In his 34th year as a teacher and his 28th year teaching at the University, Prof. Jack Lindgren said he uses the same philosophy for his Commerce School students that he uses for his golf game.
"Don't ever think you've mastered it -- keep trying to achieve more," Lindgren said.
Lindgren started out as a general marketing professor focusing on consumer behavior, but in 1979 he created the University's first course in advertising at the request of one of his students. Since then, Lindgren has continued teaching the course and offering students the chance to obtain real-world knowledge of the advertising world.
As a year's summation of work, Lindgren has his students enter the American Advertising Federation's annual competition in which students create their own advertisements. Taking part in the competition was suggested by the same student who requested the advertising course.
"I use the competition because it provides students with a hands-on, real-life application," Lindgren said. "We don't have to make up something in class. It's a real company and they want real help."
The competition includes approximately 300 schools and 6,000 students nationwide, Lindgren said. In the past two years, Lindgren's students have taken second in the nation.
Lindgren, who is also the marketing area coordinator for the Commerce School, said he always saves spots in his classes for College students.
"I think they are very important to our class because they provide a different perspective than our Commerce students have -- not necessarily better, but different," Lindgren said.
This mixture of students in class transfers over to a mixture of students and professors in the grass for the Commerce school's annual golf tournament.
Of course, Lindgren said he enjoys this event since he plays golf "every chance [he] possibly can."
Inviting along both his fellow student golf-lovers and students who do not play, Lindgren said he just tries to make the tournament into a big party.
People who do not play "just ride along and have fun, typically laughing at us ... no, maybe with us," Lindgren said.
In addition to his love for the game, Lindgren said the tournament provides a good opportunity to bond and have fun with his students outside the classroom.
"You care about the camaraderie about being together as a group," Lindgren said.
This camaraderie continues past the students' graduations from the University. Lindgren said he keeps in contact with many of his students from the past, including his student from 1979 who first requested the advertising class and now helps Lindgren teach the course.
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