When I returned to school this semester, I was heartbroken to learn that one of my favorite JOMC professors, Gary Guffey, was no longer teaching here because of budget cuts.

Apparently, all of the adjunct professors were let go by the school to save money. However, I hate that such a great instructor had to leave and more so that he was not a full-time professor to begin with.

In the fall 2008 semester, I had the unfortunate circumstance of having classes at 8 a.m. on Monday through Thursday. 

I have to admit that I was not looking forward to it and would not have earned A’s in those classes if it were any other professor than Guffey. 

He was that only reason that I enjoyed those 8 a.m. classes, and even looked forward to those classes every day.

Guffey was the type of educator that made learning entertaining.  I retained everything I was supposed to, and I was laughing at 8 a.m. He did a good job of relating to us and keeping a fascinating student-professor relationship.

It is not to assume that Guffey was the kind of teacher who let his students walk all over him, because he did not. He was lenient to a certain point, but did not take anyone’s mess either. He was very open to working with you if you gave him a good reason to. 

He was very knowledgeable of the content he was taught and was able to make it understanding to his students. I can break down libel, copyright, access law or any other aspect of Communication Law & Ethics to you because I took Guffey for JOMC 493. Even though the class consisted of important information that would seem difficult to process at 8 a.m., I was able to understand it because Guffey worked with his students and they felt comfortable with asking him for help.

I also took Guffey for News Editing & Layout (JOMC 424), which consisted of copyediting, design and layout training.

Many of those aspects that I learned from him in that class help me today as Scene editor of this very publication.

The thing I miss the most about Guffey was that he was one of the only teachers that I have taken at A&T who I could talk to and even go to lunch with.

We would often walk to the café or to the union and it felt like I was not with a professor, but with a friend.

I would always feel comfortable knocking on his office door and know that he would open it and help me with whatever I needed.

I understand the entire university has fallen victim to budget cuts, and there are probably great professors in every department who are no longer teaching here, but I would be the first to say, in the JOMC department Gary Guffey is one professor who should be brought back if the opportunity is presented.

The JOMC department seems to be first in line for the cutbacks sometimes, even more so with the loss of teachers.

The fact that we are never represented at career fairs is another reason why we need quality professors like Guffey to stay because if we cannot have the employers come to us, then at least we could have used Guffey as a resource.

The fact that he is a candidate for his doctorate degree should have been sufficient enough to stay as a professor here.

NagathaTonkins is another example of the great professor who have come and gone in this department.

Thank God that we still have Dr. Styles, even though she is known to give out to many an “F”.

• laporsha lowry