-- 30 --

Sitting in the college office awaiting the last videos being submitted for the final in Public Speaking. This semester the final was to do a simulated video job interview. More and more preliminary interviews are being held on google chat or skype and so I decided that this semester that would be the final project.  For nearly all of the time I have been teaching public speaking I have started the class by telling students improving the skill of public speaking would have a direct, positive impact on their personal bottom lines. That was my W-I-I-F-M (what's in it for me) statement to get them a reason for doing all of the speaking assignments that were part of the class. Closing with the video interview is something I should of thought of earlier but teaching here on the Coker College campus has been a constant learning experience and the idea just came this semester. The fact that it is my last semester as a college professor just underlines why there has been so much joy in this "job." Life-long learning is a concept we discuss all the time in this liberal arts academy and my experience as a professor has been my concrete example -- semester after semester.

 One of the major elements that I have focused on sharing with students throughout the 16 years I have been doing this job full time is the relevance of the classroom to the real world. One way of making that happen has been professionals in the field of communication who have shared their time in our classrooms.. There were many over the years who made instant positive impacts with their stories and they made a difference to our Coker students learning. I don't think anyone every said no. The photos here show only two examples.

For much of my life I  have had a penchant for sharing what I have been thinking, reading, studying and doing and the classroom has been a fertile ground for some of that kind of discussion. Dr. George Lellis gave me my first opportunity to teach and for years I was an adjunct in the Coker evening program teaching Public Speaking. Back in the days when I was working at Sonoco and also serving on the School Board, the classroom offered such a different experience that it was one I looked to for rejuvenation. Fortunately, that feeling continued once Dr. Lellis and the search committee gave me an opportunity to teach full time back in 2000.  It has been an enjoyable, fulfilling time of watching students grow while feeling my own growth at the same time. The colleagues with whom I have been fortunate to serve Coker and Coker students are among the smartest and most caring people with whom I have worked. They sure helped me grow year after year.

The Coker Community is such a vital part of my personal journey and my personal story that it is a bit difficult to be writing -30- in the headline instead of at the bottom of the story as is the old journalistic sign for THE END. But for college teaching it is -30-, which I really believe is just the transition to another headline of activity that will include all of the memories, experiences and relationships that were my identity as Professor Puff Daddy.
                                                        -30-

Radio: The Port In The Storm - On The Media

Radio: The Port In The Storm - On The Media

One resource I try to ensure that my Coker College Introduction to Mass Communication students know is the radio program ON THE MEDIA.  Whether an undergraduate communication major, a communication instructor or a citizen needing to know more about the how/why/what of media -- this is a valuable resouce.  One of our book chapters was on radio and here is a great story showing how radio, an often forgotten medium, can come to the rescue in difficult times.  I think everyone thinking of themselves as life-long learners will want to know about this resource -- and maybe even contribute to its existence.

Thanksgiving holidays are upon us at Coker

On Monday I was talking with my Public Relations class about "Marketing YOU -Inc." As part of that discussion I did mention that teaching at Coker College is the best job I have had so far in my life. So -- obviously something for which to be thankful.

In an email message this morning, President Robert Wyatt, shared some of his Thanksgiving thoughts for the Coker College campus. It seems appropriate to share that message as part of the Coker College Experience:

From Dr. Wyatt
Good morning,
As we prepare to gather with friends and family over the holiday break, I am humbled by the blessings that we share as colleagues and by the commitment to excellence you bring to our community.
Indeed, we have much to appreciate. Working together, Coker’s trustees, faculty, staff, alumni and students have developed a strategic plan to guide us through the most ambitious period of growth in Coker’s history. And, owing to your good work, we have made long strides on the path toward becoming the institution of our shared vision. Consider that in the last six months, among other things, we have:
• Welcomed the largest influx of 14 new faculty members in college history, a new provost and numerous staff members;
• Opened Coker’s first downtown loft apartments;
• Established the Joseph L. and Betty C. Wiggins School of Education;
• Created Trans4mations, an innovative four-year academic program to ensure our students are well prepared for the futures they will lead.
• Found ways to expand co-curricular opportunities to challenge and engage students with new programs to begin in 2012 including a competitive debate team, glee club, gospel choir, wind ensemble, and a Coker-Hartsville chorale;
• Added men’s volleyball for 2012;
• Watched our men’s soccer team make history by winning both the regular season and conference tournament championship.
• Received national recognition for academic excellence from organizations including US News & World Report, Washington Monthly, Princeton Review, Colleges of Distinction and, most recently, the National Survey of Student Engagement.
Beyond these myriad accomplishments, I am personally thankful for the friendship and support you have given to Nancy, Lara and me and to each other. It is an exceptional privilege to count you as my family.
May the warmth of this holiday be a special blessing to you.
Thank you, always.
Robert

A couple of Sunday photos from Coker 8-14

We got a bright rainbow that was even a double rainbow from some perspectives











Volleyball practice was pretty intense on Sunday afternoon as the Cobras work to lay the foundation for a strong season.

