Last Lecture Series

As probably many universities are doing now, the University of Alabama is doing one of those last lecture series. At UA, students submit votes on which professor they want to deliver a lecture, and that person presents at the end of the spring. This year's winner is a Professor of History who specializes in the antebellum period. Click HERE for a short PR blurb from the university if you're interested.

I really like this idea, especially how a person is selected by students. But there is a herd mentality that goes on with colleges and universities. The "one book ~ one college" phenomenon has been happening for a good while on college campuses, and those initiatives have sometimes strong and sometimes limited success depending on the book. At least with the last lecture deal, it's an honor, whereas the one book ~ one college concept has issues since students get tired of talking about that book by usually about midway through the fall semester. You get to, say, November and "That horse, he dead."

When I read or hear about a last lecture series though, I get a grin on my face because it reminds me of a story of the "senior lecture series" that my fraternity did one year before I had joined. At that series, all seniors would have to deliver a lecture at a designated party (I believe it took place at a house affectionately called "The Stove"), and they would have to present while standing on top of a keg. I'm told one of the best presentations by a fellow who eventually earned his PhD in Chemistry was titled "Chemistry, Beer, and You."

That's higher learning.

Yet I wonder how many professors would be willing to deliver an entertaining and thought provoking lecture while teetering atop a keg of the Beast.