Have you ever wondered why we hardly ever see the people who are controlling our lives? The folks who make the big decisions and set the rules are somewhat hard to spot. The administrators are not among us.

Pitt-Johnstown is a small school. It wouldn’t be difficult to have administrators mingle regularly with students, faculty and staff. Perhaps eating lunch in the Student Union cafeteria would give students and administrators alike a peek into each other’s worlds.

Even a simple conversation with a student can make a big difference in how administrators are perceived.

All it takes is one student who talks with an administrator to spread the word about how approachable the person is.

And of course, administrators can make themselves visible by cooperating with Advocate reporters working on stories and speak to thousands in one conversation.

However, it is obvious some administrators make attempts to mingle. Those who have offices in the Student Union seem to be the most noticeable and well-known.

On the other hand, those with offices in Blackington seem to be the least well-known.

Maybe the administrators could take some time each week to get out and socialize with the students who are affected by the work that they do.

Maybe time should be set aside, maybe an hour every other day to do something students do – eat in the cafeteria, work out at the Wellness Center or hang out in the Biddle lobby. Maybe they could spend a night sleeping in a dormitory.

Rather than telling your friends how President Jem Spectar said hello to you once, it may turn into something like: “I was talking to President Spectar about the Pitt basketball game yesterday, ” or “I spoke with President Spectar and he seemed interested in my studies and career.”

This simple blending of administrators and everyone else could not only put everyone more at ease with each other, but set our campus apart from the rest.

Most organizations have the “not one of us” mentality about administration. Maybe it should be “all for one.”