Q & A with Dr. Anderson

At a glance

Dr. John M. Anderson, the 11th president of Alfred State College, can be seen in the stands rooting on Alfred State athletes. He recently took the time to answer a few questions from the sports information department.

Tue, 12/23/2008 - 07:16

Dr. John M. Anderson, the 11th president of Alfred State College, can be seen in the stands rooting on Alfred State athletes. He recently took the time to answer a few questions from the sports information department.

Describe the importance of the athletic program at Alfred State? Like any extra-curricular activity, athletics is an integral part of the educational mission at Alfred State College. Athletics provides an opportunity to foster leadership and team building skills. One of the most important attributes needed for successful careers is the ability to work well with colleagues. What better place to develop that skill than on an athletic team. Athletics also provides a forum to instill and nurture our core values of excellence, integrity and respect.

What are your thoughts on that athletic action you have seen this year at Alfred State? The fall season was terrific with a good number of our teams participating in post-season play. With many of our teams I was particularly impressed with the enthusiasm of our players and coaches and also the sportsmanship they displayed. As with any College, there are teams that struggle and teams that excel and Alfred State is no different. Of course we would love to have more teams excelling and I am sure the coaches are working hard to achieve that goal.

What are your thoughts of the new field on campus? It has added a whole new dimension to our college and benefits the players as well as the fans among the student body and in the community. Our plans are to build a "gateway" or entrance building that will have a ticket office, concession stand, storage and restrooms. This will add yet another dimension to the area and I feel make it look more like a stadium than just a field.

Did you play sports in high school/college? What sports? Yes, Lacrosse (defense) and I still have my wooden defense stick! Boy, that sure dates me.

Who has been your biggest influence? I have had a few great mentors in my life; three former faculty members/advisors and a former boss, all of whom I remain in contact with. They have been my "lifelines" throughout life starting from when I was a teenager to now.

What is on your iPod? My choice of music is an eclectic mix of traditional and contemporary folk, blues and rock. My mood dictates what I listen to.

If you could have superpowers, what would they be? I would want to fly-I hate flying commercial!

Name 3 people, past or present, that you would like to golf with? I don't golf, however I fly fish and would love to take Eric Clapton (my guitar hero who also fly fishes), Abraham Lincoln (underrated sense of humor), and Mother Teresa (the most principled-centered person I could imagine). Of course I wouldn't want to take them all at once, though that would be a very interesting day on the river!