Opinion – Judy Harris: What’s not to love about university students? Always much to learn

“Learning never exhausts the mind.” Leonardo da Vinci

Thirty-three years on university faculties. What’s not to love about university students?

My current retirement milieu includes student-athletes at Thomas More University, hundreds and hundreds of them. Wonderful! As always, there is much for me to learn.

“Hello, I’m Judy.”

Exchanging first names, we’re acquainted and on a first-names-only basis. That means we greet each other with smiles when our paths cross. Friendship begins.

As a former professor of education, I traveled to a wide range of schools in Kentucky, Ohio, and Indiana as our students wished for clinical placements in their home bases. As a result, I know about many of their high schools when I meet freshmen and welcome them to Thomas More. A simple connection. However, the world of high school changed much over these last ten years. I welcome the updates.

The greeting becomes “Zdravo, I’m Judy,” when I’ve heard the student-athlete or assistant coach is from Yugoslavia. Such clear surprise lights their faces as they realize that someone from here might be aware of their native language. We have good laughs realizing that Zdravo is the limit of my Serbo-Croatian. Frequent chats about their country are ahead.

A few years back, a men’s basketball player was from Lithuania. He was shocked when, one day, I brought the Lithuanian translation of one of my books to show him. The only English words were my name on the cover. With just two work trips to Lithuania, I had only a beginning knowledge of his country but was always ready to learn more about these resilient people.

Attending games and competitions as often as possible allows me to follow the athlete part of them excelling in their sports, adding joy as we also celebrate their academic successes.

Knowing the first names of the student-athletes personalizes the game, increases focus.

We get to know each other. We have things to chat about. What’s not to love about student-athletes?

There is much to learn about competitive dance, collegiate wrestling, women’s lacrosse and men’s lacrosse. International student-athletes extend my understanding of the variations they find in American versions of their sport. Fascinating.

And then there’s rugby! My Scottish cousins played rugby. Our Saints rugby team won the National Collegiate Rugby trophy several years ago. With rugby student-athletes from Argentina and South Africa, I hear about TMU’s summer break being in their winter season, Christmas being in their summer. Something I’d known about hemispheres but in a most remote way.

If I ever thought I knew enough about any sport, that isn’t true today. Every aspect seems in constant flux and change. Staying knowledgeable takes work if just to enjoy being a spectator.

Occasionally, we find ourselves engaged in an extended conversation. It is a pleasure in retirement to have time to listen to what these young people have to say. A level of trust has developed. Integrity demands confidentiality always. I listen, nod, understand, ask a question, make a comment.

A few years ago, such a conversation occurred. This poem resulted.

HUMILITY

He met humility
In temporary scruffy jobs,
Realizing
Humility is a gift.
* * *
Humility arrives
As an effervescence
Held gently
In one’s cupped hands,
And over time
Makes its way deep inside
To thrive within us.
* * *
Humility’s twin, Gratitude,
Appears simultaneously,
Taking its place;
Twin gifts heralding
Our evolving Humanity.

Judy Harris is well established in Northern Kentucky life, as a longtime elementary and university educator. A graduate of Thomas More, she began her career there in 1980 where she played a key role in teacher education and introduced students to national and international travel experiences. She has traveled and studied extensively abroad. She enjoys retirement yet stays in daily contact with university students.

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