Faculty Blog

Salinger, Lennon and Chapman

2010-02-09T17:40:00Z

The death of J.D. Salinger, the author of The Catcher and the Rye and several other classic American novels and short stories, made me think of one of the strangest – and saddest – stories of my lifetime: the killing of former Beatle John Lennon by Mark David Chapman in December 1980.

Holding a copy of The Catcher in the Rye in which he wrote, “This is my statement,” Chapman waited for hours to shoot Lennon just outside his apartment in New York City. Later, when given the chance to speak at his hearing (he pleaded guilty), Chapman merely read aloud a passage from the novel – a well-known section in which the novel’s narrator and protagonist, young Holden Caulfield, explains what a “catcher in the rye” is and why he wanted to be one.

A misfit in many ways, Holden feels deeply about his younger sister, Phoebe, and worries what will happen to her in a world that he judges to be “phony” and cruel and immoral. Here are Salinger’s words, in Holden’s voice, that Chapman read at his trial:

“I keep picturing all these little kids playing some game in this big field of rye and all. Thousands of little kids, and nobody's around - nobody big, I mean - except me. And I'm standing on the edge of some crazy cliff. What I have to do, I have to catch everybody if they start to go over the cliff – I mean if they're running and they don't look where they're going I have to come out from somewhere and catch them. That's all I do all day. I'd just be the catcher in the rye and all. I know it's crazy, but that's the only thing I'd really like to be.”

Maybe it’s pointless to find a reason for the act of an obviously crazed person, but it sure seems that, in Chapman’s warped mind, he was “catching” young people from falling under the influence of Lennon, who had just released an album of new songs, “Double Fantasy,” and was reviving his career. Chapman himself had been a devoted Beatles fan in his early teen years, but he had a troubled childhood and young adulthood that included drug abuse, religious obsession, and a suicide attempt. At some point, he’d changed from a fan of the Beatles to a fanatic who targeted John Lennon – possibly as the “cause” of all his troubles.

Sometime between the murder and the hearing, Chapman wrote a note to the New York Times claiming that Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye was an “extraordinary book that holds many answers.” And when I first heard of Chapman’s devotion to the book, I felt something like an answer myself.

Ten years earlier, I had been a student in the English Education graduate program at New York University, taking a course on teaching adolescent literature with one of my favorite professors, Robert Berlin. Usually relaxed and jovial, Berlin became very serious during the class in which he covered Salinger’s popular novel, and I’ll never forget his warning to us. “Some of your students will identify with Holden Caulfield,” he told us, “and it is your job to make them understand that Holden is crazy.” Indeed, Holden is institutionalized at the end of the novel.

I wondered if Chapman ever had an English teacher who taught him that important lesson about the book, and, if he did, why the lesson didn’t take hold. Now, with the death of J.D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye is back in the news and maybe picking up new readers – let’s hope nobody views it the way Chapman did. Reading classic books is worthwhile, and so is teaching about them and the lessons they contain for us. But preserving life and making our world a kinder, healthier, and more caring place – that should always be our motivation.

Jim Von Schilling

January 29, 2010

About the Author: Dr. Von Schilling teaches English and is the coordinator for the humanities faculty at Northampton Community College. An expert on pop culture, he is the author of The Magic Window: American Television 1939 – 1953. He is currently working on a book about the Baby Boom generation. He is frequently consulted by reporters and writers from media across the country on topics ranging from the Boswell sisters to James Dean to Muhammad Ali. He earned a bachelor's degree in English from Princeton University, a master's degree in education from New York University, and a Ph.D. in American culture from Bowling Green State University.

The Northampton Community College faculty includes experts on everything from art to nanotechnology. As teachers, they enjoy challenging students and each other to think carefully and critically about topics in the news. Whether you agree or disagree with the views expressed in their blogs, join the discussion by posting your own thoughts. To do so, click on “Join” (above) and then sign in, or e-mail your comments to hbutler@northampton.edu for posting.

Do the World a Favor

2010-01-22T19:13:00Z

In the time it takes you to read this blog, you’ll probably receive a text message. (Or, if you’re like me, you’ll receive a dozen messages.)

While you have your phone out, do the world a favor. Text the word "HAITI" to 90999. In about 5 seconds, you’ll get a verification text that asks you to reply with "YES." Do it. Right now. I did.

You’ve just made a donation to the American Red Cross’s Haiti relief effort. It feels good, doesn’t it? I sent my first 90999 HAITI text last weekend during the NFL playoffs when I saw a commercial at halftime. The next day I heard that $22 million had been raised by text messages. As of January 21, that total passed $25 million.

