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.... tI:.lt}[t_~~~:I=II:)~~:l.1-~'!'J:I A peek inside the president's house MEGAN ROBINSON he's jumping all in." ing his belongings - especially a large News Editor Casey said he first saw the house collection of folk art- with the furnish- Online Editor October 2009, when he visited the ings of the home. campus for his first interview. He was Vice president of Administration In early July, 2 College Hill welcomed " impressed by the central location of and Finances, Ethan Seidel said that. two new residents: Dr. Robert Casey both the president's house and the of- the operating budget for the 2009-10 and his wife, Robyn Aliens. Dr. fice. school year had already been approved Casey, the ninth president of the col- Casey's former home was in a more whenColey announced her retirement, lege and the former Vice President for private location, he joked, so he and which meant it was too late to set aside' Academic Affairs and Provost at Rol- his wife have had to adjust to shutting funds for president's house renova- lins College in Florida, is the eighth their blinds at night. However, he also tions. Recent updates were so mini- president to live in the three-story noted that he loved.the commute. He mal that the costs fit into the campus home. went home for lunch for the first time improvements portion of the normal The house, completed in 1889, is ever on his first day as McDaniel's operating budget, explained Seidel. located across from the theater on Me- president. However, not all of the additions to Daniel's campus. It has housed every Casey spoke with Dr. Coley about the home were financed by the college. college president since the second her experiences in the house. They Casey said that his wife and he paid president, Thomas Lewis. shared one experience in common for items they didn't feel were appro- Former President Dr. Joan Develin already; they both got locked out on priate for the college to cover such as Coley lived in the house for six years their first day in the house. his refrigerator, explaining that Robin before moving to an off-campus home As in previous years, the first floor and he are particular about fridges. with her husband, Lee Rice, in 2006. is used mostly for entertaining guests, The couple also hopes to make the For all current McDaniel students, the second is living quarters for the house environmentally greener by this will be the first time that a college president and his family, and the third following the campus environmenta1 president has lived on campus. is a small apartment with an office for plan created by McDaniel's Greenterra 'The president's house is an im- Dr. Casey. Casey has plans to open environmental club. Changes linked portant component [to campus]," up the house to students and already to this greening effort include remov- said Casey, who also noted that a envisions turning the third floor into ing the garbage disposal and replacing president's house was built while he a movie room for students' use, with light bulbs with energy efficient ones. worked at Rollins, and he saw first- comfy chairs and a big screen. Casey's environmentally friendly hand the positive effect it had on the Susan Leahy, a local interior de- plan extends to his presidential car - a campus. signer who previously worked with Prius hybrid. Senior Lauren Fischetti also seems Dr. Coley on the house, helped Casey Casey and Aliens look forward to to share Casey's feelings: "It really and his wife decorate their new home. students' return to campus so that it shows that he wants to be a part of the Dr. Casey said he wanted to maintain feels like a "real" campus. They also community. We have a deep and rich much of the original Victorian style. hope to open doors to their new home history that should be celebrated and The biggest challenge was integrat- soon.