Brown University - Liber Brunensis Yearbook (Providence, RI)

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Forbes Salemi Boulas Castleman 24

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26 There are certainly many reasons for coming to Brown and among them are some star professors that shine in their respective fields. Names prospec- tive Brown students hear in high school that be- come faces and personalities during freshman year are the same ones that have been spoken about by graduates for years. Each star professor is different in personality and subject matter taught, but all the star professors have one thing in common, they make Brown education exciting. What can a Political Science professor and a Reli- gious Studies instructor have in common? Anyone who has ever met Professors Edward N. Beiser and Jacob Neusner can certainly see a number of simi- larities. Although it is difficult to find a consensus on Prof. Beiser, everyone agrees that Beiser, a Political Sci- ence professor since 1968, has his own style of teaching. Everyone will tell you that he teaches by the Socratic method and no one escapes his atten- tion in class. He is known for organizing his class by a seating and going down his class list and calling on people. Opinions on Beiser range from one end of the spectrum to the other. Some find him extremely arrogant, while other think him to be the best pro- fessor on campus; surely he is the only faculty mem- ber with his own set of groupies. Either way, his extreme popularity can be reflected in the struggle for seats in Rule of Law' and other courses taught by Prof. Beiser. Opinions of Jacob Neusner, Professor of Religious Studies, run much the same as those of Prof. Beiser. He is well-known for many things. His sharp sense of humor, his use of student papers for in-class presen- tation, and the use of his own written material are just a few. More than anything else, however, he is regarded as being one of the most intelligent and exciting professors on campus today. Although Neusner is often known to make people uncomfortable due to his demanding nature, there is no doubt that his experiences are unparalleled. He is a graduate of Harvard though this is not held against him and has travelled around the world on speaking tours. He is the recipient of many fellow- ships and awards. Another aspect of Professor Neusner that is well- known is his outlook on education. He is known for stressing thinking instead of memorization and is mejpie ajeay BX Barrett Hazeltine Edward Beiser