My beautiful niece Amber has decided to attend SUU to finish her degree. When she made the official announcement I could not have been more excited. I asked her if I could take her down for a campus tour. She agreed and we planned the day. In the meantime I made mention to a few friends (fellow T-Birds) about my excitement regarding my niece finding her way to SUU. They were all very excited as well and made such comments as: "It's about time another Painter went to SUU." and "Oh, I can't wait to start telling her stories". Yes, my friends always know just what to say.
The day of return was set to arrive. One of my good friends labeled it as "Clinton Painter's Triumphant Return to SUU." I would have gone with (in the manner of Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson) -- "Finally, The Clint has come back to Ce-Dar CitY!
I had done my very best to schedule a great day for both of us. One that would introduce Amber to the great things and people of SUU as well as provide me with an opportunity to visit with and catch-up with friends. Campus tour was schedule for 10:15, the first part of the tour is an informational slide show containing all the pertinent data about the school, classroom sizes, population, etc., etc., etc. That part of the tour is definitely more "High Tech" than the campus tours I used to give. The rest of the tour was pretty standard fare, walking from building to building looking inside classrooms and lecture halls. Best part was Amber had her schedule with her, so we were able to identify all the buildings for her classes.
After completion of the tour, we went to lunch with my good friend Mindy Benson, who now serves as Director of Alumni Relations (or something like that). Good time catching up with her as well as a great opportunity to for her and Amber to meet. It makes me feel comfortable to know that if Amber is ever away and is in need of immediate assistance she will feel comfortable about asking Mindy for help. Mindy also has a great rapport with college age students and was able to offer ideas and suggestions to Amber.
Due to the timing of our visit it was Alumni Days at the Shakespeare Festival and we were able to score some fantastic seats for "Anything Goes". While watching this production I was reminded of the top-notch level of the Festival plays. A thoroughly enjoyable experience. We finished up at the Festival and caught a few minutes with Keri Mecham, another great friend from my SUU days. She is now working at the Director of Student Activities. (I know her title is an expanded title, but this is what the position was called when I was there.) Keri touted to Amber the importance of being involved and meeting new people and doing new things.
Once our campus visit was done, I gave the grand and official tour of Cedar City. When approaching 300 West and 300 South it is a good thing I was sitting down as I discovered my old home of the Sigma Chi house is now a parking lot. I was shocked and could not believe it. I took a drive around the block and counted houses again to verify that it was really gone. It was! It was kind of a somber moment for me as that house held many fond memories. I knew the Sigs were no longer living in the house, but I did not know a parking lot had taken the place of "the house".
Our last stop before leaving town was to grab a quick bite for dinner at Brad's Food Hut. Walking in the doors I remember what a Body By Bronco Burger does for a person. Nevertheless, I still ordered a Bronco Burger and fries. Amber chose more wisely than I, but you can't complete the memory with incorrect food!
The day turned out to be a great experience for Amber. She told me what a good day it was and she was very glad we had made the journey. Likewise, I enjoyed the day and reflected on many great moments from my time on campus. While Nephi is home and always truly has been, Cedar City is definitely my home away. I look forward to again returning to campus. I was told by multiple people that I should make it more frequently than once every decade. Maybe...we will see.
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