“I feel like I’m at home.”

These are words of new President William Perry and express what his first Monday was like in office.

This week marks a new beginning for Eastern as President Perry arrived in Charleston this week. Perry was warmly welcomed on campus for his first day by the students and faculty.

Perry, a former professor and vice provost for Texas A&M, said he enjoyed his first day on campus and the weather was to his liking.

“It’s been great,” he said. “The weather’s great, so I’ve been walking around and meeting people, of course. I’ve been making phone calls and e-mailing people.”

Perry said he was not busy on his first day, but he said he was in the process of adjusting to his new life at Eastern.

“I’ve been lined out by Judy, Colleen and Kelli on office procedures and how the phone works,” Perry said.

His office staff, which includes executive secretary Judy Gorrell, events coordinator Colleen Peterlich and secretary Kelli Davis said they were all excited to see Perry arrive on campus.

“Friday was the sad day,” Gorrell said. “But today we feel very excited.”

The three women discussed their first impression of Perry, as this week was not the first time they had been introduced to him.

“We went to the interview not basing his interview off of what we are used to, which would have been Hencken,” Gorrell said.

Davis said she felt it was a perfect day for Perry’s first day.

Perry said he is impressed by the people he has met at Eastern, which included the staff, faculty and students.

“It seems there is a real sense of community on campus,” he said. “People who are at Eastern really care about each other.”

Perry told a story of a conversation he had with an alum about the reaction the alum has every time he sees Old Main.

“He was talking about when he drives into town and sees Old Main, it just kind of makes his heart beat faster,” Perry said. “I think there’s a little bit of that in everybody.”

Perry said he is getting a feel for the community. He said most of his exploring of Charleston took place during the interviewing process for the president job, but that he and his wife, Linda, had been able to dine and shop locally.

He said his wife is not in town currently as she is still teaching and that he is still just adjusting to his life locally.

But part of that adjustment was meeting new students. Perry guessed that he had met around 30 students when he visited a math class in session on Monday. He said he thanked them all for choosing Eastern for their education.

The secretaries all agreed that they think Perry will fit in just right at Eastern.

“I think Eastern is very fortunate to have someone like Dr. Perry,” Gorrell said. “I think he will be the president that we need for the time.”

New Eastern Illinois University president Dr. William Perry sits at his new desk in Old Main on his first official day on campus Monday afternoon. Amir Prellberg/The Daily Eastern News

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