Anacapa Scholar: Jared Phillips
A farmer, historian, and outdoorsman spends the winter at Thacher.
All year long, the campus welcomes visiting scholars, artists in residence, and other guests who share their special expertise. Some become members of the campus community for extended periods of time, others are here only briefly to deliver lectures or meet with students.
Recently, we welcomed a college professor, farmer, family man, and outdoorsman.
Visitor: Jared Phillips, a program manager for Feed Communities, a nonprofit in Fayetteville, Arkansas, that focuses on food security and food justice in the Arkansas Ozarks.
His current work: I run, with my colleagues there, a series of programs from building and expanding community gardens in the Marshallese community to starting up tool libraries and seed banks. I'm also an adjunct with the Department of History at the University of Arkansas, where I've taught everything from American History to World History.
What he did on campus: While I've been at Thacher I've taught a section of Chinese History and an xBlock on the history of Human Rights since 1945. I've been consistently amazed at the quality of students Thacher has—they're all quite amazing and stimulating. When I wasn't teaching, I was able to spend a great deal of time working on my book about the back-to-the-land movement in the 1960s and 1970s, which I also gave a lecture about to the School. I've spent a good deal of time up on top of Twin Peaks admiring the view.
His impressions of Thacher: I've been incredibly amazed at how great the students, faculty, and staff have been not just to me, but my family as well. My wife, Lindi, and our son, Cass, have had a great time—from being shown the trails on a weekend to being a part of the trail riding program. Lindi was able to ride a bunch, and went on a freshman horse camping trip. Cass has had a great deal of fun just running free with the other kids on campus, going to the beach, and just enjoying the California sun. Our impressions of him:
I was in Dr. Phillips's Chinese history class and it was a really good experience. He has a lot of insight in to China and a lot of experience (given that he has spent time there). One particularly memorable moment was during our last class before Winter Break—we went up to his house (the Anacapa House) and just had tea and coffee and sat around as a class to just talk. Dr. Phillips is a very interesting person and always willing to talk with his students about anything. I’m really glad that he came and feel very fortunate to have been in his class!—Nicole Bassolino '18
Dr. Phillips's visit to campus has been an extraordinary experience. In class, he engages all of us with constant discussions, while still giving us the pertinent information. Outside of class he is the most friendly of guys, always joking around as we walk by or warning us that we will all fail his class (but all in good fun of course!). Initially, I was intimidated by him, as he is a college professor. Yet, as soon as I walked out of the first history period, I had a new favorite class. This trimester has been full of entertaining memories, from seemingly ridiculous ideas being suggested, to the day-to-day banter between the students and Dr. Phillips.—Jeffrey Ding '18
I loved working with Jared for a number of reasons beyond his wonderfully charming personality. His first instinct is to ask what he can do to help—be it in the classroom, with a particular project, or with extra-curricular activities. Jared is an outstanding colleague. Personally, he helped me develop my Chinese history curriculum by showing me resources and sharing with me different approaches to classroom activities. With our big American Studies Civil Rights projects, Jared acted as a resource for the students. They each met with him to discuss their project, and he helped them to expand or sharpen their focus. Jared can teach a wide array of history classes. In addition to his doctoral degree in American History, he lived for three years in China and teaches Chinese history at the college level. He's not just a brain either. He is a rock climber and an avid outdoorsman. He and his wife Lindi and son Cass make room in their Arkansas farmhouse for foster children. He's pretty much a perfect individual.—Dr. Sarah DelVecchio
A while back, Jared mentioned to me in the Dining Hall one day that some of his students might be coming my way to ask me some questions about the Tulsa race riots (of which I knew very little despite having grown up in Tulsa).
Back
Recently, we welcomed a college professor, farmer, family man, and outdoorsman.
Visitor: Jared Phillips, a program manager for Feed Communities, a nonprofit in Fayetteville, Arkansas, that focuses on food security and food justice in the Arkansas Ozarks.
