SHERBURNE – The series that has been sweeping across the nation’s college campuses is making its way to the Sherburne-Earlville Auditorium. Over the next few months, three Sherburne teachers will take the stage as part of the Last Lecture Series.
The Last Lecture Series was created around a central concept; what wisdom would you pass on, if it was your last chance? Professors and coaches at universities around the country have been asked to think deeply about what matters to them, and give a hypothetical final talk on the topic, and now that concept is being applied at Sherburne-Earlville.
While the Last Lecture Series has been adapted at many college campuses, few if any high schools have done the same. Bringing the lecture series to Sherburne was the idea of the senior class. Each year, the senior class leaves a gift or a legacy to the school. “The seniors decided they wanted the lecture series to be their gift, and they decided to give back while they are here to enjoy some of it,” said Senior Class Advisor Jonathan Sherry. “If it is a success, I look forward to seeing other classes carry it on.”
The event has been entirely student driven, Sherry explained. The students were asked to choose three lecturers who were dynamic members of the school community.
The first lecture in the series will feature Michael Rodriguez. Rodriguez, a Sherburne social studies teacher, has had many roles in the community. Rodriguez is a father, a soccer coach, a Gulf War Veteran, a community volunteer and a member of the Faith Baptist Tabernacle Church. Each lecturer was asked to lecture on a topic defined and decided by themselves. Rodriguez’ lecture will be American History’s Finest Lesson. The lecture will be held at 7 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 17 at the S-E High School Auditorium.
Students have selected eighth grade English Teacher Rennie Korver and Kindergarten Teacher Nancy Heck for the second and third installments of the series. Korver, a teacher and a coach, will speak on Friday, Feb. 6, and Heck will present her lecture on Friday, May 8.
“It’s important for the students, the community, friends and family to see these people as fabulous, multi-faceted members of humanity,” Sherry said.
The senior class has devoted time, energy and funds into planning and promoting the lecture series. “This is a wonderfully healthy family event. These lectures are a great way to spend an early Friday evening,” Sherry said. “For 45 minutes, we can take a breath and allow ourselves to open our minds to a different unique paradigm. The lectures encourage us to see the world through the rhetoric of people that the students trust.”