Cool office spaces

     Most GCSU students don’t know what lurks in the office of their favorite professor.  Students tend to pass by without even taking a peak, but if they would glance inside, they would find a world of the good, the bad and the eccentric.
    Nestled away in the bottom of MSU, The Peacock’s Feet has tried to make an office the size of a storage room a place they call home.
    Jamie Addy, editor-in-chief of The Peacock’s Feet, has made an effort to make the best out of a bad situation.
    “To be honest, the office is so bad that we can’t even really use it,” Addy said.  “Most of the time we just meet here and leave as soon as everyone arrives.  We usually use the art building instead of our own office.”
      This is understandable considering that the office is cluttered with issues of The Peacock’s Feet dating back to the 1940’s and an assortment of useless equipment.
    “The computer sounds like an airplane is about to take off,” Addy said.  “The program we use to do our layouts isn’t even on the computer in the office.  I don’t even know why we have a computer in here because there really is no use for it.”
    The Peacock’s Feet does, however, have a little something that makes the office unique in its own way.
    “The poster of Seth Cohen on the wall does make the office tolerable to be in, but I mean really, Seth Cohen can only do so much,” Addy said.
    On the contrary, Rob Viau’s office is hard to miss.  A professor of English,Viau has created an environment that is welcoming as well as educational.
    “My office is full of stuff that students have given me,” Viau said.  “I hang up stuff because of the color or because it’s silly.”
    A vast array of unique items can be found in Viau’s office.  A gargoyle hangs above his office door and prayer beads are scattered across one of the walls.  Even a toothbrush can be found sitting on Viau’s desk. 
    “The gargoyle above the door is to scare students coming in,” Viau said.  “And the prayer beads I bring to class to make a multicultural point about peoples different religion.”
    Anyone who ventures into Viau’s office will come into contact with at least one odd item. Turtle hips, toy flies and lizards are just some of the things that can be found.  Entering Viau’s office requires guts and an open mind.
    But if students are really looking for a one of a kind office, all they need to do is venture to Brian Mumma’s  Kilpatrick office.
    Mumma is an assistant professor and is an avid        traveler.
    Hockey jerseys, bike wheels and a coffee pot are just a few things that can be found in Mumma’s office.
    “The hockey jerseys are from Russia,” Mumma said. “I went to a practice and took an America jersey and traded it for a Russian jersey.”
    The one piece that stands out the most in Mumma’s office would have to be the can-can legs that are impossible to miss.
    “In Sweden, almost every family has butter and cheese knifes in their home,” Mumma said.  “A craftsman carves legs out of the knives and then adds a garter belt to them.  The legs make me laugh and are one of the fun things about traveling.”
    Mumma believes that your environment does have an affect on the way you are going to learn.
    “I challenge my students to go outside the box,” Mumma said.  “I tell them to get out and try whatever it is they want to do.”
    From can-can legs to holes in the wall, the offices of GCSU are as unique as the people who inhibit them.

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Jan 26 2007. Filed under Features. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry