Wednesday, August 22, 2001
Cheers, humor start school year at luncheon
By Kristina Iodice
copy desk chief

The Riff Ram cheer is often heard at campus events but none of the screaming voices in Daniel-Meyer Coliseum Tuesday were students. The cheers were by the approximately 1,200 faculty and staff members who attended the annual opening luncheon Tuesday.

The opening luncheon before the official start of the academic year has been a tradition for many years, but used to be for faculty only. When Chancellor Michael Ferrari came to campus he made the luncheon for both faculty and staff. Ferrari said he made the change because everyone has a hand in contributing to the student experience.

Erin Munger/PHOTO EDITOR Orientation Student Assistants entertained faculty and staff with skits at the Chancellor’s Luncheon Tuesday.

“It’s important to symbolically bring faculty and staff together,” Ferrari said. “It is a time to bring everyone together – every single person is important.”

Ferrari said most schools don’t have an opening event that brings together all areas of campus, but bringing staff and faculty together is another thing that makes TCU a different place to be. Everyone has a stake in creating the best environment for students, Ferrari said.

One addition to the luncheon this year was a skit performed by the Orientation Student Assistants. The OSAs impersonated well-known people like Sean Connery and even Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs Don Mills.

Although Mills was surprised when he first saw the skit performed for a June orientation session, he takes the impersonation as a compliment that students feel he is approachable enough to have fun, he said.

Ferrari attended orientation sessions throughout the summer and, after seeing the OSAs perform, thought it would be an entertaining addition to the luncheon.

At the conclusion of the skit all faculty and staff members were asked to standand follow the OSAs in Riff Ram Bah Zoo.
Melissa Bagley, an OSA and junior music education and vocal performance major, said she couldn’t believe when Ferrari asked the OSAs to perform at the luncheon.

“I was excited that the faculty enjoyed something we put so much time into,” Bagley said.

Ferrari said he wasn’t sure if the OSAs will perform at next year’s luncheon, but does want to have some sort of student involvement. Ferrari said the skit gave faculty and staff a chance to see students having fun. The opening luncheon should end with high hopes, optimism and excitement for the coming year, he said.

Kristina Iodice
k.k.iodice@student.tcu.edu

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