95 Theses at Concordia University Chicago on October 30, 2017

16. Attending the Centennial Mass for Ascension Parish on Ascension Sunday, May 20, 2007

17. Joining the Ascension Parish Confirmation Class of 2014 for a Holy Spirit Scavenger Hunt at Brookfield Zoo

18. Attending a talk by Father Thomas Loya about the Eastern Catholic Churches

19. Watching live the Beatification Mass for Blessed Father Michael McGivney

20. Contributing some thoughts to an article in The Wednesday Journal about Father Larry McNally's service as Ascension Pastor

21. Seeing Pope Francis up close, from about 15-20 feet away, during his drives by the crowd assembled at Metro Park in Panama City while attending World Youth Day 2019

22. Attending Stations of the Cross at World Youth Day 2019

23. Attending the World Youth Day 2019 Concluding Mass celebrated by Pope Francis

24. Attending Mass at the Tocumen International Airport Chapel after attending World Youth Day 2019, a Mass celebrated and prayed in multiple languages

25. Attending an incredible and enlightening talk on Theology of the Body with Sister Helena Burns as a presenter at a mini-conference at Dominican University

26. Meeting Bishop Dale Melczek, then of the Diocese of Gary, the first time meeting a US bishop from outside the United States, after a Confirmation Mass at St. Teresa's on October 15, 2010

27. Attending the dedication of the Ministry Life Center at St. Teresa's, with Mass celebrated by then-Gary Bishop Melczek

28. Joining the Missionary Benedictine Sisters at Immaculata Monastery for vespers, followed by a reunion with Sister Agnes

29. Attending the 25th Anniversary Celebration Mass of St. Martin de Porres Parish on the West Side of Chicago, with Cardinal George as celebrant, and my first time attending Mass at Ascension's sharing parish

30. Attending Father Kevin's Silver Jubilee Celebration Weekend, with Mass and reception that followed

Post-College: 8 Years

The circle of life has once again brought me back to the anniversary of my graduation from Valparaiso University, a truly significant celebration in my life, and the inspiration for launching this blog.

Now at 8 years later, I still find myself going back to the significant days I spent on the fields of Valparaiso, which makes it only fitting that I return to reflecting on the occasion with this annual Post-College blog post.  Over the past months, I've thought about my time there in a whole new way with the change in leadership at the university.

President Heckler announced his decision to retire just before the 2019-2020 academic year began.  The 2020-2021 acdaemic year began with Collette Irwin-Knott at the helm as the new interim president.  The university selected Jose Padilla as its next president toward the end of 2020, and he started on March 1.

I was greatly impressed with the video message he offered toward the end of 2020.  He brings great passion to his new position, and a commitment to upholding the values of the university, with a dose of humility that he would be selected to be at the helm of a university with such a storied past and such values.  Notably, he is the first Roman Catholic president in the university's history.  As an aside, I was talking with some friends over a year ago about the presidential search process, and someone threw out the idea that I should become the next president.  I remarked that I could consider it if the university was ready for a non-Lutheran to serve in that position.  And now it's happened.

President Padilla's sense of passion and engagement was also clearly evident in a video about his first day as president.  It showed how he went to meet with various people in the campus community to get to know them.

I look forward to seeing how President Padillas continues to engage his energy, drive, and passion.

It's been nice to follow what's happening at ValpU.  One great opportunity I had to reconnect was last January when the meteorology department held a virtual gathering with alumni and current students, timed to coincide with the Annual American Meteorological Society's Meeting.  I enjoyed seeing a few alumni I knew from my time there, and alumni who graduated after my time, trading stories about memories of good times.  It was also great to see the professors, too.

I was fully aware 8 years ago that my graduation capped an extraordinary experience of my life, whose implications would continue to unfold in the years ahead.

