The First Day!

Arriving at 8 a.m. sharp, I could feel an electric current of anticipation in the Education Building. People in the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities booth were adding finishing touches before the doors opened to the public.

The chancellor arrived early, too, eager to meet parents, students and alumni.

Chancellor James McCormick talks with a group of fairgoers about
the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system.

Right on the dot at 9 a.m., the building opened and fairgoers poured in. I was amazed at the number of people who had been waiting patiently outside for the doors to open.

Marty Patterson, interim president of Hennepin Technical College, watches as a young
fairgoer tries his hand at the Wheel of Luck. The wheel spin, which occurs on the hour
beginning at 10 a.m., is a popular attraction.

Marty Patterson and Cecelia Cervantes, the newly named president-elect of Hennepin
Technical College, greeted visitors to the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities booth.

-- Michael