When cherubs entered Fisk Hall for “Advanced Interviewing Techniques,” a lecture by instructors Cynthia Wang and Bret Begun, they didn’t expect comedy.
“I was expecting to learn, but I was not expecting to be practically rolling on the floor laughing,” said Shayna Fitzershtein of Glenview, Illinois.
In addition to Wang and Begun, instructors like John Kupetz and Carlin McCarthy often used humor to engage or entertain students. Mimi Yao of Shanghai said these jokes helped her understand and retain information.
“I don’t remember everything, but I remember the parts they acted or the jokes they made,” Yao said.
“Advanced Interviewing Techniques” was a favorite among students for its funny moments, including a memorable anecdote from an interview Wang conducted.
“Real life can be very funny, and when you’re a journalist, a lot of what you experience may seem absurd to the average person,” Wang said. “Humor is a way of connecting and showing that even in crazy circumstances, there can be a lot of joy to be found in this craft.”
The lecture also featured an exaggerated demonstration of handshake technique, which Fitzershtein said added to the “fun and joyous vibe.”
Wang said her teaching balances humor with attention to serious topics.
“If you’re talking about something that’s very serious, you want to make sure those points are conveyed with a level of gravity,” she said. “But after that’s over, it’s nice to vary the pace and share something a little less serious, so both lessons will stick.”
Jokes can make important points more memorable, Fitzershtein said.
“It’s always easier to remember something if there’s a joke in it,” she said. “When you hear one lecture that makes you smile, where a lecturer cracks a joke or where you feel like you’re part of this community, it’s way more likely to stick in your memory.”
Wang added that laughter can improve students’ educational experience.
“I think laughing at yourself and laughing at us is a form of learning, and it makes it easier to digest these tips,” she said. “By making them relatable and humorous, we’re hoping that even more of these lessons will be retained.”
