The Maroon
Kylee Mcintyre All of the Tidbits
The University Honors Program holds a Last Lecture series in which professors give a “last lecture” answering the question: “If you had one last lecture to give students, what would you say?” This year, honors students voted history professor Sara Butler as the lecturer, and she gave her lecture Sunday, March 18, which was entitled “Medievalism and Feminism: Not Such an Odd mistakes.” I’d heard these things before, but Butler put these sayings in a different light. First, she backed it up with medieval history (which sounds like an awesome kind of history). Second, she brought such an air of positivity to what she was saying that I not only believed in what she was saying but also believed that it was OK. There are things about life that aren’t pretty. Her positivity highlighted a belief in the ability for things to change – more accurately, the ability of people to change their circumstances. I found myself inspired by Butler’s subject matter and attitude.
The point of a last lecture is the same as the point of any lecture: the lecturer speaks and teaches, and the audience listens and learns. Besides a renewed interest in medieval history, I’m taking away inspiration that I found in Butler’s passion and progressiveness.
That, and I’m first on the list for the next class she teaches.
Kylee McIntyre can be reached at ejmcinty@loyno.edu