The president, President Jischke, that is, came around again Tuesday to talk.

He came kind of early — 8 a.m. — but he called in advance to tell us he was coming, so we got out of bed. We talked about lots of things. The conversation started with lawsuits, shifted to regents and then went straight into the really important stuff like basketball before ending with Morril Hall.

We didn’t learn anything too earth-shattering, but it was good to hear things straight from the boss’s mouth. Here’s a recap:

On the recent judicial ruling that made the Daily a governmental body: “We haven’t seen the judge’s opinion. I think the first order of business is to read it. Based on that analysis and what we conclude, I think we will try to see if there are implications with other organizations.” Jischke’s comments were in reference to the possibility of the Daily’s legal woes impacting ISU’s other “affiliated” organizations like the ISU Foundation, the University Book Store, the ISU Research Park and others. The Daily decision could be the first step in opening each of these organization’s books for public inspection. “We’ll see,” Jischke said.

Us: Yes, we will.

On how the new student regent was chosen in light of criticism that the position should have been better advertised: “I don’t think there are any restrictions on who could make selections [to the governor]. The process by which the governor solicits suggestions is the governor’s. I am not a party to what those suggestions are. This process is encoded in statute. I know of students who have written to the governor to say they would like to be considered.”

Us: Here, we kind of agree. Jischke defended his recommendation to the governor. And the ISU student, a freshman, will likely do an outstanding job. We still think a couple of people were in error. The media, ie: the Daily, should have been on the ball and let students know that the student regent position was opening up, but if the governor was truly interested in getting the best student for the job, he should have taken some responsibility to solicit applications rather than rely entirely on school officials to hand up their suggestions.

On “THE GAME”: “I thought the first half of the UCLA game was a work of art,” Jischke said in reference to ISU’s Sweet 16 loss last week. “It was as beautiful a display of coaching and playing as I’ve seen at Iowa State. UCLA made some adjustments that turned out to be pretty decisive. I hope that not too long from now we’ll be in the Elite Eight or the Final Four.”

Us: Ditto.

On gender equity in athletics: “We’re getting close. We’ve gone a long way toward assuring equity. I think it’s very important,” the president said, adding that there is a correlation between win-loss success and building a following. “Really first-rate teams do attract crowds.”

Us: Jischke said the women’s basketball team has done some tremendous things this year. With that, it’s hard to argue. And for the most part, the president does seem committed to a truly equitable athletic department. That’s good, because it’s absolutely essential. Nowhere is gender bias more visible than the sports arena, and nowhere is it more important to weed out. Complacency, with respect to gender equity, at least, won’t do.

Us: The compromise was good. It effectively ended months of controversy with what was apparently an equitable solution.

On the national push to open or revise the campus court system: “There is a tendency not only to open them, but to make them more legalistic. It’s not clear to me if that will lead to more justice for students. I think it could interfere with the rights of some students. I’m supportive of the proposal to take a look at this. The goal is a system that’s just and fair.”

Us: The president, obviously, stopped short of giving his outright opinion about opening the campus courts. From his standpoint, that was probably a wise move. From our standpoint, the courts simply need to be open. Closed judicial proceedings are never good. They invite suspicion and encourage rumor. There is never justice in the dark.

On GSB President Adam Gold: “I think Adam has become wiser as a person. I think he understands better today both the opportunities and limitations that come with leadership. I think he’s learned you can’t please all the people all the time.”

Us: True.

On bringing in the bucks (fund-raising): “We’re going to have a very good year, probably a record year.”

Us: Cool.

On how much of the president’s time is spent recruiting dollars: “It’s a pretty big part of my job.”

Us: Comes with the territory.

On a run for governor: “No, thank you.”

Us: Not a shocker.

On Morril Hall: “We’re trying to get people out of there because of the potential safety issues. Our hope is to refurbish it. It’s very expensive, but it’s a very, very historically significant building.”

Us: See the “On bringing in the bucks” response.