Parent to parent: Learning outside the classroom

By Jeff Hudson

As your son or daughter moves into a residence hall or apartment this month, thoughts naturally turn to the first day of classes on Sept. 23.

But really, lots of learning takes place outside the classroom as well, especially during one’s college years. And for decades, UC campuses have made a point of bringing in authors, performers and political figures to enrich campus life.

Taking advantage of the opportunity to see these interesting people adds significantly to the university experience. But a student has to find — or make — the time. Attending these events is not required — but students may subsequently regard them as highlights of their college years.

Influenced my career

From my own undergrad experience at UC Santa Barbara in the ’70s, I vividly recall a lecture by veteran broadcast journalist Daniel Schorr. He had just left CBS News, where his hard-hitting coverage of Watergate earned him a spot on President Nixon’s “enemies list.” The UC Regents hired Schorr to speak to students about the scandal that led to Nixon’s resignation and how the news business works.

In retrospect, I can see that hearing Schorr, who enjoyed a celebrated second career with National Public Radio, probably influenced the direction of my career. I became a journalist, and in the 1990s began a long association with public radio.

Through the English department, I met and attended the performances of several members of the Royal Shakespeare Company including Ben Kingsley, who later won an Oscar for “Gandhi,” and Patrick Stewart, who became a starship captain and recently played the lead in “Macbeth” on Broadway.

A missed opportunity

I also recall — with regret — a missed opportunity. A young cellist fresh out of college and only five months older than myself, Yo-Yo Ma, gave a recital at UCSB. Student tickets were $5. But I was working on a now-forgotten essay, and I didn’t go. I made partial recompense in 2009, when Ma visited the Mondavi Center at UC Davis and I interviewed him. I also made darned sure that my son Stephen — a cellist with the UC Davis Symphony Orchestra — attended Ma’s master class.

Obviously, students need to exercise judgment and discretion when participating in these extracurricular presentations. You don’t want them to skip a test or miss a deadline on a major paper in order to attend an “outside-the-classroom” event.

But at the same time, it would be foolish to skip all of the extras that the university makes available. These “value-added” experiences are part of the reason to seek a UC education.

On campus this year

Speakers appearing on campus this year include former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, science prodigy Jonah Lehrer, novelist Daniel Handler (aka Lemony Snicket) and African American scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr.

The university’s academic departments — from the School of Medicine to the Department of Mathematics — bring in expert speakers who address specialized subjects. Even though he was on vacation, son Stephen attended a math-sponsored lecture in August.

The Mondavi Center on campus offers a deal for all new students. They can get one free ticket to any event presented by the Mondavi Center, the UC Davis Department of Theatre and Dance or the Department of Music. And student tickets are always half off regular ticket prices.

For the past two years, Stephen and I have been attending the Beethoven cycle by the Alexander String Quartet. I’m confident that 20 years hence, when Stephen is 40 and I’m retired, he’ll remember this series as a worthy component of his university years. And so will I.