At the time of this writing, one of the Garys in our lives is no longer with us. That, dear reader, is Gary the hamster. He led a happy life on the wheel, in the paper towel roll, under the drip of the bottle...

When we think of Gary, we think of our friend Angie loving and nurturing the sweet, little rodent. He may not have been much, but he was Gary. And he was and always will be someone in our lives who made us happy.

The other Gary is, thankfully, still alive and kicking. The following are examples of why this Gary, Gary Broadbent, former President of Undergraduate Student Senate at Kent State University, is so special:

Example 1: It was a warm, uncharacteristically-sunny spring day in Northeast Ohio. Gary was in line at the Barnes & Noble Booksellers in Beachwood, Ohio, alongside hundreds of others wishing to meet former President William Jefferson Clinton. His book, My Life, was fresh off the presses, its author in the middle of a whirlwind autograph tour.

After hours of restless anticipation, Gary's turn finally came. But he desired more than a John Hancock from Mr. Clinton. After an enthusiastic handshake and a friendly introduction, Gary put forth this proposition, “Mr. Clinton, would you write me a letter of recommendation for law school?”

Mr. Clinton laughed and replied, “I don’t think you’ll have any problem getting in, son.”

Example 2: During his tenure as president, Gary pushed KSU Athletic Director Laing Kennedy regarding the Kent State mascot, the "Golden Flash." Gary made a serious attempt to oust the fictitious bird from its throne and replace it with the more intelligent choice, the Black Squirrel.

The exotic rodent is already well associated with the school as proved by the abundance of black squirrel paraphernalia for sale at the University's book store. As for the "Golden Flash," no one really knows what it is.

In regards to the intimidation factor associated with squirrels, Gary offered this question, "Have you ever been pegged by an acorn?"

Yes, Gary, we've been pegged. And it hurts like hell.

Next » New York, Chicago, LA, Bentonville