But know what? $25 million isn’t a lot of money. Up at the Monroe Campus, we desperately need a new campus. It’s going to cost over $70 million. That covers a couple buildings, parking lots, and a little quad area. In Haiti, whole towns have been leveled. Everyone knows about the 200,000+ deaths. In addition, millions of people survived. They need food, water, basic shelter, medicine, medical facilities, and medical care, and they need it immediately. That stuff won’t get them "back to normal." It will just get them through the worst of the worst.

Tempted to text 90999 again? Do it. Right now, in your comfy chair, in front of your computer, in your heated room, with your state-of-the-art cell phone, help bring somebody water or medicine. There are people in groups like Doctors Without Borders and the U.S. military who are endangering themselves and working inhuman hours in disaster conditions to aid and comfort dying and devastated people. You’re reading a blog.

Want to know how dire the situation really is? Most any day, you can go on Facebook and see all your friends complaining about their cell phone providers. Well, ordinarily when you donate to a charity via texting, it takes 90 days for those providers to release that money to charities. The cell phone companies are actually waiving their policies to get money to Haiti fast. Yes, the cell phone companies are doing something inarguably, unquestionably good for once. Imagine that.

Now it’s your turn. I don’t care if you’ve never heard of Haiti before two weeks ago. You can give up 2 Subway footlong hoagies until your next paycheck to help other people stay alive and find shelter.

When you’re done reading my blog, respond and tell people you’ve donated. Post the link on your Facebook page and send it to everybody you know. Let them know how easy it is to donate, and urge them to do it too. Make them feel guilty if they don’t. They’ll get over it. The people in Haiti, however, might not.

About the Author: Randy Boone enjoys writing poetry and stories, creating comic strips, following professional wrestling and eating cookies. His poems and short stories have been published in a variety of literary magazines. He was not sure he wanted to blog, but we hope he will blog again. Just don't call him a blogger. You can call him an excellent teacher. He teaches writing at Northampton Community College where he received the Christiansen Award for Excellence in Teaching in 2005.

The Northampton Community College faculty and staff includes experts on everything from art to nanotechnology. As teachers, they enjoy challenging students and each other to think carefully and critically about topics in the news. Whether you agree or disagree with the views expressed in their blogs, join the discussion by posting your own thoughts. To do, so, click on “Join” (above) and then sign in, or e-mail your comments to hbutler@northampton.edu for posting.

Cell phones? Texting? Are you LOL?

2009-11-25T09:42:00Z

Several months ago an article appeared in the opinion section of USA Today. It has stuck with me because it is constantly reinforced as I walk through campus or stand in front of my students. “Txting away ur education” (http://blogs.usatoday.com/oped/2009/06/txting-away-ur-education.html) discussed how T.C. Williams High School in Alexandria, VA banned electronic devices including cell phones and iPods from its commencement ceremonies. The action spawned great debate in the school community over the value, threats, and role of electronic media devices. As I said, the article has made me more keenly aware of the usage of media devices at NCC and it is on that issue that I’d like to reflect.

One of the most entertaining parts of my day is walking in from the parking lot to my College Center office. Inevitably I meet someone on the phone. Some people are talking on the phone while they walk with their friends; others are seemingly talking to themselves on their Bluetooth; and others are talking to everyone as their voices echo through the quad. It’s great to catch up on who’s waiting for whom, who’s going where later in the day, and who’s running late for class. It occurred to me through all of this that talking on the phone is now a social activity. People do it in order to share their lives with the world. You don’t need to Twitter, you can just get on the phone and share your thoughts and life stories with everyone around you. I mean, why else would you talk on the phone when so many people can hear you. Of course, if you want to be private, you can text.

The second most entertaining part of my day is watching people text as they walk around campus or sit in a classroom. I like to see how long it takes before they start paying attention to what is going on around them. Usually they never pay attention to what’s going on around them, however, they are prescient enough to know when they should not be texting. It’s fun to make a game in the classroom over this. Standing in front of students, I peer around and over people to see who is hiding their phones or attempting to be coy in their texting conversations. I stalk my prey, watching to make sure they don’t notice as I move toward them. Then I pounce on them with the question, “So, what’s your conversation about? Are you telling your friends how great class is today?” Alternatively, I watch text-walkers to see when they are going to run into a person or a wall, especially those low walls in College Center. That could hurt!

