Important Meetings

9:15-10:00 a.m.
I go meet with Jeanne Ortiz, the Dean of Students. Jeanne and I are supposed to go look at a dorm, but we get into a discussion about the Student Bill of Rights and then the media shows up. I am then interviewed and photographed a lot.

10:00-10:30 a.m.
We move out to the lower quad to watch student Sharon and my friends paint the rock. Many more pictures are taken. I try to keep my heels from sinking into the grass. I am wearing tennis shoes tomorrow. I then go back to my office and have many more photos taken. I decide I am glad I am not a celebrity. I try to prepare for the faculty meeting this afternoon, but then my next appointment arrives.

10:30-11:45 a.m.
Elizabeth Power Robison arrives and briefs me about an alumnus that we are going to go meet. Vince Daigneault ’85 is a trustee of the College and is the Vice President for Wealth Management and a Financial Advisor at Smith Barney. We are hoping he will use a portion of his annual gift to challenge the senior class with an offer to match their donations to the Whittier Fund. Along with faculty salaries and scholarships, the Whittier Fund pays for things such as HVAC. Elizabeth explains that HVAC is Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning. An HVAC issue that they are raising funds to deal with is replacement of the air conditioning system in Hoover. As someone who has sat through freezing classes with a loudly rattling air conditioner making it hard to hear the professor, I am fully supportive of this project, which will apparently cost several million dollars.

Elizabeth and I go to Mr. Daigneault’s office to meet him. While waiting we meet another Whittier alumnus who points out the office of yet another Whittier alumnus. We chat about the amazing, cross-generational connections among Whittier alumni. I had no idea, and am rather impressed. We then meet with Mr. Daigneault, which goes well. We have a nice chat and he likes the matching idea. I don’t horribly embarrass myself or make him loose faith in Whittier students, so I figure that is good.