Ball State University's new president is a bike-riding, white water-rafting sports fan who frequents Scotty's Brewhouse in the Village.
"I rode my bike to work the first day," Gora said. "It was chained up to the president's parking space."
While Gora has been busy unpacking, adjusting to her new surroundings and meeting with chairs of academic colleges, she has made time to talk to students about the university.
"I've been hearing it from 'the ground up' as it were," Gora said. "I've already eaten at Scotty's twice, and the servers have been Ball State students. They've actually sat down and talked with me about student life at Ball State."
One of the first things Gora said she did when she came to Muncie was take a bike ride with her husband around campus to get to know her new home.
"We saw the football players moving in, and I told my husband we should stop and help them," Gora said. "He reminded me that they were probably strong enough to get the job done, and we wouldn't be too much help."
As president of the university, Gora said she plans to help promote Ball State and bring it to the attention of a national audience.
"This university has extraordinary resources and a story to tell," Gora said. "I'm meeting with the heads of every academic department, because I want to find out as much as I can about Ball State so that I know what kind of story to tell."
Randy Hyman, dean of students, said promoting Ball State isn't a brand new idea, but that it's something to be excited about.
"When Brownell first arrived, he wanted to do the same thing," Hyman said. "Gora wants to increase availability of the excellent programs at Ball State. We have so many good programs and opportunities here that it's an attractive place to want to be president."
Douglas McConkey, vice president for student affairs and enrollment management, said although he hasn't had a chance to interact much with Gora, he thinks she is going to be a great asset to the university.
"She's going to be a very good leader, and I'm looking forward to working with her this year," McConkey said.
As soon as she accepted the position of president of the university, Gora said she wrote letters to both the Harford and the McKinney families to let them know she was thinking of them. Carl Harford and Michael McKinney were Ball State students who both died last year in separate shootings near campus.
"My meeting with the Harfords went very well," Gora said. "The Harfords called me right away, and I invited them to Bracken House. They were very supportive of the university."
Gora said she was glad the Harford's other son, Brian, is planning to return to Ball State in the fall.
Enough money was raised in Carl Harford's name to award a scholarship this year, Gora said.
As far as the "Police Yourself" campaign created last spring, Gora said she knows little about the effort except what she heard early on and does not plan to continue with it. She said she will address freshmen at convocation regarding underage drinking.
"It's important for the incoming freshmen to realize that with independence comes responsibility," Gora said. "I'll tell the freshmen to make good decisions. I think that at least for the returning students, enough happened last year that they'll know to make good decisions. Hopefully that will be the extent of it."
Hyman said the campaign was a success, but it is not going to continue in the fall.
In the past year, Ball State has cut three athletic programs and chosen a new president. Regarding major decisions for the university, students have had little or no involvement, but Gora said it's important for students to be involved in the decision-making process at Ball State.
"The students have a point of view, and it needs to be heard," Gora said. "I will try my best to make sure students are involved in the decisions at this university."
Gora said she plans to meet with leaders of Student Government Association as well as student leaders of other organizations on campus when school starts. She said she wants to connect with the student leaders.
Gora is also working on connecting with the freshmen class by reading "Fast Food Nation," the Freshmen Connections book, which sat on the coffee table in the president's office.
"I've read it - but better than that," Gora said, walking to the table to pick up the tattered copy of the book, "I took it with me when I went rafting down the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon this summer. The book went through it all with me."
Gora said she also read a book about the history of Ball State to better acquaint herself with the university.
Despite taking the time to become familiar with the university, Gora said she managed to unpack 90 percent of the boxes in her new home in the first few days she was in Muncie.
"When I arrived to Bracken House with the moving truck, everyone was very friendly," Gora said. "It's quite easy to get lost in that house. I consider it a hostile act when my husband leaves the room without telling me where he's going. It would take me 10 minutes to find him."
Gora said her new neighbors are very nice, and she plans to entertain frequently at Bracken House. Just look for the mansion with the bike in the driveway.
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