Students tell it like it is

Ovid Vickers
The Newton Record

NEWTON April 23, 2008 02:10 pm

— Sue Evans Munn was a student in my classes during those years when I was a member of the East Central Community College faculty. Sue was an exceptional person. She was studious, courteous, highly motivated, and the kind of student teachers dream of having in class. After two years at East Central, where she graduated with an All-A grade point average, Sue transferred to Mississippi State University, graduated with a degree in English, and again maintained a 4.0 transcript.
Sue’s father Burt Evans was a member of the East Central faculty for a number of years as was her uncle Charles Pennington who taught typing and shorthand in the Business Department.
After graduating from college, Sue married Henry Munn and moved to the Atlanta area. She applied for a teaching position but was not contacted for an interview. During her second year in Atlanta, she gathered her bits and bags and went to the school system personnel office and said to the Director, “You need me. I have an excellent transcript; I have a great desire to teach; and I think I can make a contribution to this school system.” She was hired that day.
After completing a Masters Degree, Sue began teaching in the University System of Georgia. She is now associate Professor of English in the Humanities Division of Georgia Highlands College. Georgia Highlands is located in the Atlanta environs and has a diverse student body.
At the beginning of the spring semester of 2008, Sue asked her students to fill out a Student Information Sheet. About her request, she says, “I usually ask my freshmen each semester to complete a student information sheet for me. I also request that they write a paragraph or two about themselves on the back of the information sheet. This gives me a little information about each student so that I can get to know them better.”
The responses to Sue’s information request were both interesting and revealing. Following are examples of what the students wrote to introduce themselves to the teacher, exactly as they appeared on the papers submitted.
“I have two sassy sisters and two dogs. I am in the middle of the two sassy sisters. Everyone, including me, likes the dogs much better than the sisters.”
“My major is busyness, and I plan to be very secessful, or is it suckesesfil, busyman. I am a terrible spellar.”
“I do not have a diver’s license because of what Illinois and Georgia did to me. I have to get a ride to school, so I will be late a lot.” (The reader wonders what Illinois and Georgia did to this student.)
“I am really proud of my breast implants. I got them for Christmas from my boyfriend. Everyone I see from last semester asks me if they are real.”
“I am Hispanic and from Miami. They call me ’Miami Nice.’”
“I joined the Army in August. I think I will be going to Iraq soon, so I am trying to live it up before I have to go. Just to let you know in advance, my mind might not be on my studies all the time.”
“My dad owns a company that builds log cabins in the Georgia mountains, and I want to do the same thing. I told him yesterday that I didn’t know why on earth he wants me to come to college. Last night, he said I was clueless. Now what is that supposed to mean? Who needs and education to build log cabins?”
“I have a Jack Russell terrier and a wife. The Jack Russell is very smart.”
“Hey, Mrs. Munn, it’s me, Matt. Remember me? I sold you some shoes in Macy’s a while back. Well I am in your class now, and I want you to remember what a good salesman I am when you give out the grades.”
“Do they have a Starbucks on this college campus? I have to have my Starbucks fix early in the morning, and I might have to register at another school or change my schedule to a class later in the day if I can’t get a Starbucks here. If I am not in class on Wednesday, you will know that I could not find a Starbucks on campus or in this part of town.”
“My parents are from India. I like to play the drums. I am in an all girl drum band. Although we are Indian, we really know how to rock.”
“My name is Matthew, but you can call me Matticus. I think that sounds real cool, don’t you?”
When Mrs. Munn sent me these comments from her students, she included one which she found very touching.
The comment was from a young student from Kenya. He said, “I am from Kenya. We have been in America for about a year. America is a great, great country. I am so glad to be here. I am very, very happy to be going to school in this great country.”
All teachers have from time to time gotten comments from students containing a bit of humor. Teachers might look at these comments as a way that freshman students can test the teacher before the teacher can test them.

Ovid Vickers, a retired East Central Community College professor, writes a weekly column for The Newton Record.