EDITORIAL -- It's a different view from this chair
David Bridges
Issue date: 4/26/07 Section: Opinion
When I was a student at ABAC 30 years ago, I really didn't spend a lot of time thinking about the president of the college and how he spent his hours on the job. I'm sure you're the same way.
Thirty years later as the president of this great place we call ABAC, my perspective has certainly changed. Your concerns become my concerns. And believe me, I do hear your concerns.
We started out the year in August looking for a place for you to live. We filled up ABAC Place, and then we booked Comer Hall three to a room. With the addition of 489 beds at the beautiful new ABAC Lakeside in August, I hope we can alleviate our housing shortage, at least for the time being.
Actually, having students like you asking for a great place to live on campus is a good problem to have. That means you like this campus enough to live here. I don't blame you. ABAC Place and ABAC Lakeside are state of the art facilities with all the modern conveniences.
Since more of you are living on campus, that has an impact on the parking spots available. I have heard your voices on that subject loud and clear. When I was a student here, I wanted my parking spot as close as possible to my classes and to my room in Fulwood Hall.
That perfect parking spot might not be available to you every day but I have some folks working on a plan to examine every parking space we have on campus including the new lot at ABAC Lakeside. Our goal is to work out some kinks prior to the beginning of the fall term on August 20.
With the tragedy at Virginia Tech on April 16, many of you have asked me about ABAC's emergency plan. I can tell you that we have a comprehensive plan in place. On May 3, our emergency response team will sit down, evaluate that plan again, and see how we can improve it.
Our goal is to provide you with a safe campus, one where you can live and learn in an atmosphere filled with the hope of tomorrow instead of the dread of what might happen today. Our ABAC Police force is on duty every hour of every day of the year to help us to reach that goal.
Some of you will walk across the graduation stage in Gressette Gym on May 4. I will give you a firm handshake. You deserve it. You will be an ABAC graduate. You can take pride in that fact.
Others of you will return next year as our college continues to celebrate its 100th birthday. We're going to have a great year. Make that another great year. Thank you for all you have done to make my first year as president a memorable one.
It's a different perspective from the president's chair. But it's still ABAC. There's no other college like it.
Thirty years later as the president of this great place we call ABAC, my perspective has certainly changed. Your concerns become my concerns. And believe me, I do hear your concerns.
We started out the year in August looking for a place for you to live. We filled up ABAC Place, and then we booked Comer Hall three to a room. With the addition of 489 beds at the beautiful new ABAC Lakeside in August, I hope we can alleviate our housing shortage, at least for the time being.
Actually, having students like you asking for a great place to live on campus is a good problem to have. That means you like this campus enough to live here. I don't blame you. ABAC Place and ABAC Lakeside are state of the art facilities with all the modern conveniences.
Since more of you are living on campus, that has an impact on the parking spots available. I have heard your voices on that subject loud and clear. When I was a student here, I wanted my parking spot as close as possible to my classes and to my room in Fulwood Hall.
That perfect parking spot might not be available to you every day but I have some folks working on a plan to examine every parking space we have on campus including the new lot at ABAC Lakeside. Our goal is to work out some kinks prior to the beginning of the fall term on August 20.
With the tragedy at Virginia Tech on April 16, many of you have asked me about ABAC's emergency plan. I can tell you that we have a comprehensive plan in place. On May 3, our emergency response team will sit down, evaluate that plan again, and see how we can improve it.
Our goal is to provide you with a safe campus, one where you can live and learn in an atmosphere filled with the hope of tomorrow instead of the dread of what might happen today. Our ABAC Police force is on duty every hour of every day of the year to help us to reach that goal.
Some of you will walk across the graduation stage in Gressette Gym on May 4. I will give you a firm handshake. You deserve it. You will be an ABAC graduate. You can take pride in that fact.
Others of you will return next year as our college continues to celebrate its 100th birthday. We're going to have a great year. Make that another great year. Thank you for all you have done to make my first year as president a memorable one.
It's a different perspective from the president's chair. But it's still ABAC. There's no other college like it.
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