This was a busy day for first-year students as most had academic overviews in the morning and many still had placement tests to take. There was also an ice cream drop in at President Wyatt's home and later in the evening was the candle lighting ceremony of the Commissioner families. The camera was not around enough to get all those events but you can find a lot of really good weekend shots on the Coker web page.

Quck overview of Kenya's collision with Modernization and Social Change with Mal Hyman's Coker Class

(caption -- Thatched roofs and mud walls are common sights in the villages of Kenya while cities look like cities everywhere.)

Mal Hyman is in the waning days of the 2011 Modernization and Social Change class at Coker College. These are key moments in a class and I really appreciated his invitation to do a quick overview of some of the issues of social change that are facing Kenya. The truth is, my 11 days in the country just began to open my eyes to the situation of our modern world and the third world. I think the students also appreciate that fact. I also believe these Coker students will enjoy a bit of discussion about my quick observations frohttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifm Kenya and the wealth of opportunities that country presents for added discussion of the social-change topic.

I am working on contrasts for this short discussion -- the capital city of Nairobi with the small, spread-out village of Muhuru Bay. The contrast of the mud hut with the multi-story Nairobi Baptist Church complex and the contrast between the classroom in which we will be working and the classes I talked with while in Kenya. The physical contrast can be stark but the social side is more the same than different -- especially when it comes to hopes, dreams and desires. Our quick class will focus on some images and then issues built arount "T" -- TIME, TECHNOLOGY, TURMOIL AND TRIBALISM.

Coker College Prof's Sabbatical Trip - Kenya

(caption)Cha-Cha is a motor bike driver in Muhuru Bay, Kenya. Motorbikes are the major form of transportation and I am believing that Motorbike drivers are the major source of communication in that area.


"You never know a place until you have been to that place." Now, I know for certain that is true but I am a bit more convinced that when you know a little you discover how little you know. As I continue on my sabbatical journey in this Spring Term of 2011, I am beginning to believe that this idea may end up as the overall thttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifheme. As I have a little bit more time to reflect on things like community thinking and building; classroom teaching and living life in this second half, I am becoming increasingly aware of how much I don't know but would still love to learn.

As I was flying from Charlotte to New York to Amsterdam to Kenya I finished listening to the new book by David Brooks, THE SOCIAL ANIMAL: The Hidden Sources of Love, Character and Achievement. (It is a solid read but not really the subject of this post.) David Brooks used the line in the book that was something like, "You can never know a place until you have been to that place." As I landed in Nairobi, Kenya and then headed out to Muhuru Bay, Kenya that short passage began to take on real meaning. And, as I rode the motorbike from the WISER compound to the center of Muhuru Bay that they call Customs or took the turn to the church in sight of the Tanzania/Kenya border or went in the other direction toward the Winjo area of Muhuru Bay it became apparent that there was so much to learn.

In future posts, I hope to expand on this idea. It is becoming apparent to me in this time of research and reflection that such different events as teaching Inga's middle school students about speech introductions and watching Eve's enumerators interview under trees in Kenya, and participating in public affairs training with the Red Cross, and working on community innovation in Hartsville all begin to demonstrate for me that the more you begin to know, the more you really need to learn.

"Old Man, my father" other endearments from the market

One thing that cannot be escaped on this sabbatical trip is age. In almost every situation someone will remind me that I am no longer a youngster as they address me as "Old man." Turns out that no matter what my gut says to me about that epitaph, it is generally a term of respect. When I was 22 and my Marines called me the "Old Man" that was a proud feeling but it is not the feeling that I am getting at my current age as Kenyans wanting my attention call out "Old man." It is sort of the same idea as when guys in the Hartsville YMCA tell me they hope they are still working when they become MY AGE. Now, I have my own story like that: This morning though there was a woman in the breakfast room who has some years on me. She (80 and proud of it) is visiting Kenya with her son, a doctor, and they are heading out to Eldoret where he practiced medicine for a year more than ten years ago. I hope when I get her age I still have the desire to quench a thirst for adventure -- maybe then I will not mind being called "Old Man." This Coker professor is learning a lot of lessons on this sabbatical trip.



