Lunching With Mark The Day Before Classes Begin At DU

I had lunch with my friend Mark yesterday at a Popeyes on East Colfax Avenue here in Denver, as seen in the photograph on the left. Mark works at the University of Denver's Anderson Academic Commons (the library) and remarked to him that tomorrow was the first day of classes at DU. I asked if that was a busy time for him, and he told me that in his current position at the library, the start of classes is not much of a factor for him. This was not the case at the DU Bookstore back when I worked there as the Finance Manager. The days leading up to the first day of classes was always a crazy time.

Back then, before the bookstore was outsourced to Follett Higher Education Group, the shelves had to be stocked with textbooks, temporary employees trained to run the cash registers, work and lunch schedules produced to make sure all registers were up and running at all times and the information desk fully staffed, especially on the first day of classes, when hundreds of students descended on the store to purchase their books and supplies. Valarie, our operations manager, did not like how 9 or 10 cashiers would be simultaneously shouting out "next customer" over and over again, and designed the sign seen in the photograph on the right in order to signal the customer in a quieter manner. As you can see in the photo, Dave, the art and supply buyer, as well as the marketing coordinator, was very enthusiastic about the idea.

All DU Bookstore staff were expected to take turns out on the sales floor, whether cashiering, staffing the information desk, answering the phones, helping students find their textbooks, or restocking the shelves, among many other duties. But it was an exciting time too, and a lot of fun. I often think back fondly on those days. At least until I look at the photo of myself on the left that was taken back in the day, when I was younger and full of energy. If that was what I looked like at the end of the day when I had all that energy, I can imagine what I would look like now after a 10- or 12-hour day. Probably the same, only a lot older.