This week we received an email from Mary Borgia, a 5th grade teacher at McGuffey Elementary in Newark, OH. In the email was the following essay by student Kaylee Richards from an interview she conducted of our own Curator of Archaeology, Brad Lepper.
First off, Mary wanted us to know that in her class the term "nerd" is used lovingly. Their class cheer is:
YOU THINK THAT YOU'RE ALL SO TOUGH
SOMEDAY YOU'LL ALL WORK FOR US!
GO GEEKS! (clap clap clap) GO GEEKS!
With this in mind, we hope you enjoy this interview as much as we did! And from our nerdom to yours, thanks Kaylee!
First off, Mary wanted us to know that in her class the term "nerd" is used lovingly. Their class cheer is:
YOU THINK THAT YOU'RE ALL SO TOUGH
SOMEDAY YOU'LL ALL WORK FOR US!
GO GEEKS! (clap clap clap) GO GEEKS!
With this in mind, we hope you enjoy this interview as much as we did! And from our nerdom to yours, thanks Kaylee!
The Beginning of a Nerd
Most second graders have no idea what an archeologist is but this specific man did.
Recently I interviewed Dr. Brad Lepper, an archaeologist, thinking he would just talk about stuff I didn’t even understand. When I started my interview I asked him if he had always wanted to be an archaeologist. He responded by saying that he had wanted to be an archaeologist since second grade. I became more comfortable and went on.
I asked him how long you have to go to college. He responded and said twelve years. I was shocked. Twelve years; I thought that was ridiculous!
I asked him if he ever wanted to give up archaeology and go in to a different study. He responded by saying, “Occasionally, but I never did.” That was a good thing because to Dr. Lepper this was a second grader’s dream come true.
I asked where his studies took him and surprisingly he never went out of the United States. He mostly studied in Montana, Maine, New Mexico, and Ohio.
My last question was if he had any sites he still wanted to visit and study. He responded by saying that, “There was a never ending list of sites he still wants to visit.”
After my last question I didn’t want to hang up. He was such a nice man and I could understand everything he talked about. I realized that just because he worked with some places I couldn’t even pronounce didn’t mean that he would be a tough, harsh guy. Though reluctantly I hung up the phone, all of a sudden I felt older and understood more, just because of this one very special archaeologist.
Who knows…one day I might be an archaeologist just like him.
Kaylee Richards
5th-grade
Ms. Borgia's Class
McGuffey Elementary
Newark
Posts
4 comments:
Just as a point of clarification, Kaylee asked me how long I went to school to become an archaeologist. I told her 12 years, but added that you could get a job as an archaeologist with a 4-year degree and lots of folks get their PhD in less than 12 years. I just don't want to scare anyone away from a career in archaeology by having them think you have to spend 12 years in college to do so.
i have been into archaeology since i was in 1st grade, i went on my first real excavation when i was in 2nd grade. on the second week of the dig i found a projectile point and have been hooked ever since. i was 8 then, now i'm 17 and looking at schools that i can major in archaeology. i have been a flintknapper for 4 years, have a couple atl-atls in my garage, and for my eagle scout project i led a group of archaeologists in identifying and curating several thousand artifacts for a museum in Lafayette indiana.
here's to those who never gave up on their dreams.
How adorable. I remember a few kind adults taking the time to talk to me when I was a kid, and what a difference it made. Often times kids are disrespected and treated as if they were "bad" by default. Good for you for taking the time to encourage this witty and enthusiastic youngster.
hey everyone,its Kaylee i would just like to thank Brad Lepper again for his time,even though he and my fifth grade teacher are good friends didnt mean he had to talk to me.Thank you so much.
Kaylee Richards
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