Ed Risden (English) takes advantage of the spring weather to teach a class outside.
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 bravery, his intellect, and ability to create such a unique impression.
This experience still speaks to you as an absolutely singular moment in your education. How amazing it is, that this teacher has impacted hundreds of lives. You wonder if you’ll ever do the same.
Years later, you see him again at an alumni week event. You ask the big question: “How do you know what you’re supposed to do in life?” Because after graduation, there is no road map and almost too many possibilities.
He thought for a moment. He asked, “What do you want to do?” You say, wishing it sounded more confident, “write.”
He thought for another moment, and said, “One of my mentors and I had the same conversation once. He said, the best thing to do, when you find something you want to do, is to probably just go ahead and do it.”
What better advice could there be?