Ultimately, though, aside from my farcical amusements with the digital communications going on around me, I do worry about the digital generation. As people rely more on cell phones, Twitter, Facebook, and texting, they are disconnecting from the interpersonal communication that can make life more vibrant and entertaining. Students are also becoming more attuned to quick answers than they are to analysis and reasoning. Don’t get me wrong, technology can and should be used to great effect in the classroom, but we need to reinforce to students that digital media is a means of communication, not just an entertainment medium. My point is this: as educators we need to make a place for these media that have taken such hold of our students, and we need to teach them the appropriate use of these media. They should not replace paying attention in the classroom or the world around us.

About the Author: Dr. Robert Smith is assistant dean of humanities and social sciences at Northampton Community College and a teacher and student of history. He earned a B.A. in history summa cum laude from Gwynedd-Mercy College, a master of arts in history from Villanova University and a PhD in history from Lehigh University. He texts, but not in class.

We Need to Talk

2009-11-02T22:13:00Z

I have fond memories of my fifth grade teacher, Sister Mary*, but one particular comment from her stands out. In an essay railing against racism, I had written, “We shouldn't be prejudiced.” She corrected the sentence to read: “We shouldn't show prejudice.” This might seem like a small change, but the differences between “be” and “show” go much deeper than semantics. While the concept of “prejudice” assumes action, as in prejudging someone's qualifications for a job based on outward appearance, I can't help but think that the revision suggests people can BE prejudiced as long as they don't ACT on it. (Well, yes, I've been told I overanalyze. Why do you ask?)

So what brought up this memory of classrooms past? Newsweek. September 14, 2009. The cover asked “Is Your Baby Racist?” My immediate gut reaction was an indignant “No! No, my baby's not racist! How could any baby be racist? Babies are basically born with a clean slate; children are socialized over time into certain perspectives and attitudes. Biologically, babies simply can't be racist!”

Sometime in late September, I finally calmed down enough to read the centerpiece article of that Newsweek issue. It was an excerpt from the book NurtureShock entitled “See Baby Discriminate.” ( http://www.newsweek.com/id/214989/page/6 )

In the article, authors Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman use the topic of race as an example in their argument that “many modern strategies for nurturing children are backfiring -- because key twists in the science have been overlooked.” They explain that “the way white families introduce the concept of race to their children,” while well-intentioned, frequently ends up failing. Bronson and Merryman point to recent studies suggesting that, despite efforts of parents to avoid all talk of race, children have a natural inclination to categorize things in their world and align themselves with things/people that are familiar. So those kids may be inclined to fill in the blanks about obvious physical differences related to race and gender, drawing their own possibly incorrect and potentially offensive conclusions.

While the article ultimately encourages more open and educational discussions about history and common assumptions so that children aren't left to draw their own conclusions, it seems to me that the article could start by asking more productive questions than “Is Your Baby Racist?” Such a provocative “in your face” approach might initially seem successful in that it did provoke my anger and curiosity, but there are probably better questions to spark the kind of honest, sensitive and thoughtful conversations we want everyone, not just children, to share regarding heritage and culture.

Word choice matters. In defiance of my fifth-grade teacher's revision, I still say, “We shouldn't be prejudiced.” So what can we do to foster open, productive, non-confrontational conversations about race? How can we best introduce our children to other cultures and perspectives? How can we celebrate our personal and cultural histories and share them with others? What would you like me to know about your cultures, your traditions, your struggles, your achievements, your histories? How can we work together to end racism?

About the Author: Precie A. Schroyer is an assistant professor of English. She is a Filipina by genetics and an American by birth, she's married to a Caucasian American of Italian-German descent, and they have one child, so this topic is rather close to her heart. She loves words and teaches English I, English II, and (this semester) British Literature II.

Lessons Learned on the Food Stamp Diet

2009-10-20T15:41:00Z

Do you live to eat or eat to live? Eating doesn't only satisfy hunger, as there's much more involved than the simple act of consuming food. Eating is a social activity, and food is a universal language. We cook for loved ones to show our fondness of them; we eat to catch up with friends, to alleviate boredom, and to enjoy the myriad of cuisines in existence. In a society where eating is such a social activity, what happens to those who can't even afford to “eat to live”?

The Food Stamp Challenge encouraged all of us at Northampton Community College's Monroe Campus to gain a personal glimpse into the lives of those who live on the average food stamp allotment-- only $3 per day. The day before the Challenge began, I gorged on more food than was probably normal, as if I could conserve it in a separate part of my stomach for any later cravings. My stomach went to bed blissfully stuffed, then awoke with the knowledge that I'd be eating a small cup of plain oatmeal for breakfast. The reality of eating on only $3 didn't sink in until the morning, so I didn't plan my meals for the first day. This lack of foresight caused me to leave for work with Tupperware filled with more dried oatmeal.

