The Michigan Daily - New Student Edition - September 8, 1998 - 5C
ormer Golden Apple winners enrich
lecture halls, students education
By Erin Hohuos
Daily Staff Reporter
Stories of laughter and intrigue dominate the mem-
ries and experiences of some of the Universities'
most prominent professors.
"For me, this is a place of intellectual splendor that
has as its first characteristic freedom," said Ralph
Williams, an English and religion professor who won
the Golden Apple award for excellence in teaching in
1992. "That freedom is the intellectual freedom to
explore, analyze and evaluate materials."
Williams said his "head over heels" love for and inter-
est in the subjects he teaches him gives him the will to
provide a classroom that many undergraduates cherish.
* "There are three courses I teach that are for me a
recurring source of wonder ...
each dealing with materials that
take us to the depths and heights j 4
of life," Williams said, citing his
Bible and Shakespeare classes asr
two of his favorites. He added-
that the materials he deals with
are "works of splendor that aim at
producing deep student interest."
LSA senior Ryan Rampersaud
iid that Williams' efforts are
more than appreciated. Fine
"I took more than one class
with Professor Williams, because one was simply not
enough," Rampersaud said. "Not only is he one of the
University's most knowledgeable professors, but he is
also the institution's biggest entertainer."
Rampersaud said Williams' lectures and compelling
instruction "embrace students" and "embody what it
means to be an outstanding professor."
"Sitting in a Williams lecture can quickly change
'om a seat at the Globe Theater to a chair at an Opera
ouse," Rampersaud said.
'Although many students think Williams - with his
"rubrics" examining the day's lecture topics --- is the
source of their positive learning experience, Williams
attributes the success to those in his classroom.
"The students who come to U of M give us the great
gift of their presence and their time," Williams said.
"We have a brief time when we can discuss issues that
are important .:. who wouldn't be excited about that?"
Williams said it is necessary to keep a fresh outlook
,br change when teaching at a University that encour-
ages diversity and uniqueness.
To do this, he said, "one needs to be thinking con-
siantly about new possibilities and stay open."
For those willing to keep up with heavy reading
assignments and stimulating lectures, Williams is
teaching three courses this fall, including a new course
'on the "Holy Woman and the Holy Man." le said that
adding new or unique classes isn't the only solution to
teaching effectively.
"Even for a course I give every year, I set aside
everything and start fresh," Williams said.
This idea of taking student interests into account is
not limited to those at the head of the classroom.
Residential College junior Aaron Daniel said cater-
ing to current students in order to make the classroom
interesting to those who are there during a given
semester is truly the sign of a good professor.
"The ability to reach out to the students who are
there, and to relate on a personal level is so impor-
tant," Daniel said.
Daniel, who had professor Brian Coppola for a
chemistry course, said Coppola was deserving of a
Golden Apple (which he won in 1994) because he was
always there for his students.
"Coppola really spoiled me in chemistry," Daniel
said. "He was such a great teacher. I grew to expect
that afterwards."
Coppola, who is taking a leave from teaching this
fall, said that he loves to work with students because
of the "number of unique opportunities at the
University of Michigan."
"Resources are plentiful, accessible and up-to-
date," Coppola said. "The student body itself is filled
with interesting and thoughtful individual who pro-
vide good counterexamples to the crisis of anti-intel-
lectualism that appear in higher education."
('oppola said he enjoys teaching because "the
responsibilities associated with overseeing the intel-
lectual development of students is unequaled," and
science, the focus of his teachings, "gives .. unique
insight in the workings of the universe."
('oppola, who said his favorite course is Ionors
(Chemistry 215 (Structure and Reactivity), said stu-
dents often ask him how teaching "the same old thin,,
year atter year" can be interesting.
His answer, he said, is always, "Easy I never do it
the same way twice.
"There is always something new I learn about how
students learn that makes me improved the next time
through," Coppola said. "The key is always to improve."
Coppola, who works closely with juniors and
seniors, said the question of what keeps students inter-
ested in tough classes is better answered by students
and not instructors.
