#computingandit

[nostalgiauk]

NOSTALGIA UK

Ms Gay who wasn't one (1994)

All the foreign students in my course were required to attend a communication skills class—a sort of hybrid between an English lesson and a discussion workshop. If I recall correctly, it was held once per week. Personally, my English was already improving at a steady pace, and I like to think this class helped speed things up a little more. The sessions usually revolved around current topics, articles, or book excerpts, which we would then discuss and share our opinions on. It was all about comprehension and conversation, really.

The class took place in a small group setting in one of the rooms in another department and building. It was led and facilitated by Ms. Gay, whom I later learned was the wife or partner of Mr. Brent Work, our American Systems Analysis & Design lecturer. Judging by the different surnames, I’m guessing it was the latter.

Ms. Gay was a soft-spoken English woman, likely in her late 30s or early 40s at the time. And when I say soft-spoken, I mean really soft—her voice was so gentle and soothing that, honestly, it could put you to sleep. Looking back, her personality and voice were probably not the best fit for a class meant to be lively and discussion-heavy... she just didn’t bring the energy needed to keep the conversation flowing.

But what really made things interesting—and I know I probably shouldn’t laugh about it—was that Ms. Gay had crossed eyes. This sometimes led to hilariously confusing moments when she asked one of us to read or speak. You were never quite sure whether she was looking at you or someone else at the other end of the table!

Those were the days. And while most of us dreaded the class, I’m pretty sure we all gained something valuable from it in the end.

[melissalauraharper]

Getting a head start #openuni #openuniversity #businessmanagement #study #studying #studybuddies #computingandit #learning #OU #love

[nostalgiauk]

NOSTALGIA UK

Professor Schuman (1994)

Professor Schuman was another American in my department, and probably the oldest lecturer there. Of course, this was just my assumption based on his appearance—but I don’t think I was wrong. If I remember correctly, he was the head of the entire Maths and Computing department. His office was a bit secluded compared to the rest of the staff, tucked away in a quieter part of the floor.

To be honest, I don’t recall much about his lectures—except that he taught us programming in Pascal. Kids growing up in today’s IT world have probably never even heard of Pascal. It was a popular programming language back in the '90s, especially for teaching. That being said, I did actually use it to develop a commercial application during my "sandwich year"—the industrial placement year between my second and final year of university.

But what I can’t forget is his distinctive appearance. He was short for an American, with a slightly slouched posture and a slow, deliberate gait that carried an air of quiet authority. His whitish facial hair covered nearly the entire lower half of his face, to the point that even his mouth was barely visible. And then, there was his voice—slow and steady, perfectly matching his pace. It had a deep, rough quality, almost as if it belonged to a thrash metal singer. His speech had no dramatic rises or falls; if you charted its frequency on paper, it would be a nearly flat horizontal line, with the occasional jagged peaks from the rawness of his tone.

His look was so unmistakable that I have no doubt my sketch of him is exactly as he was. Just picture a figure pacing left and right, slowly, thoughtfully, as if lost in deep contemplation—yet at the same time, eager to share his wisdom. That was him.