Name: Bucky Buchanan
Hometown: Charleston, South Carolina
Education: CofC ’08 alum with a B.S. in physical education; M.S. in health, exercise, and sport science; M.A. in sport-exercise psychology
Job title: Assistant Director for Fitness, Campus Recreation Services (CRS)
How long have you worked at the College? Started working here in January of 2013 as a visiting instructor and transitioned into CRS and student affairs by August of 2013.
What are your job responsibilities? Mainly overseeing the day-to-day operation of the fitness center and related programming. More generally, Iโm working to improve the health and wellbeing of the CofC community.
What do you like most about your job? I love getting in front of students. Whether itโs teaching, coaching or presenting, I love connecting with them that way. I enjoy the process of working with students who are navigating their age-related challenges. Iโm fortunate that I see a good number of students from freshman status through to graduation, and I get to watch them grow into themselves.
I also weirdly enjoy talking with parents of prospective students. We see a good bit of them when theyโre checking out the campus. I also really enjoy collaborating with other departments and working in a team.
What question do you get asked most in your job and whatโs your typical answer? Itโs probably, โSo you run the gym?โ Itโs true, but that only feels like a small portion of what weโre doing. Iโd say thatโs actually just a small part of the job. Weโre housed within the Division of Student Affairs and we work with students. Working with students, to me, means a good bit more than just running the gym.
Whatโs your favorite location on campus and why? I honestly donโt think I just have one favorite location. Every day after lunch, I take a short walk around campus. Thatโs probably my favorite thing to do on campus โ just walk through it.
What are your hobbies? Iโm fortunate that my work world involves a good bit of my hobbies. I enjoy a good sweat. I also play disc golf when I can and train in martial arts.
What personal and/or professional accomplishment are you most proud of? Iโve got a few, but my favorite College-related one is that I didnโt swim in high school but swam in college. Even earned a scholarship. Itโs a pretty wild story, but I swam all four four years in college. Was team captain my last two years. Won a conference championship. Pretty cool considering I actually hate swimming. My best friends to this day are my teammates from that time.
Name a creative work (book, movie, performance, etc.) you enjoyed recently โ why? My favorite relatively recent book is Behave: The Biology of Humans at Their Best and Worst, by Robert Sapolsky. Itโs not exactly a casual weekend read, but itโs very impactful and important content.
What was your favorite TV show growing up? Iโm a little weird with my TV habits, but I really liked M*A*S*H.
Whatโs next on your bucket list? Given the last 2.5 years, Iโm just looking forward to a real vacation. Really anywhere would do. Itโs on the horizon, though, for this summer.
What is something your campus colleagues would be surprised to know about you? Iโm an extreme introvert. I usually donโt come across this way, especially if you ask my students after a lecture. It feels like a performance to me, and I love doing it. However, I need a massive recharge after a lecture. I also prefer to just hang out with myself.
What was your first job? I was a program director for a not-for-profit and worked in Title I schools with at-risk minority groups. Quite eye-opening, and, as I like to tell my students, itโs frontline community serviceโtype of work. Get out there and see for yourselves.
Whatโs your favorite Lowcountry restaurant? I do not discriminate when it comes to food. I eat and eat a lot of it. Thereโs a restaurant in Mt. Pleasant called Opal. The have probably my favorite appetizer and all kinds of yummy pastas. Wear your stretchy waistband pants!
Describe your perfect day: This one is easy. Iโm naturally an earlier riser. A no-alarm, sunrise wakeup, followed by coffee and a small bite to eat. A walk with my dogs and wife. Then a gym session. Another bite to eat. A dip in the ocean. A lazy afternoon around the house. Then an early dinner with a cocktail (or two).
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