THEIR LIFE'S WORK
12 Questions for Tom Lappas
Learn more about Nazareth history and political science professor Tom Lappas who released his first book, In League Against King Alcohol: Native American Women and the Woman's Christian Temperance Union, 1874鈥1933,聽in February.
1
What trait do you most like about yourself?
The one thing I鈥檝e learned is that if I鈥檓 persistent, I can accomplish a lot of my goals through hard work and remarkable stubbornness.
2
What鈥檚 on your nightstand?
Messianic Fulfillments: Staging Indigenous Salvation in America by Hayes Peter Mauro, and the Harbor Freight Tools catalogue.
3
What is your favorite book?
One of my favorites is still Gordon Wood鈥檚聽The Radicalism of the American Revolution聽(1993). It鈥檚 a real lesson in the importance of considering the meaning of historical events for their time and not only according to the standards of our own. I鈥檝e also always loved Kurt Vonnegut鈥檚聽Slaughterhouse-Five. It was one of the first books I read that really changed the way I thought about life.
4
What鈥檚 the bravest thing you鈥檝e ever done?
Decided to be a college professor. I had a horrible, horrible fear of public speaking when I started and never thought I鈥檇 get over it.
5
What is one thing on your bucket list?
Don鈥檛 tell anyone, but climbing Denali and/or something in the Himalayas.
6
What is your favorite movie and why?
Any of the Star Wars films. I鈥檝e even developed a fondness for the oft-chided The Phantom Menace. The pod race scene? The light saber fight with Darth Maul? Those are exciting.
7
What makes you miserable?
Being assigned a task that has almost no possibility of having an impact, success, or meaning (and provides no joy whatsoever) and yet having to waste precious time doing it.
8
What鈥檚 your guilty pleasure?
Nachos. I love making late-night nachos and experimenting with weird ingredients.
9
What is the best thing about your current job?
I am constantly learning鈥攊t鈥檚 in the job description!
10
In the movie of your life, who would star as you?
Hugh Jackman. Clint Eastwood. I have lots of ideas.
11
Who are your heroes in real life?
My parents.
12
What is your motto?
鈥淒o your job.鈥 Whenever I wonder about the right path 鈥 as a person, a father, a friend, a son, a professor, or advisor 鈥 I ask myself, 鈥淲hat鈥檚 your actual job here?鈥 Then I just do that and don鈥檛 do the thing that鈥檚 not my job.
