A few weeks ago I had the honor of interviewing Janet Morgan Riggs, our queen and fearless Khaleesi, known affectionately around campus as BaeMR. We spoke about liberal arts institutions, Lincoln, ice cream, and environmental stability, and throughout our time together I was mesmerized by her calm demeanor, tranquil voice, and ubiquitous smile. Here is what she said:
HC: What do you love about Gettysburg?
JMR: It’s hard for me to even separate myself from Gettysburg College; I had such a strong experience here as a student myself. It really shaped me as a person and as a professional. I don’t think there are many colleges that provide the kind of experience that we provide for our students; I think it’s about the best preparation you’re going to get.
Coming back as a faculty member, I feel like I’m so intertwined with this place. I met my husband here, so there’s this strong personal component as well.
HC: What are your goals for the college and its students over the next few years?
JMR: We’re in a strategic planning process, and we have just recently set three areas of focus for the future. One area is internationalization and inclusion, doing even more to inject an international focus into the student experience, and working towards a more inclusive campus environment. The second is to determine what is it that is truly distinctive about Gettysburg and provides a different student experience; we have a group that’s trying to articulate that. The third group is focused on innovation. Liberal arts colleges in particular have a reputation for not changing quickly, which in some ways is a strength. However, I do think that, given the way the world is moving, we have to be vigilant and nimble, able to respond to the changes that are happening around us.
HC: What sets Gettysburg apart from other liberal arts colleges?
JMR: The impulse is to list all the distinctive programs because you don’t find that particular cluster of programs anywhere else. But overall, I think there is a spirit here that is also distinctive to Gettysburg; there’s a can-do spirit among the faculty and staff and among the students. When I have conversations with students, I always walk away feeling really good. We have great students here. Our students take tremendous initiative, and they have an impact on the community in pretty profound ways. There is a liveliness and a desire to take initiative, and I hope that we reinforce that. For example, we have a student who is developing an institutional environmental sustainability plan for the school. She will make a mark on the College by building an integrative plan that lays out priorities. That’s such a great thing.
The Princeton Review ranked us among U.S. colleges that have students who study the most and students who are the happiest. There’s this general sense of engagement. Students work hard and they are very engaged—and they really like what they’re doing here. You wouldn’t find that on every campus.
So to sum up, it’s the people, the sense of community, the willingness to take action and to be involved.
HC: What’s your favorite ice cream flavor?
JMR: It’s pretty much a three-way tie between coffee, raspberry, and mint chocolate chip (but if pressed I would have to say that coffee is my favorite).
HC: What’s your favorite line of “The Gettysburg Address?”
JMR: “The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here.” It makes me laugh because Abraham Lincoln was wrong. Of course we remember what he said! However, it was a very humble statement, which I admire. But I like the line because it’s back to that focus on action, which I am a big believer in. We expect our students to do something of importance, to take action. It’s different than what you see at other places. We expect our students to go out and make a positive difference.
HC: How were things different when you attended Gettysburg as opposed to now? (And in which first-year dorm did you live?)
JMR: I was in Huber, 3rd floor. When I started, the ratio of men to women was 2:1; it was much harder to get in if you were female. It was much more regional, too, and almost everyone was from Pennsylvania or New Jersey. There was much less diversity with regard to race and ethnicity, and the opportunities for co-curriculars and clubs just weren’t there. There was a lot less to do. It was still a great education, of course. But the town was sleepier, and the College was smaller, only 1850 students. It was very different.
HC: What breed would you be if you were a dog?
JMR: A lab, they’re so friendly and loyal. Everyone likes labs, right?
HC: And finally, what’s your favorite thing about Servo?
JMR: They offer ice cream cones, and that’s very important.
Though the most important woman on our campus may be elusive, like a rare pokemon, she can still be spotted walking around campus with a big ol’ smile and a “hello” for everyone. She is daring, bold, and innovative. She is a fan of coffee ice cream. She is our president, O Captain our Captain, Gettysburg’s one and only.
She is JMR, and she’s pretty darn cool.