the ongoing cat.

many interesting things to learn about in humanities and social sciences.

But the department of PSC does so much more than just teach the curriculum in our PSC conversation will delve into all the creative ways they reach students and the community.

Joining us is Scott Shakman, the department head, and Alexander Crist, assistant professor.

Thanks a lot, guys, for taking some time with us.

So first of all, give us maybe a little overview of the department and the programs you offer.

Okay.

So it's a pretty wide reaching department.

We have about 11 advising tracks for the associate Arts degree that range anywhere from athletic training to all the kind of education programs like elementary education, early childhood education to psychology, philosophy, sports, management.

And then we have a couple associate and science degree tracks for elementary as an early childhood education and, sports fitness and rec.

So students get a lot of a lot from our department.

All right.

So it's all good stuff.

But really, you know, if you're on campus, you're a PSA.

You know, you guys do a lot of fun events and a lot of fun themes.

So how intentional is is it the thought to kind of spice things up, you know, with what you guys do, right?

Well, I mean, we're trying to kind of frame things and like you said, in a fun way where you're not just sitting in a classroom in a lecture, you know, we're trying to, bring some sort of experiential learning into it and, and make, make things a little bit more spicy.

So.

All right, so I'll give you an example.

So if you on campus earlier this semester, on one certain day outside building 14, you might have seen some mannequins, some dressed up mannequins being thrown out the window.

So what was that all about?

Yeah, that was that was in Doctor Brian Rucker's, European history class, too.

And so they were they were reaching the point of what's called the defenestration of Prague.

And so they decided, well, it's the last class of the year.

Why not just let's recreate this.

And so we threw some mannequins out a window.

So we didn't define a state of the mannequins.

So everybody learns what?

The word defenestration.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Exactly, exactly.

Everybody had a good time, right?

Right, right.

And then and then this fall we're going to hopefully behead Marie-Antoinette.

So you don't want to miss that, right?

Right.

So great stuff.

So another thing you guys do faculty research, colloquium, etc..

Correct.

Different interesting topics, country music and philosophy was a recent one.

Pensacola Popular Books is one as well.

And Scott, that's I mean, I've Zehnder that's kind of your your area there.

So what's the idea with these things?

So, again, about a year ago, we started the faculty research colloquium.

Sometimes there's a perception that teachers at a community college or two year college don't really do research, or they, you know, they don't engage in scholarship in their field.

And at least at PSC, I found that to just not be true.

And so it's yeah, in many ways it's a, it's a, it's an opportunity for also for students in the public to really see what the, faculty members do, when they're not teachers necessarily in a different kind of role.

And so the way it works is that, each person, each presenter will take about 30 to 40 minutes.

They'll give a presentation in whichever format they feel comfortable in.

And then there's about 30 minutes of a dialog in conversation.

And so that's really the spirit is everybody gathering and discussing ideas.

So it's a fun topic.

So I'm guessing it's a fun kind of kind of, you know, feel to it.

Yeah.

It so it can be fun and enjoyable.

I give the country music and philosophy talk.

And so there's a serious nature to it about virtue and happiness.

But it's also we got to listen to some country music too, and, you know, learn something.

So, you know, okay, so another thing which is sort of serious, civic literacy.

Literacy.

Do you have these, study sessions or showdowns or whatever?

So, yeah, the state of Florida, requires a civic literacy, requirement for students to graduate, which which comes with students have to take an assessment.

So we were like, how can we help students pass this exam?

So we we thought of, of these study showdowns where, where, a couple of our, adjunct faculty put together this, this three hour long study session and, we really kind of get in there and not, not cram in the way for, for material, but, review material.

Students can take the exam right after, it covers all of the core competencies.

So it's and they can play a fun quiz game just to check their comprehension.

So it's gone really, really well.

That's really very valuable stuff.

I know another thing.

Constitution and Citizenship Day 2025 that's coming up later.

What's the idea there?

So, we we kind of took over this event.

It's required by, the Department of Education, but we took over this event last year, just as a way to kind of showcase, since our department has history and American national government classes.

And so it's a way for us to kind of not only showcase our faculty and their skills, but to, to, provide that sort of civic training for students, in the area.

So we've, we've had a, a panel, we had a scavenger hunt where the students had to find all of 27 amendments.

So there's lots of things, you know, versus stuff like if you, you know, you can really get into this if you guys are really into it.

So, Alexander, for you, I mean that the passion is there for both you guys where the passion for this come for you, for you.

So if I teach in humanities department, I'm interested in cultivating the kind of deeply human faculties reading, writing, speaking and thinking.

And for me, this goes back to Socrates and, you know, being a lover of wisdom, you know, in the ancient Greek sense and not only, you know, teaching students how to of the intellectual joys, of working through certain kinds of investigations, but also the kind of virtue that's required in that as well.

Courage and strength.

Persevere.

And how about them?

And I mean, prior, I teach now, but prior prior to becoming the department head, I taught Spanish.

So for me, language, it was all about people like Alexander said, it's communication, learning all about people, different cultures, things like that.

So that's that's what like what I love about the humanities.

What do you guys find with the by and with the students and how much they kind of get into it, especially with the way you guys teach it?

My students really enjoy classes, especially because I have a heavy dialog aspect of the class.

So I lecture for about 30 minutes and then 20 minutes of what do you think about it?

And let's talk about it.

Yeah.

And so that usually students come alive in that.

Yeah.

Okay.

So all right, another thing Brain Bowl team.

So yes.

Yes.

So Brain Bowl is like a college version of like Scholar Bowl or Scholastic Bowl quiz Bowl or something like that.

So, we we have a Brain Bowl team.

They just went to the state tournament.

Recently did really well, this, this, semester.

But, yesterday, Tim Hathaway in, natural Sciences and Ron Atchison in our department, who teaches humanities, are the coaches for that.

They do fantastic.

So, yeah, it's a really good opportunity for students to to practice their skills.

Awesome.

Well, we appreciate you guys.

All you do.

And thanks for joining us here today.

Oh thank you, thank you.

Yeah.