To Maya Nasta, Johnson Campus
From not only the bottom of my heart, but from every crack and crevice: thank you. It’s because of you that I have had such a positive experience with my time at this school. Getting to terrorize you with my cunning wit and ability to swear more in a meeting than anyone in history combined on Mondays has become the thing I look forward to most when I close my eyes at some wee hour in the morning. I truly appreciate and value the compassionate, warm, inviting, beautiful soul that you have. To be able to experience even a glimpse of your light has been something that I’ve, selfishly, been taking for granted since I met you. Even if us in SGA and CAB don’t always express it to your face, please know that we appreciate you greatly and immensely. Here’s to bigger offices and bigger budgets!
from Cohen Repaci
To Zander Herrick, Hannah Jenkins, Dayne Bell, Alana Lewis, Sonja Kivela, and Erin LaMotte, Johnson Campus
Y’all have really pulled me out of the fucking TRENCHES. I thank you guys for taking me under your wings in my time(s) of need. So this is a personal thank you to each of you.
Zander: thank you for being my best friend and surviving family vacations with me.
Hannah: thank you for dragging me out of my apartment to do stuff when I’m wicked depressed.
Dayne: thank you for being for real with me about how much we both hate our homework.
Alana: thank you for being my token straight friend (and helping me study for classes — this ain’t my degree, this is OUR degree).
Sonja: thank you for being my campus mom :’) you have helped me more than you know.
Erin: thank you for texting with me during classes about how much neither of us enjoy talking.
Y’all are some real ones <3
from Bekkah Lambert
To Laura Roald, Johnson Campus
Words cannot describe how much more boring these past four years would have been if I did not have you as a professor. You have made me laugh until I feel like I have abs, especially on the days I needed it most. You have delighted me and the other PAT students with your incredible stories, stupidly funny quotes, and Maple (I would die for that dog any day). I have come to view you as family, and when you tell me you’re proud of me, it makes me feel like I can achieve anything. Although it doesn’t happen often, getting to see you bust out your acting chops makes me feel like I’m getting to see the holy grail of theater. My holy grail of theater, at least. Hearing you tell us how to act something by saying “lets go find a Chili’s!” or hearing every text be announced by Benedict Cumberbatch’s Sherlock, no day with you has ever been dull. I have always felt like I could tell you anything, and during really dark times, you’ve always been there to point out the light at the end of the tunnel. Even if its a very, very long tunnel. And I’m wearing drunk goggles. I started off as a freshman having a couple artists I wanted to be like, but now there is truly only one: you. Thank you for being a constant light for me and the others.
With all the possible love in the world,
from Wilbur Hayes
To Christopher Boettcher, Castleton Campus
When I began my freshman year, I felt like I was underwater. That feeling persisted, coinciding with the pandemic. My eventual return to campus as a full-time student felt similar. I spent the fall semester of 2021 debating whether college was for me. I was failing most of my courses, miserable as a health science major. I returned from winter break drained, and regretful of my chosen program. Then spring came, and with that a renewal of my passion and hopes for my future.
When I enrolled in Popular Literature, I had only the intention of completing another requirement for my degree. However, your passion and respect for the written word was infectious. I spent the spring semester looking forward to my Tuesdays and Thursdays, dreading my other courses in comparison. Each work we analyzed, examining its role and relevance to pop culture, brought me one step closer to confirming what I already knew; I was in the wrong major. In my desire for security, I had neglected my passions.
Your course reignited my love for reading and writing. I wanted to continue analyzing literature, and further develop my understanding of that cultural relationship. My experience in your class was so overwhelmingly positive that I reached out and asked if you would be my advisor. I remain eternally grateful that you said yes. I switched majors for a second time, and I have yet to waver or regret this choice.
For the past three or so years, you have been steadfast in your support. You are one of the most proactive, dedicated instructors I have ever met. Without you, I could not have taken the steps needed to be where I am now. I have grown as a student, and as an individual. You illuminated the opportunities and prospects available for aspiring writers and lovers of the written word. Thanks to your encouragement, I began to consider my future with excitement rather than dread.
