An Afternoon in the Life of Brent Harris H’03
Brent calls it Crazy Hour, about an hour and a half before kickoff. Here he gives instructions and the game program money pouch to Grayden Gilmore ’15.
Brent is confident in his student staff, saying that they know what they're doing and have worked with each other before. Here he goes over the scoreboard message center computer with Nate Adams ’14.
Headed back into the Allen Center, Brent shakes hands with the Little Giant players leaving the field after warm-ups.
Fans stream in as Brent looks out from the tv broadcast post atop the pressbox.
Having retrieved the NCAA logos for interviews for the wall behind the tv broadcast booth, Brent scales the stairs for the god only knows how manyth time.
Logos up behind the broadcast post, Brent makes sure the tv computers are working.
Wiring the board and making sure everyone's microphones are working, including the PA announcer and refs. Unfortunately, the wireless mics for the Glee Club and the National Anthem won't work after numerous attempts to repair and the only other mics are being used elsewhere on campus. With less than 20 minutes to kick-off and 10 before the National Anthem, there's no time to get them.
Brent delivers the bad news about the mics to Glee Club Director Richard Bowen. He goes with the flow, but this smile was not his first reaction.
Just before the National Anthem, Brent strides to the Armory and turns the radio switch over so fans can get the game.
Back in the press box just after kickoff, Brent and his crew work the game.
At halftime, Brent visits with Dean for Advancement and play by play announcer Joe Emmick ’92, who also interviewed Brent during the third quarter..
The view from the box of Jonathan Horn's amazing catch and touchdown.
Dan Ambrosio ’12 keeps track of the plays.
Already well-versed in the soccer stats program, official scorer Paul Hudak ’13 learned the football stats program from Brent during last year's Monon Bell Game. Here he is at work with Brent and spotter Kyle Bender ’12.
While managing his crew, Brent updates the College's facebook page and responds to tweets on the Twitter account.
It's halftime and the judges for the queen and float contest—Professors Sam Rocha and Melissa Butler and Division III Administrative Assistant Pam Sacco—enjoy the view from the booth.
Tyler Wade ’12 has fun on the PA.
Brent goes over some corrections in the stats with Paul Hudak.
The codes for the stat crew. Brent probably has the dang things memorized, along with the lyrics to Les Miserables and the lines from Oh Brother Where Art Thou.
Within a half hour of the game's completion, the student staff is done, the press and tv have cleared out, and Brent is filing stories of the day's contests in football, soccer, and cross country. Brent's goal is to get out of the booth before the last tailgaters leave.
That's the moon over Brent's right shoulder, but it's only 6:30. Still waiting for golf scores, but he can write and post that story from home later this evening.
R. Brent Harris, for spending more than half your life in service to Wabash as volunteer and sports information director extraordinaire…
… for your love of and passion for Wabash athletics, and for so carefully and positively mentoring the young men of Wabash, the National Association of Wabash Men is pleased to name you an Honorary Alumnus in the Class of 2003.