Some may think this strange, but watching people has always been one ofmy favorite past-times. Even as a child, I enjoyed observing andscrutinizing the actions of others in order to gain a glimpse of theirpersonality. Because of this past-time, I would like to say that Iusually have accurate first impressions of people. However, there willalways be exceptions.

It was my first day as a transfer student to Sacramento State. I enteredmy Government 1 class and, promptly at 4:30, my government teacherwalked into the classroom. “Government 1, Section 10, right?” she asked.There were murmurs and nods of affirmation throughout the classroom.”Good,” the professor said. “OK, I’d like to start out by talking to youabout political science. Within political science there are five maincategories and I’ll just go over them briefly. The first one isInternational Relations…”

“Whoa!” I thought to myself. “We’re already taking notes?!”The lecture continued until 5 p.m., when the professor paused todistribute her one-page syllabus. She briefly went over it, emphasizingthe importance of attending class every day and keeping up with thereadings. “The textbook is a little difficult to read, but yes, you willread the whole book.”

Then she said, “I’m going to take a short break now, at which timeanybody who is scared of this class may choose to leave. It’s fine withme if you want to leave early. I’m going to my office, so I won’t evenknow you’re gone.”

A moment later, 30 students sat in dumbfounded silence. The professorreturned shortly and said, “Well, it looks like most people are stillhere. That’s good.” She lectured a little longer, passed around a rollsheet, and then said, “OK, we’ll pick up where we left off on Wednesday.”And that was it. Class was over. This woman was definitely unique. Shehadn’t smiled once, although she didn’t look unpleasant. But herattitude toward the class was one of superiority and indifference, as ifshe would rather be doing anything other than teaching Government 1.

However, my thoughts about this professor changed drastically over thenext several weeks. On the second day of class, she finally introducedherself. She even referred to highway patrol officers as “our littlefriends on the road.” (Having received two speeding tickets of my own,highway patrol officers are not generally on my list of good friends.)So she did have a sense of humor, after all.

The professor began to learn our names and even tease us. One day, shehad three volunteers read a part of the script from “Monty Python andthe Holy Grail.” When a male student read the female part in ahigh-pitched voice, she burst out laughing.

I learned — and am still learning — my lesson. The old “Don’t judge abook by its cover” rule apparently applies to government teachers, too.From my first perceptions, I decided that this woman did not believe inhaving fun. I was mistaken.

After seeing this professor once, I had formed solid conclusions andconstructed a complete picture of her. Too often, we attempt to makestructures out of nothing. When given two sides, I had assumed a thirdline would form a triangle, when it was really just another piece of amore intricate shape — and personality.

Why are we so quick to form impressions of one another? For one thing,we find ways to solidify our initial judgments. When my teacher walkedin the door and began lecturing without even introducing herself, Iconcluded that she was cold, hard and unfriendly. My negative view ofher was strengthened even more when she dared us to walk out of herclassroom.

Another contributor to quick assumptions about people is the idea of”group think.” After class, several classmates compared opinions of theprofessor. “I don’t know about this class,” one student said. “Thatteacher scared me.”

By talking together, my classmates and I unintentionally solidified ourfirst impressions of this teacher. Knowing that I was not the only onewho saw her as mean and cold made me feel that I hadn’t erred in myjudgment of her.

However, it is interesting to note that as my views of my teacher beganto change, so did my classmates’ views. Apparently, we all needed toimprove our perception skills a little. Perhaps society as a whole istoo critical of others. We tend to judge each other on outwardappearance, rather than waiting to get to know the individual. It’s likean art project gone horribly wrong: We feel such a need to complete ourpicture of someone that we sometimes draw the wrong picture.

Layla Bohm is editor in chief of The State Hornet. She can be reachedat [email protected] or by phone at 278-6584.