Faculty Notes

Dr. Evandro Camara has finished and submitted an article that will be published in a Sociology Journal in Brasil.  He has also been working in the Sociology of Literature:  A Sociological Analysis of a work by one of Brasil’s most important writers.

              Last year Dr. Camara visited Curitiba, in Southern Brasil, the city he gave a talk on, in the Brown Bag Lecture Series in the Department, in connection with his Urban Society class.

              Dr. Camara spent this summer in Chicago, but he also travelled to Europe, where, among other countries, he visited Portugal, the land of his ancestors (and of most people in Brasil).

Nathaniel Eugene Terrell, that’s the name Margaret and Nathaniel Terrell gave me.  Well, the past year has been a blessing.  Yes, I am still on 16 committees (university—8, local—3, state—1, and national—4) with the newest committee appointment: Chairman of the Disproportionate Minority Contact Task Force in the Fifth Judicial District, I have many manuscripts in the fire—burning, and my love for teaching has not subsided.  But great joy came in the fall when I was contracted by Northeastern State University as the external review for the Department of Social Sciences—Sociology Program.  Now, visiting a school in Tahlequah, Oklahoma that had old classrooms, different ways of doing things, and a dedicated staff is . . . yes, uneventful!  But when I found out I had just missed Carrie Underwood performing on campus by two days.  Carrie Underwood!  That’s my home girl.  This may not get you excited but it made the trip for me.  I stood right where she preformed.  OK, I saw where she preformed and that was cool.  Oh, by the way, the money I received for being the external reviewer was put in the Terrell scholarship for the 2009-2010 academic year.

My trip to the Kansas Highway Patrol Training Academy with seven Sociology and CDS students to take part in the “Collegiate Law Academy” was great.  I got to know the students better as they got a taste of what a normal trooper academy was like. I will always remember how Eric W., AKA Wheels, had the fastest time (the whole week) in the divisive driving session, but hit too many cones when it counted—getting NO time.  I remember the traffic stops and outrageous but funny scenarios.  For instance, when Steven U. pulled over his vehicle, the guy (a trooper) had jumped out of his car and had run back to Steven’s patrol car before Steven could even get out of his seat belt.  Lucky for Steven the guy was suicidal and only wanted to shoot himself.  I will not tell you who got shot.   Then there were the firearms!  I get to shoot a 45?  Yes sir the doctor is in the house.   Now the troopers had targets set up for the students and myself.  YES, 16 out of 18 rounds hit the target.  The next targets were the size of dinner plates with everyone standing twenty-five feet away.  After 18 shots, 16 targets knocked down.  ESU has a STAR.  The name . . . Jessica P.  Yes, an ESU student and the only female in our group.   So, why would she want to compete against me?  Well, first I was challenged by Sean T.  Let’s see, I have three targets and then the one in the middle.  The lieutenant said, ready . . . go.  Pop, pop . . . pop, pop, pop . . . pop.  Winner . . . the doctor!  That’s right, the old man won.  Sean T. had knocked down one target to my four!  So, I had to say those three words: Whose Ya Daddy!  Wow, beating my son was nothing compared to what I was up against next: Jessica P.   The lieutenant said, ready . . . go.  We both unloaded two clips and then we heard the lieutenant say “It’s down to who reloads the fastest.”  Duh, Jessica P. won that.  Then . . . pop, pop, winner . . . the doctor.  I won?  I beat Jessica P.?  Who’s the Man!

Neither Carrie Underwood nor the academy can compare to finding out that Madagascar was not on the southeastern coast of Africa.  It was located at the Wichita Zoo, thanks to my grandsons (Nemecio Nathaniel—3 1/2, Lil’ Sean—2 1/2, and Julian Nathaniel—1 1/2).  We saw Marty, but he had his backside to us.  He would not talk to us.  “Bye Marty” says Nemecio.  “Look there’s Melman and he has some friends.”  Hey he’s right.  We also saw Gloria and later Alex.  Then Nemeico said, “Look there’s Alex, who is that with Alex, Papi (AKA Dr. Terrell).”  Think fast Papi, it’s a lioness “oh, that’s Alex’s friend Sue.”  Don’t ask why I said Sue.  Now right before leaving, Nemecio and Lil’ Sean argued over the giraffe in front of them.   Lil’ Sean said it was Melman but Nemecio said it was Melman’s friend because Melman had gone inside.  Wow, how do you clear that one up?  As I said earlier, I’m blessed!