Spring Break
Eastern recreates feel of 'Last Lecture'
Seven faculty members to give own lectures
Heather Holm / Activities Editor
Issue date: 4/13/09 Section: News
Students at Eastern can find out what it is like to hear someone's last lecture - literally.
Randy Pausch, a computer science professor at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, was diagnosed with cancer and forced to retire; so the school decided to let him have his last lecture, which was a culmination of what he had learned over the years.
He also wrote a book titled "The Last Lecture."
"He was a really respected professor and was diagnosed with cancer and given a limited life expectancy," said Mike Hilty, the University Board lectures coordinator. "He had the opportunity to give his last lecture, which was a tradition on campus for retiring professors. It was going to be his last lecture in more than one way, though, since he was dying."
Hilty said after he gave the lecture, it was posted on YouTube, and Pausch appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Show.
"It became a significant thing that changed people's lives for the better," Hilty said.
Seven Eastern professors will give their lectures today and Tuesday at 7:15 p.m. in the Grand Ballroom of the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union with a viewing of the "Last Lecture" at 6 p.m. both days.
Each professor's speech ranges from 15 minutes to 45 minutes.
"They all came up with their own theme," Hilty said. "We have seven people that said for sure they would be willing to commit to make a lecture. The order is based on availability and we did not want to hinder anyone's opportunity to speak."
Some of the themes include "Surviving College in difficult times... Never give up," "Expectations and the Journey," "On the Corner of Being and Broadway," "Time," "The More I Learn the Less I Know," "The Adventure Begins with Me" and "Whose Shoes?"
James Havey, a psychology professor, will give the lecture "The More I Learn the Less I Know."
"Basically, it is a reflection on what I have learned and what I have not learned from my career and education," Havey said. "The theme is the fact that what I've really taken away from education has not been a bunch of facts, but an understanding on how to learn and think."
Rebecca Merten, an assistant professor of nursing, will do the theme "On the Corner of Being and Broadway."
"My whole concept of being has to do with the bigger issues of life, such as the meaning of life and relationships, and I'm actually using clips and characters from several Broadway shows," she said.
Merten will use the musicals "Les Miserables," "Lion King" and "Wicked."
"I am intertwining life lessons learned by the characters of Broadway shows with real life," she said.
Diana Wyatt, assistant professor at the school of technology, will speak about the journey and meeting goals in her speech "Expectations and the Journey."
He said he wanted to think of what he would say at his last lecture, if the clock was ticking, and give insight to students.
Several prizes are available to those who attend, including two tickets to a Cubs vs. Cardinals game in St. Louis, two tickets to a White Sox vs. Indians game in Chicago, two three-day passes to Lollapalooza in Chicago, two tickets to see Dane Cook in Chicago, a skydiving gift card and more.
"I just took themes of things that I have always wanted to do and things I thought other people would want to do once in their lives," Hilty said. "I had to keep it within reason, though. For example, we could not do a trip to Italy."
He said he has always wanted to go to a Cubs vs. Cardinals game and go skydiving.
"We will give people the extra push to do some of those things," Hilty said.
He hopes students will come out to support the faculty members.
"They did put a fair amount of time into these lectures," Hilty said. "Also, there are cool and interesting prizes that UB has not given out in a long time and hopefully the biggest turn-on will be to view the 'Last Lecture.'"
Hilty said Pausch's lecture is inspiring and motivating to hear.
"It makes you feel like you can conquer the world and do anything," he said. "It's really cool to get that feeling and students should come to listen to it."
Last Lecture schedule
• 6-7:15 p.m.: Viewing of the Last Lecture
• 7:30-8 p.m.: "Surviving College in Difficult Times ... Never Give Up!" by Rigo Chinchilla
• 8-8:30 p.m.: "Expectations and the Journey" by Diana Wyatt
• 8:30-8:45 p.m.: "Whose Shoes?" by Lucia Schroeder
• 8:45-9:15 p.m.: "On the Corner of Being and Broadway" by Rebecca Merten
• 6-7:15 p.m.: Viewing of the Last Lecture
• 7:30-8 p.m.: "Time" by Sandy Beherns
• 8-8:30 p.m.: "The More I Learn the Less I Know" by Mike Havey
• 8:30-8:45 p.m.: "The Adventure Begins with Me." by John Pommier
Heather Holm can be reached at 581-7942 or haholm@eiu.edu.
