USD Magazine Fall 2015

notes from somebody, because I had missed the day before. It turned out that she had missed two days before that, so we exchanged notebooks at the end of class. The blizzard hit that night, and classes were cancelled for the rest of the week. We both came back and sat in the same chairs, both worried about whether or not our notes were going to come back. It was love at first sight for me. I don’t think it was for her.” How Jim Knew Mary Was “The One” “It was something in her voice.” How Mary Knew Jim Was “The One” “It was something in his voice.” Book Read on the Plane Returning from Family Summer Trip to Barcelona “The most recent book I’ve read was The Church of Mercy , by Pope Francis. It’s a collection of his homilies and writings. I read a biography about him this summer as well. He is an inspiration and the living embodi- ment of servant leadership.

(Not Really Feeling All That) Guilty Pleasure Jim’s dream meal would be barbecue ribs, Tony Packo’s “sweet hot” pickles and peppers, a bag of Ballreich’s potato chips, and an ice-cold IPA. Bonus points if this is consumed while watching House of Cards with Mary and the boys. Pitmaster-in-Chief Jim’s rib preparation is involved, and takes 8-12 hours from start to finish. “First, I sear them on the grill, put my special dry rub on them, and follow that with my wet sauce. I cook them low-and-slow in the oven at 250 degrees and keep basting them all day. I like my ribs juicy; the end result is probably closest to Memphis style.” For dessert? He makes a mean German Chocolate Cake. Yes, from scratch. now here’s a Somewhat Surprising Revelation “I love blues music. My favorite blues musicians include Stevie Ray Vaughn, Keb Mo and Buddy Guy. I love the feel of experiencing live music in a great blues establishment. My favorite place to hear the blues is in Chicago. What a great music town.”

A tale of two Presidents When Jimwas president of Widener University in Pennsylvania, then-Senator Barack Obama came to campus. “It was 2008, the week before the election, and it was a cold, rainy day. Twelve thousand people were gathered in this little quad on our campus and they’d been waiting in the cold for hours. When I went out to welcome everyone in front of the inter- national news media, they couldn’t hear me because the mic wasn’t working properly. Senator Obama wore a black leather jacket and blue jeans and looked so cool. I was not so brave, wearing a poncho and a stocking cap.” Beach Reading? “One book I found

fascinating is entitled Lincoln’s Melancholy . It describes in detail how Lincoln was a

mere mortal like the rest of us, and how he overcame many obstacles. The key themes are resiliency and integrity; I think both of those are characteristics that any leader needs to be successful. He had great empathy for others. That’s what made him our greatest president.”

He’s sending a remarkable message to us all about our responsibilities to serve the poor and care for our planet.”

Find a traditional Q&A online at www.sandiego.edu/usdmag/fall-2015.

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