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Macalester athlete puts political and student experiences in proportion

By Sara Eisenhauer
For NCAA.org

As Thomas Edison once said, “I’d put my money on the sun and solar energy. What a source of power! I hope we don’t have to wait until oil and coal run out before we tackle that.”

A quote from a legendary American inventor seems like an unlikely beginning to anything written by an athlete, but this is exactly how Macalester College senior soccer star Stephen Murphy-Logue began his letter to the editor that was published on mndaily.com two weeks ago, advocating for the use of solar energy sources to boost the Minnesota economy.

The political science major and two-time all-Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference pick has not only excelled this year on the soccer field – netting eight goals and four assists in the 2010 season – and in the classroom, but Murphy-Logue has successfully learned to advocate for political change through an intense internship experience with the grass-roots political organization Environment Minnesota. His ability to balance all of these obligations while still managing to find some time to “dance up a storm on the weekends,” is a true testament to what the Division III student-athlete experience is all about.

Murphy-Logue, an Anchorage, Alaska, native, became involved with Environment Minnesota because of his appreciation for the outdoors and its ability to raise public awareness about important environmental issues. As part of his internship, Murphy-Logue single-handedly worked to attract attendees to a public forum discussing solar energy development in Minnesota, a task he was given on his first day and successfully completed. Thanks to his efforts, the event’s attendance record doubled. He also has distributed pamphlets to legislators at the Capitol advocating the policy objectives of Environment Minnesota.

Though Murphy-Logue has learned much about the political world from his internship, he said the experience has reinforced the idea that “politics is not for the faint of heart.”

“The glitz and glamour of White House ceremonies, congressional passage of landmark bills and important judicial decisions are made possible only by the relentless work of dedicated groups and individuals looking to make positive change in society,” Murphy-Logue said.

Murphy-Logue is no stranger to dedication and hard work, though. His ability to perform at a high level and improve his repertoire of skills in all areas of his life are qualities he values most and credits to his parents.

“Like (my parents), I take great pride in setting goals and achieving them,” Murphy-Logue said. “Whether it is in the classroom, on the field, at my internship, dancing up a storm on the weekends or performing housekeeping chores, I always put forth my maximum effort.”

According to Macalester head men’s soccer coach Ian Barker, Murphy-Logue’s work ethic has played a significant part in the program’s recent success.

“As a competitor, he has demonstrated over the course of four years that he is willing in times of competitive adversity to try and lift the team up single-handedly,” Barker said.

Barker noted one game this past season in particular when Murphy-Logue scored two goals to rally the Scots to a 4-3 win over St. Thomas (Minn.) after trailing 3-0 with less than 15 minutes to play. The win helped secure the 2010 MIAC crown and also earned Murphy-Logue the second MIAC Athlete-of-the-Week award of his career.

Barker said Murphy-Logue been a dangerous threat as a defensive central midfielder for Macalester, and that his ability to make big plays and successfully push through adverse situations has commanded the respect of his teammates and opponents.

“He’s a little bit understated, but once people are around him they recognize his competitiveness and learn to appreciate his willingness to try and be a good teammate,” Barker said.

In addition to his competitiveness, Murphy-Logue credits his success to his calm demeanor and eccentric personality that has allowed him to thrive at Macalester, which can be challenging as a student-athlete. However, participating in athletics has taught Murphy-Logue time-management skills that he believes will help him after graduation.

“I have learned to devote a healthy dose of each day to studying, participating in a wide array of campus activities, socializing with my peers, working off campus and spending time alone to get away from it all,” Murphy-Logue said. “I believe that my time at Macalester has adequately prepared me for life after college and made me a well-rounded individual.”

Whenever an opportunity to grow as an individual presented itself, Murphy-Logue was probably taking advantage of it, Barker said. Whether it be lifting weights or advocating for political change, Murphy-Logue is probably doing it.

“Stephen is a good example of what an MIAC student-athlete should be,” Barker said. “He’s the kind of student-athlete who you can look back on and say, ‘I’m really glad he came here and glad he got so much out of it.’ There are no regrets with Stephen.”

Sara Eisenhauer is an intern at the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference