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Akeem Edmonds ’15 (left) and Alexander Clemetson ’15 ask the abbot to share a selfie from his statue’s Mulva Library location.

Speaking for the Two of Us

Alexander Clemetson ’15 and Akeem Edmonds ’15 share a laugh about how they became roommates their first year at St. Norbert. A track coach suggested the pairing because they were both Chicago-area natives and “pretty quiet guys.”

“Quiet? I thought to myself, ‘You have no idea who we are’,” says Edmonds.

The pair quickly became best friends. Track-and-field teammates, they soon became involved in student government. Edmonds served as Student Government Association president as a junior and Clemetson succeeded him. Both mentored new students, both served as tour guides for the admission office. Both studied abroad – Clemetson in Rome and Edmonds in New Zealand as a student teacher. “Our approach was, ‘let’s try everything and see what we like’,” says Edmonds, an education major.

Clemetson co-hosted the “Alex and Jack Show,” a radio program featuring alternative music. Edmonds performed in Knights on Broadway and in the Chamber Singers ensemble.

“I think that all the things that Alex and I did over our four years are a good reflection of who we are as individuals and together,” says Edmonds. Clemetson, an education major, offers a small regret: “I wish I would have had more time to try more things. I would have loved to check out the Quidditch Club. I’m serious, who doesn’t love Harry Potter?”

The “quiet guys’ ” final piece of teamwork came when they were chosen to speak for their class at Commencement. “We both wrote our own speeches,” says Clemetson. “Mine really concentrated on real-world applications. Akeem’s was more ÀÏ°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±¼Ç¼-focused. Twelve speakers auditioned, so we had to make sure we delivered.” Edmonds adds, “It was our last hurrah. We weren’t nervous, but excited. Through our involvement on campus, we got to know so many people. It was like talking to our friends.”

Graduation takes the pair on different paths, but they agree they’ll be lifelong friends. This summer, Clemetson will work in Arkansas as a site director for youth mission trips. He then plans to develop his own mentoring program. “The challenge is to get more resources,” he says. “It’s a lot of work, but it’s good work. I was challenged in a lot of ways at St. Norbert. I want that to continue.” Edmonds will pursue a master’s degree in student affairs and higher education. “Working with students has always been on my radar,” he says.


July 3, 2015