One of my former departmental colleagues could always be found in his office, reading, every afternoon. When I asked him why he was so diligent, he told me that it was a personal goal to read almost 100 pages of history a day! And he made a point to read new things, in different historical subjects, because he was committed to lifelong learning. It certainly made him a great professor---everyone, from students to colleagues, was impressed with the vast amount of information he commanded.
Since I've been at Wofford, I've met many people who practice the gospel of 'never stop learning.' They read, attend lectures, watch films, and make it a point to keep their minds open. Some are students (and nothing thrills an academic heart like a student who says 'no, I'm not a major in this subject, but I thought I'd take the class because I think it's interesting!). Others are faculty members, or work as staff. At Wofford, just because someone works with his or her hands doesn't mean he or she isn't also exercising the mind. I've had fascinating conversations with custodians about history and sociology. Wofford is a community where teaching and learning flows in many different directions.
To try to live up to what I preach, I've been practicing photography, which I hope will help me in my upcoming work on tourism. (My goal is to eventually illustrate my writings.) I get depressed when I load the pictures and they're boring or out of focus, but my Wofford tutors keep telling me that I may have to take a thousand shots before I find one or two that I like. So in the spirit of learning and perseverance, I'll illustrate this entry with this pretty determined little fellow, familiar to everyone on campus.
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