President’s Top Ten
10. There’s no hidden drawer of money in the office of the President. (Believe me, I’ve looked.)
9. For some reason, my tweets don’t get the same reaction as other presidents.
8. SCSU alumni are great to meet and they’re very consistent. They invariably say two things: 1) “St. Cloud State made such a difference in my life,” and 2) “When are you bringing Homecoming back?”
7. Shaking 1,500 hands and taking selfies at commencement is a joy and a privilege, but the occasional back-flip can almost cause a heart attack.
6. I was prepared for dealing with budgets, personnel and community outreach, but did not realize I would also be asked to show off my dance moves.
5. I have enjoyed meeting students for lunch in Garvey Commons, for “Donuts and Dialogue” and for “Pizza with the President.” But given my weight gain, we are switching to “Talks on the Treadmill.”
4. It is a pleasure to watch our Huskies compete from the stands or the president’s suite at football, hockey and other games. But I have to control my enthusiasm. I can’t say things like: “You @$% refs – that was no foul! Get your eyes checked!”
3. It is important to show up for Union Meet & Confers – but for some reason people aren’t thrilled to see me as much anymore.
2. Mayor Kleis and I have slightly different jobs but we have one thing in common – he pretends to listen to the City Council and I pretend to listen to the Cabinet.
1. And the most important thing I’ve learned as interim president is: Be nice to everyone. You never know who’ll come back to haunt you.
