{"id":368,"date":"2010-01-18T15:03:34","date_gmt":"2010-01-18T15:03:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.wabash.edu\/fyi\/2010\/01\/18\/whats-that-one-comps-question-youll-never-forget\/"},"modified":"2010-01-18T15:03:34","modified_gmt":"2010-01-18T15:03:34","slug":"whats-that-one-comps-question-youll-never-forget","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.wabash.edu\/fyi\/2010\/01\/18\/whats-that-one-comps-question-youll-never-forget\/","title":{"rendered":"What’s That One Comps Question You’ll Never Forget?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"Steve Charles<\/em>—In the Allen Center locker room today I heard Steve Hoffman ’85 and professors David Polley and Tobey Herzog talking about oral comps [the oral comprehensive exams required of all Wabash seniors].<\/p>\n

“I can’t believe that was 25 years ago,” Steve said recalling his own experience, noting that Professor Polley had been one of the three professors on his comps board.<\/p>\n

“I was nervous, I don’t remember who was in it besides Professor Polley, and it was difficult while I was there,” Steve said. “But I wouldn’t change it for anything. From today’s seniors to alumni from the classes of the 40s and 50s, it’s a common thread. A common bond.”<\/p>\n

Senior Daniel King, who just finished his oral comps wrote about the experience on his blog<\/a>. Here’s a quote: “I had a great experience. My oral comps board were friendly, and we had a great conversation for an hour. We talked about everything from my favorite psychology class to studying in Italy to C&T. It was honestly fun.”<\/p>\n

Daniel said being finished was an “odd” feeling: “I’m relieved. But what do I now? I don’t have any papers to write. I dont have any tests to study for. I can just relax…. I guess I’m just not used to that.”<\/p>\n

Steve is a major gifts officer for the College now and visits with a lot of alumni. He said that even if they don’t remember all the professors who were in the room, they always remember one question.<\/p>\n

For Steve, who majored in biology but had also taken theater classes, that question was: “How do biology and theater complement one another?”<\/p>\n

Apparently, comps questions jog professors’ memories, too, for as soon as Steve recalled that question, Dave Polley practically shouted out, “I remember that one!”<\/p>\n

The exchange made me want to test Steve’s theory.<\/p>\n

So, for all Wabash alumni out there: What’s that one question you remember from your oral comps?<\/strong> Any other memorable moments from the experience?<\/p>\n

We’d love to hear them, either as a Comment below, or as an email to me at charless@wabash.edu<\/p>\n

In photo: Steve Hoffman ’85 (center) with fellow Sphinx Club members Nate Powell ’09 and Mike Raters ’85 judge another Wabash tradition that brings together the generations: Alumni Chapel Sin<\/em>g.<\/p>\n

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