Randy Pausch, a computer science professor at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, was diagnosed with cancer and forced to retire; so the school decided to let him have his last lecture, which was a culmination of what he had learned over the years.
He also wrote a book titled "The Last Lecture."
"He was a really respected professor and was diagnosed with cancer and given a limited life expectancy," said Mike Hilty, the University Board lectures coordinator. "He had the opportunity to give his last lecture, which was a tradition on campus for retiring professors. It was going to be his last lecture in more than one way, though, since he was dying."
Hilty said after he gave the lecture, it was posted on YouTube, and Pausch appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Show.
"It became a significant thing that changed people's lives for the better," Hilty said.
Seven Eastern professors will give their lectures today and Tuesday at 7:15 p.m. in the Grand Ballroom of the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union with a viewing of the "Last Lecture" at 6 p.m. both days.
Each professor's speech ranges from 15 minutes to 45 minutes.
"They all came up with their own theme," Hilty said. "We have seven people that said for sure they would be willing to commit to make a lecture. The order is based on availability and we did not want to hinder anyone's opportunity to speak."
Some of the themes include "Surviving College in difficult times... Never give up," "Expectations and the Journey," "On the Corner of Being and Broadway," "Time," "The More I Learn the Less I Know," "The Adventure Begins with Me" and "Whose Shoes?"
James Havey, a psychology professor, will give the lecture "The More I Learn the Less I Know."
"Basically, it is a reflection on what I have learned and what I have not learned from my career and education," Havey said. "The theme is the fact that what I've really taken away from education has not been a bunch of facts, but an understanding on how to learn and think."
Rebecca Merten, an assistant professor of nursing, will do the theme "On the Corner of Being and Broadway."
"My whole concept of being has to do with the bigger issues of life, such as the meaning of life and relationships, and I'm actually using clips and characters from several Broadway shows," she said.
Merten will use the musicals "Les Miserables," "Lion King" and "Wicked."
"I am intertwining life lessons learned by the characters of Broadway shows with real life," she said.
Diana Wyatt, assistant professor at the school of technology, will speak about the journey and meeting goals in her speech "Expectations and the Journey."
He said he wanted to think of what he would say at his last lecture, if the clock was ticking, and give insight to students.
Several prizes are available to those who attend, including two tickets to a Cubs vs. Cardinals game in St. Louis, two tickets to a White Sox vs. Indians game in Chicago, two three-day passes to Lollapalooza in Chicago, two tickets to see Dane Cook in Chicago, a skydiving gift card and more.
"I just took themes of things that I have always wanted to do and things I thought other people would want to do once in their lives," Hilty said. "I had to keep it within reason, though. For example, we could not do a trip to Italy."
He said he has always wanted to go to a Cubs vs. Cardinals game and go skydiving.
"We will give people the extra push to do some of those things," Hilty said.
He hopes students will come out to support the faculty members.
"They did put a fair amount of time into these lectures," Hilty said. "Also, there are cool and interesting prizes that UB has not given out in a long time and hopefully the biggest turn-on will be to view the 'Last Lecture.'"
Hilty said Pausch's lecture is inspiring and motivating to hear.
"It makes you feel like you can conquer the world and do anything," he said. "It's really cool to get that feeling and students should come to listen to it."
Last Lecture schedule
Monday, April 13:
• 6-7:15 p.m.: Viewing of the Last Lecture
• 7:30-8 p.m.: "Surviving College in Difficult Times ... Never Give Up!" by Rigo Chinchilla
• 8-8:30 p.m.: "Expectations and the Journey" by Diana Wyatt
• 8:30-8:45 p.m.: "Whose Shoes?" by Lucia Schroeder
• 8:45-9:15 p.m.: "On the Corner of Being and Broadway" by Rebecca Merten
Tuesday April 14th:
• 6-7:15 p.m.: Viewing of the Last Lecture
• 7:30-8 p.m.: "Time" by Sandy Beherns
• 8-8:30 p.m.: "The More I Learn the Less I Know" by Mike Havey
• 8:30-8:45 p.m.: "The Adventure Begins with Me." by John Pommier
Heather Holm can be reached at 581-7942 or haholm@eiu.edu.
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