HELEN NICKERSON, Photo Editor—As Denison students, we all know what a typical day in the life of a college student is like. But, what about the President? Besides, the administrative obligations of running a prestigious, liberal arts college, how does our President think and what does he value?
When recently interviewed, President Weinberg became most animated about his love of learning, appreciation for friendships, being excited by differences and committed to things larger than himself.
I’ve “always been open to learning and open to criticism, and always sought out people who would tell me the things, I perhaps, didn’t want to hear but knew I needed to in order to grow,” he says.
He observes that by senior year many of us are willing to let our guards down and branch out with others who may see the world differently than we do. “It’s one of the great things about Denison — there are so many smart, interesting people on campus who come from so many different backgrounds.”
For first-years his advice is to dive into academics and embrace failure. “Struggle is a necessary part of a great college experience. You are gonna get back papers that have a lot of red ink on them and I want everyone to learn how to fail forward.”
“I want Denison to be a great experience, but I don’t want college to be the best four years of your life. I want your life to be spectacular because of these four years” he said.
In his spare time, President Weinberg can be found practicing his relatively new hobby of golf at the Denison Golf Course, taking time to meditate and also reading books such as The Book of Joy, written by the Dalai Lama and Desmond Tutu and Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind, written by Yuval Noah Harari.
Looking forward, this summer residential halls will renovate around 800 beds to improve dorm conditions. The social energy that has been tied to the new Moonies buildings are enthusiastic. President Weinberg shares his excitement around social life, and how the energy that’s being started should be student-driven with their creativity and innovation. The Eisner Center is still a very exciting addition on campus due to the school’s strong influence in the arts where we “drip” with talent.
The full year of 2020 will bring the excitement of seniors graduation, renovations around campus, and growing our community as a wonderful academic, social environment for students and faculty.