I quickly learned that eating on the “food stamp diet” required choosing between being hungry and being healthy. The cheapest foods are the most unhealthy-- Ramen noodles, macaroni and cheese, the Dollar Menu. Throughout the Challenge days, I needed to choose between being hungry after a fresh salad, or being full from macaroni and cheese, which contains 290 calories and 590mg sodium in a ¼-cup serving. With only $3 per day, I chose satisfying my hunger over eating healthy. I knew that after three days, I could return to my customary eating habits. I can't imagine how it feels for those who need to face these realities every day of their lives. But I do know that I don't want to see dried oatmeal for a very long time.

About the Author: Sara Dolcimascolo is a graduate of Northampton Community College's honors program. She is working with students and faculty at the College's Monroe Campus through the AmeriCorps/VISTA program to raise awareness of the issue of hunger in the community.

Pondering a Paradox

2009-10-16T11:59:00Z

The Northampton Community College faculty includes experts on everything from art to nanotechnology. As teachers, they enjoy challenging students and each other to think carefully and critically about topics in the news. Whether you agree or disagree with the views expressed in their blogs, join the discussion by posting your own thoughts. To do, so, click on “Join” (above) and then sign in, or e-mail your comments to hbutler@northampton.edu for posting.

In the post below, Associate Professor of Sociology Hope Horowitz tries to reconcile the contrasts she and NCC students witnessed during a service trip to New Orleans over fall break. Horowitz and Assistant Professor of Sociology Erin Reilly also took ,students to New Orleans over spring break.

Our fall break service trip to New Orleans was a paradox in many ways. Having fun, exploring this beautiful city, listening to jazz on the street, and learning about the history and culture of the “Big Easy” was one aspect of our trip. Inez, our tour guide, made sure we knew that NOLA is about having FUN! We were all captured by the warmth, hospitality and appreciation expressed by everyone we met. The city relies on tourism and volunteers.

But, our experiences went much deeper. We were fellow human beings wanting to make a difference by creating relationships with strangers crossing all boundaries and borders of social reality. Our trip was about trying to understand why the distribution of resources in our democratic society remains unequal and why it takes so long to rebuild after a disaster. How could rebuilding efforts rely on unskilled volunteers so heavily? Why are only 20% of the people back in the lower ninth ward…. 4 years later? How does this happen in our country? How can I have so much fun in one area and drive 15 minutes into devastation? The images are hard to shake.

I wonder about social justice, human rights, resiliency and humanity? I question the responsibility we have to each other as fellow human beings. Aren’t we all connected in some way? I am humbled by what I have seen and proud of the NCC students who participated. I am appreciative of what I have- my family, my home, food, a car, a job, a shower, and clothing. My emotions remain raw and I feel challenged to do more.

I have experienced the power of people joining together with passion, purpose, courage, mission and values coinciding. Imagine how the world would be if we each did something to help someone else.

#

About the Author: Hope Horowitz is a licensed social worker in the State of Pennsylvania and teaches full time at Northampton Community College. As associate professor of social work/sociology, she teaches a variety of courses including Introduction to Social Work, Principles of Sociology, American Ethnicity, Sociology of Families, and Social Problems. She enjoys teaching in the classroom and online. In addition, she teaches at Marywood School of Social Work in the master of social work program.

The Right to Self-Determination

2009-09-29T22:38:00Z

Critics of the healthcare reform bill have been quite verbal about President Obama’s desire to ration healthcare for the elderly. Specters of death panels and euthanasia have heightened the public’s fears. Reports that Obama wants senior citizens to be forced into making decisions for end-of-life care has caused panic for many seniors.

The panic seems to be unjustified. The actual bill would provide provisions for Medicare to cover end-of -life consultations by the person’s physician.

I applaud Obama for his bravery in addressing the issue of end-of-life care. Our country is one of the greatest countries. We have access to some of the greatest healthcare services available.

With that said, as Americans we have a false sense that we have a right to live forever. Many Americans want everything that can be done medically, even if the outcome is poor. I have seen families insist on care for their loved one that will not change the outcome of disease. I have cared for elderly patients on ventilators (breathing machines) who never wanted to be on one lose all their dignity at the end of life. I have performed CPR on elderly patients and felt the cracking of ribs under my fingertips because families wanted their loved one to live forever.

