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Thoughts Over a Cup of Coffee

Most college campuses, including Old Dominion University, are deserted on the Friday following Thanksgiving other than for a stray administrator like myself trying to catch-up on some fall semester work.

Still, Friday being a warm and beautiful day, I found myself quickly calling a 20-minute weather break from my files and email for a brisk walk across campus to visit one of our Starbucks.

As I waited for my turn to order, I could tell the family in front of me was checking out the campus. I could also tell they were first-time visitors and they lacked a map.

As presidents are prone to do, I introduced myself to the family from New Jersey and asked if I could be of service. As one would expect, they were a bit taken aback that their official welcome to ODU was coming from the president himself. The family, as it turned out, was in Chesapeake visiting relatives over the holiday and decided to drive into Norfolk to see ODU.

Like many of our visitors, they were struck by the campus. The father remarked about how clever we were to mix retail and housing in the University Village, where we were all sipping on lattes and similar frothy drinks. The mother was equally impressed by the amount of construction taking place on campus. I didn't catch where she said she went to school, but she said new buildings were few and far between at her alma mater.

The daughter, a high school junior, was impressed by the new bookstore and the field hockey complex. She said it was one of the finest she had ever seen. When she added she wanted to major in English, I was pleased to tell her about ODU's nationally-known writing faculty, such as Luisa Igloria, Michael Pearson, Janet Peery and Sheri Reynolds, just to name a few.

My 20-minute respite had now turned into a 45-minute conversation about the virtues of Old Dominion University. I was able to get them a map of the campus and we both headed our separate ways. As I returned to Koch Hall and my office, I realized what a great job I have - in part - because of the terrific story Old Dominion University has to tell.

This article was posted on: December 3, 2008