The Dean's Almanac

"A Long Line is Just an Opportunity to Make a New Friend"

September 4, 2007

 

Someone said that to me once when I was in college, standing in a long line. I think I glared at her and turned away. I’m not proud of that. She was probably really nice. But I was reminded of that moment while standing in line at Union Street Market (aka the food court in the Student Union), waiting to pay for my House Salad (everything is better with gorgonzola, if you ask me). I thought about being friendly to the person behind me, but I was afraid I’d get glared at. That’s how karma works.

Welcome to the 2007-08 Dean’s Almanac. For those of you who are new, this is something I do about every two or three weeks, as time allows. I answer questions from students, ranging from the profound to the ridiculous, mostly by passing them along to people who know more useful things than I seem to. I try to squelch some rumors and occasionally start new ones. I tout events and activities that I think are worth noting and may even be good for you. And I grouse about things that bother me. A new edition of the Almanac is always announced on the Student Homepage (thanks, Mark and staff), so stay tuned to that and you won’t miss a single one.

I also use the Almanac to invite students to lunch or dinner. My first one is Tuesday, September 18th at noon in Chuck and Augie’s. Be one of the first eight students to email me, and I’ll treat you to good food while you treat me to interesting conversation. It’s a great chance for me to hear what’s going on in your lives, and for you to ask questions and share thoughts in person. If you can’t make that date, or aren’t among the first eight, keep checking the Almanac. I’ll do these about once a month.

I know one question that everyone has is this: What is going on in the large vacant lot between CUE and the Student Union? I have no idea. At first, it was going to be turned into green space. And then I heard that a new building was going to go there, but there was no clear decision about what the building would be. I’ve heard that it may be the start of a new academic building housing some of the departments from Monteith and Arjona once they are either torn down or closed for renovation. I’ll keep you posted on this as I hear some verifiable information.

And yes...I know that some of the residence halls are too hot. Fans help, as does the knowledge that Fall will be here before you know it. And I know parking is limited. That’s the case on just about every campus in America, and it’s our trade-off for having buildings within reasonable proximity of one another as well as some green space and pedestrian-only areas.

Send me some other questions, though, and I’ll see what I can find out.

Remember to get yourselves to the Involvement Fair in the Student Union on Wednesday, September 5th from 5 till 8 to see what many of our 400+ student organizations are up to this year. For my money, that’s a much better place to make new friends than a long line.

Be safe, take care of your friends, and I’ll see you around campus.