"I hope that I get people's attention, and then get
them thinking" Coppola said.
Daniel said Coppola does just that
"He has an excellent and interestin- structure to his
class," Daniel said. "It's always easy to get help from
him."
This student-professor relationship is also impor-
tant to history professor Sidney Fine, the )Q93 Golden
Apple winner.
"Even though I have large classes, I expect to see each
of the students in my office at some point," Fine said.
Fine, who will be teaching History 466 and 467 this
fall, said he schedules 5-6 office hours a week and
enjoys meeting with his students.
"I could have retired and gone on to research, Fine
said. "But I love the classroom and the students.'
This love reached so far that the state of Michigan
passed the Sidney Fine Law - - a rule demolishing the
mandatory retirement age of 70 - when Fine sur-
passed that age in 1992.
"I've always found the students so terribly interest-
ing and fun to be with," Fine said, adding that his
enjoyment of what he is doing helps him to keep on
top of the courses he teaches.
"It is critically important to keep up with new liter-
ature, and that dictates changes in my courses," Fine
said. Fine said it is hard to know what others think of
him, but he always takes what he
does "extremely seriously" in
order to accommodate the needs
of his students.
This love for students and crav-
ing for teaching that appears to
dominate the academic atmos-
phere of the University were not
only derived from the classroom
setting.
Tom Collier, a former history
Collier professor who won the Golden
Apple in 1995, said he expanded
on the techniques he learned as an army instructor in
order to create a fun atmosphere in his courses.
In the army, I found I enjoyed teaching,' Collier
said. "At the University, I was able to teach courses
that truly interested me."
Collier said exotic techniques or profound develop-
ments is not necessarily the key to success as a pro-
fessor.
"I don't really do anything so different" from other
professors, Collier said. "I use movies, slides and.
maps ... but so does everybody else."
Instead, he attributed his enjoyable career to the
quality ol students at the University.
"Students here are at such a level that it's a pleasure
to teach them, "Collier said, adding that he has also
taught in other places. "Given the opportunity to
explore an opinion, they do it. This inspires the pro-
fessor"
Collier said- he will remember his teaching
experience fondly not only because of what he
taught but because of the great times in the class-
room.
"I enjoyed it and we had fun," Collier said. "I did-
n't know how to ham it up, so I didn't. Sometimes
my tie was on wrong, sometimes my fly was
unzipped.
"But there is already so much laughter in the
field of history. When we laughed, we laughed
together."
STEVE GERTZ/Daily
The CCRB, located in the Hill area next to Stockwell residence hall, provides an
opportunity for University students to exercise with a wide array of equipment.
Gyms helps students
stay healthy, inshnae
By Susan T. Port
Daily Staff Reporter
First-year students don't have to be
scared.
The "freshman 15" may not be an
ugly rumor, but students can combat
the weight gain by hitting the
University recreational centers and
exercising.
The three centers are Central
Campus Recreation Building,
Intramural Sports Building and North
Campus Recreational Building.
Lisa Shea, associate director of facili-
ties scheduling and marketing, said stu-
dents are allowed into the gyms by utiliz-
ing their M-Card Shea said the tuition
covers the cost of using the centers.
Shea said -the recreational centers
offer students many facilities.
"Our exercise equipment is pretty
top-notch," Shea said.
Basketball, volleyball, badminton
and swimming are popular activities for
students to participate in, Shea said.
She added that the recreational centers
are open to faculty, staff and students.
LSA senior John Frank said he likes
to play basketball at the CCRIB with his
friends.
"I always see someone I know at the
gym," Frank said. "We can check out
the runners on the track above."
But Frank said he likes to run on the
track on Palmer Field during the sum-
mer because of the weather.
"In Michigan you have to take
advantage of the sun while you can,"
Frank said,
Shea said during the fall and winter
semesters the recreational centers are in
"full swing" and are open from 7 a.m.
to 10 p.m.. In the summer the gym
hours are cut down since there are
fewer students on campus.
Shea said due to location the C( RB
is the most popular for students to fre-
quent.
