It's Good to be King

   A little over nineteen years ago, I made the trip down to Arkadelphia to meet with my advisor and plan my very first classes of my college career.   I don't remember much about that encounter except that I told him I wanted to be out of class by lunch everyday.   He stated that he didn't know if that would be possible to which I said, "We're gonna try."   And Dr. Auffenberg and I got it worked out.   Just like I wanted it to.   That, my friends, was just the beginning.
   My second semester I took his World Civ II class.   The class wasn't hard.   It wasn't earth shattering.   He was.   That semester changed my life.   You see, I tell people that I do what I do because of my high school history teacher.   But my style of teaching is very reflective of Dr. Auffenberg.    He came into class with his notes on index cards.   He always knew exactly where we left off.   He was witty and sarcastic.   For a history lover, the semester could never be long enough.
   I thought that was great until I took England to 1603.   I have never been the same.   The reason I tell people I am half British in my heart, the reason I can name almost all the English kings from William I to Elizabeth I is because Dr. Auffenberg inspired me.   That was the class that when the hour was up, I was full-out disappointed.   His passion for that subject was contagious.
   He joked around about things like, "Was there a Civil War in this country?" (because he, like myself was more of European guy).   He made statements like "poor, pitiful, pulverized Poland" and "It's good to be King!"   He made us laugh and learn and love our history.
    And one of my proudest moments from OBU was at graduation.   Our processional  started on the visitor side of the football field.    The professors lined the way after we got around the curve of the track.   I will never forget Dr. Auffenberg saying, "Congratulations, Erin.  Good job," to me as I walked through.
   Yesterday, Dr. Auffenberg passed away.   I am heartbroken for all the students at Ouachita who won't have the opportunity to sit in his classroom and be spellbound by his wealth of knowledge and uncanny storytelling ability.   Ouachita Baptist is never going to be the same, but thankfully, because I got to have him as a professor, neither will I.

http://media.obu.edu/2013/08/dr-tom-auffenberg-remembered-for-40-years-of-service-to-ouachita/