Parasailing

Ropes Course

Ziplining

Parachuting

I look for unique speakers on campus and encourage my students to attend. 

My student was in  the African Student Society's program at the  Fayetteville Town Center. Of course, I had to go watch. What an incredible night!

I've kissed the Blarney Stone

I took students to study abroad in Ireland. While there, I took a weekend excursion to Blarney Castle where I did THE thing--I kissed the Blarney Stone and now have the gift of gab.

A student inspired me to donate my hair.

  In my Advanced Public Speaking class, my student challenged us to donate our hair. I grew out my hair so I could do my part.

When the time came to donate it, I let my sons give me the haircut. Years later, each of my sons grew out their hair and donated it to charity.

Isn't it amazing how far influence can travel? 

I entered graduate school
8 months pregnant. 

As a teaching assistant,  my worst fear was that my water would break while teaching. For my graduation photos, I included a baby bottle, baby toys, my favorite books, and props from my students' speeches. 

I used to have really big hair. 

It took a lot of hair spray to get my hair that poofy.  Just for fun, I sneak one of my retro photos into my class slides. 

I show this one to talk about influencers. In my day, Farrah Faucet influenced us all to have big hair and wings. Seeing funny photos of me wakes them up, but it also helps them see the theory in action. 

I lived in Germany when the Berlin wall came down. 

In this picture, I am outside the Brandenburg Gate, the gate that goes between East and West Berlin. I was there just weeks after the gate was forever opened and I witnessed the great Trabi invasion (East German car caravans).  This was a pivotal moment for me that event in my life that led me to study walls and protest art. Eventually, I was able to take my students to Belfast to the protest wall of art there. 

I collect dinosaur bones and rocks. 

I have a collection of dinosaur bones and rocks in my china cabinet.  Yes, I even have a coprolite (dinosaur dung). This is always a conversation starter in class. 

In one of my classes, I gave out prizes to students who answered a question correctly.  The prize, of course, was a piece of dinosaur bone. 

I climbed pyramids in Mexico. 

For our 25th anniversary, we went to Mexico and climbed and explored many pyramids--Chichén Itza, Ec Balaam,  Uxmal, Teotihuacan-Temple of the Sun, Temple of the Moon.  I use some of these vacation photos to show in class as I talk about what is real and what is staged. 

In one of my photos, we look like we are the only ones in front of  beautiful scenery. I show the photo from the other direction and there are huge lines of people waiting to take a photo at the same spot. 

I love castles

This photo is of Trim Castle in Ireland (aka the Braveheart Castle).

 I really, really love castles. 

I use a story of a castle in Idar Oberstein to teach my students how to tell a story and how to properly show photos on presentation slides.  

I used to sell diesel truck parts.

I was a manufacturer's representative setting up accounts in five states. I tell my students about all the unexpected places education will take you and how different classes prepare you for your journey. 

I still have my speech grade from high school. 

Apparently, I need to slow down and talk distinctly.  I show this to students and talk about how I took this critique personally. I use it as a way to talk about how to process constructive criticism.  

I'm wearing Bono's jacket while sitting in the band's airplane. 

No, I'm not a groupie. My friend was the pilot that flew around the band U2 and so I got a rare tour of the plane when U2 was in town.  

I cried when the chandelier crashed at Phantom in the Opera

I studied abroad in London, England and got to sit in the third row as the chandelier came flying over my head.  It was so exciting that I cried. I encourage my students to study abroad and I even make them find a flyer for their dream program.