Sabbatical Trip (2011 - April 3)

Want to know what's happening? Go to the barber shop

One of the areas I am hoping to build some insight on through this sabbatical trip from Coker College to Muhuru Bay, Kenya is community thinking and community building.


So, if you want to know what is going on in a community, where do you start. My first inquiries were to the motor bike drivers (Muhuru Bay's main form of transportation) who have been helping me get around Muhuru Bay. Not always easy to hear or concentrate as we negotiate down the dirt-packed highway that gives you the feeling of a bumper car ride but it has provided some good background.

As I wandered around the center of the village retail area, called Customs, I glanced into a shop where a barber was cutting hair on two little children and there were some others sitting in chairs around his shop. And, that was at least a double and maybe a triple in beginning to learn even more about the problems and opportunities of this lake-side community. I also learned that after age 60 you find it very difficult to work in Kenya. The 60-year-old telling me that said the computer rejects him when he goes for a job so, "I am self employed."

As I was walking down the road a man yelled from his shop, "Welcome..." That is a common call to an obvious visitor - I do stick out in this community. I think I may be the only gray-haired person in the town. I answered his welcome and went up to offer or accept a greeting. This was a small retail tailor shop with three tailors hoping more business would come in because times are tough in Muhuru retail. That was another great discussion and helped me get additional community thinking perspectives.

One major observation, the community could be Hartsville, SC or Muhuru Bay, Kenya, or 'name the place' but people are quickly able to list some of the major things needing improvement in their community -- and for Hartsville and Muhuru Bay -- MORE JOBS would be at or near the top of both lists. (lots more thinking on this but the post is getting a bit long.) These are a couple of ways of beginning to gather community information in Muhuru Bay.

Sabbatical trip is going to be interesting

Heading to Muhuru Bay in Kenya to get an idea of what a smaller community in that country might be like. Going to be observing how it is different and how it might be the same as some of the smaller communities in the US. Eve, Dr. Eve Puffer, my daughter is letting me join her as she goes back to evaluate an HIV prevention project that she has been working on through the Duke Global Health Institute. Looking forward to this visit -- have not been out of the US for several years and this trip is going to be interesting. Hoping to meet with some university people to talk about potential for setting up a Coker College study away program.

Job Blog -- In case you missed Kat's comment

A couple of days ago we discussed the difficult of finding jobs in today's economy and the idea that those who read this blog -- especially Coker College grads -- can begin to use this Blog as a JOB BLOG. The first official comment back to the blog comes from Kat Friedmann and her incisive comments bare so additional view. Here they are:

Kat Friedmann said...

Hey there! Long time no see/talk! I stumbled upon this post on facebook, and my thoughts exactly. I've started to look for jobs even though I still have one semester left of grad school, but I thought the earlier I started the better. I'm actually trying to go a little bit of a different route and get creative with the job searching. Instead of pushing a resume that I'm pretty sure no one wants to read, I'm pushing a website I created that has real proof of what I can do. You can check it out at www.hirekatpr.com. I'm also trying to get my linkedin up to speed and I am joining other networks that could help in a different way such as www.prstarbase.com. I recently read in a book, "What Color is your Parachute?", that joining "job clubs" or these online networks is one of the most effective ways of finding a job, so I hope this works out!

Puffer back ...
Kat has been in grad school in Boston. She was captain of the Coker Women's soccer team when she was here and her college life included activities from sports to creative writing to student government to --- you can almost name it. She is one of those people who will be a major find for the person who puts her on the team.

Icebreaker Assignments keep me coming back

One of the assignments I have been using for a long time in Public Speaking is called the Icebreaker. In this assignment students are asked to share something in their lives that was a turning point. Last night in Mullins the students had Icebreakers and my head is still shaking at the amazing things that have gone on in some of these lives. The class is all female and what role models they must be in their communities.

One person, a U.S. Air Force veteran has a baby son with a rare disease. She presented the circumstances, she presented the trauma, she presented the joys, the heartaches and the challenges as if she had been on the speaker circuit for years.

Her's was wone of nine stories that kept me riveted throughout the class. Amazing stories and amazing ability to share and this sharing often causes a strong bonding in a class that is hard to match in other circumstances. And, while they are providing the Icebreakers I hope they are realizing that it is anecdotes and personal stories that give the speaker credibility with an audience to help expand horizons.

As I told this class in an email today there is a sign on my door that reads: "Tell me a fact and I will learn. Tell me a truth and I may believe. Tell me a story and it will live on in my heart for ages." The source is an Indian Proverb.