I think that I have been given the perfect oppor,tunity and the perfect job. I wouldn t trade with anyone. Dr. David BurkSwasapresidentwhowas respected and loved by the student body, but few students had the opportunity to really get to know the man who spent his adult life shaping and inspiring those at Harding. He had held the title of dean of the College of Business and had spent the last 23 years as president of the university. Father of two and grandfather of five, he had traveled to every overseas program, helped design buildings on campus and was a reassuring face on the Benson stage each morning in chapel. As he neared retirement, Burks took time to reflect on his plans for the future, his career as president and his earlier years as a Harding student. I(: What did you do for fun while you were a student at Harding? 0: I was photographer for the Petit Jean and the Bison. I had a ball doing that. I took pictures for social clubs, athletics, events- that's how I paid my way through college. I spent a lot of my time in the dark room, a lot of time with people taking pictures. I was SA president my senior year, and I loved that experience. It was a learning, growing experience. And I was president of my club, Beta Phi Kappa. It doesn't exist anymore, but back then it was a big club. I(; How did you propose to your wife? 0: I proposed to my wife on campus in either the SA office or the Petit Jean office. She would kill me for not remembering, but it was one of those. I(: Did you get down on one knee? 0: I did. The office was the only place that we could go where it was private. On this campus back then, there were lights everywhere-just wire with light bulbs everywhere, behind every bush - just lights everywhere. So the office was a private place. But back then, it wasn't nearly the deal that it is today. Today, there are productions. I heard about all that my two sons went through when they proposed, how spectacular it was.And I thought "Alii did was ask her to marry me!" K: How long had the two of you been dating when you proposed? 0: Well, we had known each other all four years of college. We both started as freshmen, but she was dating my best friend and practically engaged, so they had to break up. Once they broke up, with my advice, I started dating her. That would have been my senior year. So we had probably been dating six months when I asked her, and we got married about six months later. K: So was your best friend still your friend after that? 0: He is. We're still good friends. K: Now let's turn to your life today. What's the best thing about being president? 0: Working with students and faculty. It may sound like a trite statement, but that's really what's best about it. Whenever you get discouraged, just go spend some time with students and you'll feel better. K: What's the hardest thing about your job? When people disagree, when there's a controversy that might deal with a student or faculty member, or a disciplinary situation-that's the hardest part. K: If you could swap jobs with anyone in the whole world for a day, who would you switch with? 0: I wouldn't. I've thought about that before. I've had opportunities to go other places, but I wouldn't change my position with that of any other position in the world. Ithink that I have been given the perfect opportunity and the perfect job. I wouldn't trade with anyone. K: If you could attend any of Harding's overseas programs, which would you choose and why? 0: My preference is for the Greece program because of the opportunity to travel to all of the Bible lands. I just think that is a wonderful opportunity for a 20-or 21-year-old to be able to do. To spend three months traveling to those countries and studying about Paul's travels and where Jesus gave the Sermon on the Mount -I think that's just the neatest opportunity in the world. K: What are some funny memories that you and Leah have from living on campus? 0: We loved living on campus, but we moved in anticipation of retiring and because we needed to own our own house. The best part of living on campus was that students would constantly knock on the front door. It was for silly things, and it was for serious things. Sometimes they simply wanted to study the Bible. Most of the time it would be some social club stopping on a scavenger hunt. I loved meeting lots of students in that context. We had a big bison by the garage, and periodically clubs would try to steal it, but it was so heavy they couldn't do it. But I could tell they had tried. K: Do you have any pets? 0: My wife has a dog.Well, we have a dog. The dog belongs to my wife. [The dog's] name is Samantha; she runs the house. She is a Yorkshire terrier and thinks she is bigger than anyone in the world. She will pay attention to me if Leah is not there, but if Leah's there, I do not exist. K: What is your favorite spot on campus? 0: My favorite spot on campus would without a doubt be the Mclnteer fountain. I helped design that fountain. Its design is based on a baptistry in Ephesus. I took pictures of that place in Ephesus and gave them to Mike Steelman.The steps that go down into the fountain- where a lot of people have been baptized over the years- have exactly the same dimensions as the baptistry in Ephesus. I love that point on campus because of that historical significance back to when people were baptized in Ephesus. Kimberley Kokerno t '\:-· ':!; , ... Q
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