Hunter's Trivia and My Very Cool Mechanical Wind-Up Cow

Dr. Hunter Boylan, as I have mentioned previously, is a thoroughly engaging speaker and a wonderful teacher.  His passion for developmental education is inspirational, and his knowledge of it would be intimidating, except that his deep, booming voice seems to relay true acceptance that each of us is, indeed,  a scholar and professional in developmental education. In other words, Hunter Boylan, perhaps the most well-know researcher and speaker in developmental education, talks to us, the Kelloggers, as he would his close colleagues. It is cool.

And I can think of no other word to describe his classroom demeanor than perspicacious. There are more than forty people in the room, yet it feels like he is looking at, and seeing, each one of us as he speaks. It's kind of spooky, and it really makes you think twice when you are afraid you might have to yawn or scratch your nose or something.

His lectures are also a lot of fun.  In the middle of one afternoon session earlier this week, he reached into one of  his myriad of bags on the front table, pulled out a giant bag of Hershey's chocolate, and passed it around the room, telling us that we needed a pick up.  But, perhaps, the most fun are his Developmental Education Trivia Games and the totally goofy prizes he has for the winners. (He actually demonstrates the prizes, which light up or whirl or fly or buzz.)  He has a student pull from names in a bag, and the person whose name is picked must answer the trivia question that appears on the huge screen in the classroom.

My Developmental Education Trivia Prize Cow

My name came up yesterday!  I wasn't feeling optimal yesterday, but I was delighted to have had my name picked, and even more delighted when I won ... a plastic mechanical wind-up cow.  It is, without a doubt, the cutest plastic wind-up cow anyone has ever had the pleasure of seeing.  I shall treasure my plastic wind-up cow forever as a memento of the experience as Hunter Boylan's student.

Other news:  Dr. Patrick Saxon saw me in the hallway of Duncan Hall earlier this week and asked me to come to his office to talk to him; we set today at 11:30.  Pat is assistant director of NCDE, and he wears a few other hats around there, and always seems intensely busy.  He is most known for collaboration with Hunter on any number of papers and research articles; I have cited his work numerous times myself.  I got to know him in San Juan several years ago, and I have a lot of respect for him and for what he does.  Anyway, he spoke to me about some previous research I had done, a replication of it that he's like to see me do, and one or two articles he wants me to write for NCDE's journals.  And, he talked to me about something else, something very, very exciting.  More on that at a later date.

Tonight is dinner with my practicum adviser.  He is taking us -- he has three advisees -- to Blowing Rock in his convertible.  We are meeting downstairs at 6:30.

So, yeah, the candle is still burning at both ends, but I've managed to try to blow out one of the ends for a little while this afternoon as I've attempted to rest a bit.  The antibiotics are amazing, and I am feeling significantly better than just a day ago.  There is still so much to do and experience here -- and just a week and a half to go!