MU Spotlight 20/20

Jesse Baumann

What is your role at the University and what is something many may not know about the work you do?

I coach the cross country and track teams here. I think people see a coach's primary role as what you traditionally see on the sideline. However, we're "on call" 24/7. I've gone to the hospital on weekends to see a sick athlete, been a de facto counselor, or texted a recruit at 11:00 p.m. on a Saturday night. The traditional perception of a coach is one of the smaller parts of our jobs and how our time is allocated.

My favorite spot on campus is ______ because ______.

My favorite spot on campus is the conference room on the third floor of The Sally. I love the view overlooking Bethlehem and I frequently take recruits there to showcase not only the new building, but also the Lehigh Valley.

My favorite college tradition is ______ because _____.

I'm not sure if it qualifies as a tradition, but the Christmas lighting on campus is beautiful and ties in extremely well with Downtown Bethlehem. Driving by Comenius Hall lit up after a fresh snow is hard to beat.

My typical weekend would go something like this:

On Saturday, I'm typically at a meet either recruiting or coaching. My Sundays are typically made up of some combination of attending church, watching the Green Bay Packers (hopefully win), and fishing.

I gave and/or received a MoPaw to/from ______ and it made me smile because ______.

I gave a MoPaw to Dr. Kelly Krieble, who helped me with a prospective student interested in physics. He spent over an hour out of his day showing the student around the department and discussing the major here. It's not part of his job description but it shows how he, and many others here at Moravian, take pride in where they work and are willing to help out in any way they can.

My favorite thing to do when I am away from campus is ______ because ______.

I really enjoy exploring the Poconos, especially Glen Onoko, Tank Hollow, or the Tamaqua area. However, first and foremost, if I have a spare minute there's a good chance I'm on my boat fishing. I'm part of a musky conservation group and spend an inordinate amount of time obsessing about that fish.

Who is your hero? Why?

I don't have any heroes any longer, but when I was growing up in Wisconsin I idolized Robin Yount, a baseball player for the Milwaukee Brewers. My parents took me to one game at the old County Stadium, and although he was already my favorite player, he hit a game-winning double in the bottom of the 10th inning, which cemented his status as my hero growing up.

What sound do you love? Why?

I love running water for all the obvious reasons. We're fortunate to have a lot of waterfalls and great rivers in the area like Ricketts Glen and the Lehigh and Delaware Rivers.

What is your favorite ice cream? Why?

Cookie dough is my kryptonite.

If there was a movie produced about your life, who would play you and why?

Someone once told me I look a little bit like Jason Sudeikis. Maybe that's a stretch, but for that reason alone I'd say him.