PRESIDENT'S CORNER - July 15, 2016 | School of Public Health

We’re back so no more Chautauqua notes…

Board Report: Your Board met on Monday, July 11 and elected officers for the coming year. They are: Jim Held, President, Karen Long, Vice-President, Royce Keller, Secretary, Tom Rogers, Treasurer. Dr. Linda Alexander remains as our SPH rep and our new Director, Jae Haislet hasn’t thrown up her arms in disbelief, and we are grateful!

One item that caught my ear was Jae telling us about the mall lease. Apparently we do have first right of refusal when our lease comes up and they can’t raise our rent more than 5%. We’ll be holding negotiations during this next year but I found that encouraging.

Fall Course Proposals: I will add my encouragement for any of you that would like to teach a course in the fall. Proposals are DUE BY JULY 22. Likewise, if you would like to suggest a class or know someone that might teach for us and you could nudge them to do so, give it a go! Jae and I are going to start visiting WVU faculty meetings in August to find some new teachers but all of our faculty does NOT have to come from WVU, so please don’t be shy if you know something we should be aware of. You can contact Bob Craig, me or Jae. Here’s an idea: is there anyone out there that could teach a course in how to fix common computer problems? I would love such a class and I’ll bet others would, as well. And I don’t mind having competition in teaching literary topics. DO you have a favorite novel you’d like to guide us through? A poet? Hey, how about a class in the way prosody works (that’s poetic writing). Does anyone have expertise in haiku? Wouldn’t that be fun?

WVU Theater Season: I had email from the School of Theatre & Dance with the following season: Race by David Mamet, Noises Off! by Michel Frayn, The Trojan Women by Euripides, Dance Now!, Pericles by Wm. Shakespeare, and The Pirates of Penzance by Gilbert & Sullivan. Watch this space for news of parties to attend the productions.

As for my season tickets with the Pittsburgh Public Theater…after 27 years, we have not renewed. This is what comes of teaching theater and plays for 36 years! They are doing The Fantastiks (designed it or saw it too much), Death of a Salesman (taught it too many times), Twelfth Night (never need to see it again), Unknown New Play (???) and two others that may or may not be of any interest. Does this lament ring bells with anyone else?

50^th Issue: You are reading the 50^th edition of these notes. Since I am re-elected, I will do my best to keep up these comments and notes that so many of you have told me you enjoy. Be prepared for more quips and poetry and who knows what else. Stay tuned…

Bastille Day Humour: How Many Frenchman Does It Take To Change a Light Bulb?

Well, first, there has to be a UN security resolution demanding a change; but only if the light bulb can be proved to be burned out and not just in a quantum state of flux.
Second, there should be an increase in the number and frequency of inspectors and inspections to determine that the light bulb is not just burned out, but a genuine threat to the rest of the world. There has to be a "smoking filament" or else the changing of the bulb would be considered unnecessary since the light bulb poses no threat to world stability, let alone in breach of said resolution by illuminating anything other than its own space.
Third, there should be endless debate about the ramifications of light bulb change. How do we know the next light bulb will be a more co operative light bulb and illuminate our lives?
Fourth, France will in no way support a violent action in changing the light bulb. There must be a peaceful solution to this light bulb change; violent action is unacceptable.
Fifth, without a broad coalition that supports light bulb change, any action to change the bulb will be considered a breach of the "spirit" of the UN resolution regarding the light bulb.

Jim Held, President Re-elect