As I've said before, one of the biggest implications has been my service to the Ascension Parish community as a Religious Education catechist.  Abounding zeal for faith was a major take-away from my time at ValpU, and I continue to channel that zeal as I participate in handing on the sacred gift of faith to my students.  A few days ago, I had a conversation with an incoming staff person at Ascension, and as we talked about Religious Education, I mentioned how my time in college set me decisively on the path of a practicing Roman Catholic, with great passion.

Clearly, I received and gained much during my college years, and I've found great meaning in life by drawing from all of it to give to others.  So that's why this day, I have so much reason to celebrate, and every other day I continue to put into action the experiences of my time at ValpU.

My graduation coincided, providentially, with Pentecost Sunday 8 years ago.  In just a few days, we'll celebrate Pentecost.  And with the celebration of these occasions at hand, I marvel at how God has been at work in my life, including through the richness of my time at ValpU, and how He shall continue to be on the move as I live out the values of the ValpU community, living with passion as God has enlightened me, so others will be blessed and edified.

Out on the Plains and Up in the Sky

I had quite the experience of a lifetime 10 years ago this month.  From Friday, May 13, until Monday, May 23, 2011, I participated in the Plains Convective Field Study Trip with the Valparaiso University Meteorology Department.  These field studies happened for over 20 years, and are also known as the storm chase trips.

The trip I went on covered 4669 miles, with this map showing our route:

Following the end of the trip, I wrote an extensive account of it, which some of you may have already read.  If you're interested in reading it, please feel free to contact me and I'll send it to you.

To mark the 10th anniversary of this trip, I share here the brief daily update e-mails I sent with a tiny bit of editing.  Following the updates, I offer some other reflective remarks.

Update #1, May 13:

Greetings from Paducah, Kentucky!

We started out our convective field study trip by heading south to intercept some potential convective activity due to occur in western Kentucky and Tennessee.

I can't share too much about what we did at this point, but we did come across a storm that produced a big amount of rain in western Kentucky.

More to come...

To the Dove and the Eagle,
Paul

Update #2, May 14:

Greetings from Oklahoma!

 

Prospects for convective activity was very low for the next 24 hours this morning, so we decided just to head to Oklahoma and wait for something to happen Monday or Tuesday.  We're in a town called Miami (pronounced my-am-uh).

 

It was quite a day.  We went to Cairo, IL, and witnessed some flooding there.

 

Then we drove through Missouri, and at 6:15 PM, I entered into the state of Oklahoma for the first time.  We had dinner at a great local eatery, and then toured a ghost town.

 

More to come...

 

I salute the Spirit of God, and the Spirit of America,

Paul

Update #3, May 15:

Greetings from Liberal, Kansas!

We decided that since there were no prospects for convective activity, we would just drive west and better position ourselves for anything that might happen tomorrow or Tuesday.

We drove through a lot of nice towns in Kansas, and through a very scenic hilly, shrub-covered area.  Before going to Liberal, we stopped in Greensburg, KS, a town devastated by an EF5 tornado back in May 2007.  (By the way, Liberal is in southwestern Kansas.)

More to come...

I salute the Spirit of God, and the Spirit of America,
Paul

Update #4, May 16:

Greetings from Limon, Colorado!

Prospects for convective activity were still quite low at our morning discussion this day, but some of the various components that fuel convective activity were present and scattered across Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas, so we decided to head west to position ourselves better for anything that might happen tomorrow or Wednesday.

So we drove north through western Kansas, and then into Colorado. After getting to our hotel in Limon (about 70-80 miles southeast of Denver), we drove about an hour to Colorado Springs to get some views of the mountains.

More to come...

I salute the Spirit of God, and the Spirit of America,
Paul

Update #5, May 17:

Greetings from Goodland, Kansas!

 

We are just east of the border with Colorado (by about 17 miles) along I-70.

 

We headed out from Limon, CO, and spent a good amount of time pulled over along roadsides, looking to see what the clouds would bring.

 

Later, toward 5 PM, storms started to form in the High Plains of Eastern Colorado.

 

We drove around the eastern central part of the state, watching the amazing cloud structures and lightning.

