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Dr. Gee & The OMOC 5/17/10

There are a few perks involved in returning to school at my age. One of them is the realization that certain activities, opportunities and events are just there to indulge and have fun with. The photo is of yours truly with the president of Ohio State, Dr. E. Gordon Gee. The event was a reception at the new student Union for whichever arts and sciences students wanted to drop by, grab a slice of free pizza and meet the prez. Hey, why not? One thing about going back to school, and immersing oneself in the atmosphere of academia is feeling the energy, the positive sensation of moving forward toward a goal, and being surrounded by people who not only share that momentum, but want you to succeed right along with them. There are certainly people on this campus who have a dim view of the way things are run, the political predilections of the administration, the seeming disregard for common sense approaches to matters which appear to be achingly simple. There will always be those people; I am not one of them. The more I study and allow myself to be exposed to the inner workings of things--whether a campus newspaper, a quasi-political organization or a massive educational edifice like Ohio State--the more I realize there are no simple answers. Hell, there aren't even simple questions.

I'm grateful for the chance to meet the people who call the shots, and to ask questions that they actually take time to answer, and to hear from them what intricacies are involved in running a show like OSU. Is it a bit obsequious on my part? Perhaps, but I'm convinced that the people in high places, regardless of which high places we're discussing, are for the most part capable, well-intentioned and conscientious when it's time to decide things that have an impact on all of us. It's good to know they're also approachable, and generally good people. Plus, the pizza was free. Life is good.