Mr. President

President Joe with Mack the Bulldog, Union College Mascot
Well, election time is just two days away. Will it be Obama or McCain? Just think, in only two more days candidates can start vying for the 2012 nomination!

There was an earlier election you probably never heard about. It was an election for a two year term as the President of the Union College Alumni Association. It was my great honor to win that election.

Since graduating in 1966, I have credited Union College with being a part of every success of my life. This United Methodist-related liberal arts college in SE Kentucky was founded in 1879, and today has 700+ undergraduate students and more than 1,000 graduate students from 24 states and 14 foreign nations. Union prides itself on its one-to-one relationships and its dedication to making every student a part of a very special personal learning experience. The faculty-student ratio is 1:12.

Majors are available in more than two dozen disciplines, along with a Masters program. Union College helps students make learning connections. Students are given opportunities for practical applications through a liberal arts curriculum that is academically rigorous. Upon admission to the College, students begin a process whereby career counselors and academic advisors help them articulate career goals, select academic courses of study appropriate to those goals, and achieve suitable placement upon completion of their studies.

A wide variety of intercollegiate sports are available, and academic and athletic scholarships are abundant.

I owe Union College more than I could repay in my lifetime. Union has thousands of very dedicated alumni with similar stories. Perhaps some small portion can be repaid while I am "Mr. President."