WICHITA STATE UNIVERSITY ALUMNI MAGAZINE
Spring 2012

Monster Keeper

BY DAVID DINELL '05

Daniel LavinAs a youngster growing up in Kansas City, Mo., Daniel Lavin '08 dreamed of a career in sports.

In high school, he played soccer and basketball, but didn't quite have the talent to play competitively in college.

He earned a bachelor's degree in history at the University of Missouri-Columbia and later completed WSU's sport management graduate program in 18 months.

Now, at age 26, he is the building services superviser at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, the venue for Super Bowl XLVI.

"I kind of fell into this career," he says. "I got this job and six months later, here I am working the Super Bowl." As superviser, he's in charge of making sure the 70,000-seat stadium is ready for whatever event is booked, including NFL games featuring the Colts. The 1.8 million-square-foot, seven-level stadium is massive or, as Lavin puts it, "a monster."

He fully enjoys his job, and its perks: A few days before the Super Bowl, he was on the field during a photo shoot featuring the Lombardi Trophy. He got permission to pose with the prize, handcrafted by Tiffany & Co. The result is the photo above. Not seen in the shot, however, is a hovering security guard with a close eye on the trophy. "They told me I couldn't touch it," Lavin says, "and they meant it."


SHOCKER PROFILES

A Sweet Award

WSU graphic design grad Sonia Greteman '82 has won myriad awards as founder, president and creative director of the Wichita-based marketing communications agency Greteman Group, but none as sweet as this: the 2012 Donna E. Sweet Humanitarian of the Year award.

Monster Keeper

As a youngster growing up in Kansas City, Mo., Daniel Lavin '08 dreamed of a career in sports.

Top Kansas Physician

Each year since 1990, the Kansas Academy of Family Physicians has named one doctor as its Kansas Family Physician of the Year.

Mastering Teaching

Dana Mitchell '08, a Wichita kindergarten teacher who says she "absolutely loves" the profession, is one of three recent grads featured in WSU's Do More. Be More. ad campaign showcasing the benefits of experienced-based learning.