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<DOCID>Prof_Moody.doc.txt</DOCID>
<AUTHOR>Liz Sippl</AUTHOR>
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Professor James Moody is a familiar face on campus, having taught here for many years. He was named the Distinguished Teacher of the Year at Commencement, 2006, an honor which he says came as a surprise  this is my 36th year teaching, I suppose Id long ago given up thought of being it; its practically the end of my career.  This award is a highlight in an already impressive educational career, which includes an Honors degree from Greenville College and a Fulbright scholarship that took him to London for a year and a half to study the history of 18th century science.

Prof. Moody often talks about his trips and experiences in his classes and he believes that the more history you know, the more you benefit from travel; knowing the history and culture of an area helpsconnect you to what youre experiencing.  He mentions how his knowledge of Japan has helped him on his eight trips there and adds that without background knowledge of an area, great encounters such as viewing the architecture of the past may register as just more stuff to see, but if one recognizes the historical importance, it makes for a more beneficial experience.

As anyone who has passed by his office knows, Prof. Moody has quite a collection of artifacts and art work.  He justifies his small museum  or house of muses with Plato, who said that to be inspired, one must have around you things which give positive feedback; that which is good, brave, noble and perfect.  Thus, the statues of gods, portraits of heroes, objects of beauty, other deities, human and primate skulls and walls of books.  He doesnt have a favorite among his collection; rather its the combination of the whole, an environment to please the self.  The skulls, he says, are from when he was teaching physical anthropology and are not former students, as someone once suggested.

He leaves this message for students:  You need to find something with which you want to spend the rest of your life.  Dont be in a hurry, you may discover a whole new area of interest  University is a time of discovery.  The more you know, the more human you are, as the Renaissance ideal goes. We live in a know-able universe, so lets get in on the business of knowing.

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