By Melanie Reschke

Have you been wondering who all of these people walking around campus today are? They are Macal­ester’s Trustees, and they’re on campus to discuss all aspects of the school from academic programming to student life to financing our latest building projects. The Board of Trustees meets here on campus three times every year – once in October, March, and May. The Finance, Academic Affairs, Campus Life, In­frastructure, Admissions, and Advancement commit­tees will be meeting throughout the day today. Some of the big topics on the agenda include reviewing the plans for the new studio art building, working on the link be­tween academics and civic engagement, and discussion about the proposed marriage amendment in Minnesota. In addition to the Trustees, students, faculty, and staff sit on each of these committees to provide input. Keep­ing meetings open to these perspectives is highly val­ued because it provides representation for the people who are on campus every day feeling the needs and issues of the school. The Campus Life Committee will devote a large part of their meeting to hearing from student represen­tatives about what they perceive to be big issues for stu­dents based on feedback that has been gathered through the semester thus far. The student representatives plan to discuss neighborhood ordinances and the relation­ship between students and the community, fan culture at sporting events, impacts of the upcoming presidential election on student life, and what students are looking for in the new lounge and study space being built in the lower level of the campus center. The Trustees get to hear all about the student, fac­ulty, and staff experience, but we rarely get a chance to know the people who work hard making big decisions for the school. They all have a strong connection with Macalester and many of them are Macalester alumni. One such Trustee and Mac alum, Mr. Peter Fenn, says that his academic studies at Macalester along with his campus job contributed greatly to his current interests and career path. “At Mac and ever since, my passion has been politics and public policy. For nearly 30 years, I have made political ads for progressive candidates and causes and remain optimistic that civility and compro­mise can still rule the day. I still use the skills from my days as the first student manager of the Alumni House every day!” Mr. Jerry Crawford, another Trustee and Mac alum, is the owner of the racehorse named Dullahan that was seen proudly sporting Macalester blue and or­ange at last year’s Kentucky Derby. While he’s prob­ably seen a few horse-size gold metals, perhaps one of Mr. Crawford’s proudest accomplishments is his strong ties with the Macalester community. “I hold the record for taking Macalester’s President to more horse races than any President/Trustee combo in Macalester his­tory. We have a dickens of a time.” These are just a few of the many faces on campus today, working hard to help keep Macalester wonderful for years to come. If you are interested in learning more about what the Board of Trustees discussed today, please come to the open forum that will be held next week, time and location TBA. Student representatives will provide a summary of important issues covered in the Board meetings, and will be open to discussion and questions about these topics. A light meal will be provided. Look for announcements regarding details for the event in the Daily Piper. Email [email protected] with questions. refresh –>