{"667587":{"#nid":"667587","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Omar Khan is on a Mission to Spread Smiles on Campus","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAs the newest driver of Georgia Tech\u2019s historic mascot, the Ramblin\u2019 Wreck, Omar Khan takes his job seriously. During the driver elections in November, Khan prepared a two-and-a-half-page speech and eight pages of notes to present to fellow members of the Ramblin\u2019 Reck Club, which is responsible for electing a driver every year.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ESo when Khan was elected: \u201cI was in shock,\u201d he said. \u201cMy heart was beating out of my chest. I was just so surprised. And I remember every day how I felt in that moment because it helps me remember what a fortunate position I\u2019m in to get to drive this car.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe Wreck is a 1930 Ford Model A Sport Coupe perhaps most famous for leading the football team onto the field at every home game since 1961 in one of Georgia Tech\u2019s most beloved traditions. On any given day, the Wreck can be found driving around campus, blasting its unmistakable \u201caa-oo-gah\u201d horn, or appearing at an alumni event.\u0026nbsp; As the driver, Khan is responsible for taking the vehicle on its numerous outings, as well as its regular upkeep and maintenance.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EOver its six decades of use, the Wreck has weathered its fair share of damage, including abuse from opposing schools. In one famous incident in 1963, Tennessee students painted the car\u0026nbsp;a terrible shade of orange.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThese days, Khan, an\u0026nbsp;industrial and systems engineering student, faces more risk of mechanical issues than threats of vandalism. He said that while many things can go wrong with such an old car, the key to managing issues as they arise is to stay calm. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cYou\u2019re going to be put in a ton of situations that you\u2019re not prepared for,\u201d he said. \u201cYou just have to be decisive. Make a decision, and if it\u2019s the wrong decision, then you deal with the consequences.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EOne of the aspects of serving as driver that Khan is most looking forward to is football season. In anticipation, he\u2019s been working to develop relationships with players and giving them opportunities to interact with the Wreck.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI drove by the other day and the players knew my name,\u201d he said. \u201cThey love the Wreck and, obviously, they love following it out on the field, but they hardly ever get rides. So I\u2019ve been trying to do for them,\u0026nbsp;the same thing we do for the rest of the student body.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EKhan thinks of his role as the Wreck\u2019s driver as an opportunity to spread smiles on campus and to help students have unforgettable experiences during their time at Tech. He knows students\u0026nbsp;will\u0026nbsp;always remember their interactions with the Wreck.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EHe admits it\u2019s a therapeutic experience for him sometimes, too. When he\u2019s having a bad day, he said, he likes to drive the car around campus, wave at people, and see them light up with big smiles.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe Wreck belongs to the student body,\u201d Khan said. \u201cI\u2019ve been chosen to operate it, but it isn\u2019t any more mine than any other student\u2019s. It\u2019s equally ours. And that\u2019s a really important thing for me to remember \u2013 to not use it selfishly, because its mission is to spread joy around campus.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EOmar Khan was elected as the\u0026nbsp;newest driver of Georgia Tech\u2019s historic mascot, the Ramblin\u2019 Wreck.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Omar Khan was elected as the\u00a0newest driver of Georgia Tech\u2019s historic mascot, the Ramblin\u2019 Wreck."}],"uid":"36284","created_gmt":"2023-05-01 16:38:58","changed_gmt":"2023-05-01 18:32:38","author":"chenriquez8","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2023-03-15T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2023-03-15T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"670693":{"id":"670693","type":"image","title":"Omar Khan","body":null,"created":"1682959272","gmt_created":"2023-05-01 16:41:12","changed":"1682965501","gmt_changed":"2023-05-01 18:25:01","alt":"Omar Khan","file":{"fid":"253599","name":"IMG_4770.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/05\/01\/IMG_4770.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/05\/01\/IMG_4770.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":8797854,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2023\/05\/01\/IMG_4770.jpg?itok=8edgdahY"}},"670662":{"id":"670662","type":"image","title":"Omar Khan, Newest Wreck Driver","body":null,"created":"1682691241","gmt_created":"2023-04-28 14:14:01","changed":"1682965233","gmt_changed":"2023-05-01 18:20:33","alt":"Omar Khan, Newest Wreck Driver ","file":{"fid":"253563","name":"IMG_5806.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/04\/28\/IMG_5806.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/04\/28\/IMG_5806.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":6059337,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2023\/04\/28\/IMG_5806.jpg?itok=8fa_1LjH"}},"670663":{"id":"670663","type":"image","title":"Ribbon Cutting for the Wreck Garage","body":null,"created":"1682691457","gmt_created":"2023-04-28 14:17:37","changed":"1682965466","gmt_changed":"2023-05-01 18:24:26","alt":"Ribbon Cutting for the Wreck Garage","file":{"fid":"253564","name":"IMG_4802.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/04\/28\/IMG_4802.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/04\/28\/IMG_4802.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2178179,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2023\/04\/28\/IMG_4802.jpg?itok=aDZZ4U4v"}}},"media_ids":["670693","670662","670663"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.gtalumni.org\/s\/1481\/alumni\/17\/magazine-pages.aspx?sid=1481\u0026gid=21\u0026pgid=23583\u0026cid=53173\u0026ecid=53173\u0026crid=0\u0026calpgid=5677\u0026calcid=12432","title":"A Dream Garage Comes True"}],"groups":[{"id":"1242","name":"School of Industrial and Systems Engineering (ISYE)"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EEmma Ryan, Writer\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ECollege of Engineering\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}