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Live from the Hill, it's ... lunchtime!

By Kari VanDerVeen and David Gonnerman '90
May 21, 2012

A screenshot of President David R. Anderson '74 delivering his Lunchtime Live address in February.

President David R. Anderson '74 enters the Heritage Room in Buntrock Commons and heads for the table in the corner. On his way there he greets the staff operating the equipment — camera, lighting, and mobile streaming flypack — that makes his Lunchtime Live presentations possible. After checking his iPad for any new questions that have been submitted by alumni and parents, Anderson takes one more glance at his opening remarks.

Then the director of Broadcast Media starts the countdown: "10, nine, eight … ," switching to silent hand signals at "five."

"Good afternoon, and welcome to Lunchtime Live," says the president to the camera. "Thank you for joining us today."

For the next 30 minutes, Anderson discusses the state of the college before taking questions submitted before and during his address. Those questions — which have ranged from "What would you consider to be the ideal student enrollment at St. Olaf?" to "What are the plans for the old administration building?" — provide an opportunity for the president to engage directly with alumni and parents all over the world.

And that's exactly what Lunchtime Live was created to do. Launched in the fall of 2011, the webcast aims to give Oles everywhere the opportunity to have a virtual lunchtime conversation with the president. It provides alumni and parents with an easy way to stay abreast of what's happening on campus and follow up with questions.

Broadcast live online three times a year, the program is also archived on the college's multimedia site (including the November and February addresses from this year).

The third and final Lunchtime Live of the academic year will take place at noon central time on Thursday, May 24. So pull up a chair, unwrap a sandwich, and join the conversation.

Contact Kari VanDerVeen at 507-786-3970 or vanderve@stolaf.edu.