I’ve cracked the code – I can tell time! Now, I know, bragging isn’t cool, but this feels like a major win for this “Old Guy From Family Guy” wannabe.
And I owe it all to Pensacola State College, especially my amazing Spanish instructor, Amber Carey. Turns out, her recent award as PSC Academy of Teaching Excellence inductee was no fluke. She’s the real deal.
Let me clarify – I’m telling time in Spanish! “¿Qué hora es?” and all that jazz. Señora Carey is my Spanish 1 professor, you see. We’re only three weeks into the semester, and things are “so far so bueno.” Okay, okay, I’m showing off again. “Lo siento.”
But seriously, this semester is exciting. I’m taking Spanish I and Astronomy Lab. Just two more classes after this, and this “old guy” is finally graduating – a mere 34 years after starting this college adventure way back when Pensacola Junior College was the name.
Next stop? University of West Florida for a bachelor’s degree. “Go Here. Get There.” – catchy, right? Plus, I’m actually hooked on this whole learning thing. Turns out, books are pretty cool.
Maybe it’s just the busy life, but online classes? They’re my jam. COVID-19 pushed so many classes online, and now about 80% of PSC classes are virtual – a first! More online than in-person.
I was just interviewing some bright young Presidential Scholars. These recent high school grads are a bit bummed about missing the “traditional college experience” in their first semester. And yeah, campus life is cool. But let’s be real – class from my couch, on my schedule? Huge win. Though, full disclosure, “Family Guy” reruns are definitely NOT playing in the background while I study. (Okay, maybe once or twice. But education is still priority number one!)
Hopefully, those young students get their campus time soon. But this “old guy”? I’m sticking with online as much as possible. Fingers crossed next semester’s classes are as awesome as these.
Spanish is a blast, mostly thanks to Carey’s super engaging teaching. She’s teaching us like babies learn their first language. And learning a new language? She calls it cracking a secret code known to half a billion people. Secret agent vibes, anyone?
Alt text: Engaging Spanish instructor, Amber Carey, recipient of the PSC Academy of Teaching Excellence award, passionately teaching a lesson.
Astronomy Lab? Nerve-wracking at first. But so far, we built a “star wheel” to map the night sky. And then? A mind-blowing online program called Stellarium for some “forensic astronomy.”
We used Stellarium to ID stars in Van Gogh paintings based on the painting’s time, date, and location. Van Gogh’s “White House At Night”? That “star”? Venus! Seriously, how cool is that for an “old guy” like me?
Alt text: Van Gogh’s “White House at Night” painting, showcasing Venus as a bright star, analyzed in an astronomy lab for stellar object identification.
This week’s Astronomy Lab? Maybe not Van Gogh cool. I opened it up, and BAM! A formula with a zero… but with a line through it? No clue how to type that. Pretty sure my instructor, Andrew Vanden Heuvel, invented it to mess with us “old guys.” Zeroes don’t have lines! Or do they in astronomy? Greek to me! Maybe I’m right, maybe I’m wrong. But hey, Happy Fall Semester!
