Western Carolinian Volume 77 Number 14

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Western Carolinian Volume 77 Number 14

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Western Carolinian Volume 77 Number 14

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Western Carolinian Volume 77 Number 14

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Western Carolinian Volume 77 Number 14

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Western Carolinian Volume 77 Number 14

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Western Carolinian Volume 77 Number 14

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Western Carolinian Volume 77 Number 14

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Western Carolinian Volume 77 Number 14

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Western Carolinian Volume 77 Number 14

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Western Carolinian Volume 77 Number 14

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Western Carolinian Volume 77 Number 14

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Item

Details
- Format
  - Publications (documents)
- Type
  - Text
- Source institution
  - Western Carolina University
- Identifier
  - HL_WesternCarolinian_2011-11-11_Vol77_No14_06
Transcript

November 11th, 2011 WESTERN CAROLINIAN Page 6 FEATURES Before They Were Bdacuters: Dr. Todd Collins, Political Science Tyler Auffhammer, Staff Writer Lawyers. We call them for their legal expertise and their concise speaking abil- ity; we call them when we are in need of advice. Would you call a lawyer about your next term paper? If so, you are probably a student of Dr. Todd Collins, an Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science and Public Affairs at Western Carolina Univer- sity. Born and raised in Mt. Airy, Collins had high aspi- rations for his future from the time he was a young man. T knew that I wanted to go to law school and politi- cal science is one of the best majors for pre-law students, said Collins, explaining his choice to study political sci- ~ ence as an undergraduate at UNC Chapel Hill. For. Collins, the study of government and politics had always been something that interested him. The unique blend of history, law, psy- chology, sociology, and philosophy cultivated an en- ticing field of study for the young pre-law student. After graduating as a ~ double major in political sci- ence and philosophy, Collins enrolled in the UNC School of Law, where he graduated his Juris Doctor. Collins recounts his time at Chapel Hill as some of the most enjoyable years of his life. You get to know so many different people and there are opportunities that you will never have again in your life, said Collins, . noting his involvement with pre-law associations, the Philosophy club, and orien- tation counseling. Collins also served on the -campus honor court, which held . hearings involving academic fraud, along with working as a resident assis- tant for most of his corer career. _ On being: a resident as- sistant, Collins said, It was a great opportunity to be involved in the college community and help pay for school at the same time. i ali tik siete late nt, aie eit ea el -ll Sponsored by: ip Student Government Association | ii and HH Division of Student Affairs After graduating from the UNC School of Law, Collins did the practical thing and became a lawyer, focused mainly in criminal law. However, Collins found the career of the practicing lawyer a monotonous one. There were many things I enjoyed about practicing law and being an attorney can be a great career, but you can also get into a posi- tion where you are doing the same types of cases over and over again, Collins said. Besides, I always enjoyed studying the law and legal theory more than the prac- tice of law. Collins compared his time in criminal law to that of a real estate attorney, in which one would be practic- ing real estate cases day in and day out. In particular, Collins found the emotional strain of practicing tough cases hard to bear outside of the courtroom. In criminal law you often deal with some very tough cases such as child abuses and murders, and you often see the worst in people, Collins said. To sum up the life of a criminal . lawyer, Collins said, Nobody calls their lawyer to tell them they are having a good day. This gives you a chance to help people, but it can sometimes be tough to leave other peo- ples problems at work and not have it influence you . outside of court. Longing the freedom to . study what truly interested him, Collins enrolled asa graduate student at the Uni- versity of Georgia in hopes of entering the PO: -SeC- ondary education field after graduation. AS a graduate. tudent . .at UGA, Collins was. af- forded an opportunity to teach classes. He recalls that ' his years in the courtroom helped him feel comfortable in front of students, but that he still had some learning to do as far as teaching the ma- terial was concerned. ~ At