FIt’s no secret Bluffton faculty have a busy schedule. They’re likely to teach multiple classes in a single day during any given semester. Out of the many courses a professor is responsible for teaching, is there a single class they look forward to teaching? From the art to social work to chemistry, Bluffton faculty share their favorite course (or two) to teach.
Assistant Professor of Health and Fitness Steven Yarnell
Assistant Professor of Health and Fitness Steven Yarnell said his favorite class to teach is Sand Volleyball.
“It first and foremost connects students that may not typically have a class together and allows them to learn a lifelong activity,” said Yarnell. “It is fun to watch the abilities of the students sharpen and watch the game grow from the beginning to the end of the semester.”
Assistant Professor of Art Philip Sugden
Assistant Professor of Art Philip Sugden said that while he had trouble picking one class, ART 213 Painting has to be his favorite. He said he likes this class because it is small and allows him to spend time with individual students. He also said he learns ways to improve his own technique as he researches and teaches the class.
“I enjoy teaching painting and drawing because it is one of the few professions that, when questioning my own work, I can go back into history, back to the caves and the jungles, to find answers to what is important,” said Sugden.
Assistant Professor of Spanish Emily Buckell
Assistant Professor of Spanish Emily Buckell said her favorite class is Beginning Spanish 1. She said she enjoys watching people start to understand and put together the language.
Professor of Religion Alex Sider
“My favorite class to teach is History of Christianity,” said Professor of Religion Alex Sider. “Largely because it adds context to people’s understanding of themselves and the world that they live in.”
Professor of Communication Gerald Mast
“Religious Communication is my favorite class to teach,” said Professor of Communication Gerald Mast. “This is an opportunity to work with students to communicate well about the most important things in life, which have to do with God, the divine, the spiritual, the ethical, the biblical.”
Professor of Chemistry Dan Berger
Professor of Chemistry Dan Berger. Photo by Nathan Heinze
Professor of Chemistry Dan Berger chose two classes as his favorite: The Mechanisms of Biological Chemistry and The Science of Global Climate Change. He said he enjoys the former because it’s working with three dimensions and complex models while still using basic principles. The latter he enjoys because he feels most people can understand the concepts despite their complexities.
“The facts are not really that difficult to grasp,” said Berger. “It’s just that there are very many of them.”
Assistant Professor of Social Work Heidi Mercer
Assistant Professor of Social Work Heidi Mercer said her favorite class to teach is SWK 240 Interviewing Skills. While mandatory for social work majors, Mercer said many other students take the class, including those going into nursing, criminal justice, business, pre-art therapy and dietetics.
“We pay close attention to nonverbal communication, questions that elicit responses, working with diversity,” said Mercer. “And we do this through role play, case studies, and the students create 3 videos highlighting the beginning, middle and end of an interview.”
Associate Professor of History Martina Cucchiara
Associate Professor of History Martina Cucchiara had two classes she cited as her favorite: HIS 331 Nazi Germany & the Holocaust and HUM 222 Humanities 2.
“Nazi Germany and the Holocaust is my area of expertise, and I love the opportunity to explore the topic in depth with my students,” said Cucchiara. “In particular, the class gives me an opportunity to dispel common misconceptions about Nazism and the Holocaust.”
As for Humanities 2, Cucchiara said she likes the class because of the students and the subject matter, and that she has the students experience “Pride and Prejudice” and “Wuthering Heights.”
Associate Professor of Communication Zachary Walton
“I’m going to choose COM 222, which is Special Topics in Communication,” said Associate Professor of Communication Zachary Walton. “It’s an umbrella course that every topic is different, so I’ve taught one on video games, I’ve taught one on comic books.”
Walton said he enjoys this class because he gets to learn alongside the students and he gets to choose topics that appeal to students, especially those outside a communication major.
Professor of English Jeff Gundy
Professor of English Jeff Gundy did not have a specific individual class he most enjoyed. Instead, he said he has a favorite type of class environment.
“In general, my favorite classes are the ones where we all throw ourselves into the adventure of reading, writing and talking together about whatever the subject matter is,” said Gundy. “When that happens we all teach each other and learn together, and my role is mainly to organize, nudge, keep the conversation going.”