 

Then, we stopped in Burlington, CO, (just west of the CO-KS border) around 9 PM Mountain Time, and got "rolled"--which basically means we sat in place while the heavy rains and pea-sized hail (some of it bigger) came down on us in torrents.

 

More to come...

I salute the Spirit of God, and the Spirit of America,

Paul

Update #6, May 18:

Greetings from Weatherford, Oklahoma!

 

We decided to head south from Goodland this morning to Oklahoma to see some convective activity.  There was a cap in the area that could prevent convective activity, but if there was any chance of its breaking, the activity would be spectacular.  (By the way, a cap is basically an area of the atmosphere with warm temperatures that prevents air from rising to form severe thunderstorms.)

 

The cap never broke, and we stood parked in a field just outside of Woodward, OK, for about 90 minutes.

 

More to come...

 

I salute the Spirit of God, and the Spirit of America,
Paul

Update #7, May 19:

Greetings from Concordia, Kansas!

 

We left Oklahoma this morning to seek convective activity prospects in central Kansas.

 

We got pretty close to a high-precipitation cell in the north central Kansas town of Lincoln, which induced unconfirmed reports of a rain-wrapped tornado, for the storm was exhibiting circulation.  Then we swung back southwest to observe another cell south of the town of Otis, before parking down for the night in the north central Kansas town of Concordia.

 

More to come...

 

I salute the Spirit of God, and the Spirit of America,
Paul

Update #8, May 20:

Greetings from Andover, Kansas!

 

Yesterday, we left Concordia to chase storms in central Kansas.

 

We encountered a very interesting set-up.  One storm would form, and then it would "split", and as the original storm moved to the north and east, the new storm would develop and follow from behind, and then another storm would form behind that one.

 

We stopped for about an hour on a country road and watched the developing storm send down rain shafts that looked like a curtain covering the setting sun.  It was beautiful.

 

We ended the day at our hotel in an eastern suburb of Wichita.

 

More to come...

 

I salute the Spirit of God, and the Spirit of America,
Paul

Update #9, May 21:

Greetings from St. Joseph, Missouri!

 

The bulk of our chasing activity was in northeastern Kansas.

 

We saw some neat storm structures: First, the towering cumulus; then a really cool storm with rotations above, updraft/downdraft motion, wall clouds, and rain shafts.  We didn't attempt to view any tornadoes, because given the nature of these storms, they would have been completely rain-wrapped, if they occurred at all.

 

Our chasing extended into northwestern Missouri.  As the storms weakened, we saw some great views of the sunset, and then an amazing lightning show associated with some strong storms moving through the area as we headed to our hotel in St. Joseph.

 

More to come...

 

I salute the Spirit of God, and the Spirit of America,
Paul

Update #10, May 22:

Greetings from Pontiac, Illinois!

 

We headed eastward to chase some storms that were forming in southeast Iowa. 

 

While in southeast Iowa, we passed by Ottumwa, a town that has connections to my family.

 

Then, we went into Illinois to chase some activity that was moving out of Missouri.

 

All this activity occurred as part of a large outbreak of severe weather.  We didn't get to see much of the storms, because we didn't want to risk getting in heavy rain and hail, as well as rain-wrapped tornadoes.

 

I salute the Spirit of God, and the Spirit of America,
Paul

Update #11, May 23:

Greetings from Oak Park, Illinois!

 

In case you didn't know already, the storm chase trip has ended.  We arrived back at our home base in Valparaiso about 3:15 today, and I got back home to Oak Park about 20 minutes ago.

 

Before returning, we attempted to intercept some storms.

 

There was a possibility for convective activity in central Indiana, so we decided to drive east from Pontiac to see if we could intercept anything.

 

In the end, though, the storms were too far south for us to logistically intercept them and get back to Valparaiso at a reasonable hour.

 

We did, though, get to enjoy one last wonderful meal together: a Pizza Hut lunch buffet in a town called Watseka, Illinois.

