I confess to being pretty disappointed last fall when Central Michigan University failed to find a Griffin Endowed Chair replacement for the spring after Gary Peters left to assume his duties as a Congressmen.

I was signed up for the spring class and quite looking forward to it, so I am pleased to see that CMU has found a Griffin Chair for the fall.

And better yet – it’s a woman.

As someone who is interested in politics, I often wish that our governments better represented the people – which would mean more women and minorities in those elected positions.

Here is an opportunity to learn from Maxine Berman, a woman who has experience in Michigan politics in both the legislative and executive branches – I’ll take it.

Berman will give students different perspectives even if they disagree with her, which is something that I find refreshing and necessary.

Don’t get me wrong, I would enjoy the class from any experience politician of any political belief just so long as he or she could teach well and with limited or no political bias.

It will simply be a nice change of pace for PSC 300 and PSC 301, and something that both sexes can benefit from.

Berman also seems to have something else that is important to me – a sense of humor.

At least, it seems like she does judging by the title of her book, “The Only Boobs in the House are Men: A Veteran Woman Legislator Lifts the Lid on Politics Macho Style.”

Humor may not be that important in politics, but I certainly enjoy light-hearted feel in the classroom.

For me, this isn’t about Republican or Democrat, conservative or liberal. It’s about learning.

Welcome to CMU, Maxine Berman. I look forwarding to seeing you in the spring.

E-mail the author: Lindsay Knake