Lisa D. Hager, Ph.D.

Every year for the past 11 years some folks at Beloit College have put together what they call a “Mindset” list. They describe their list as “…observations that help to identify the experiences that have shaped the lives–and formed the mindset—of students starting their post-secondary education this fall.” (http://www.beloit.edu/mindset/) They also suggest the the list “…is also not deliberately designed to make readers feel really old!” You can see this year’s list (and the last 10 lists) at Mindset List for the Class of 2012. Each year that someone has sent this list to the faculty or when the list has been discussed among faculty the general sentiment seems to be one of disbelief. What do you mean they’ve never not had access to personal computers? How can they not know about the controversy surrounding Clarence Thomas’ nomination to the Supreme Court? The reactions that I’ve seen and, admittedly, even personally felt, are often ones that do make faculty feel old and also make us think about how very different we are from our students. This brings me to the point of this post. Maybe, just maybe, it would be productive to think about ways in which we are similar to our students (or ways in which are students are similar to us). If this thought scares you then stop reading now.

I can’t speak for all faculty members but here are some ways in which I think I am similar to my students:

• I have a Facebook account and I keep up with friends and family that way.
• Sometimes I “chat” with my husband when I’m working downstairs on my notebook and he’s working upstairs on his iMac.
• Oh yeah, and we have multiple computers in our home–2 notebooks, an iMac, and a PC (not to mention the 3 or 4 older models in the attic).
• I have a cell phone and take pics with it and send them to my husband on his iPhone.
• I love to eat sushi.
• I saw The Dark Knight on opening weekend.
• I love to watch The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.
• I love to go dancing.
• I love to go to the beach.
• I love hanging out with my friends.
• I sleep in on the weekends (although I admit that my sleeping in isn’t like it was when I was in college).
• Sometimes I stay up late doing schoolwork.
• Sometimes I take a nap after having stayed up late doing schoolwork.
• I recycle.
• I love listening to music and some of my favorite bands are The Killers, Death Cab for Cutie, and Wolf Parade.
• I loved the movie Juno.
• When I have a lot of work to do and it feels like I have too little time I often get physically and emotionally stressed.
• Sometimes when I’m stressed I lose all motivation and watch movies instead.
• Sometimes I don’t do the work I promised myself I’d do over the weekend and I go out with my friends instead.
• I love going to parties.
• Sometimes I have a hangover.
• I love my mom.
• I think my cat is the cutest and smartest animal in the world.
• My mom can drive me insane sometimes but when I’m feeling low she’s the first person I call.
• Class papers can really ruin a weekend.
• I have a really hard time being motivated after Thanksgiving Break.
• After summer break I’m always excited to go back to school and see my old friends and happily anticipate meeting new people.
• Sometimes I start feeling sleepy when I hear someone lecture and would give anything to just be able to lay down my head and sleep for 5 minutes.

I’ll stop there but I could go on, and on, and on. Instead I challenge you to provide some similarities of your own. If you’re a student then what are some similarities you share with faculty? If you’re a faculty member then what are some similarities you share with students? I’m not suggesting that there aren’t differences between faculty and students. I’m not even suggesting that we shouldn’t consider our differences. But to have a more wholistic image of one another, an image that incorporates both the differences and the similarities between us, then maybe we’ll be a little more generous and a little more sympathetic to each other.

In Cognitive Psych class last Thursday we viewed a video clip from YouTube showing how researchers were creating “out of body experiences (OEBs)” using magnets.  See the video here http://www.youtu be.com/watch?v=nCVzz96zKA0.

Researchers at Princeton University have created OEBs using virtual reality goggles and a stick.  Participants see a virtual image of themselves being prodded with a stick and feel the sensation that they are out of their bodies.  The effect is not as strong as the work with magnets but the research is still interesting.  This research was recently published in Science but you can read a description of it in the NY Times by clicking this link http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/24/science/24body.html?x=1345694400&en=07337191417da7b4&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink