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Using my best Socratic skills ......... "You seem very concerned about this. Even emotionally upset. What's really eating at you so much............?? Please tell me more??"
Now you vent for an hour or so with me asking open ended questions until you calm down some and then I say:
"I think things are going to be OK. I don't think it is as bad as you do, perhaps we should let it play out and see where we end up. But I have to be honest with you, I'm very confident that Iowa State is going to be just fine. And I need to tell you that the Big xii is doing all it can to not only survive but thrive - We have a tremendous university here with a long list of desirable attributes. "And it is not every school for themselves as some believe, we have built some very strong allies over the last couple years."
Then I get up and walk away.
I am very confident too. I would challenge to find evidence of a chicken little attitude from me. The difference is I'm not blind to the fact that it will still take work to keep Oklahoma.