Small fish in a big Rodin Pond

During my three years at Penn, I've met Judy Rodin only twice -- on the same day. I was at the dessert reception in the Quad on the sixth day of freshman year, and I was flying. Not only did I have a triple-layer chocolate peanut butter crunch cake in my hand, but Judy had just rapturously summarized my class' mind-blowing profile and unquestioned potential to save the universe at Convocation. In another two weeks, the emotional fallout of first-year giddiness would kick in and we would start gossiping about one another like Survivor contestants on Oprah. But for now, we were the chosen ones, the pride of Penn. Suddenly, there she was, the visionary at the helm of this institution, moving among the masses. "Oh Captain, my Captain!" I exclaimed as Dr. Rodin approached me and asked my name. "Welcome to Penn, Erin," she said as she shook my hand. And then she did it again. Fifteen minutes later, after she'd completed another round of palm-pumping, she revisited my little group, totally forgetting that she'd already met us. Thus concluded my honeymoon with self-importance. I realized that I was a little fish in a big pond, as unmemorable as every other over-achieving Penn student. And Judy had more important fish to feed. Like kids on a playground, we want Rodin in our lives in the same way we want Mom watching from the park bench. On one hand, we yearn for her attention as we cross the monkey bars. On the other hand, we just want our weekly allowance and the keys to the car. As long as we've got plenty of places to buy lattes, it doesn't matter to most if Judy's not around to shoot the breeze. But while I do not want to talk current events with her at house parties each weekend, I would like a closer relationship. Currently, Dr. Rodin has no online suggestion box and no forum for give-and-take discussion of undergraduate policy issues. And remember that students had to camp out in her office for a week before she listened to them on the sweatshop issue. The student body criticizes Rodin for being a politician, citing stories of her wining and dining dignitaries, cutting ribbons and courting potential donors. I applaud her triumphs of diplomacy; I just wish she'd tend to the other side of being a politico -- rubbing elbows with the commoners. Judy should take a lesson from Roosevelt's fireside chats, Gore's town hall campaign stops and former Mayor Ed Rendell's regular outings to cheesesteak stands. Most of us couldn't recite three facts about Rodin. How many students are aware that she got her undergrad degree in Psychology from Penn, taught at Yale for 22 years and authored 10 books? Nobody knows where she really lives or who her mysterious husband is. What's behind her perennial smile and perfectly spun image? We know nothing about Judy, so we have invented a persona for her that we liberally pervert by way of revenge for her stubborn elusiveness. Mask and Wig relentlessly assails her femininity and 34th Street pommels her weekly. Even her dog, Butterfinger, attracted abuse in a DP April Fool's issue that accused the pup of defecating in Quad bathrooms. No one cuts Rodin any slack. She's CEO of the largest private employer in Philadelphia and overseer of 4,000 faculty, 12 schools, a nationally acclaimed hospital system and an organization that generates $4.3 billion for Pennsylvania's economy. Rarely do students discuss the fact that Penn has flourished under Judy's 6 1/2-year reign. Her long-term strategic plan, the Agenda for Excellence, has expanded interdisciplinary academic collaboration and nurtured the campus community through the college house system. She has followed through on commitments to better West Philadelphia and renovate campus facilities. Though I've met Judy only once -- sorry, twice -- I think she's a good head honcho. Three Ivy League schools -- Harvard, Brown and Princeton -- are shopping for presidents, and Judy's recent pledge of allegiance to Penn swells my pride. At the same time, I wish she'd sit beside us to cheer for the Quakers at the next big game. Judy, you're doing a good job. If you would only show up at Xando now and then, we could tell you so in person.

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