University of Texas Austin - Cactus Yearbook (Austin, TX)

Page 221 text:

Elizabeth Femea, professor of Middle Eastern Studies, recollects her past as a student. Fic! Facer. ' [he University, i. One of Ac posei J w) s,nsctol )illltmt rfci pic enrolled with power to control even the i O. but they don ' t. You have the richest uni- versity in the country and one of the lowest paid staffs. The student-teacher ratio is terri- ble, too; but students don ' t take control. Professors are humans too; they arc not permanent fixtures behind desks and podi- ums. They mow lawns, have families, shop for food and one professor even admitted that, sometimes, the only way to get through summers is to sit in bleachers and drink beer. Professor Fcrnca said she spent a great deal of time with her students and her research because that was her love, but she also enjoyed gourmet cooking, movies, and when she was younger, mountain-climbing and hiking. Of the stereotyped stodgy mathe- maticians, many of the professors are musi- cians ranging from concert pianists to fid- dlers. Professors spend most of their time with research, meetings and teaching. Most profes- sors wonder that students do not come by to sec them just to talk and learn. When stu- dents come to you and thirst for knowledge, that ' s what ' s rewarding. Some professors such as Robert Crunden have informal meetings in the tavern simply to get to know other faculty members and students better. Professors do have other sides to their lives than school, but from their viewpoint, they teach because they love it. It certainly is not for the money. Robert Cronden, professor of Ameman Studin. meets with his student hefeMon

Page 220 text:

Paul Fmkleman, professor of history, lectures in Jester Auditorium to his afternoon class Sometimes they are tired; sometimes they drag themselves to class, wishing they were still in bed. Being up most of the night writ- ing a paper and having to make it to class by 8:00 is hell in the morning. By that time, however, usually they manage to brace them- selves enough to face 30 to 500 students with a lectur e. Yes, professors are humans, too, and they feel it acutely some mornings. It is difficult for most students to keep from stereotyping professors as old men, dressed neatly in out-dated suits, sitting behind desks. This may be because professors seem so remote from students in their dress, their actions and their hobbies. It is hard to believe that they can understand a student ' s sit- uation and viewpoint. However, most profes- sors, surprisingly, perhaps, do feel a deep affinity with their students, either having recently been in school themselves, or having children who arc in a university. When I teach I try to remember what it was like, commented professor Elizabeth Fernea, vividly recollecting her traumatic col- lege experience. I was sure I was flunking ... no one bothered to tell me otherwise. When students come to her with the feeling of how can they do this to me? she was able to empathize. Through her son, a fresh- man at the University, Fernea especially learned that it ' s much more difficult for stu- dents here than I realized. It ' s a real hassle even to get into a course in the first place. When Professor Paul Finkleman came to Texas to teach at the University, he was sur- prised at the system and at the students ' reac- tion to it. I think that the large classes are horrible! stated Finkleman. One of their effects is that they pose a human dilemma for the teacher not being able to match the faces, the papers and the grades. It ' s sad to put up with this. The main difference Finkleman noted from the years he was in school was the time period change. Strikes went on ten years ago; and now there isn ' t student activism. Finkleman further asserted that, The stu- dents should demand. There are 40,000 peo- 214 Professors

Page 222 text:

Internships Good but not Glamorous The job ad reads experience required. The familiar Catch-22 of how to get experience when you can ' t get a job has stymied the eagerness of many college students. A number of University students discovered the value of on-the- job training while still in school. Through internships, they gained practical career experience, and some formed decisions about the future. Not all internships were glamorous. Radio- Television-Film stu- dent Pat Cosgrove worked for Texas and Pacific Film Video. During the filming of a commercial one afternoon, he was put in charge of warding off overly-vocal birds by throwing rocks at the surrounding trees. Cosgrove, who also worked at the media center in the Educa- tion Building and as a waiter, said the experience and the people I ' m meeting are the most important thing. Robyn Fahey, a pharmacy student, spent long hours writing a cat- alogue of drugs and their dosages during her internship at St. David ' s Hospital. She worked 40 hours a week without pay for 12 semester hours credit, as required by the State Board of Pharmacy. She said it was beneficial experience however. You get to learn the ins and outs of the business, and it ' s a chance to ask questions as a student, not as a professional, she added. Missy Webb Robin Fihcy prepares intravenous solutions is a pharmacy intern at St David ' s Hospital. 1 Pat Cosgrove, a Radio-Television-Film student, works in the media center at the Education Building as pan of a work-study program through the Universtiy. 216 Internships