News northern 4 northern today ESPN’s Buster Olney delivers spring commencement address “I feel like an adopted son to the Northern community...and will be proud to help celebrate the seniors on such an important day for them,” Olney said. A nationally known baseball expert – and friend of Northern’s nationally known basketball coach – returned to campus this spring. ESPN’s Buster Olney, who has written a book about Coach Don Meyer, was Northern’s 2013 spring commencement speaker. Olney, a senior writer at ESPN The Magazine, delivered the commencement address at theMay 4 ceremony in the Barnett Center. Olney’s book about Meyer, “How Lucky You Can Be,” was released in 2011. He is also author of the best-selling “The Last Night of the Yankee Dynasty.” A former New York Times sports writer, Olney grew up in Vermont and graduated from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn. “I feel like an adopted son to the Northern community, after spending so much time there over the last five years, and will be proud to help celebrate the seniors on such an important day for them,” Olney said previously. NSU President Jim Smith said the university was honored to have Olney on campus for commencement. “He knows Aberdeen well; he enjoys life here on the Great Plains; and, of course, his friendship with Coach Don Meyer has evolved, in an exceptionally positive way, over the past few years,” Smith said. ABOVE: Left to right: Kari (Laubach) LaFave (’87), Dr. Alan LaFave (’85, dean, School of Fine Arts), Josh Moon (director of athletics), Bill Christensen (’75), Jim Thares, and Tracy Thares. ABOVE: Front row left to right: Glenn Leffler (’56), Maureen (Smith) Bohall (’58), Jane (Sheldon) Hawk (’56), Dorothy Sweet (’75), William Jones (’55). Middle row left to right: Jeannette Sorge (’69), Connie (Collins) Jones (’59), Pat Birgen, Max Hawk (’57), Lonn Sweet, Dr. Connie Ruhl-Smith (director of special initiatives), Helen Cooper. Back row left to right: Josh Moon (director of athletics), Jack Clark (’57), Louise (Ham) Clark (’58), John Beck (’55), Oscar Oland (’59), Jerry Birgen, Dale Cooper (’59), Dr. James Smith (president, NSU), Mike Birgen (’92, vice president of athletic major gifts and alumni relations). Alumni Event at the home of Mike and Barb Evans in Scottsdale, Ariz. alumni Event at the Hillcrest Golf Club in Sun City West, Ariz.
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