A Linnteresting Professor

Reflective Memo: When my instructor announced this assignment and told us we' d be profiling a professional within our discipline, I immediately knew I was going to interview Dr. Linn.He is such a genuine, thoughtful, and entertaining individual.For that reason, the interview was chock full of great material to choose from.My biggest challenge was just that though: deciding what to actually use from the interview for the profile.After listening to the audio recordings of the interview, typing out a full manuscript, and then listening to the audio some more, I finally figured out an angle.I decided to combine what he told me that day with themes of his teaching.I hope this piece does him the proper justice he deserves.A tall, fair-skinned man towers over a crowd of people.His dark brown, fleeceembroidered robe drapes down to his knees.With its large brass buckle glistening in the light, a leather belt neatly wraps itself around his rigid lower abdomen.Beginning at his neck and scaling down to his legs extends a charcoal grey cape that swirls with every movement he makes.To top the entire outfit off, a golden helmet shaped like the tip of a bullet sits firmly over his bronze hair.Two ivory horns extend out of it, divulging the identity of the man: a Viking warrior.Anyone who saw him would truly believe they were looking at an eleventh-century Norseman-if it weren't for the colorful, blue and lime green, worn down Asics on his feet that compromise the rest of the outfit.No, unfortunately it's not a Viking.It's something far better: Cal Poly's very own, one-of-a-kind history professor Dr. Jason Linn, delivering a lecture on the Viking invasions and the Dark Ages.Coming to class dressed up in a costume related to what he is teaching that day is just one of the many ways in which Dr. Linn is redefining the traditional schooling experience and sharing his passion for history at the same time.In his own quirky yet enlightening way, he has crafted assignments, lectures, and material that truly bring history to life for the students.His unique, colorful teaching style and philosophy take his course beyond what it was designed for.Every class he teaches proves to be not only a testament to why history and other liberal arts are crucial, but they also reinvent what it means to learn.Using history as his vessel, Dr. Linn has earnestly created an exceptional curriculum that truly allows his students-whom he endearingly refers to as his "Padawans"-to learn more than he or she ever thought possible about the past, the world, and themselves (Linn).I fortunately had the opportunity to not only take one of his classes, but also interview him about his methods and mindset.