Student Favorite: Dr. Joshua Beattie
Dr. Beattie is something of a legend at OHS because of the many rumors surrounding death-defying experiences and more. Jocelyn Mesham finds out if these myths are true, plus more about one of OHS' favorites.
Pixel Journal: Where are you from originally and what was it like growing up there?
Dr. Josh Beattie: I was born in Florida and lived in New Jersey briefly, but I spent nearly all my school-age years in Indianapolis, Indiana. It was a perfectly fine place to grow up - I spent my time doing fairly ordinary stuff like playing sports (soccer, baseball, basketball), playing D&D, going to the mall to play arcade games or going to bookstores or music stores. I still visit frequently since I have family and a number of good friends there.
PJ: How/why/when did you decide to become a teacher?
JB: Well, I don't think there was any particular moment when this happened, really. I always enjoyed learning, inquiry, being in school, so I basically kept going in school as long as I could. And when you choose to pursue a PhD in philosophy, it's *fairly* certain you'll end up teaching unless you shift gears entirely. But it always felt like a pretty natural outcome to me. When you enjoy reading and thinking and discussing things, it feels good to share that experience with students. And it has definitely provided the opportunity to keep learning new things myself, which I appreciate a lot.
PJ: Where did you go to university/graduate school and what did you major in? Did you enjoy your time there?
JB: I went to Northwestern for college and majored in Biology and Philosophy. Then, after a couple years traveling and teaching English abroad, I went to U.C. Berkeley for graduate school in philosophy. I really enjoyed exploring and experiencing both places – I mean the larger settings, i.e. the Chicago area and the Bay Area – and I met and got to know a lot of great people too. I don’t have that strong an emotional connection to the universities themselves, I suppose, but I definitely enjoyed being there at the time.
PJ: What attracted you to the OHS?
JB: The initial attraction was definitely the Core curriculum. Having the chance to teach interesting, interdisciplinary, philosophically informed classes at the high school level is…well, it’s hard to convey how truly unique an opportunity that is. And in my particular case, it looked like I’d have a chance to draw upon both my more purely scientific and more purely philosophical interests – as well as the intersection between the two! – in a way that is also quite unusual. The online nature of the school was something I was very curious about. I had no idea what to expect and thought it would, at the very least, be an interesting experience! (None of these attractions/curiosities has let me down, by the way).
PJ: Do you have a favorite quote/book/text? Why is it your favorite?
JB: Hmm, I think I’ll go with "Do I dare disturb the universe?" from T.S. Eliot's The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock. I like how it sounds, for a start, but also how it can be understood/interpreted in a few different, interesting ways – you can take it as an exhortation, as a self-criticism or rebuke, as a mix of the two, etc. And how you take it is likely to change as you age too.
PJ; What is your passion? Favorite hobbies?
JB: Soccer is a big one. I still play regularly and can’t imagine giving it up anytime soon. And though I don’t actually manage to watch many full matches, I definitely keep up on what’s happening in the major European leagues. Another big one is camping/backpacking. This has gone into a more low-key mode in recent years since I’ve had small kids…but they’re getting older and are totally into it, so I look forward to doing a big multi-day trip again soon.
PJ: If you could meet one historical or literary (or philosophical) figure, who would it be and why?
JB: Hmm, I think it would have to be Jesus. I’m not religious myself, but it would be fascinating – bizarre, unsettling, head-spinning – to be in the presence of someone you knew was going to have such an enormous, snowballing impact on the world. And there are just so many interesting historical questions! Simple things like what he actually looked like, and more generally what was really true of him and what wasn’t, that kind of thing.
PJ: What is your favorite place in the world? Or the coolest place you’ve traveled to?
JB: It’s too hard to name a favorite/coolest place, but two of my most vivid, aesthetically powerful memories are from Tikal in Guatemala and the very southern tip of China (by the border with Laos).
PJ: What are the most important pieces of advice you would give to OHS students?
JB: I think most OHS students really understand and appreciate the educational opportunity it represents. But I’m a little concerned about the prevalent “I’m so busy” culture, in which that is treated almost like a badge of honor. I’d strongly encourage students to resist falling into that mindset. I’d recommend cultivating a “this is so interesting” attitude instead, and helping to build – or strengthen, since it’s already present – that kind of culture. I think it would make for a healthier and even more stimulating environment.
PJ: Is it true that you’ve been attacked by a bear and also gotten malaria twice? What were the circumstances surrounding those incidents? These incidents considered, would you call yourself an unlucky guy?
JB: Absolutely false – I’ve only gotten malaria once! :D
I’ll say a bit about that, though. (I feel like I’ve told the bear story enough already – if you haven’t heard it, you’ll just have to track me down sometime and ask). I had finished my stint teaching English in Thailand and was getting ready to travel to Nepal to meet some friends from college. Prior to leaving, I decided to go to a national park not too far from Bangkok, and while I was there I met a woman who was doing research on gibbons. She asked if I wanted to tag along one day while she observed them, so of course I said yes! I’m pretty sure it was while we were trudging through the forest that day that I got hit by the fateful mosquito.
Anyway, there’s an incubation period, so I didn’t come down with the sickness until I was in Nepal. It was pretty much as you’d imagine – intense fever, sheets drenched in sweat, feeling generally disoriented, etc. I lost a ton of weight – close to 50 pounds, I think – which left me pretty much skeletally thin. But the recovery was fairly quick, and there were no long-term effects.
Amazingly, the full week I spent in a Kathmandu hospital only cost $400! And even better, my cheapo travel insurance, which came with one of those youth travel cards and covered $100 per day, sent me the full $700 for which I was eligible! This is one of my proudest accomplishments: I made money from getting malaria.