A Different Perspective in Class
Being 44 and going to college with kids that are around the same age as my boys had me feeling a bit nervous about my participation in certain classes. Last week, after class, I had a talk with my Philosophy professor, Dr Morgan Rempel, about this very subject. We were reading Epicurus writings on Hedonism. We had a class discussion on the topic and I was concerned that, even though I got some of what the rest of the class got out of the reading, I also got some things they didn’t and I didn’t agree with everything in his assessment of it. I was concerned about making sure I was learning from the class as well as passing it. In many classes if you don’t agree with the professor’s interpretation then you don’t pass. Dr Rempel assured me that I didn’t have to agree with him and that he liked having older students in his class because they have live a bit of life and can impart that wisdom or challenge the other younger students to think differently. Today, I put that to the test.
We were again talking about Epicurus and having a class discussion. Dr Rempel had asked us if we had talked about this with someone not in our class and if we had any other questions or comments. I listened to the other students talk about Epicurus views on God or the gods, death, and weather there is an afterlife. The fact that he taught that God or the gods were not concerned with us has been a hot topic in class as well as his views to not be concerned with death.
I raised my hand and when he called on me I said that I had a problems with Epicurus saying that the Gods were not concerned with us. To say that God/the gods are not concerned with us I have a problem with.” I told the class that to many times I have had what I believe is a Guardian Angle watching out for me. “Many time when I was in Iraq my convoy would either push out or be delayed. Many times the convoy that rolled in our place we hit hard. I can not believe that was just chance.” That is when Dr Rempel related our discussion from the week before and reiterated that he was happy I was in the class. That I have had experiences that they have not and that I bring a different perspective to the discussion.
Then he asked someone to argue the other side with me. The comment made was that I was “lucky” and “where was the other guys God if they were the ones hit?” My comment was, ”When it is your turn to go, it is your turn. There is nothing you can do about it.” Dr Rempel pointed out that he has heard that saying many times before and mostly in war movies or from people that have been in combat. I wasn’t really sure how I felt about that, but I did get some comfort in the fact that he valued my opinion, even if it was different from the rest of the class.
After class I met him at the front of the class. As I handed him a copy of my book, I told him that I wsa going to donate it to the college library, but he could take a look at it before I did. He looked through the pictures in the middle and said that he would skim over it and then check it out of the library later this semester when he wasn’t so busy. He added that he didn’t want to keep it from making it to the library so someone else that had the time could read it now.
I feel a lot better after todays class and discussion. I have had no problem in participating in the class discussions, but I have held back at times. I know that my views on some topics are greatly different from the rest of the class at time and i do not know how they will react to them. I have learned, since coming home from Iraq, that it is not safe for me to talk to any and everyone that will listen about my experiences and views of being over there. But at least I know now that I can express my opinion, share my experiences, and have a healthy debate without the worry of being attacked by my classmates and/or professor.
Tags: College, University of Southern Mississippi, USM
