WHEN SOMEONE close to you dies, you usually mourn for a while, but still have memories of him to brighten your day. You cherish the times you had together, and take comfort in knowing that you understood him as a person and knew him on some deep level.
We often take this for granted, however, with the people living around us. We don't make an attempt to know someone outside of encounters during the daily grind. This is highly noticeable in a university atmosphere, especially regarding interaction - or lack thereof - with the professors who prepare us daily for the real world.
Last Wednesday at the U.Va. Chapel, the First-Year Council, IMP Society, IFC, ISC and Residence Life sponsored the Last Lecture Series. This event marked a unique opportunity to hear how some distinguished University professors would lecture as if it were their last chance to do so. The three professors who spoke to a standing-room only crowd were Ann Lane, professor of history and director of the Studies in Women and Gender Program; Michael Joseph Smith, associate professor of government and foreign affairs; and John Wheeler, assistant commerce professor. They each reminded those in attendance that there is so much more to a professor than what you see during lectures.
As students who live in a community of other students and faculty, we need to attempt to find out more about the professors who play such a large role in the University population. We can't just live together in a community without acknowledging the many individuals who make up the population. These individuals have an abundance of knowledge that can't always be accessed in the classroom. And through this knowledge, they have the potential to influence us greatly. Our professors want to talk with us, but it's up to us to take the first step.
Most professors aren't just men and women who lecture for an hour and then go prepare for their next lecture. Some do world-renowned research. Some write books. Some are inventors, creators and experimenters. More importantly, most are interesting to talk to. They have a sense of humor, they have funny stories, and they want to talk to students.
College students should think about what lurks beneath the lecturer veneer. They need to think twice the next time they blow off office hours until the day before finals. The speakers at the Last Lecture Series were a small sampling of what the University holds, and still all three boasted fine characteristics that most students never take the time to find out about. If these three had so much to offer, imagine what else the 2,000 other faculty members could provide. Students will never know what they're missing if they don't discover what lies behind the lectern.
Some may say that they wouldn't feel comfortable approaching a professor just to chat. They see an invisible barrier that separates the learner from the educator. In fact, professors don't want students to fear this supposed barrier. Many want to talk and show that they aren't some holier-than-thou beings whose only function is dishing out grades.
Robert Watkins, Physics professor, shares this sentiment, "Many of the most enjoyable conversations I've ever had in Charlottesville have been with my students. And many of those conversations had nothing to do with physics. I can remember specifically talking about gymnastics, what it's like to work at the Gap, and dating. Professors are regular people." Indeed, they can, and want to, hold regular conversations with regular students.
Perhaps if more students would show interest in a professor's non-academic life, then the professor would be more willing and comfortable to give extra help or advice. The most unique opportunity to meet with a professor is offered through the University's Dining Services. Each weekday from 11:30 a.m.-2:00 p.m., students can take their professor of choice out to lunch at the Garden Room. This is a great chance to enjoy your professors outside the classroom.
There's more to your professors than you know, and they know there's more to you than just another numbered student. Improving your student-professor relationships would enhance your overall University experience. They've been here longer than you have, and can offer so much more than just a lecture. Get to know them. After all, you never know when it just may be your professor's last lecture.
(Brandon Almond is a Cavalier Daily associate editor.)
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