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Catherine Cater has been an educator
since 1940. She joined the English faculty at North Dakota State University in 1962,
and though she officially retired in 1982, has remained very active in students’
lives. The Catherine Cater Humanities Lecture Series was established in 1986 in recognition
of her advocacy of humanities in higher education. |
Catherine Cater
I doubt that one ever is wise. I don’t really
know what wisdom is.
I like obstacles.
I’m a rotten cook.
Absolutes are very difficult to come by.
I used to bat (tennis) balls around. It was always love-nothing.
Ideas are not all equal, but there are many varieties of ideas. It is extremely important
to examine all aspects of ideas.
Being a teacher is very serious work, but lots of fun.
Students are very fond of the question, “Who am I and what is the meaning of life?”
The success of the student usually prevails. Occasionally it doesn’t.
Suspension of judgment is a very important part of learning.
Discerning facts from knowledge is most important.
Data are less significant than the integration of ideas and data that may produce,
or may not produce, knowledge.
I do like John Donne. ‘Go ahead and catch a falling star’ is a lovely line.
NDSU is a public institution to which students 17, 18 and on up as old as they get can actually
talk with a professor without fear of condescension for the most part and where they can question
not only their own thinking but question the ideas of other people.
I think what we do is introduce students to what they will think about 100 years hence.
This emphasis on computer science is a phase we’ll get over, because we’ll use computers
more wisely.
I have a principle—I don’t teach in the summer. It’s a period of restoration.
I have found travel very restorative, indeed. One sees other people, other places that
distract one from whatever problems one has.
I like to write verse. I don’t say poetry. Verse is on a lower level.
Now I have the best of all worlds because I don’t have to go to meetings. I can concentrate
on students.
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