His current work: I run, with my colleagues there, a series of programs from building and expanding community gardens in the Marshallese community to starting up tool libraries and seed banks. I'm also an adjunct with the Department of History at the University of Arkansas, where I've taught everything from American History to World History.
What he did on campus: While I've been at Thacher I've taught a section of Chinese History and an xBlock on the history of Human Rights since 1945. I've been consistently amazed at the quality of students Thacher has—they're all quite amazing and stimulating. When I wasn't teaching, I was able to spend a great deal of time working on my book about the back-to-the-land movement in the 1960s and 1970s, which I also gave a lecture about to the School. I've spent a good deal of time up on top of Twin Peaks admiring the view.
His impressions of Thacher: I've been incredibly amazed at how great the students, faculty, and staff have been not just to me, but my family as well. My wife, Lindi, and our son, Cass, have had a great time—from being shown the trails on a weekend to being a part of the trail riding program. Lindi was able to ride a bunch, and went on a freshman horse camping trip. Cass has had a great deal of fun just running free with the other kids on campus, going to the beach, and just enjoying the California sun.
All in all, the community here at Thacher is truly amazing. The combination of the life of the mind and the life of the body is well balanced, and I see it reflected daily in the students and faculty. It's a truly amazing place to a be part of, if only for a short time. This stood out to me more than anything at the basketball game the other night as the students, despite the team losing, were on their feet and cheering as if the boys had just won the championship. I'll hear "We are Thacher, Mighty, Mighty Thacher" in my head for a long time, and will always treasure it.
I was in Dr. Phillips's Chinese history class and it was a really good experience. He has a lot of insight in to China and a lot of experience (given that he has spent time there). One particularly memorable moment was during our last class before Winter Break—we went up to his house (the Anacapa House) and just had tea and coffee and sat around as a class to just talk. Dr. Phillips is a very interesting person and always willing to talk with his students about anything. I’m really glad that he came and feel very fortunate to have been in his class!—Nicole Bassolino '18
Dr. Phillips's visit to campus has been an extraordinary experience. In class, he engages all of us with constant discussions, while still giving us the pertinent information. Outside of class he is the most friendly of guys, always joking around as we walk by or warning us that we will all fail his class (but all in good fun of course!). Initially, I was intimidated by him, as he is a college professor. Yet, as soon as I walked out of the first history period, I had a new favorite class. This trimester has been full of entertaining memories, from seemingly ridiculous ideas being suggested, to the day-to-day banter between the students and Dr. Phillips.—Jeffrey Ding '18
I loved working with Jared for a number of reasons beyond his wonderfully charming personality. His first instinct is to ask what he can do to help—be it in the classroom, with a particular project, or with extra-curricular activities. Jared is an outstanding colleague. Personally, he helped me develop my Chinese history curriculum by showing me resources and sharing with me different approaches to classroom activities. With our big American Studies Civil Rights projects, Jared acted as a resource for the students. They each met with him to discuss their project, and he helped them to expand or sharpen their focus. Jared can teach a wide array of history classes. In addition to his doctoral degree in American History, he lived for three years in China and teaches Chinese history at the college level. He's not just a brain either. He is a rock climber and an avid outdoorsman. He and his wife Lindi and son Cass make room in their Arkansas farmhouse for foster children. He's pretty much a perfect individual.—Dr. Sarah DelVecchio
A while back, Jared mentioned to me in the Dining Hall one day that some of his students might be coming my way to ask me some questions about the Tulsa race riots (of which I knew very little despite having grown up in Tulsa).
It prompted me to do a little digging and research of my own to learn more about those turbulent times in T-town. I was shocked at what I read... about the blatant racism and destruction of property... and equally shocked that I could have been a student in Tulsa from 4th grade through high school and not been exposed to this unsavory slice of local history.
I'll be making plans to visit the museum dedicated to educating folks about the Tulsa race riots next time we're in town to visit Theresa's family...—Dr. Chris Vyhnal
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