By David Zernechel
DZ: What do you do in your spare time?
MER: I am the lead drummer with the Minnesota Pipes and Drums, the bagpipe band that played at the Sept. 11 memorial at the capitol. We compete around the country.
DZ: Do you get paid for that?
MER: No it’s a hobby; I do it for the fun of it.
DZ: How many years have you been married?
MER: 5 years now.
DZ: What is your ferrite type of motorcycle?
MER: BMW is great for its engineering, but Victory and Harley Davidson are very nice for style and comfort.
DZ: Do you watch t.v?
MER: I do watch some, but I know that I like to watch too much, so I try to avoid it.
DZ: What is your favorite thing about Mini?
MER: I get to see the same group of students all the time rather than getting hundreds of new students every semester.
DZ: How did you get into Mini?
MER: I heard Doug was going to retire. I used to tell him that I wanted his job when he left it, so I applied, and they decided I would be good at it.
DZ: What is your favorite food?
MER: Pizza and real Chinese food in China.
DZ: Do you have any pets?
MER: Yeah, a cat (Newt D. Claude) and a dog (Blondie). They both are challenging but they do make the home exciting.
DZ: Do you like the school food?
MER: Yeah.
DZ: Were you in any sports?
MER: No, because I was injured too often.