It was an exciting week for one lucky Trustee.
Dr. Peter Townsend found a golden ticket, a special prize which granted him admission to the annual Trustee meeting.
"I wasn't expecting that!," said Townsend. "I just opened up my Werther's Original, and there it was!"
The golden ticket was one of three coveted certificates hidden in Werther's Original Caramels all over campus. The Vice Regent of Education and Landscaping, Samuel Shandy, distributed the tickets earlier this year as part of a promotional event designed to give "backstage" access to the decision-making process.
"We had hoped to provide a glimpse into the inner-workings of our university," said Shandy. "We were thrilled when we heard the honor was being bestowed to one of our own Trustees!"
Student Celia Ward discovered the first ticket several weeks ago. Unfortunately, Celia was ineligible to attend the meeting because of her status as a current student. She was, however, permitted to wait outside the building.
The second ticket was discovered by a member of the house-keeping staff who promptly disposed of it, not knowing what she had found.
Then, just 2 days before the Trustee meeting, the third ticket turned up in Dr. Townsend's office when he selected the winning candy from the bowl on his desk.
Unable to contain his excitement, Dr. Townsend took the news to Twitter immediately.
@juniperview766: I GOT A GOLDEN TICKET!!!!!!!! WOOOOOHOOO!!!!! #schnozberriestastelikeschnozberries
The special day began with a tour of the conference room. A university representative met Dr. Townsend at the door, presenting him with a program and an explanation of the ground rules. After an engaging and informative presentation, Trustee Townsend was ushered into a special viewing area mere minutes before the meeting began.
"They were excellent seats. I was able to see the whole conference table."
As the decision-makers filed into the room, Dr. Townsend was able to greet them and even shake their hands.
"It really was an honor to step into a Board meeting and see how things work. I'm just thrilled to have been a part of it!" said Dr. Townsend.
Dr. Townsend has served as University Trustee for 3 terms of office, a total of 12 years.
