Centralight

He sported cowboy boots and jeans while playing Luther Vandross on his iPod. She wore a purple dress and suit jacket and prepared for a full day of meetings. It was an ordinary November Tuesday at CMU for everyone on campus – except for President George E. Ross and Student Government Association President Marie Reimers, who decided to trade places for the day in order to gain a better understanding of each other's lives and roles. Ross' first surprise: a pop quiz in women's studies. Junior Reimers is a triple major in women's studies, political science and sociology. "I haven't been an undergrad in 40 years," Ross says. "And, I had no idea what her classes were. I checked out a book from the library to read ahead and then her professor changed the lesson plan." His fallback strategy? Take as many notes as possible. "Marie can't get those lectures back," he says. "So I was pretty nervous about taking good notes for her." What happened when CMU president George Ross traded places with the SGA president Meanwhile, Reimers spent the day meeting with vice presidents, development officers, individuals from CMU Research Corp., the Isabella County Commission and the Mount Pleasant city manager. She also presented at the Academic Senate meeting – something that initially made her nervous. "The Academic Senate really enjoyed the address," she says. "Plus, they thought it was hilarious that President Ross was off somewhere on campus taking a quiz." Ross formed the idea for the switch, inspired by a similar undertaking at the University of Tennessee Chattanooga, where he previously had served as executive vice chancellor. "I'm responsible for the students here," he says. "I got a chance to be in classrooms and interact with students and faculty members. And, I wanted to expose Marie to what the university looks like from the president's chair." Reimers says the experience was rewarding for her, too, and she'd like to do it again. Ross says he'd like to make the switch an annual tradition. "I didn't make Ross go to my 7:45 a.m. yoga class, but next year I totally would," says Reimers, adding that she was still waiting to hear back on the results of the pop quiz. • TEXT BY MORGAN MACDERMAID PHOTOGRAPHS BY STEVE JESSMORE, '81 TUESDAY Freaky Freaky TUESDAY 7 centralight spring '14

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