Don Gentry, former vice provost for engagement, former dean of the College of Technology (prior to its renaming as 鶹ƷInstitute), and a current member of the 鶹Ʒ Retirees Association, celebrated an unusual anniversary. Thirty years ago, Gentry and five university friends united to discuss and demonstrate their fondness for 鶹Ʒ. They formed a club and dubbed it “Positive about Purdue.”
Besides Gentry, the other Positive about Purdue members are:
- John Sautter, who served as vice president for housing and food services before retiring and now works part time for the Purdue Alumni Association
- Nancy Cross, senior associate athletics director
- Nikki Horner, who was associate director of the alumni association before retiring
- Gerald Krockover, professor emeritus of earth, atmospheric and planetary sciences
Robert Britt, who served as director of the Purdue Student Health Center before retiring, was a sixth group member who passed away.
One of the perks of being in the Positive about Purdue club is lunch — not what the lunch is as much as where the lunch is. Group members have eaten lunch at a different Purdue location every time they’ve met. Lunch locations have included the 50-yard line of Ross-Ade Stadium, the Loeb Playhouse stage in Stewart Center, the flight simulator in the Purdue Airport and Mackey Arena.
“It’s almost a competition because we try to find a different venue for every meeting,” Cross said. “If it’s your turn to pick the location, you have a chance to take everyone somewhere special.”
This semester, the Positive about Purdue group marked its 30th year in existence with a lunch at the Stacked Pickle on Northwestern Avenue, a campus location that wasn’t even in existence when the group began.
“We always look forward to our next meeting,” said Cross.