Too often fears of lawsuits stemming from families’ remorse take precedence over attention to the best care and outcome for the patient. I support advances in medical technology, however, those advances aren’t appropriate for every patient.
As nurses we are bound by our “Code of Ethics” to be an advocate for patients, supporting their dignity and maximizing their comfort during a time of dying. Let me be clear: this is not euthanasia!

With the support of the government to open up conversations between the families and their private physicians, perhaps we can make a most emotional situation one of the most beautiful and comforting journeys.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/08/06/end-life-counseling-intensifies-health-reform-debate/

Marie Everhart, Assistant Professor of Nursing

The Northampton Community College faculty includes experts on everything from art to nanotechnology. As teachers, they enjoy challenging students and each other to think carefully and critically about topics in the media. Whether you agree or disagree with Dr. Von Schilling's views, join the discussion by posting your own thoughts. To do, so, click on “Join” (above) and then sign in, or e-mail your comments to hbutler@northampton.edu for posting.

Review of "Community"

2009-09-21T15:59:00Z

Here at Northampton, we like to say that “’Community’ is our middle name.” Well, at NBC these days, “Community” happens to be the full name of their new TV comedy series – one they’re so taken with that they’re airing it on Thursday night. Americans have favored NBC on Thursday nights ever since “Cheers” in the 1970s and 80s and “Seinfeld” in the 1990s. Now it’s “The Office” and “30 Rock” on Thursday night that make the “peacock” network proud today.

But will TV viewers like “Community” and its version of life among community college students? And what about those viewers who happen to be part of such a “community” themselves – like us? We spend huge chunks of our daily lives in the show’s setting. Will it prove to be both real and funny to us?

Thursday night’s premiere episode had a little reality and just enough humor for me to enjoy the show, although I can’t imagine Northampton or any community college recommending it to prospective students. “If I wanted to learn something,” says the show’s main character, Jeff, “I wouldn’t have come to a community college.” Ouch!!

This absurdity comes from a guy who’s been disbarred as a lawyer because his undergraduate degree from “Columbia” was actually from Colombia (a cheap shot at an entire nation and Hispanics in general). Later he describes the fictional Greendale Community College as a “school-shaped toilet.” These jokes about community college promote a stereotype that my students and colleagues at Northampton disprove every day.

Jeff’s good friend on campus is a psychology professor he defended on a D.U.I. charge and who drinks from a half-empty bottle of wine in his office – don’t try that here! At least he promotes some respectability for his profession by not giving Jeff in advance the test answers he desires.

But Jeff mainly desires one of his classmates, Britta, and he creates a Spanish 101 study group just to hit on her. Here enters some reality, as the group is very much like one you might see meeting at Northampton, with a real diversity of personalities, ages, and backgrounds. Chevy Chase, for example, plays an older businessman – a guy you’d rarely see taking freshman-level courses anywhere but at a community college.

I’ve had a few students like him – and like the other types in the group. And I’ve also known other students at Northampton that you just don’t meet teaching elsewhere: a Miss America finalist, a former heavyweight boxing champ, a pole dancer (Jeff would’ve liked her!), a South Korean pop singing star, and – perhaps my strangest example – a man in his 70s who’d been recruited to join our golf team. Together they’d have made some study group!

By creating a “community” at Greendale of diverse learners, this new NBC comedy does indeed portray life at places like Northampton that offer a college education – and much more -- to nearly all Americans who desire one. As Jeff proclaims to his classmates, “You’ve just stopped being a study group. You’ve become something unstoppable…a community!” That’s no joke, of course, and if “Community” can slip in more moments of truth and wisdom like that one…well, I’ll keep watching – and maybe Jeff will learn something at a community college after all!

Dr. James Von Schilling, Professor of English

The Northampton Community College faculty includes experts on everything from art to nanotechnology. As teachers, they enjoy challenging students and each other to think carefully and critically about topics in the media. Whether you agree or disagree with Dr. Von Schilling's views, join the discussion by posting your own thoughts. To do, so, click on “Join” (above) and then sign in, or e-mail your comments to hbutler@northampton.edu for posting.

The Burden of Democracy

2009-09-08T13:02:00Z

The Northampton Community College faculty includes experts on everything from art to nanotechnology. As teachers, they enjoy challenging students and each other to think carefully and critically about topics in the news. Whether you agree or disagree with the views expressed in their blogs, join the discussion by posting your own thoughts. To do, so, click on “Join” (above) and then sign in, or e-mail your comments to hbutler@northampton.edu for posting.