My internship has opened career pathways for me, an opportunity I would not have considered without your careful guidance. With your valuable advice, I have begun to build my portfolio as a journalist and writer, a path I previously felt was out of reach. Again, your guidance was instrumental in getting me to this point and I cannot thank you enough.
Graduating felt like a far-off possibility until I met you. Not once did you make me feel incapable, insecure, or unsure about my future. When I struggled with my mental health, experiencing rapid highs and lows, you encouraged me to focus on my achievements, rather than lament my condition. You understood my limitations but pushed me when needed. I cannot thank you enough for seeing my potential when, at times, I doubted myself.
You have been my most valued advocate and ally in my time as a student and, again, I would not be here without your guidance. Thank you, Professor Boettcher. It has been an absolute privilege to be advised by you.
from Raymonda Parchment
To Basement Medicine Staff, Johnson Campus
By now I hope everyone has heard that Basement Medicine, a tradition on the Johnson campus for over a half-century, is transitioning from a class to a club next semester. I have had the pleasure of teaching the journalism class that produces this paper for the past three semesters. My first big “thank you” goes to retired Professor Tyrone Shaw who tracked me down and talked me into taking this job.
Thanks, also, to the SGA and the VTSU President’s Fund, both of which have helped pay the printing costs for our campus newspaper. If you are reading this in the physical newspaper, you know how important that is. Nothing builds community quite like a community newspaper.
Thank you, most of all, to my students. I know I’m supposed to be teaching you but, in reality, you have taught me so much! I am a better person for knowing each of you. And a special shout out to my “core four” who have been with me all three semesters. Y’all have my number. Don’t be afraid to use it.
Last, but certainly not least, thank you to Professor Russ Weis who has been a big part of our Basement Medicine family, and who has agreed to be the new club’s faculty advisor. I’m looking forward to reading Basement Medicine next semester! And if there is anyone reading this who is looking for a club that contributes to the campus community, allows your voice to be heard, and is made up of the best people on campus (I may be a little biased there), stop into 327 WLLC and see where the magic happens!
from Amy Kolb Noyes
To Phil Whitman, Castleton Campus
Semester after semester, course after course, I feel guilty admitting there are names I cannot remember. Lectures blend, and lessons are forgotten. The two semesters I spent under your instruction, however, will remain some of my fondest memories as a student.
Art history is a vast, expansive topic. I was at first intimidated, but your excitement was contagious. I could feel the passion, respect, and fascination you have for art history, and that makes all the difference in the world to students. You made an unfamiliar subject seem so bright and inviting, rather than a looming expanse of unknown information. After a whirlwind of a fall semester, I immediately searched in the catalog to see what courses you offered in the spring. I felt excited each day wondering what unique, riveting details you may reveal to the class in your lectures. Somehow, you humanized distant figures, previously enshrined in legend, such as Leonardo Da Vinci and Vincent Van Gogh. Your distinctive recollections of these artists’ lives made it feel as if I knew them personally. Each assignment led to a greater understanding of how and why people value artwork, and the enthralling history that accompanies each work. I am a changed student; I can say with confidence. You opened a door I cannot close. As I finish my remaining semester at the Johnson campus, I have continued to take art history courses.
Aside from your remarkable methods of instruction, I also must commend you for the personal support you offered me throughout the year. When I presented you with my accommodations, you were inquisitive and offered support. Oftentimes I have felt like the odd one out, unaware if there are other students like me. I found myself nervous about being labeled, not wanting to be different from my peers. However, your actions assured me this was not the case. Whenever I faltered, amid a depressive episode or simply being overwhelmed, you were steadfast. You were understanding of my limitations, yet you pushed me when needed. You had confidence in me, in my ability to be successful when I did not. Time and again, you expressed a deeper understanding than most, and I thank you for that. Thank you for teaching me, inspiring me, and helping me gain a better understanding of the world around me, through the lens of art and history. It was a privilege to learn in your classroom, Professor Whitman. Thank you.
from Raymonda Parchment