"The ( ('RB is the busiest of all the
buildings," Shea said.
LSA sophomore Holly Smith said
she never visited the IM building before
she joined an intramural sport.
"I lived in Stockwell during my
freshman year so I never went any-
where but CCRB," Smith said.
Smith said she met her boyfriend
when she was lifting weights.
"I did not know how to use the equip-
ment so my (future) boyfriend helped
me," Smith said. "Everyone is really
nice and willing to show you how to use
the machines at the gym."
Smith added that first-year students
should get into the habit of going to the
gym frequently.
A guide to Ann Arbor's
'Religious Coiniuni ' l
-4-
We Invite You 'o
LUTHERAN
CHURCH EL.C.A
The Friendly Place at
1501 W. Liberty, Ann Arbor
We offer a variety of worship experiences
*Sunday 8:30 a.m. & 11:00 a.m.
iWednesday "Alive" Contemporary 7:00 p.m.
Education for all ages
*Sunday at 9:45 a.m.
*Wednesday at 6:00 p.m.
PASTORS
A. Dale Truscott David F. Bracklein
for more information call (734) 9944455
e-mail at zlchurch@earthlink.net
4'
Find Some Friends At
PACKARD ROAD BAPTIST CHURCH
2580 Packard Road, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48!04-6883
College Bible Study - 9:00 a.m.
Contemporary Worship - 10:15 a.m.
Full Schedule of Student Activities
For Transportation Call 971-0773
We're a Bunch of Friendly Folks
Who Love College Students
The Ann Arbor
Seventh-Day Adventist Church
Welcomes Students!
*Spanish Church Services
*Romanian Church Services
*Collegiate Classes
-Nursery & Kindergarten
-Grades 1-7 Elementary
-Sabbath School 9:30 a.m.
-Church Service 11:00 a.m.
-Wednesday Night Service 7:00 p.m.
-Collegiate Vespers Friday Nights
call 572-1682
THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH
WELCOMES YOU!
St. Andrew's Episcopal Church
Anglican Communion
306 N. lvision Ann Arbor, M 48104
(2 blocks north and 1 block west of intersection of Huron & State)
Sunday Eucharists 8 & 10 am
Adult Education 9 am
Call 663-0518 for weekday service times, to get on
the mailing list, or if you have questions.
email: standrew@mich.com
website: www.mich.com/~standrew
Pastor Dan Hall
Ann Arbor Seventh-Day Adventist Church
2796 Packard
Ann Arbor, MI 48108
(734) 971-5919
I
Services
New Grace
The Churchfor the Community
OStolic CWL
of the P.A. of W.
District Elder Avery Dumas, Jr., Pastor
632 N. Fourth Avenue
Ann Arbor, Michigan 48104
(734) 761-1530
Transportation (734) 572-1342
Sunday Sunday School
Morning Worship
Evangelistic Services
Tuesday
Wednesday
Adult Choir Rehearsal
Bible Class
9:45 AM
11:45 AM
4:30 PM
7:00 PM
7:00 PM
7:00 PM
6:00 PM
6:30 PM
7:30 PM
tirst T ngregytitrnat Thumb
608 E. WILLIAM
Corner of State & William
662-1679
REV. ROBERT K. LIVINGSTON
Senior Minister
.
ALL Huron Hills Baptist Church
Pastoral Team: Dr. Don Gerig and Rev. Brian Vander Ark,
Minister of Christian Education and Youth
September to May
Worship and Education classes 9:30 and 11:00 am
Active Children and Youth Programs
June to August
Worship 9:30 am
Education classes 11:00 am
Thursday Prayer and Tarrying
Friday Sunday School Teachers
Meeting
Youth Choir
Bible Class or
Evangelistic Services
Worship Service and Church School
Communion in Douglas Chapel
10:30am
10:00am
3150 Glazier Way ' Ann Arbor
Between Huron Parkway and Green Road
"Have you received the Holy Ghost since you believed?"-Acts 19:2
Phone 769-6299
I
I 'i i
I I TEMUPT .F RT1THFIUITH INa