Southeastern NEWS

                                                       Southeastern Louisiana University
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                                           SLU 880, Hammond, LA 70402
                                           504/549-2341/fax 504-549-2061
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    Date: 3/17/97
      Contact:                           Christina Chapple  1

SLU PRESIDENT, STUDENTS SEE UNIVERSITY LIFE FROM THE OTHER SIDE
     HAMMOND -- Southeastern Louisiana University President Sally Clausen and "SLU
President for a Day" Lane Director joked around as they exchanged jobs Monday morning, but
by the day's end, both claimed to have new insight into what it is like to be a university president
what it's like to be a student.
     Director got Clausen's job by winning "The Big Switch," a drawing sponsored annually
as a scholarship fundrasier by the SLU Student Foundation. Before the two went their separate
ways at 8 a.m., Director gave the president his meal card and Clausen gave him her reserved
parking space. Clausen was headed for  two business classes and two shifts as an SLU
Enrollment Services student worker; Director was scheduled for a high level budget hearing, a
power lunch and a meeting with State Representative Henry "Tank" Powell of Ponchatoula.
     Sharply turned out in a green blazer and Southeastern tie, Director told Clausen he had
considerately placed $4 to $5 on his "Lions Express" card, which students can use in campus
eateries and softdrink and copy machines. "I can really use this?" asked Clausen. Dressed in
jeans and a navy t-shirt and toting a heavy-looking booksack, she doubtfully eyed the card that
plainly pictured Director.
     "As president of the university, I have no problem with that at all," said Director. "If
anyone asks if the picture is you, just tell them you had problems with your hair today."
     "I had to walk over here, since I couldn't find a parking space," Clausen groused to her
temporary substitute. "Who says it only takes ten minutes to cross campus? It took me a good 20
minutes and I had all these books to carry. Do y'all think of the students when you make
decisions!"
     "I'll have to take that up with my vice presidents," returned Director. "Just think about the
value of your education. You're one of 14,592 warm, friendly and loving students at this
university."
     After taking notes in Director's early morning accounting class -- for which she was
slightly tardy -- Clausen hoofed it across campus to the Visitor's Center, where she filled in for
Director as a campus tour leader. 
     "That was really fun," said Clausen. "The prospective student is interested in history, so
we visited with (History and Government Department head) Roman Heleniak. Since he also
wanted to observe a class, we asked Professor Howard Nichols if we could come into his. He
very graciously agreed and that cinched it. The student is going to come to Southeastern. I felt
like I was part of that success, but most of the credit goes to Mr. Nichols and Dr. Heleniak."
     Clausen admitted that the student and his father were "perplexed" to discover that their
tour was being led by the university president. "I had to explain twice," she laughed. "They
thought I was truly a student worker."
     After spending three hours Monday afternoon behind the service counter in the
Enrollment Services Office, Clausen said she "learned a lot about how hard working these
student workers are how many students they take care of during the day." Her duties included 
helping students to drop and add courses and to obtain transcripts and handing out newly arrived
class schedule bulletins.
     "I've only done 'the Big Switch' twice, but each time I've gotten a different kind of
appreciation of the experience," Clausen said. "I've found that there is no such thing as 'the
average student.'" While her Big Switch schedule was light last year, Monday "I literally worked
all day," Clausen said.
     "I was very honored to represent Dr. Clausen," said Director. "When I first came to
Southeastern, I wasn't very active around campus because I have a speech impediment," he said
frankly. "But I've been really active these last two years. Southeastern is my home away from
home."
     "I wish this could go on for a week," he grinned, seated in the President's office, where
his own name tag temporarily hid Clausen's on the president's desk. "I learned a great deal. For
instance, the university president has to have a very open mind. It isn't easy sitting behind this
desk." 
     Clausen was able, by the way, to use Director's Lion's Express card. "I charged $4.22,"
she said, for a quick lunch at the campus Chick-fil-A.
     "It was a great day," said Clausen, as she stuffed envelopes at the Enrollment Services
counter at about 3:20 p.m. "But I'm beginning to look at the clock now!"

                                 -SLU-