USD Magazine, Fall 2004

Siblings: One older brother.

Apso British watchdog with

liver and lung cancer.

Major: Chemistry with an

ollege is a time to learn about math, science and literature. But for Matt Rutz, it's also a time to learn about laundry. Does a gray T-shirt go in

emphasis in biochemistry.

the light or dark load? Which clothes need hot water? And is there such a thing as too much fabric softener? "My mom was always kind enough to do my laundry for me. It didn't hit me until I dragged my clothes to the washing machine that I had no idea how to do it," Rutz says. "We were on the phone for 30 minutes while she talked me through it. I wrote it all down, so hopefully I'll remember everything the next time around." His mom was not only happy to tele-teach Rutz about the laws of laundry, she also was gracious enough to join him for the four-day road trip to USD from Highland, Ill., just 30 minutes outside St. Louis. The mother and son packed his belongings into a new black Ford Explorer - purchased just one day before the big trip - and hit the road. They drove through the Ozarks of Arkansas and torrential rains in Missouri. They visited his mother's college roommate in Albuquerque, N.M., and had dinner at a favorite family restaurant called Houston's in Phoenix, where Rutz's father joined them for the final leg of the journey. Rutz, who grew up in a small town of 8,600 people and knew everyone at his high school, always planned to go to college in Southern California. "I wanted to get away from my hometown for a while," Rutz says. "I can't wait to hit the beach. I want to learn how to surf and try my hand at beach volleyball." Rutz ran cross country and track in high school, wrote for the student newspaper and was a member of the National Honor Society, the Business Professionals of America and Lifesavers, an organization that teaches students how to make the right decisions in life. When it came to picking a university, Rutz is conndent that he made the right decision. "I looked into it heavily before applying, and every– thing is just as I thought it would be, if not better," Rutz says. "I can't wait to see what the future holds for me."

Residence hall:

Maher Hall.

Fall courses:

Calculus I, Chemistry,

Biology and Spanish II.

Guilty pleasure:

Fresh peanut butter cookies.

Can't live without:

"Family, friends and

boatloads of water."

One-liner: "The harder

I work, the luckier I get."

Say what?

"Benjamin Franklin said

something like that, and

I've lived with that idea

since my freshman year

of high school."

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USO MAGA Z I NE