Fun Fact: In 1837, President Andrew Jackson's supporters gifted him with a wheel of cheese weighing 1,400 lbs. Jackson put this cheese in the Entrance Hall of the White House and invited the people of the United States to eat it - and thereby meet the people who represented them in government. According to White House history, the cheese was consumed in two hours, and the White House smelled of cheese for weeks.
For several years now, I've introduced a new tradition to the Morris campus: the Big Block of Cheese Day. This is a great opportunity for me to meet the students, faculty, and staff - to talk about what we're planning, and to listen to what you'd like us to focus on. In 2010 and 2011, I gave away slices from a delicious 12lb cheddar cheese wheel in the lobby of our Student Center.
But an IT director handing out cheese and talking about technology isn't a huge attraction, so as an added "draw" (and because of my Scottish ancestry) I wore my kilt! An IT guy in a kilt handing out cheese and talking about technology basically advertises itself.
And yes, I plan to do that again this year.
I look forward to you joining me on Thursday, September 20 in the Student Center for another Big Block of Cheese Day event. See you then!
