Imagine the dean of your school immersed in a tank of water, his arms bound behind his back, trying to free himself before he runs out of air. Now imagine him escaping. It just might happen.
According to an article in the July/August issue of the Columbia Journalism Review, new Medill dean is more than just a visionary behind the Medill 2020 plan; he’s an escape artist. Yes, like Houdini.
The article states that as a boy, Lavine was entranced by magic and adept at slight-of-hand, but his stubby fingers prevented him from really excelling at the art. A camp counselor told him to try being an escape artist and the rest is history.
The article, which also chronicles the snooze-fest that is 2020, explains that Lavine’s friends in high school used to tie him up before he had to get somewhere to see if he could still make it in time.
Kind of makes you wonder if future freshman will be asked to bring a pair of handcuffs and a straitjacket along with their video iPods.