It’s not the first quirky request the Center for Constructive Alternatives office has received from a speaker.
On Sunday night, CCA speaker P.J. O’Rourke asked for a glass of scotch during his book signing.
Junior Amanda Rubino, who works in the CCA office, said interacting with speakers and Hillsdale College donors during CCA weeks is one of the more interesting and entertaining parts of the job.
“One guy asked us to point him to the nearest pub,” she said. “Everybody thinks [the donors] are funny. There’s a lot of smiling and nodding. Most of them are genuinely sweet people.”
While most students on campus only think about the CCA two weeks out of the semester, preparing for the CCA is an ongoing process.
“We start planning for CCAs at least a year in advance,” said Timothy Caspar, associate vice president for external affairs. “We are putting the finishing touches on the CCAs for next year, and they should be finalized by the end of next week.”
The CCA office sends out invitations to the speakers six or seven months in advance and requests a photo and a biography to prepare flyers and the introduction speeches. They also oversee the travel arrangements.
As CCA week approaches, the student workers tie up loose ends. They create and stuff information packets with a schedule of events, nametags, and a map of campus. They also make place cards for the head tables at the dinners and compile a list of the classes that guests are welcome to sit in on.
The dinners are catered by Saga, Inc. Caspar said he works closely with Kevin Kirwan, general manager of Saga, to create the menu. Rubino said Saga prepares great meals for the event.
“My favorite part of the job is the desserts,” Rubino said. “We always check to see what desserts are coming up in the week.”
Rubino said they also contact students to introduce the speakers and say the invocation and pledge of allegiance at the dinners.
“We try to choose student leaders,” she said. “They’re the face of Hillsdale when they’re here.”
Rubino said the donors and other guests who come to the CCA enjoy the opportunity to meet the students.
“One woman said she couldn’t believe she was so privileged to talk to a real Hillsdale College student,” she said.
The more people that come to the CCA, the more hectic the week becomes. Rubino said they work between 10 and 12 hours a day.
“If you’re not in class,” she said, “you’re going to be here to answer questions and point.”
At the “Reagan: A Centenary Retrospective” CCA last semester, 350 guests attended one meal.
“It was the largest one since I’ve been here,” said Mary Jo Von Ewegen, assistant to the associate vice president for external affairs.
Rubino said she and junior Ashley Logan had a lot of work to do in order to keep up with the number of guests at that particular CCA.
“Ashley and I pulled an all-nighter,” she said.
At the Sunday dinner this week, 309 guests attended, which Von Ewegen said was typically the average. As for the students, 275 students can be registered to take a CCA. For the upcoming CCA, “Science Fiction Films of the 1950s,” there are about 30 students on the waitlist.
After the CCAs are over, the students working in the office alphabetize the papers and the waiver forms.
“We triple-check the waiver forms,” she said. “There is nothing worse than not getting credit for something you did.”
