vCHRISTIANSON continued from page 3 His experience at USD has been a good one, he said. “The school is relatively small compared to a lot of other medical schools, and I think that’s a huge asset,” he said. “The professors are smart and approachable and I’m very fond of all my classmates I’ve gotten to know. I’ll be sorry to leave.” Though USD doesn’t have a neurological surgery program, it has given him a “leg up” in preparing to apply for a surgical specialty, he said. “There are a lot of opportunities to do hands-on work,” he said. In the last four years, he has done rotations at Avera Sacred Heart Hospital and Yankton Medical Clinic. He is currently undergoing a Rural Family Medicine rotation at the Vermillion Medical Clinic. Though he manages a full schedule with school-related activities, Christianson is able to find time for his family. He enjoys going for runs on the Yankton trails as his kids bike beside him and taking walks with his wife on the Meridian Bridge. He also makes an effort to play the guitar each day and occasionally cook. “I try to stay mindful of all the things that are important to me and use that as a guide for how I divide my time,” he said. He studies at times when his three children — Carl, Oscar and Margaret — are otherwise occupied, attends their sporting events and school conferences and uses technology like Skype and Google Drive to keep in touch with them throughout the day. He also involves them in his volunteer work at Servant Hearts Clinic in Yankton. Every week, they go there to clean the place up to teach them about service, Christianson said. “I think that service for the community, especially for healthcare, is as important as ever, and I want to be a part of it,” he said. He also did some remodeling work on the clinic, which his kids were also involved with. “I’d been a longtime carpenter, so it was a blessing to be able to take some time out and teach the kids about that,” he said. While his friend’s daughter has defied the odds and is still living years after her diagnosis, Christianson’s drive to learn more about treating DIPG is still going strong. On March 26, known as “Match Day” for medical students, he will find out where his yearlong residency training will take place. He hopes to remain in the Midwest. “This is a nice area,” he said. “I have no complaints about the place.” vMURRAY continued from page 7 Muhammad Ali.’” he said. Alzado — who was playing for the Denver Broncos at the time — was set to fight Ali in an exhibition bout at Denver’s Mile High Stadium in 1979. “We had row one seats — 1, 2, and 3 — in Ali’s corner,” Murray said. “I said, ‘What’re you doing Lyle?’ Lyle goes, ‘You know me. What do you want to sit in my corner for? He’s the champ of the world.’” Murray also talked about the lonely reality that Alzado faced in his lifetime. “Lyle was a problem guy who had a lot of issues,” he said. “People don’t realize what a lonely life he had. He said, ‘Muggsy, I quit answering my calls. Every time I got a phone call, someone wanted something — tickets, speaking engagements, free this and free that. They never called to say hey Lyle, how you doing? I just had no friends after that.’” But Murray said that Alzado was a great guy. “He did have a big heart,” he said. “He was a very nice person, just things a lot of times didn’t go his way.” An Accidental Lunch There are still some figures in Boston sports that Murray said he’d still love to meet. “My all-time idol, to me, would be Bobby Orr,” Murray said. “That’s on my bucket list. I’ve got to try doing that someday. I grew up with him — same age and era watching him.” As a member of the Boston Bruins, Orr won two Stanley Cups. In the fourth and deciding game of the 1970 Stanley Cup, a photo caught Orr leaping through the air after scoring the winning goal. One Boston sports legend that Murray met completely by mistake was three-time NBA champion and Boston Celtics power forward Kevin McHale. “I’m at a Papa Gino’s back home and in the car next to me, a guy gets out and gets out and keeps getting out,” Murray said. “I go, ‘Kevin?’ and he goes, ‘Yes?’ ‘Good luck in the playoffs.” Unknown to Murray at the time, this brush with an NBA champion was just getting started. “We get inside and there’s a big line,” he said. “(McHale’s) got vMURRAY continued on page 18 vBy Reilly Biel Recipe sserole 5 Can Cah fis er Special! Burg eburger Lb. Cheesench Fries 1/2 s, Fr With PickleShake & 1 can tuna rice soup en 1 can chick f mushroom soup am o 1 can cre milk evaporated 1 small can ein noodles m 1 can chow bran flakes, crumbled noodles , kes or s, milk0 Corn fla ble corn sh, two soup : Mix tuna fi minutes at 350 . 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