April 25, 2012
CUA President John Garvey recently held a press conference. Twenty-four members of the press corps fired questions at him for nearly an hour and nothing was off limits. Garvey was the guest of honor at The Art of the Interview, an undergraduate media studies and politics course, taught by Dennis Wholey, host of the weekly PBS television show, "THIS IS AMERICA with Dennis Wholey." Wholey, who earned his bachelor's degree at CUA in speech and drama in 1959, said his class goes beyond teaching journalistic interviewing skills. It teaches "life skills," he says. "Knowing how to ask questions and listen to the answers arms you with the tools to be successful in all aspects of life. We all need to know how to gather information."The juniors and seniors in the course have spent most of the semester perfecting "the art of the interview" and decided they wanted a "person of importance" on whom they could test their skills. Garvey was their first choice and he accepted readily.Wholey, who has more than 35 years experience as a successful television host and producer and best-selling author, started with a few warm-up questions for Garvey. Knowing that the topic of undergraduate education has been a priority of Garvey's first two years as Catholic University's President, he opened with this topic. Garvey's answer was familiar to the students. He frequently talks about the interplay of intellect and virtue. "At Catholic University, it matters a lot what kind of people our students become," he said. Garvey didn't have a familiar answer for Wholey's last question. "What is the single most important lesson you have learned in life?"Garvey thought for a second and then mentioned that the night before, he and his wife, Jeanne, had been invited by a student organization to give a lecture on the topic of marriage as a vocation. President and Mrs. Garvey have been married for 37 years and he says that during their talk on marriage they each shared that raising their five children was the single most important accomplishment of their lives. Raising children, he noted, taught him the lesson of humility, which has made him a better "leader, president, and teacher. ...more patient and more open to learning from others."Each of the students had a turn asking questions, ranging from Garvey's personal life to his life as University President. Some of the questions were complex, others quite simple. Some even required one-word answers. Chocolate or vanilla? The President prefers chocolate. What does he love most about being President? The students, he said. As the questions came to him at a steady pace, his connection with the students was clear. He greeted each one by name and answered each with an obvious joy."What is your interaction with the Pope on a personal basis," asked a student. "It is limited to a 30-second handshake on my birthday," answered the President with a laugh. But he added that because Catholic University is a pontifical university, he does have contact with the Vatican. "My siblings were particularly impressed that I needed Vatican approval for my job."What two items are always on your desk," asked another."Two pads of paper. One has a list of telephone calls I plan to make that day and the other has a list of projects. I keep that list to six priority items." Garvey explained that his day could easily fill up with emails, letters, meetings, and other administrative tasks. The two lists help him focus on priorities. What does he miss most about Boston since moving to Washington, D.C., nearly two years ago?"I can't get [local] news of the Red Sox, Celtics, and Patriots. But the good news is all those teams have made it easy for me to forget that recently." He doesn't see himself becoming a Nationals or a Redskins fan, he added. Who was his role model growing up?Garvey named a few, including his father, a small-town lawyer who inspired him to become a lawyer, but spent the most time talking about his grandfather, who ran a steel mill. "He lived next door to us and he was my hero. He was the kindest man I ever met," said Garvey. His grandparents were married 70 years and he told the students that the desk chair in his office is "from Grandma and Grandpa's library."Garvey was asked about the high cost of college, his decision to phase in single-sex residence halls at the University, how to engage alumni, initiatives to recruit more Hispanic students to the University, religious freedom, the general election, and how to succeed in law school. When asked what surprised him most when he first came to Catholic University, he said "How beautiful the campus is." But he said he is looking forward to further improving it as outlined in the University's Master Plan that awaits approval by the D.C. Zoning Commission. He said he wants to get rid of the McMahon Hall parking lot in the middle of campus, which he called an "acre of asphalt and chrome" that needs to be turned into beautiful recreation space for students who live on campus. When asked what his favorite app is, he named Navigon, a navigation system that "changed my life. I plug in the directions and a lady tells me what to do."One of the students wanted to know if he has a favorite moment from his time as President.That would be the student inaugural ball, he told them. "The students were so happy to see Jeanne and me. I still can't get over it. What a thrill."Wholey got the last question. "President Garvey, many of these students are seniors who are about to graduate. Can you give them a one-minute graduation address?""Continue to come back after you graduate and tell people what a great place this is.""That simple?" asked Wholey."Yes," said Garvey, who stayed long after class ended for discussion and follow-up questions with the students. "It was great to have an open floor with the President," said Juliette Lacombe, a senior media studies student from Detroit. "He was so genuine and so forthcoming," added Caitlin Walters, a senior politics student from Woodbury, N.J.
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