Centenary College "President-Student Swap Day" Means Trading Places for Schwab, Bryan on Friday, Oct. 26

SHREVEPORT, LA -- Centenary College "President" Erin Bryan will pull into her reserved parking space around 8 a.m. Friday (Oct. 26) prior to a day of back-to-back meetings with college administrators and others who may demand to speak to the president.

Before the day is out and her business attire is binding, she is likely to hear more than one staff member's request for a raise or student's suggestion for a campus wide holiday. Special funding requests and tuition reduction pleas are also a good bet. Even lunch will be on the run as she shares sandwiches with a reunion planning group in the Gold Dome.

At the same time, casually clad "Student" Ken Schwab will hunt for an open spot in a student parking lot before a 10 a.m. history class. He will have just enough time to duck into the dining hall for an hour-long lunch with two fellow students before heading to a noon p.m. human relations class.

After class, he could take a break in the Fitness Center or Moore Student Union Building before attending a Centenary Activities Board meeting set from 2 to 2:30 p.m. After that, it is student's choice as to how to spend a beautiful Friday afternoon and evening. One late-night possibility: the wrap-up of Centenary's Alcohol Awareness Week with "sobriety rewards" held in the James and Cline residence hall lobbies between 11 p.m. and 1 a.m.

On any other day this year, Bryan is a senior psychology major from Shreveport, and Schwab is actually Centenary's president.

However, the two will be walking a mile in each other's shoes on Friday during the college's annual President-Student Swap Day. Although approached with a bit of humor, the day is designed to promote understanding and communication on campus.

The day, however, is almost certainly followed by a sad reality. Any raises, dispensations or holidays granted on Friday are likely to be rescinded on the next business day.

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