Consider your time in a typical lecture class and it’s pretty likely that similar images come to mind: mostly the backs of your eyelids, with a monotonous voice narrating several images of a blurry Powerpoint presentation.
However, it’s also likely that you’ve had a professor or two that really made an effort to keep the class interested and involved, the professors that will crack a joke or take a break to tell a story and lighten up the lecture on the physics of electrical circuits or the economics of bread.
Whether you have experienced one or not, you should know that there are a great number of these faculty members on our campus at Indiana University. They prove to their students that contrary to popular belief, professors can and do carry on lives outside of the classroom.
Not only are they full of useful information, but they often have great senses of humor! Here are a few funny or intriguing tidbits from professors this year:
- A professor gave us this cool fact to ponder during his lecture. It helped a lot of us stay awake: Have you ever seen a full moon when it’s just rising? It looks really big doesn’t it? It’s not actually bigger than normal--it’s an optical illusion. The moon close to the horizon is actually the exact same size as the moon when it’s directly overhead. Why does this happen? Our eyes perceive the sky directly above as much closer than the sky at the horizon; therefore things in the distance appear much larger than those directly above. This applies to everything from the moon to birds.
- In the middle of a lecture, one professor went off on this tangent: “Did you guys know that In The Wizard of Oz, the weird soldier guys in the castle are actually chanting ‘Oh we love, nooo one, oh we love, nooo one.’ Isn’t that crazy?”
- One professor’s study habits in college: “I had trouble staying awake in the library, so I would keep myself entertained with a six-pack and some children’s books.” (I bet that worked wonders!)
- One professor reveals that he often watches shows like The Hills and South Park, both for entertainment and to better connect with his students and children. “Sometimes South Park can get a little uncomfortable with the kids, but you have to admit, Cartman is just hilarious!”
- At the end of the class, this professor kept the class from leaving early with a slightly offensive joke based on the early 20th century:
Question: Excuse me, what is your opinion on the shortage of meat?
o The Pole answers, “What is meat?”
o The Russian answers, “What is opinion?”
o The American answers, “What is shortage?”
o The Israeli answers, “What is excuse me?”
- One professor’s opinion of contemporary college student involvement: “Man, your résumés are so much better than mine in college! When I was your age, the only thing I could put on mine was ‘champion beer drinker’…What do you guys do in your spare time nowadays, donate your kidneys to science? ‘I mean, I feel bad keeping my other one…but I kinda need it…’”
Heard a funny/interesting joke or anecdote from your professor lately? Reply to this article! Note: you might not want to include names, unless you have his or her permission first.
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