Arnold gives Last Lecture

By Sara Botinelli, Staff Writer

Have you ever wondered what a professor would choose to teach if he or she had only one more chance to do so? Members of the Young Harris College community gathered together Tuesday night to find out. Hosted by the Student Government Association, Last Lecture is an event that gives staff, faculty and students an opportunity to teach a lecture on a topic they otherwise would not be able to give.

Dr. Paul T. Arnold, dean of the division of mathematics and science, was the first professor invited to share his “last lecture”.

Dr. Arnold opened his lecture entitled “Oath of Lasagna” with a series of slides depicting all the things he is passionate about. He described his love for music, fishing and fine arts. In the end, he admitted that the things he was most passionate about included food and sleep which took up most of his day.

However, this was not what he intended his lecture to be about. The word Lasagna may have been included in the title, but its reason for being there pointed towards anything but food.

Dr. Arnold explained that Lasagna referred to a physician by the name of Louis Cesare Lasagna, who revised the Hippocratic Oath. The oath outlines the values and standards physicians must uphold in their practice. He considers this important to everyone’s daily lives. He then began to outline every section of the oath and explained its significance.

Arnold also described his passion for science and what it has done for him.

“Science has allowed me to see in a much broader way. I always clearly saw my side of an argument, but I learned to see everyone else’s side too,” Arnold said.

Not only has science helped to broaden Arnold’s perspectives, he considers the subject to also be an art form.

“Science is a different version of art, and definitely has a place in a liberal arts college,” Arnold said.

Arnold continued to keep the audience’s attention throughout the lecture by cracking jokes and comparing the topic to everyday life. He emphasized the importance of staying passionate about what interests you.

“Use your passion to get involved with something greater than yourself,” Arnold said.

By the end of the lecture, the audience could relate themselves to the Hippocratic Oath and also knew more about Dr. Arnold than ever before.

SGA plans to continue this event 2-3 times a semester. They encouraged everyone to get involved and for students and faculty to submit names of someone they wish to hear give a last lecture.

SGA gives Last Lecture UPDATE

By Carmen Brown, Staff Writer

The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch sold over 700,000 copies.

At Wednesday’s SGA meeting, student representatives finalized plans for Dr. Paul Arnold’s Last Lecture as well as new ways to get student feedback on a variety of campus issues.

Arnold, associate professor of biology and dean of the division of mathematics and science, will be giving his lecture in the Wilson Lecture Hall at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, October. 5. All students are encouraged to be a part of this by coming and listening to Dr. Arnold speak on the topic of his choosing.

The idea behind the Last Lecture stems from Randy Pausch. Pausch was a professor of computer science at Carnegie Mellon University. He decided to give his Last Lecture when he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Shortly after his diagnosis, Pausch lectured on how to achieve your dreams. Ten months following the lecture, Pausch lost his battle against pancreatic cancer.

While Dr. Arnold is not battling a terminal illness, the Last Lecture program was inspired by this idea, so that if a professor or faculty member were to leave, they could speak on whatever it is they would want students to know before they leave YHC. The lecture can be about absolutely anything. It is not confined to just that person’s department.

Along with more solid plans about the Last Lectures, Tell-Me-Tuesday, which is a program to get student feed-back on improvements they want on campus, is officially in the works. The first one will be on Tuesday, October 5. A golf cart with one adult and one SGA member will come around to pick up random students and take them quickly from one destination to another. While riding the SGA member will ask a set questions to the student on what improvements they would like to have on campus. They will do this in twenty-minute increments on Tuesdays. The times of these rides for this Tuesday will take place between 9:15 to 9:35 a.m., 10:45 to 11:45 a.m. and 1:45 to 2:05 p.m. on Tuesdays.

In addition to making improvements on campus, SGA will be meeting with the Office of Information Technology to address any technological concerns students might have.  All students are highly encouraged to voice any questions or concerns they may have by sending a e-mail to sga@yhc.edu. Any and all questions are more than welcome.

Randy Pausch’s Last Lecture can be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ji5_MqicxSo

UPDATE1(12:22 a.m., 10/1/10) Added link to Randy Pausch’s Last Lecture.