Mr. Brinkman
I have chosen this man, Eric Brinkman, for my “We’ll live, We’ll Die, I’ll Tell Your Story” Picture Project. First off, how old do you think Mr. Brinkman is? This is how our interview began and I guessed an age based off of how enthusiastic he is. He is the modern day Mr. Keating from The Dead Poets’ Society. For those of you that do not understand the reference, imagine a teacher that is so fun to be around and learn from that suddenly that one course that you wanted to drop so bad became the most interesting one of your education! That is the kind of educator that you are looking at in this picture. If you do not get the chance to have a class with Mr. Brinkman or have never had a teacher that I have described, then I am sorry because it is very unfortunate to miss out on the experience of having an outstanding teacher. As I have sort of hinted at, I was planning on dropping Theatre over this past summer to take a Philosophy course and “focus more on my major.” THANKFULLY I did not make such a mistake (even though I never would have known that it was a mistake.)
Mr. Brinkman grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio with his family of German descent. His mother was religiously affiliated with Church of Christ while his Father was affiliated with Catholicism. He remembers one day that he had to take his brother and sister to church because his Mom could not go. The message for that day talked about how, “All Catholics are going to Hell.” Since Mr. Brinkman’s Father was Catholic, he decided that enough was enough and that it was no longer for him. He still read religious texts throughout high school trying to figure out and develop his personal beliefs. Mr. Brinkman was an undergraduate student here at Ohio State as well. He majored in English and can quickly recall his fascination with the Buckeye’s 1995 Heisman Trophy winner, Eddie George. Mr. Brinkman graduated with Honors and Distinction! He used his undergraduate thesis project to make comparisons between Shakespeare’s Hamlet and Julius Caesar. After college, Mr. Brinkman applied for a job at MacMillan Computer Publishing in Indianapolis, Indiana. Although he applied to be a proofreader, he was hired as an indexer. He decided to go ahead and get his Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert (MCSE) certification. Upon receiving the certification, he was moved to the IT program. While in the IT program he received a call about a broken keyboard. Mr. Brinkman told the man, “I’m sorry, but I have to ask you this. Is the keyboard plugged in?” The man told him yes, so Mr. Brinkman packed a brand new keyboard and took it with him to the man’s house. Upon his arrival, Mr. Brinkman took a look at the keyboard and discovered that it was not plugged in after all! So, he drove to the house to find out that it simply was not plugged in! He told me that, “working in IT is brutal” and that he, “wouldn’t recommend it for anyone” shortly after this story!
One of Mr. Brinkman’s favorite films is Ghandi. He saw The 14th Dalai Lama give a speech in New York and he believed that he had finally found the beliefs that he could believe in! He went back to his job in Indiana, but he made the 14-hour trip to New York in order to attend the Buddhist Monastery in Ithaca. He transferred jobs and worked for Cornell University’s IT services! His paychecks mainly went toward his student loans because he had a plan. He decided to study at Nangyal the Buddhist Monastery. While at Nangyal, Mr. Brinkman met a monk professor named Geshe Gonpo. The professor encouraged Mr. Brinkman to pursue his plan! What was his plan you may be wondering? To move to India! So, after some time spent in New York, Mr. Brinkman moved to India as a refugee and attended a Buddhist monastery. He lived in India for a few months and then discovered that a new monastery was being built in Arizona so he figured that the conditions in Arizona were a bit more reasonable to live under. After one of the fellow students within the Arizona Buddhist Monastery mysteriously died, Mr. Brinkman decided that it was time to move on from the practices of the particular monastery.
He decided to aim for his graduate degree online in Shakespeare & Theatre from the University of Birmingham since he had always had a passion for theatre. He remembers what kind of teacher his grandfather was and has decided to be a teacher that makes a lasting impression on his students. Today, Mr. Brinkman is on the track of receiving his Ph.D. in Shakespearean Theatre here at The Ohio State University as well as a Theatre Teaching Assistant. Not only does he teach, but he impacts the lives of every student that he teaches. Although I have never met nor had a class in with Mr. Brinkman’s grandfather; I can infer that Mr. Brinkman teaches with the same amount of passion as his grandfather used to.