Appalachian Ambassadors sponsor ‘Chancellor for a Day’ contest

Beth Bliss, News Editor

An Appalachian State University student will switch places with Chancellor Francis T. Borkowski for one day, in a contest sponsored by the Appalachian Student Ambassadors.

To enter the contest, students this week have brought canned goods to the Ambassadors’ information booth in the student union, said Student Ambassadors President, Brad Sparks.

The canned goods donations constitute entry into the contest; the winner will be announced at Saturday’s football game. Students may still enter the contest through 2 p.m. today in the student union.

The idea was proposed to the group by Borkowski, who wanted to revive the tradition begun by senior classes throughout the years, said Sparks.

Seniors typically used the contest as a way to raise funds for the senior class, said Sparks. The contest was not held last year, and Borkowski asked the Ambassadors to pick up the contest, due in part to his own interest in trading places with a student for a day to experience student life.

The Ambassadors wanted to combine the contest with some aspect of community service, Sparks said.

Instead of using the contest as a fund-raising opportunity, the Ambassadors instead made the contest entry fee two canned goods to be donated to the Watauga County Hunger Coalition.

“We wanted to do this for a charitable cause,” said Sparks.

Response to the contest has been somewhat slow, but Sparks attributes this to a lack of information on the part of the student body.

“Since it’s a first-year thing, a lot of people don’t know what it is,” he said. “We just wanted to see what we could do (this year).”

However, the Ambassadors hope to continue the Chancellor for a Day contest and eventually make it a well-known campus tradition, he said.

Once the winner is selected, the actual switch will occur Nov. 24, said Ambassador Charity Greene. “The chancellor will actually switch places with the student, and the student will work as the chancellor,” Greene said.

During the day, the “newly-appointed” chancellor will work in B.B. Dougherty Administration Building, said Greene.

Duties will include attending meetings, answering phone calls made to Borkowski, eating lunch with officials and answering the chancellor’s mail, she said.

In turn, Borkowski will follow the student’s daily schedule, attending classes, eating in the cafeteria and visiting the post office and student union, said Greene.

Some safeguards exist in the contest, Greene said. Someone will be with the student chancellor all day to serve as a mentor and guide, she said.

In addition, Student Ambassadors will accompany Borkowski during his day as a student. “It will be structured and organized,” Greene said.
 

Thank you for visiting The Appalachian Online. We hope you enjoy browsing our site to catch up on the latest news that affects Appalachian State University and our community. We welcome your ideas and suggestions.