“…play video games?”
“…like Star Wars?”
“…play Magic The Gathering?”
These sorts of questions (and others) that inevitably come up time after time. While I am very open about myself with my students (with everyone actually) I don’t broadcast my hobbies or interests to them, and in fact probably try to keep them somewhat under wraps.
I’ve got a picture of Ultraman fighting just like the above posted in my office. It’s not very large, and it’s somewhat hidden away. Right next to it is a sketch of a demon Florence did for me aeons ago. There’s also a Labyrinth postcard on the ‘wall of postcards’, but aside from these I don’t decorate my wall with my interests (such as sport or specific films) like other professors commonly do. It’s difficult to discern my interests from looking at my office alone.
This summer I taught a student that had worn a few genre shirts during the session. When it came to teaching relativity I asked everyone whether they preferred Star Wars or Star Trek (I modify my lecture based upon the answer). Some were strong, some had watched neither but this girl said answering the question would put her in “a difficult place”! She was a fan of both and couldn’t decide. She asked me if I liked Star Trek.
I’ve seen every movie multiple times, and every single episode of every series (including the animated). At that moment I was in the middle of rewatching the original series in order and greatly enjoying it. I had seen every episode countless times and knew everything that would happen before it did. I even remember some of the dialogue. In response to her question I said I’d watched some Trek but didn’t consider myself a ‘real fan’.
She asked casually “Did you ever watch Enterprise?”
I’m now thinking I may have forgotten more than she ever knew about Enterprise, which is unequivocally my favourite Trek series. I had seen every episode many times and still think it’s a crime how early it ended. I even have a handmade light switchplate cover of one of the characters! “Yes it was good.” was my reply. And I followed up with a rare glimpse of mania: “Did you see the last episode?”
That question is a hook to fish up a superfan. Turns out I caught a giant that day. “Oh man I’m still upset by it!!”
She was 19, only 3 when the series started and 7 when it ended. She too bore the dark memory of Brannon Braga turning the last episode of the show into a ST:TNG reunion. I’m not sure how I replied, but for a brief instant there my terrifyingly deep knowledge of Trek – a series I don’t even think myself a fan of – bubbled to the fore.
I’ve overheard students talk about video games countless times. Very often these are games I have played or in the case of Bloodborne (shown above) had even played that very day. Many times I let the reference go “Yes I play games; haven’t played that one.” or comment noncommittally: “Yes I played World of Warcraft a while.” When I make jokes about people playing Pokemon Go too much I neglect to mention I’ve logged in to Puzzle And Dragons every single day for over three years now…
It’s not that I am embarrassed at all, it’s just that such topics can easily derail any conversation about course material. Obviously I have discussed my hobbies – many times actually – in the ten years I’ve been teaching and I have witnessed many times students (almost always male) start bombarding me with game-related questions or (almost always girls) instantly wanting my opinions on an ever-increasing list of films or TV shows.
So I ‘rein it in’ a lot. To the maximum even. If you’re reading this my students your professor is a superfan of so many things he can’t understand how it all fits into his brain. Along with all the physics, there’s a universe of video games and Star Wars and Star Trek and comics and D&D and model kits and Doctor Who and MTG and anime and manga and trading cards and god knows what else in here. But I do my best to never let it out at work 🙂
So when you ask me next semester if I liked Star Trek: Beyond I’ll immediately recall how great the ‘surfing’ scene was (see the film to know what I mean) or how the Ambassador Spock stuff made me tear up or my joy that finally – finally! – the Xindi got a shoutout in non-Enterprise canon. And I’ll answer simply…
“Yes.”