first I felt like that I had to know everything and had to go over every- thing. Once I realized that eA i, ai sis mae in, ia. itn, eais tcd se pi, ties tl tcin, ieeslc, Sid iin, its asin asin ent i il Wednesday, November 16th ii rH -@ 5:00pm - UC Theater spl! i! Thursday, November 17th ae @ 3:00pm - UC Theater ii Students, you are invited to ii come learn about WCUs ii proposed tuition and fee ii jncreases for 2012-13. | i Make your voice heard! the classroom is a learning environment where students can learn from the experi- ences and opinions of each other, class became more enjoyable, Collins said. T really enjoyed classes where students came prepared for class and we could just have a conversation about the is- sues. I still enjoy that. With his Ph.D. in hand, Collins began the job hunt in 2007 and knew that he wanted to start his career at Western Carolina Univer- sity, the college that his own father had graduated from in the 1960s. My father was the first generation in his family to go to college and it was a struggle for him to afford it. Without some help, he would not have been able to pay to go to college, Col- . lins said. WCU was very important in his future suc- cess, and his ability to raise his family. So, in many. ways I owe a lot to WCU, even though I didnt go here. Now in his fifth year of - teaching at WCU, Collins has enjoyed the freedom to. research all of his interests _. and curiosities. Tf I want to do research on free speech this month, and criminal law. next month, and then start /a proj- ect on freedom of religion, I can do that. Being a profes- sor gives you the freedom to continually learn about what ever interests you, Collins said. There are very few . jobs in the world that share this aspect. Along with the liberty of the profession, Collins also ' enjoys helping students rec- is he a shldent comes into class absolutely sure of the way the world works, thinking they know all the answers. Then, over the. se- mester we see that very few questions in political science are so black and white, Collins said. Collins has also appreci- ated the people and places in and around Western Caro- lina University, saying that one of the most enjoyable nits, ise, ate kei eds. nde, et, kee ii ii tt @ Ez, i i Tuition & Fees | it: | ft Open Forums =: t | ce eve oe H Last two sessions coming up: if il il nigel eet ognize t the merits ofall sides _ of an issue and forming their PHOTO BY CEILLIE SIMKISS EPROM P ARENDS LES? QTR UAE MOE de ERE RS WAP RE rR ETE DAHA Ie EAS EAS PSHE APA E aS PERSE TH ETE LAE OHSAS DES PER PER OL IRE IATR ODOR ME CREAR LG Dr, Todd Collins is shown teaching one of his classes at een Carolina University oe semester. TREPATAEARTNS DRE VOT HS ERT EER TEPALDST TENE VOT AES TEPER ELT EEEHLALYS EVER PEDO EARS ASAT TRE REO EPRIRE PA EPO EP EDR END ERP EPR eRe RTE TEE aspects of his job are his col- _ leagues in the department of political science and the great group of students that Western attracts. WCU does a great job - of mixing the large univer- sity experience with some of the attributes of a smaller liberal arts SOneE This is hat If... a place where you can set to know your. professors, Collins: said. Many bigger schools you are a number on a spreadsheet. Herg; I like that individual students do matter. . For Collins, his col- leagues and students at Bley: cone with the beau- tiful locale, are all added bonuses to a career he chose for the freedom to continue his quest for knowledge. The school colors dont hurt either. Tve always kind of liked purple and now I have a legitimate reason to wear 1 WwWwCeu, atnig Played music targeted to 18-24 year-olds instead of men aged 45 to S47 facebook acl doin Qur Cause by Liking Us on Facebook at "Friends For a Better WwCU" Friends For a Better in ae FAMILY (/ PRACTICE OUR FAMILY CARING FOR YOUR FAMILY HOURS OF OPERATION MONDAY - FRIDAY 7:45AM - 5:00PM SATURDAY AND SUNDAY 430 FISHER CREEK ROAD CLOSED SYLVA, NORTH CAROLINA 28779 828-586-4012 : WWW.SYLVAFAMILYPRACTICEPA,COM

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Description

The Western Carolinian is Western Carolina University's student-run newspaper. The paper was published as the Cullowhee Yodel from 1924 to 1931 before changing its name to The Western Carolinian in 1933.
Details
- Creator
  - Western Carolina University
- Format
  - Publications (documents)
- Type
  - Text
- Date
  - Date original: 2011-11-11
- Extent
  - Dimension: 22.75" x 11.5"
  - Pages: 12
- Subject - Topic
- Location
  - Jackson County (N.C.)
  - Cullowhee (N.C.)
- Source institution
  - Western Carolina University
- Source Collection
  - WCU Students Newspapers Collection
- Identifier
  - HL_WesternCarolinian_2011-11-11_Vol77_No14
- Repository
  - Western Carolina University Hunter Library

Western Carolinian Volume 77 Number 14

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Western Carolina University Publications

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Western Carolina University Publications