Interview With Brad Gibson

By: Helen McCormick

Hello. My name is Brad Gibson. I am an annual adjunct professor of English at UC Clermont. I am also the faculty advisor for the Lantern Student News. I received my bachelor’s degree in communication studies in 2009 from the College of Mount St. Joseph (now Mount St. Joseph University) and my master’s degree in English in 2016 from the University of Northern Kentucky. I am the lead singer/rhythm guitarist and principal songwriter for the band, Saturn Batteries. In my spare time I enjoy watching sporting events, catching live music, cooking, and spending time with friends. Check out thelantern.media.

 

-You took over the Lantern and got it started back up, that’s very exciting. Did you always want to take over the Lantern or did it come to you?

 

Both, I suppose. I have written for a couple different blogs over the years and contributed to a couple publications at Mount St. Joseph, so opportunities in journalism are something I always have my eye on. It wasn’t my idea to revamp the Lantern - that belongs to Sharon Burns, the head of the English department. It took me about half a second to say “Yes” when the opportunity was proposed to me, though.

 

-What do you want the overall aesthetic of the Lantern to look like? And what do you expect from it?

 

Are we talking aesthetic as in how the site should look or the overall tone of the content? Aesthetics is something that I find very important in life. I am a nerd for sports uniforms and I design album covers for my band. That stuff has to be just right. I wish I was more proficient in graphic design, but maybe that is a challenge I will take on in the future.

 The current aesthetic look of the Lantern is based on the school colors – red, black, and white. Ideally, I would like the site to contain a nod to the UC Bearcats basketball uniforms of the mid-to-late 90s’. I’m not sure if that exactly comes across or if it is even possible but, in my head, it is a loose interpretation of that. Our web design staff member, Dustin Woodruff, did a great job laying down the template for thelantern.media.

 The content just needs to be factual, well written, with an emphasis of providing a voice for the student body. Sprinkle in some personality, enthusiasm, and positive vibes. The ultimate goal is to generate “buzz” on campus. I hope it serves to breathe some life and a sense of community for UC Clermont. Hopefully the student staff learn a thing or two, as well.

 

-I’m sure you’ve mentioned it before, but did you always want to become a professor? What was that process like?

 

I guess it’s always been written in the stars that I would become a teacher of some sort. I’m certainly not a businessman (believe me, I’ve tried). I occupied several leadership roles in high school and coached baseball for a couple years after graduating, so those experiences were probably the start of it. I always looked up to teachers. My dad and uncle were both college professors. Shout out to Mr. Goedde, the greatest writing teacher in the history of the universe.

 It occurred to me recently that I took a career development course in college. We had an assignment where we had to choose our desired career and write a report on it. I chose college professor. Honestly, I thought it would be an easy ‘A’ for the assignment – which I received. I remember the instructor looking at me during a brainstorming session and saying “really?” Look at me now.

 

-What other hobbies do you have outside of being a professor?

 

As stated in my bio, my main interests are sports and music. I’m a huge Beatles fan and always have my antenna up for the next catchy or weird tune. I’m pretty good at keeping up with most things pop culture. I’m always looking forward to the next good hang with my friends, as well.

 

-You’ve mentioned your love of music and the fact that you write music as well. Have you ever thought of starting something music wise on campus?

 

I know Professor Reeves and Don Peteroy do the music thing. It would be fun to jam with them. Now that you have me thinking about it, perhaps a campus radio station would be a fun extension to the Lantern.

 

-With that, how does teaching impact your writing/hobbies?

 

I wish I was better at incorporating my hobbies into my teaching to keep things interesting for both myself and my students. I do, to some degree. As far as time goes, I usually have a handful of things going on at once, so I’m used to juggling.

 

-How do you find balance between doing various things?

 

Juggle. Take a deep breath. Relax. Hyper focus. Succeed. The rules are that there are no rules.