 

 

Well, that's my last update for the trip.  In the next couple of weeks, I'm going to compose a more detailed account of the trip and send it to you all.

 

Until then...

 

I salute the Spirit of God, and the Spirit of America,
Paul

One aspect of the trip that stands is that after studying about weather in the classroom, especially in the severe storms class, we had an incredible opportunity to see it on display in the laboratory of the atmosphere.  At one point, we pulled over to watch storms in northeast Kansas, and someone pointed out some cloud debris that indicated the presence of an air circulation pattern in the storm.

Besides seeing severe weather was understanding what triggers it.  And that learning would start each morning when we gathered as a group to look at the weather conditions and discuss what area was most likely to see convective activity.  Based on what we saw in various maps and other weather data, we would determine where to go chasing, and also where Professor Wolf would book our next hotel stay.  Durign one of our morning discussions, when we had a tough call to make about where to chase that day, Professor Wolf remarked that no storm happens by accident, but through a deliberate combination of factors.  

This trip was unique as a field study in that we had no set itinerary other than our departure and return dates.  We would take whatever the weather gave us each day, and go with the flow.

After some smaller storms on the first day out, we went a few days without seeing anything, because the weather pattern over the central USA wasn't conducive to storms--and we almost started going a little crazy, especially with the music playing in our vehicles.  

Finally, all chaos broke loose in the skies above eastern Colorado in the afternoon and evening hours of May 17.  We saw some very impressive storms.  Once nightfall came, we parked on the side of a road south of Burlington, CO, and watched the frequent and intense lightning.  Flipping open my Bible to Job 38, I read a passage in which God describes how He unleashes His power in nature, and I saw that on display as I looked out the window, and it felt like an encounter with the Divine Presence.  A few minutes later, the storm came to us with lots of hail.

The following morning, we started in Goodland, KS, and it looked like we might see some spectacular storms in Oklahoma.  We drove south, but the storms never materialized as we thought they might because the rising air never broke through a cap of warmer air higher up in the atmosphere, which stopped further upward movement to build towering storms.  We ended up spending over an hour in a field east of Woodward, OK, passing the time before heading to our hotel.  So while we didn't see storms, it was still a learning opportunity.

We also became painfully aware of the devastating impact nature can have on life.  On May 15, we visited Greensburg, KS, largely destroyed by an EF5 tornado in 2007.  Signs of the destruction were still present, even though many parts of the town have been rebuilt.  On the second to last day of our trip, May 22, a major outbreak of severe weather occurred, which Professor Wolf could tell would happen based on information he saw that morning, which prompted him to call his wife.  We never got into anything intense, largely because of Professor Wolf's unyielding commitment to safety.  As we headed to our hotel, Professor Wolf read to us news reports about a violent tornado that hit Joplin.  We had actually passed by Joplin about a week prior.

The trip was also an enjoyable experience of driving through the vast expanses of the Great Plains.  Entering Oklahoma for the first time was pretty exciting on the evening of May 14.  And driving around in Kansas was scenic as I looked out at the vast plains, similar to what I had seen years prior when my family rode the Southwest Chief train through Kansas.  (In fact, according to my calculations, about 40% of our trip was spent in Kansas.)  I also enjoyed going to visit Colorado, somewhat close to where I have family, and to spend time in the vast, flat expanses of the eastern part of the state, distinct from the mountains areas for which Colorado is known.  While there, we drove to Colorado Springs to see the mountains, since some in our group had never been to Colorado.  On the second to last day of the trip, it was personally meaningful for me when we passed by Ottumwa, IA, where my grandpa grew up.

I was in the great company of my fellow students participating in the trip.  We would pass the time sharing stories over the CB radio and flipping channels on the satellite radio, which included the relaxing music of the Spa Channel.  After the trip, we all got a t-shirt, which includes lots of statements, some humorous, that comprise some of the many inside jokes from the trip.  We definitely bonded over the course of those 11 days.

