Madison Shumway
Life Editor
When ISU named former assistant vice president and dean of students at the University of Iowa, Lyn Redington, as its new Vice President for Student Affairs last January, many students, staff and members of the community felt that the university was on the upswing.
At the time, ISU was conducting its nationwide search for its next president. When Kevin Satterlee began heading university operations in June, and then when school started up in August, a number of initiatives spearheaded by the Satterlee Administration, demonstrated to the ISU community that its leaders cared about their input.
Two of these initiatives, “Coffee with Kevin” and “Open Office Hour” with Redington, brought two of ISU’s highest-ranking executives face-to-face with students and faculty members. At the events, Satterlee and Redington respectively meet with everyone who shows up to voice concerns or ask questions about the university.
At one open office hour, hosted Thursday, Nov. 8 in the Veteran Student Services Center Lounge, Redington answered eight questions for The Bengal’s readers.
Q: Why are you holding student office hours?
A: Honestly, because my job title tells me what I am to do, and that is I work for students. So I want to make sure students know who I am, and I want to learn how I can help and how I can support students and staff. So we have a lot of folks who are passionate about this institution and passionate about students and their success. I’ve also learned that we have a lot of things that I would say are kind of like low-hanging fruits. So how can we fix the temperature in the math lab? Why aren’t we teaching this particular class? And it’s not that there are easy fixes, but at least we can find out the answers to them.
Q: ISU is now partnered with ad agency Mitchell Palmer. So let’s say they want a total rebrand of the university, and they’re like, “No more Bengal.” If you had to pick a new animal to be ISU’s mascot, what would it be?
A: Goodness, that’s a hard question. I would say, maybe Hero [the fluffy canine mascot that hangs around the Veterans Student Services Center].
Q: What is one thing you wish ISU students knew?
A: I hope that ISU students know that every single faculty and staff person I’ve talked to since I’ve been here cares for and cares about our students and their success. I truly hope our students know that. And that however they define success, we are there to help them reach that.
Q: Let’s say you go to the Bengal Theatre for a movie. What snacks and candy do you get at the counter?
A: Popcorn with a boatload of butter. I love soggy, buttery popcorn. The best way is you get the popcorn and you put the butter on, and then you might have to eat a little bit, and then you put more butter on, and then you bring it home and you let it marinate for about 24 hours and then you eat it. Amazing.
Q: If you weren’t ISU’s Vice President for Student Affairs, what might you be doing instead?
A: Here’s my true career goal. I want to win the lottery. I don’t play the lottery, but I want to win the lottery. I want to become a philanthropist, so I can give away money to help other people impact success. Then as a side job, I want to be a tester of lazy rivers.
I’ve got twin daughters of my own here in college, and then I have a step-daughter, and she has a one-and-a-half-year-old son and twin boys on the way, and then the other thing I want to do is just be a grandma.
Q: When you’re on campus and you need a bite to eat, where is your favorite place to go?
A: The Game Center. Pretzel. I really like that. Although yesterday for the first time, I ate at the Rendezvous, and I had their noodles. It was really good. I think Vicky made it for me. It was delicious.
Q: What’s a piece of advice you wish someone had told you in college?
A: There’s a book by Sheryl [Sandberg], she works at Facebook. She wrote “Lean In.” Excellent book. I wish that when I was in school, someone had told me to take advantage of all the different opportunities. You will learn just as much outside of the class as in class. I think I hesitated more often than I wish I had. I perhaps was on the periphery more than I should have been. I wish that I had been told to and been encouraged to get involved.
Q: What do you love about ISU?
A: Everything. I really do. I really do. I love the fact that the people who are here want to be here. I love the fact that there are so many opportunities. Most of all, I really appreciate and love that we are truly a student-centered, student-focused campus.
