2008 Woodie Awards
President Vailas and Free Ice Cream on the Quad
Martin Baker
Issue date: 8/30/06 Section: News
- Page 1 of 1
One Tuesday, August 22, nearly 100 students, faculty, and staff, all with ice cream in hand, gathered on the quad around a balloon-encompassed stage, awaiting the Presidential Address. Recently elected ASISU President, Ryan Sargent, started the windy afternoon with a warm greeting and stated that he is, "Proud to be a Bengal."
He assured eager onlookers that this year there is going to be a better ASISU, serving students the best way they can. He announced the formation of a new Government Relations Board, and he touched on a new textbook reform and a plan for statewide financial aid. After a brief teaser of things to come, Sargent turned the stage over to the newly inducted President of ISU, Dr. Arthur C. Vailas.
"It's exciting to be here," President Vailas said. "You have a great leadership crew. You also have a great faculty." As the black and orange balloons swirled in the wind, Vailas continued on, keeping his informal talk to a warm welcome back for returning students and a fresh greeting to the new freshmen. Vailas also revealed a few Easter-eggs for the upcoming year.
Dr. Vailas began his role as President July 1, only moving to Pocatello with his wife, Dr. Laura Vailas, from Houston, two days prior. On July 5, within the Stephens Performing Arts Center, he delivered a General Assembly Speech where he stated that, "Idaho State University is rich with opportunity." After declaring his intentions for the days to come, he reaffirmed that Idaho State University's number one priority is its students. He also made it clear to everyone that he had asked Academic Affairs to immediately engage in efforts to improve student retention. As his speech came to a close, he announced that he had established a President's Cabinet for the purpose of sharing information across various university groups, later naming each member of the newly created cabinet for recognition and applause.
In a recent interview, President Vailas revealed to me that he was working on decentralizing the university allowing individuals to reach their maximum potential, and also stated that he is aggressively making financial aid a number one priority. He closed the interview by telling me that, "The best part about this job is the students."
A video and a text version of his July 5 speech, "Looking to the Future", along with a brief bio of Dr. Vailas can be found by searching within ISU's webpage.
For students in Idaho Falls that are curious to who the new president is and what he's all about, there is a welcome reception scheduled for President Arthur Vailas and his wife, Dr. Laura Vailas scheduled for 7pm, Thursday, August 31, at the Bennion Student Union Building in Idaho Falls.
He assured eager onlookers that this year there is going to be a better ASISU, serving students the best way they can. He announced the formation of a new Government Relations Board, and he touched on a new textbook reform and a plan for statewide financial aid. After a brief teaser of things to come, Sargent turned the stage over to the newly inducted President of ISU, Dr. Arthur C. Vailas.
"It's exciting to be here," President Vailas said. "You have a great leadership crew. You also have a great faculty." As the black and orange balloons swirled in the wind, Vailas continued on, keeping his informal talk to a warm welcome back for returning students and a fresh greeting to the new freshmen. Vailas also revealed a few Easter-eggs for the upcoming year.
Dr. Vailas began his role as President July 1, only moving to Pocatello with his wife, Dr. Laura Vailas, from Houston, two days prior. On July 5, within the Stephens Performing Arts Center, he delivered a General Assembly Speech where he stated that, "Idaho State University is rich with opportunity." After declaring his intentions for the days to come, he reaffirmed that Idaho State University's number one priority is its students. He also made it clear to everyone that he had asked Academic Affairs to immediately engage in efforts to improve student retention. As his speech came to a close, he announced that he had established a President's Cabinet for the purpose of sharing information across various university groups, later naming each member of the newly created cabinet for recognition and applause.
In a recent interview, President Vailas revealed to me that he was working on decentralizing the university allowing individuals to reach their maximum potential, and also stated that he is aggressively making financial aid a number one priority. He closed the interview by telling me that, "The best part about this job is the students."
A video and a text version of his July 5 speech, "Looking to the Future", along with a brief bio of Dr. Vailas can be found by searching within ISU's webpage.
For students in Idaho Falls that are curious to who the new president is and what he's all about, there is a welcome reception scheduled for President Arthur Vailas and his wife, Dr. Laura Vailas scheduled for 7pm, Thursday, August 31, at the Bennion Student Union Building in Idaho Falls.
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