And that spirit of camaraderie is still alive: One of my close friends in college, Richard, was on that same trip.  Last week Thursday, May 13, he sent me a message reminding me of the 10th anniversary of our storm chase trip departure.

We shared so much, including the sight of the storms, the discussions about where to chase, the learning about the atmosphere, the long drives, and the interesting places we visited.  I still have fond memories of Buttered Bunns Cafe in Miami, OK.  The hotel in Liberal, KS, had a Wizard of Oz-themed suite, in keeping with the Wizard of Oz places in town.  I also became acquainted with Braum's, a chain of fast food restaurants with an accompanying grocery store.  We also visited Cairo, at the southernmost tip of Illinois.

There's something about the Great Plains that uniquely stirs the imagination.  As I reflect back on this trip 10 years later, something about those vast expanses of land we drove through continues to stir something within me, as does the vast expanses of sky there and the incredible action of nature we saw.

The 2021 Annual Round-up of Speeches

Governor Pritzker gave a combined annual State of the State Address/Budget Address back in February.  He used the Illinois State Fairgrounds as a backdrop, where efforts are in place to address the pandemic.  The first part of his speech struck a rather somber tone as he acknowledged the harsh realities of this pandemic, which made it almost unbearable to listen to, although it was nevertheless important for him to do so.

He then laid out a series of proposals for not only addressing the pandemic going forward, but also other efforts of the government.  I wasn't pleased to hear him back some very pointed partisan remarks even as he accused those with different views from his own of not taking any meaningful steps to resolve the issues at stake.

He ended his speech on what I felt was a touching, uplifting note.  He referred back to a press conference he gave in March of last year, when he acknowledged the pain he felt in stating that the pandemic would affect people's lives, which played out within a few short days.  In this speech, he confidently asserted that we would emerge out of this pandemic, which is a good sentiment to share at this time, but one I wish he had made a little more upfront when the limitations were more stringent.  He furthermore stated that we haven't forgotten how to hug each other and offer other meaningful gestures.

Customarily, a new US president gives a speech before a joint session of Congress not long after the inauguration, and President Biden did so on the evening of April 28.  He laid out several proposals, especially for combating the current pandemic.  It's notable that he extolled the success of the vaccinations, while not even acknowledging the efforts of President Trump to make the vaccine available.  One commentator I heard said that as a president who pledged to unite Americans and dialogue with those who didn't vote for him, this was a missed opportunity to reach out.  I also felt some of his policy proposals were misguided, like when he discussed the Equality Act, telling transgender Americans he has their back.  Yet he ignored the ramifications of the Equality Act that will negatively impact other Americans, including female athletes forced to compete against male athletes claiming to be female, and female survivors of domestic abuse facing a compromised situation in shelters where males claiming to be female will take shelter.

When the speech ended, I puzzled by the final words, when he said "God bless the troops".  It's a magnanimous remark to make, but it seemed narrow and incomplete without saying, as is typical, "God bless America".  Furthermore, I was left scratching my head when he said, "Thank you for your patience."  I couldn't understand why he would say something like that, unless it was to acknowledge that his tone was geared to make people fall asleep.

Following his speech was the Republican response from Senator Tim Scott, and I was greatly impressed by what he had to say.  I feel he effectively noted the flaws in President Biden's proposals to keep spending without directing it in meaningful ways.  When it came to discussing racism, I feel he hit the mark by noting how the efforts of those on the sociopolitical left are not healing the wounds of racism, but only making them worse.  He probably could have been more effective when addressing critical race theory by saying America is not an inherently racist country, rather than saying it is not a racist country.  There are absolutely many instances through US history of people exhibiting racist behaviors, but he's right to indicate how unhelpful it is to promote an ideology that says America as a country has been irredeemably racist from the beginning, woven into our very fibers.  He ended his remarks so well by saying that sin isn't the end of our story, but the power of grace to redeem is.  That sentiment is something that will heal us and motivate us to take the steps to build a better country.