In the post below, William Whyte who teaches history at NCC’s campuses in Bethlehem and in Tannersville, defends “The Burden of Democracy.”

As an adjunct professor of history and a full-time employee of a large financial institution, I constantly strive to relate current events with the past, as well as, bring my real world experiences into the classroom. This editorial piece by Max Blumenthal is an excellent example of how history relates to present circumstances.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/03/opinion/03blumenthal.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&ref=opinion&adxnnlx=1251982975-oIjpaLGO2F1zseCF61YD+g

This essay titled “Ike’s Other Warning” references a letter that President Dwight D. Eisenhower sent to a concerned citizen in 1959, when the United States was in the midst of the Cold War. Just as many of us feel today, this citizen had lost faith in the government’s ability to lead and was questioning the ambiguous messages coming from the White House. Ike urged the man not to be disheartened, since skepticism and perplexity are the burdens of a democratic society. He went on to argue that citizens of a dictatorship, in many ways, get off easy, considering there is no debate and therefore no need to be informed.

I believe the resurgence of political debate over this past summer is a good thing. It demonstrates that our republic is alive and well. When framing the U.S. Constitution, the founding fathers not only worried about a tyrannical central government, they feared placing too much power in the masses, where mob rule could be just as destructive as an authoritarian government. Citizens vocalizing their concerns on both sides have already forced Congress and the president to reevaluate their plans.

Here is a recent example of why we must question our leaders. Baron Hill, an Indiana Democrat, refused to let a journalism student tape his meeting. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YdnijARV6QU

I encourage my students to stay informed, and like a good historian, question the integrity of their sources. Unscrupulous individuals will use times of uncertainty for their own personal gain, case in point – Senator Joseph McCarthy. The author warns, “…the rise of extreme movements and authoritarianism could take root anywhere --- even in a democracy.” So let the town halls continue and be happy you are burdened with a free society!

About the Author: William Whyte has taught courses in American history, the Civil War, Vietnam, and modern European history at Northampton Community College. In addition to teaching at NCC and working in New York City, he is serving as assistant editor for The Naval Civil War Encyclopedia, due out next fall. Whyte holds a bachelor's degree in information technology and a master's in history.

Bored? No. Inspired? Yes.

2009-08-31T13:37:00Z

The Northampton Community College faculty includes experts on everything from art to nanotechnology. As teachers, they enjoy challenging students and each other to think carefully and critically about topics in the news. Whether you agree or disagree with the views expressed in their blogs, join the discussion by posting your own thoughts. To do so, click on "Join" (above) and then sign in, or e-mail your comments to hbutler@northampton.edu for posting.

In the first blog of the semester, Nancy Trautmann, professor of English, comments on an article Jill Biden wrote for Forbes magazine regarding teaching at a community college:

Community college students are inspiring. Jill Biden made that comment in Forbes on 8/5/09 based on her 16 years of working in community colleges. Indeed, community college students are inspiring. In the almost 30 years since I first came to Northampton, I have seen students overcome odds, fulfill dreams, finish college and gain academic honors when they never thought they could finish high school, deal with crippling physical, financial and personal problems and still get up every day and go to class. In the past 30 years I have seen the community college be gateway to success for Vietnamese boat people, refugees from the Shah of Iran, displaced steelworkers, displaced homemakers, and bright high school students who could never have scraped together the money for all four years at a private university. They work and they struggle and somehow they succeed. Community college students are inspiring. They are also enthusiastic, blasé, overworked, frustrated, frustrating, sometimes underprepared, sometimes brilliant and always surprising. When I first started at Northampton, fresh out of grad school and with experience teaching freshmen at a four-year private university, many people said “you must see a huge difference in the students.” I know what they expected. They expected me to say that I had never seen students so unprepared, but that wasn’t true. I have seen unprepared students at both places and brilliant and gifted students at both places. Though not given to broad generalizations I could say that one difference I saw was that the students I encountered at Northampton were more grateful – for the opportunity, for the help. In the years at Northampton, thanks to the students, I have never been bored, and I’ve sometimes been thanked and have often been inspired, and that makes a world of difference.

About the Author: Like Jill Biden, Professor of English Nancy Trautmann is a lifelong educator. She has taught both at Northampton and at a research university. Students have had the benefit of her expertise and enthusiasm in a variety of courses, including Basic English, English I, British Literature I, and Shakespeare. When asked whether she prefers chocolate or vanilla, her response is strawberry.