A DE middle school teacher: I took one course, no two, no one, no maybe
three, no two, no one--I took something from Professor Crouse during my
eight years of undergraduate schooling. I am the teacher I am because of
his course or courses, whatever they were about. He reached out and
touched my life. It was like night and day, or dusk and early morning, or
some cloud cover and a few clouds...never again was I the same. Now I
wasn't exactly different either, but I wasn't the same. There was
something energized within, and I am not confusing this with gastric
upset. I can tell them apart. I went to college. I took courses. I
graduated inside of a decade. I am a teacher in our public school system.
I have a salary. I have a social security number, but of course Professor
Kroushe had nothing to do with my social security number. I don't know
where they come from. They may be meaningless numbers or they may be a
message in code--sort of government DNA, do you think? Professor
Clouthe's course was not about molecular biology and DNA. No, he
motivated me. He is a motivator. He is a mover and shaker (though not the
religious Shakers). I am speaking both literally and metaphorically here.
He knew my name, I think. He handed back papers to me--all of them were
my papers. He didn't make a mistake and hand me some other student's
homework. What can I say? What can anyone say? Professur Clouse is a sage,
a man of resolution and dissolution, a true teacher in the basest sense
of that word. I am not exasperating a thing here. It is all true and all
fact! I swear at it! You can quote me. You can send this letter of
adulation and adoration to the highest offices in the University. I would
not change a word because I speak nothing but the truth here. I know
whereof I speak and where I hang my hat. Yes, many are called but few
chosen to motivate. I found my path because Professor Rouse cared. I am
sure of this--as sure of this as I am sure of anything else sitting on my
desk right now. There, I have witnessed! I am now going to the cafeteria
for fish sticks and ketchup. I have never had lunch with Professor Crowze
but I am sure it would be a memorable occasion no matter what he picked
from the cafetria line or what I picked from it. The food would not be
important. Food for thought--that would be important. This man droppeth
food for thought from the heavens without even trying. The sprinkler
system of life comes on when he enters a room. He dowses it all--and you
can't say that about many people on earth today. Yes indeed.