UNK TODAY
SATURDAY, AUGUST 24, 2024 | 13
COLUMN A UNK student and teacher My 15 minutes of fame and instruction as a lifelong learner
B oy, talk about a nontradi- my first year. I wanted to savor the experience, not watch it breeze by in a blur of expectations and re- quirements. When I told my dad I planned to quit, he tional student. I enjoyed col- lege so much that I quit after
ful audiences, due primarily to the type of people who come here to take classes or have an a lia- tion with UNK. These are people who love to learn, who continue to learn; they are people who ap- proach life with open minds and a desire to be challenged. Include me in. I identify as a community member, nontradi- tional student, first time instruc- tor and lifelong learner. As I start to gather my pens, paperclips, erasers, rubber bands, sticky notes and other items for my ever expanding pencil bag, I just need to decide one important thing — what kind of parking pass should I get for the next semester. Freelance journalist Rick Brown keeps one foot in the traditional world and makes up quotes with the other. Reach him at Rick@ YardLightMedia.com.
than that. I assume that most of my students just need to learn how to communicate through the written word in an e ort to craft better emails, to slap together a company report or dash o a let- ter of resignation after winning the lottery. If one or two of them decides to spend evenings and weekends writing a novel or some heartfelt poetry, all the better. I plan to teach some basic skills of research, revision and an ap- preciation for writing. If nothing else, I hope to be just one more rung on the ladder to success, whatever that looks like. After covering the arts as a print journalist in Central Ne- braska for almost 20 years, I have learned that we have something special here. Yes, we have great arts organizations in Kearney, but what sets us apart from the rest of rural Nebraska is the thought-
idea of education. I told my advi- sor that I wanted to take classes in an e ort to keep learning, to expose myself to new ideas, to surround myself with other peo- ple eager to learn and to get that student discount at concerts. “Sure, I’m a student, even though I could be your grandfather.” Combine that with a senior dis- count and my golden years look mighty nice. I often tell people that, after almost 20 years as a part-time journalist, I wanted to work in an area of writing where I can make up quotes and not get fired. Creative writing covers a lot of ground. Now it seems that I will be covering some of that fertile ground as an instructor. I know, I know, my students will be approaching English at a basic level, English Composition 101. It doesn’t get much lower
television production and elec- tronic music. I envisioned myself as an unemployed artist barely eking out a living. Mission ac- complished. After retiring from a stint as a special needs school bus driver, I decided that the world needed another expert in creative writ- ing. I became a Loper. Long story short, last year at the age of 69, I submitted a sample piece of fic- tion to the graduate program at the University of Nebraska at Ke- arney on a Friday afternoon and started classes the next Monday. Now in my second year, the English Department needed someone to teach a freshman class and I applied. On Monday I will stand before a class of under- graduates and impart my knowl- edge about English. That should take about 15 minutes. On the serious side, I adore the
said, “If you quit now, you’ll never go back, I just know it.” Half a century ago, no one had a name for it — a gap year. I spent my first year at Doane College in Crete in
RICK BROWN
1972 studying theater and music and then moved to Arizona where I slummed around for a year be- fore enrolling at the University of Arizona in Tucson. Being more practical, I studied media arts including filmmaking, radio and
Made with FlippingBook Online newsletter maker