Last Lectures

The way a professor handles a last lecture can tell you a lot about them. Many of my professors have used the last class to cover the last part of the course's content, or review for the final exam. They've ended the class with a simple "good luck on the final" or "thank you for a great semester, and enjoy the break." Nothing too fancy.

But a few professors have used the last class to really make an impression on students' mind, and these courses are the ones that I usually consider to be the best I've taken.

In fall 2006, Isaac Kramnick used the 75 minutes of our last class of GOVT 366 (American Political Thought from Madison to Malcolm X), and then about 30 minutes more, to deliver a passionate address about political philosophy. Kramnick tied together nearly everything we'd read over the course of the semester and turned it into a diatribe about American foreign policy, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the separation of church and state, and a host of other issues. I didn't agree with a lot of what he said, but as we walked out of the room, there was no doubt in our minds that Kramnick cared deeply about the material.

Today, in the last class for LAW 405 (The Death Penalty in America), our two professors were in tears as they told us the difficult stories of how they've witnessed the executions of former clients. As a class, we understood how deeply attached these lawyers are to these cases, and why they continue with their work. More than after any other class, we were left with a true appreciation for the gravity of capital punishment, and I know that the 100+ students in the class will remember this for a while.

Because of these experiences, the last lecture is often my favorite. After spending an entire semester trying to objectively present material, professors can show their true feelings and beliefs. Often, it is not the facts I've had to learn for the class, but rather the opinions which I've developed, which last long after I've walked out of the classroom.