Melissa Yelle ’05 shares an SNC memory that recaptures the joy of the college learning experience and the lifelong flourishing that great teachers foster. It feels just right to share this now, as we head into Commencement weekend. All those new grads, all those possibilities! First day as a college student, and expectations are high. You know that this is going to be something special. It’s your blank slate, a chance to have a new identity. First class in your discipline, and you can’t wait. You sit with all of the other students. Watching the clock. Ready for something to happen. Your professor walks in, silently. Sits down. And waits for what seems like an eternity. The room is silent. Captivated. Finally, he starts to sing. Half singing, half reciting the ballad of “Beowulf” – in Old English. Hearing this, you imagine a roaring fire, “Game of Thrones”-style; imagine listening to it as if it were the thousandth time. Even though it’s the first time. You know you will carry this moment with you for the rest of your life. You wonder briefly if everyone else feels this way, or if they think it’s silly. Regardless, you marvel at this teacher’s […]
↧