Spend the next two minutes getting to know this keen observer, snazzy dresser, and familiar presence for frequent SUB visitors.
Where is your favourite place on campus?
Right where you found me. I once tried sitting over by the hoodie section, and it just wasn’t the same. I know it’s not always easy to tell, but I actually like seeing everyone who comes in. They might not always see me, but I always see and appreciate them.
Tablet or paper?
I don’t think my paws — or my claws — would work well on either.
Name one thing you’ve brought to work from home.
Does my personality count?
What is the one thing you can’t live without?
A good back scratch. That’s why I like to lean against the table.
If you won airfare to anywhere in the world, where would you go?
I’m comfortable where I am. If I need to escape, I’ll visit the Hundred Acre Woods or some other place in a book.
You can invite anyone — alive or dead, real or fictional — to dinner. Who would it be?
Marion Kirby Alexander. You could say that she’s been an inspiration for some of my fashion choices.
If you could switch jobs with someone else on campus for a week, what would you do?
It might be nice to switch places with one of the photographers for a day. I could see what it’s like to be on the other side of a camera.
What does “uplifting the whole people” mean to you?
At the start of every semester and at convocation time, I see thousands of students and their families pass through the doors in front of me. They all look eager — and maybe a little nervous — like they’re ready to take on a new challenge. They look ready to start a new chapter. The motivation to move things forward that this place inspires in them is what “uplifting the whole people” means to me.
If you could solve any problem in the world, what would it be?
Indifference.
What 3 words best describe your U of A experience?
I’m a bear.
Often lost in deep thought, the bear is a familiar presence on North Campus. He welcomes patrons of The Bookstore, poses for graduation selfies, and observes the changing trends of campus life. And like other literary focused bears, he’s stuffed with fluff, although his opinions on honey remain unknown.
This interview has been heavily edited for length and clarity… because giant teddy bears aren’t very talkative.