A Look into the Past: Professor Edition - Embarrassing College Stories From Faculty and Staff Members

Becoming a professor is the pinnacle of education; you give as you once received. But professors weren’t always as sophisticated as they are now, right? They were once in our shoes, and I think that’s something that we (and they) tend to forget. So, in an effort to recall their memories and change our perspectives, I asked different professors to share some of their most embarrassing college stories. Enjoy!

“In my advanced speech course, our final project involved delivering a temperance speech at the local academy. I decided to talk about smoking, and practiced my compelling opening, convincing statistics and dramatic gestures to drive my points home. That morning, I dressed as professionally as I could in my houndstooth blazer. When I began my talk, I lifted my left arm to gesture, and my whole blazer flapped open. With horror, I realized that the safety chain on my watch was caught on the blazer button. I had to keep that arm motionless against my side, but I saved my grade by working my free arm double time.”— Professor Lori Peckham

“I found myself at the back of the group on our hospital tour as we entered the blood bank. I began to see white spots. I told my classmate, who smiled and looked back at the speaker. Everything turned dark as I crumpled to the floor. I opened my eyes, [and found myself] attached to wires and surrounded by chatter of a handsome lab tech who threw me over his shoulder and carried me to the ER. I was mortified and wondered how I would ever become a nurse. Fortunately, God’s strength is enough for even the faint of heart.” — Dr. Rebecca Randa

“One of my most embarrassing memories from the time I was in college occurred when I was on a date. We went bowling. Let’s just say my bowling skills are not stellar. This particular time, I outdid myself by losing the ball during my swing and throwing it backwards — twice!” — Professor Lisa L. Forbes

Whether you’re at the top of the chain or just beginning your long journey, life’s a funny thing; we’ve all either been there, or will be there someday. Hopefully this reminded you that although we may be different, we still share common threads.

Dad Joke of the Week:

My mom’s mom is an English professor; I call her GrammaR.

Samuel Ortiz is a Sophomore

Nursing Major from

Orlando, Florida