BY NATALIE BRUBAKER 16

Ken Hassells journey to becoming an art

teacher is anything but ordinary. The associate
professor in the Department of Art and Art History
dropped out of college to protest the Vietnam
War, drove cabs in Chicago and spent a month
homeless on the streets of San Francisco.
Teaching at Elon for the past years, Hassells
life is less tumultuous than before, but no less
dynamic. Im happy to be where I am, he says.
Im doing what I want to do and I worked really
hard to make that happen.
Admired by his students and colleagues,
Hassell has both intellectual prowess and a
genuine interest in connecting with people. His
quiet condence reects his sensitivity toward
other people and the wisdom he acquired from
life experiences. I try to be a very compassionate
and caring person and I think thats the most
important thing, he says.
Hassells high regard for both academia and
people is evident in his career at Elon. He advises
students working to establish a community center
in the Appalachia region. He travels to London to
teach a course on immigrant communities every
January. And more recently, he captured the
attention of students, faculty and sta through his
unorthodox art exhibit titled The Artist is Present,
which consists of Hassell sitting in a chair a few
feet across from another chair where participants
are invited to sit and look at one another in silence.
His interest in art began with a camera
passed down to him from his grandmother and
developed into a passion that led him to attend
the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design. At Elon
Hassell founded both the photography and digital
art programs. And although he will retire in May,
he will continue to focus his research on people,
understanding their identities and capturing
their stories.
I learn a great deal from other people and
learn to respect most people, he says. I think
thats why I became a teacher. Really, I just like
talking with people.
What faculty or sta member do you
think is uncommon? Send a suggestion to
themagazineofelon@gmail.com.
CAMPUS
UNCOMMONS
svvio :o:( 5