Lunch Buddies

Dr. Emmert, WhatUpThen and Rachael!!!

University of Washington President Dr. Mark Emmert is a man with considerable knowledge and experience in academia. Prior to his hiring at UW, Dr. Emmert served as the president at LSU for 6 years and as the chancellor and provost at the University of Connecticut for four years. Dr. Emmert pioneered the National Flagship Agenda designed to raise the academic standing of UConn to place it among the nation's best universities. LSU took on many of the ideas laid out in that plan when Dr. Emmert arrived and several other major universities have followed suit. Dr. Emmert has also worked in administration at the University of Colorado and at Montana State University. He is no stranger to Washington, though, having graduated from the UW with a bachelor's degree in political science before earning his master's and doctorate in public administration.

In about 11 hours, WhatUpThen will attend lunch with President Emmert in a rare forum for students. It's not everyone, though, out of over 35,000 students enrolled at the school only 50 special individuals were chosen to attend. What, you might ask, makes WhatUpThen such a valued member of the University of Washington community that he would be among the select few chosen to learn from the president and vocalize student and community issues on such a rare occasion? Well ,one night, I was up at about 4 in the morning playing Mario Kart Advance, trying to complete the Rainbow Road on 150cc. It's extremely curvy, there are few walls and the computer drivers are very fast so it's a tall order, no doubt. Suddenly an email from the ASUW President appeared in my Inbox saying the first fifty students to reply with their name and ID number would get to have lunch with President Emmert the next week. The first thought that went through my mind was: "Damn Luigi keeps stealing the item blocks!" The second thought I had was: "Holy shit, that lunch thing is probably catered!" I immediately replied and a few days ago I was informed that I was among the distinguished group identified to meet Dr. Emmert. So that's us at the top...two of a kind. I wonder if I can scrounge up another National Security hat to give him as a gift...

Seriously, though, I will bring up a question about relocating the Ethnic Cultural Center (where I work) onto campus. We are presently three blocks off campus on a site that was supposed to be temporary...back in 1972. It's cool to put of construction for a couple of years, but it's another thing to shelve it for over 30. I doubt my question will spark a sudden and efficient movement to relocate the ECC, but it's better to be vocal than to be silent.