Good students, good colleagues and a chance to do what
you love. Certain things make the good days better and
the trying ones bearable. In the spirit of counting blessings,
we asked a few members of the campus community what they're
thankful for at Eastern Michigan University this year.
Here's what they said:
Charles Ramsey, men's basketball coach
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Ramsey |
"I
have a great deal to be thankful for. I'm thankful for
my beautiful family, both at home and my university family.
I don't come to 'work' every day. It's not a 'job.' I'm
thankful to have a great environment in which to practice
my profession. I'm thankful for the opportunity to work
and live at home and be around such beautiful people.
(The thing that makes Eastern special is) the people.
It's always the people you touch on a day-to-day basis,
starting with faculty, staff and students. It's just a
really homey, family-type of environment. I've been at
five different universities, and it's just the feeling
you get. You feel good about coming to work every day."
Julia Myers, art history professor
"I'm thankful for great
students who, when you hold their feet to the fire and
really make them study hard, they do it. It sometimes takes
a little prodding, but they do it."
Khadija Wallace, clerical staff, psychology department
"I'm
a Christian and I'm thankful for the things God has blessed
me with, including my job. And I'm really thankful for
my kids. Even though I have three teenagers, I have great
kids. I'm thankful that the economy hasn't caused a massive
layoff here at Eastern and that we're still able to maintain a pretty good benefits
package...It would be nice if the pay increased, but we're able to go to school
(at half tuition) right now, and that means a lot to me and my family."
Cecilia Barajas, admissions officer
"I'm thankful that we're all employed and that we have
health, that we have family and that we have a loving community
here at EMU that cares about each other. We're all going
through a bit of a crisis here at the University, but we'll
get through it together. I'm thankful for my friends, family
and colleagues."
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Denja |
Joseph Csicsila, English professor
"I'm most thankful for my colleagues in the English Department
here at EMU. I've never been around folks who were
more committed and accomplished. I consider it a real privilege
to count myself part of this group of people."
Leighanne Denja, financial aid adviser
"I'm very thankful for my four children and my wonderful
husband who stays home so I can work full-time. And I'm
thankful for my coworkers - for the way we all work together
as a team and for their delightful senses of humor."
 |
Walker |
Glenn Walker, biology professor
"I'm thankful we have a concerned and vocal faculty that
fights for the mission of a great university. They resist
the continued shoveling of dollars into athletics while
academic departments suffer dramatic, crippling cuts each
year."
Don Bennion, teacher education department head
"I'm head
of the teacher education department and I'm thankful for
each of the 48 tenure-track faculty members I have. Every
one of them makes a major contribution to making my life
as a department head easier and getting very important
things done."
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Reifel Werner |
Melody Reifel Werner, associate athletics director for
compliance and special projects
"I'm thankful for the beautiful
campus, for the education I received from Eastern and for
the sense of family I have with my colleagues. I'm thankful
for my GA, John Lee, because he makes me laugh. I'm also
thankful for those students I got to know in Leadershape
last spring. I was sort of like the mother of 14 of the students,
and I just fell in love with every one of them. Every time
I see them on campus, we hug."
Chris Gardiner, associate chair, math department
"I guess the
obvious thing that comes to mind that I'm thankful for
is that we made it through all the turmoil we've been through
in the past five years and, hopefully, that's behind us.
I think we've got good people at the moment running things
and I'm thankful for that. I'm thankful I have a great
work environment and a great group of colleagues. Everyone
in this department gets along well; they're very collegial
and that's something I'm thankful for. And I'm thankful
I get a chance to teach math because I love math."
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Sachdev |
Harash Sachdev, marketing professor
"I am very proud of the fact that EMU has initiated
new programs in global supply chain management, international
business and integrated marketing communication, and that
it has made ethics an integral part of our curriculum.
I'm thankful to be identified with such a school that promotes
diversity through many dimensions, including programs such
as these. And I am thankful for the positive, team-building
experiences I have had as we created these programs."
