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Sept. 1, 2006

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Manny & Katie

While Trinity University offers an exceptional learning environment for its students, staff members get to learn as well. In June, I had a lesson in what it was like traveling with our students.

Manny Gonzalez, ASR President, Katie Hampton, ASR Vice President, and I flew together to Emory University for a meeting of student government executives from small liberal arts schools in the South.

I met Katie, a San Antonio native, in the airport here at around 6:00 a.m. on our first travel day…   only to learn that she is a “morning person.” Her motor runs at the same speed, regardless of the time of day. We would have a 35-minute flight to Houston, where Manny would join us on our Atlanta leg. That meant I would have to be pleasant and act interested for more than half-an-hour until I received relief from Manny. In Houston, I saw my chance: “Why don’t you sit with Manny,” I said, “so you two can catch up.”

Although he claims he was hoping to sleep on that flight, Manny is a talker, too. I have to admit that I was proud listening to their conversation. I could tell the businessman in front of us was eavesdropping a little because he seemed to react positively to my humorous comments (though I have been known to imagine that trait in others before).

Rather than talking about parties, hooking up, dating, and tattoos, Manny and Katie discussed literature, travel in Europe, community service, and Manny’s muscles. (No conversation with Manny is complete without some reference to his guns and when – not if – he will end up removing his shirt.)

In any case, the more they talked, the more I wished I could contribute. The best I could offer was what I thought was a riveting comment about favorite breakfast cereals. So I went back to working my Sudoku puzzles, half-listening to their wisdom and half hiding in my private nine-digit world.

Manny and Katie weren’t the only impressive ones. We had a chance to spend lots of time with student leaders from Millsaps, Furman, Birmingham Southern, Centre, and Washington & Lee. They, too, were bright, articulate, sharp-witted, and cared deeply about their schools, though they kept their shirts on.

I learned that a Millsaps religious group held a fund-raiser where it continuously played “MmmmBop” by Hanson in the dining hall until enough money was raised to meet its goal. Apparently, this didn’t go well. I also gleaned that I am probably the only person my age who likes Hanson.

On the return flight from Atlanta, I think Manny wanted to sleep but never did. He and Katie yakked to each other during the 500-mile flight – again. I asked each of them privately if they cared that the other was such a talker. Neither seemed to mind. Manny did take up working Sudoku puzzles, though, and he said he became addicted. Maybe he just needed some quiet time.

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