Chuck & Gary

When I was an undergraduate student at Arizona State University I took summer classes each year and was prepared to graduate in three years. I had really good grades, I had pushed myself hard, and I felt like I should be “the bestest, fastest, and the mostest…!” I had the good fortune to meet with two individuals near the end of my sophomore year, each of whom gave me some very good advice; I followed their advice and it had a dramatic influence on my college experience and my career. I’ll use their first names to keep things simple and bit more private.

I met with the then Chair of the Department of Anthropology (Chuck), to seek his advice about graduate programs in archaeology. I shared with him my accelerated learning plan, and the conversation quickly turned away from graduate school to how to get the most out of my undergraduate education. He advised me to take my time, which unsettled me because I thought I had it all figured out (fastest was bestest!). I am sure that Chuck does not remember this conversation or me, but I do; I left the conversation much less certain of myself. Only years later did I realize that Chuck is a highly respected (famous even) archaeologist whose books and articles I would read in my graduate archaeology classes.

Now, I had the fantastic fortune of being my mother’s son. And, she just happened to have been close high school friends with the wife of the then Dean of Liberal Arts and Science at ASU (Gary). Now Chuck’s advice was challenging, and I was suspicious of it since I thought I knew all there was to know about life, my career plans, et cetera. I needed a second opinion. Looking back, I am a bit horrified at how comfortable I felt simply walking into the Dean’s office and asking to sit down for a chat. I told his assistant something like “don’t worry, he’s a friend” when she asked me who the heck I was with a somewhat raised eyebrow… Clueless, I did not pick up on this hint that I was lacking in decorum. But here’s the deal, Gary invited me in and talked with me. He listened to my plan and to my retelling of Chuck’s advice. How lucky I was.

Gary seconded Chuck’s advice, and he asked me something close to the following: “why would you want to rush through your last year in college taking a minimum number of classes, getting less out of them than you might because you would be over-committed, when you could slow down, take the minimum full-time load for two full years, take extra classes that truly interest you, and come out ahead?” Good question (puzzling even) that sounded an awful lot like Chuck, hmmm… I really respect Gary, and that day I decided to listen to him (and Chuck). I really enjoyed the next two years; I wrote an honor’s thesis and learned how to do a bit of research, and I took interesting classes in archaeology, geography, zoology, Latin American history, Russian history, statistics… I continued to think I had everything figured out and that I had rock-solid plans. Flexibility, decorum, and humility are subjects for another post…

Here’s why I am sharing this story today. A student asked me just this week if it would be possible to take a summer reading course with me in order to finish sooner. The course does not actually fit the requirement for this person’s degree plan. My advice was: “you can see the light at the end of the tunnel. You will either graduate in December or May. If you graduate in December, you will have to take a heavy load in the fall and try to cram an inappropriate summer course into your degree plan. If you take an extra semester you can spread it out and enjoy your last year with classes that interest you. Either way you will finish soon.” Although I gave her the advice, it came from Chuck and Gary.

If I had not taken Chuck’s and Gary’s advice things might have worked out fine. Or they might not have. I do know that following their advice was a turning point that headed me down the path of commitment to become a professor, which I enjoy. Those two years of my life also ignited in me a passion for education that is deeper even than my fascination with archaeology. I owe them each my sincere thanks. I hope I help others as much as they helped me.