Sept. 3, 2008
EVANSTON, Ill. -- This summer, several members of the Northwestern family were able to travel to New York to meet two of the Wildcats' most prominent graduates: Joe Girardi and Stephen Colbert. In separate events in late June, Northwestern football and men's basketball PA announcer Gary Ross spent a day a Yankee stadium with three generations of his family, while Allison Roberts was one of the winners of NU's Trip for Two to New York promotion held during NU's football game against Indiana on Nov. 10, 2007, at Ryan Field.
The pair put pen to paper recently to share their experiences with NU's fan nation.
To Make a Memory: Northwestern, Yankee Stadium and Joe Girardi
by Gary Ross (Medill '88)
Northwestern University and Yankee Stadium each occupy a special place in my heart. Last month, they came together for me like I never would have imagined, thanks to one of NU's most distinguished alumni. I had the honor of stepping onto the field at Yankee Stadium and introducing my father and my two sons to the Manager of the Yankees, the Wildcats' own Joe Girardi.
Northwestern is my alma mater, where I'm also fortunate enough to serve as PA announcer for Wildcat football and men's basketball games. Yankee Stadium is where I learned to love baseball, attending games there with my family while growing up in the New York area. And by the way, for us once-and-future PA announcers, legendary Yankees PA announcer Bob Sheppard was always the gold standard. No one can say "Your attention please, ladies and gentlemen..." quite like he can.
My father wanted to bring my two boys, ages eight and six, to Yankee Stadium before it is torn down at the end of the season. A new Yankee Stadium is being built across the street. My father was able to get tickets for our family to attend the June 22 game against the Reds. He had taken me to many, many Yankee games when I was a kid. We were at the famous World Series game where Reggie Jackson hit three home runs along with Opening Days, Yankees-Red Sox games and a whole lot more. So many memories. And now there we were, three generations of Ross men and boys at the Stadium, with one last chance to make a memory.
 Northwestern football and men's basketball PA announcer Gary Ross (right) and his two sons meet Joe Girardi at Yankee Stadium.  |
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As you may know, Joe stays in touch with Northwestern. He agreed to meet me and my family briefly at Yankee Stadium shortly before the game. I was nervous that he simply meant well but wouldn't have time to see us. But security waved us down to the front row, and Joe bounded out of the dugout to shake our hands. And I found myself introducing my father, a Yankee fan for all of his 68 years, to the Yankee manager, in the heart of The House That Ruth Built. I turned to my sons, my boys who I taught to throw and catch in the backyard, and introduced them to the skipper too. I also introduced my wife, sister and stepmother. Joe was very gracious, acknowledging every one of us. He signed some baseballs that I had brought with me.
Then, Joe opened a small gate and invited us onto the field to take some pictures with him. Do you remember that scene in "Field of Dreams," where Burt Lancaster hesitates to step on (or was it off) the baseball field, realizing the gravity of what he's about to do? That's what I felt like taking that first step onto the field at Yankee Stadium. Sorry if this sounds melodramatic, but it really was magical. We snapped a couple of shots, and we said our thank-yous and goodbyes.
We took our seats, ate some hot dogs, bought some souvenirs and cheered the Yankees to a 4-1 win. And the smiles all around and the tear in my father's eye told me we indeed made one last indelible memory at Yankee Stadium.
Thank you, Joe, for a real thrill that we'll never forget.
Winning a Trip for Two to New York to Meet Stephen Colbert
Allison Roberts (WCAS '10)
Winning the trip to New York was such a great experience!! I had never been before, so it was an amazing opportunity. When we first arrived in the city, we checked into the hotel and immediately set out to explore. I saw the typical sights: the Statue of Liberty, the Empire State Building, Battery Park, and the World Trade Center site. We ate in little Italy, and got ice cream at Pinkberry.
 Allison Roberts (center) won the Trip for Two to New York to meet Stephen Colbert. |
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On Monday, we went to the Stephen Colbert show, which was so much fun. He put on a great show, we laughed a lot and he even answered audience questions before the show. After the show, we met him backstage, took pictures and laughed some more. It was great to meet such a famous Northwestern alum. The only bad thing about the trip was having to leave!