Faculty Off The Clock - Featuring Josette Pelzer

What happens when faculty step away from the classroom and the lab? In this episode of Faculty Off the Clock, we sit down with Professor Josette Pelzer to explore the passions, pursuits, and pastimes that shape their life beyond academia. From unexpected hobbies to meaningful side projects, discover a different side of the faculty you thought you knew. 

Follow us: @facultyofftheclock on Instagram and on Facebook

🎙️ Produced by Michael Overholt

📍 Recorded in Podcast Studio #1, Addlestone Library

Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:07

We welcome you to this episode of Faculty Off the Clock, a podcast series hosted by the College of Charleston's Office of the Provost that highlights the personal and lighter sides of our campus's professors. I'm Mark Del Mastro.

SPEAKER_01 0:20

And I'm Chris Corey, Associate Provosts, and your hosts of Faculty Off the Clock. For this episode, we welcome Dr. Joseph Pelzer of the Department of Accounting and Business Law. Welcome.

unknown 0:47

Hello.

SPEAKER_01 0:48

Hello, hello. So we like to talk about things that you're not doing on campus, but we always start to get a a sense of how you got to the college. What brought you here?

SPEAKER_05 0:58

All right. So I am actually one of the few faculty members, I think, from Charleston. So I grew up here. I'm born and raised James Island. And so I went, well, I guess to give a beat brief background, I went to USC for undergrad and masters in accounting, started working in Charlotte, and I was kind of like, eh, I don't know if I really like this public accounting thing.

SPEAKER_02 1:25

And I started Was it the public accounting thing or was it Charlotte?

SPEAKER_05 1:28

It was the public accounting thing. Okay. Charlotte. No offense to Charlotte. Charlotte is great. No, it was the public accounting thing. And I was getting married and kind of like, I gotta figure something else out to do that I feel is more impactful. Um, at least the way I wanted to be impactful. And so I talked to a lot of my accounting professors, and I was like, How do you get into this that you all are doing? And they were like, You need to go, you need to get a PhD. And I was like, Oh, okay. So quit my job in public accounting, went back to graduate school at Florida State in Tallahassee, spent five great years there, a couple of national championships while I was there. That was awesome. Um, and then you know, uh as PhD graduates do, they start looking for jobs. And I saw that there was an opening here at the college. And interestingly enough, being from here, when I graduated high school, the college was like so far on my down on my list, it was off like not even on the list. Like I was like, I I'm definitely not going there. How far away can I get from where I live? Like, no way. And then when I was as an adult looking for jobs and seeing this come across for the college, I was like, oh my gosh, this is amazing. I would love, I would love to work there. I would love to be back home. So that's sort of how I made it full circle back to Charleston.

SPEAKER_02 2:56

Wow.

SPEAKER_01 2:57

That's great. So you're originally from James Island? Mm-hmm. What part of James Island?

SPEAKER_05 3:03

So I grew up on James Island. There it used to be called Sunshine House. Now I think it's some other kind of daycare. But as soon as you hit Folly Road, there's a gas station, there's a Bojangles at the neighborhood right behind the Bojangles is where I grew up and where my parents still live now. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 3:23

So what were your interests and activities growing up? Back then. Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 3:28

Yeah. Well, uh growing up, it was interesting. My parents were very involved in community stuff. My mom's super involved in the church. So I like to say I was at church like eight days a week.

SPEAKER_02 3:42

Oh my.

SPEAKER_05 3:42

Yeah. There's a lot of church in there. Um, but outside of that, I uh did violin, viola, so very much into music, singing church choir. I'm not a singer. I don't I don't want anyone to confuse that. I was just on the choir as one of the many members. Um but yeah, very much into music stuff and and mainly just hanging out being a kid. So I have two older siblings that are like 13 and 15 years older than me. So I kind of grew up as an only child, but with much older siblings. And so a lot of just entertaining myself and being creative and doing random stuff to not get in my very tired parents' way.

SPEAKER_02 4:29

Do you still play the violin? I do not.

SPEAKER_05 4:32

I actually, so I have two kids, one seven and one ten. The ten-year-old did a very brief stint with violin. You were hopeful. Yes, I was hopeful. The interest would be passed along. And I even like picked it back up because she had it in the house. And I would play and I would like demonstrate to her, like, oh, let's do this, let's play a little bit.

SPEAKER_02 4:53

Too much enthusiasm, mom. Oh, I messed it up. Mom wants me to have it.

SPEAKER_05 4:57

Where where were you six months ago, Mom? And she was just like into it a little bit, and then over the summer, I kept having to beg her to practice, and she was like, Ah, actually, I don't want to do this. I was like, okay, I'll back off. No big deal. We'll find something else for you to do. So I picked it up for a minute, but yeah, that was very brief.

SPEAKER_02 5:16

You still have the violin in the house?

SPEAKER_05 5:18

No, no, we sent it back. It's over, it's gone.

SPEAKER_01 5:23

It's all right. So, did you have a favorite vacation spot growing up?

SPEAKER_05 5:27

I wouldn't say a spot. So I would actually say a vacation style. So my dad, his biggest retirement dream was to get an RV, and he did. But prior to that, he had a like a luxury van. I don't even know what those things are called, where they're not RVs, but they're like vans that have like some some drapes.

SPEAKER_01 5:55

They have drapes, they have draps my in-laws had one of those.

SPEAKER_05 5:58

Oh my gosh, they have to be. Yes, they have beds, a bed in the back. So as a kid, we would go all. I mean, we would go to New Jersey, the Grand Canyon, we went to Vegas in this thing. Like we went all around. So that was my favorite thing to do. It wasn't really a place, it was just the idea of all of us in this van.

SPEAKER_02 6:18

How many of how many of there were you?

SPEAKER_05 6:20

Oh, so so mainly because my siblings were older at the time, one in the military and one in college, they were not a part of the van shenanigans, and they're still jealous now, I think, that they didn't have that childhood. But that's okay. Um so who was there is a host of aunts, uncles, cousins, and then I had an aunt and an uncle who had similar vans, and so it was like a caravan of vans. So going cross country and and stopping and rest stops and random hotels and the whole thing just gave me an excitement for travel in general, and the idea that it really wasn't about where we were going. It's just that we were all together and you know, I got to sit in the swivel chairs and swivel the captain's chairs, yeah. All these things. It was just so not a spot, but just like a a style of travel that's you know, this is Dr.

SPEAKER_02 7:18

Corey's dream retirement plan, is the whole art. Well, we have we just bought a camper. He's already front road here. Really?

SPEAKER_05 7:26

I'm so excited. Super excited. You're gonna love uh so is everyone else buying into this idea, or is this just your dream?

SPEAKER_01 7:33

No, no, my wife grew up similar to what you you did, but her her parents had uh like a a toe behind, and then um they did some travel and then they just parked it at like a full-time campground, so she camped her whole life. So it's really her dream, and then I got into it. I see. Okay, well, it's gonna be fantastic.

SPEAKER_02 8:39

Very typical in U.S. culture, and um far majority of us have summer jobs. I trust you had a summer job as well, and if so, um tell us what your worst one was, and maybe your most memorable in a positive way.

SPEAKER_05 8:53

Okay. I I would say I had a a few summer jobs. I I feel like the worst one was um one summer, I think it was after I graduated high school, actually, I worked on base on the Air Force base as a camp counselor. And that made me realize that I really didn't like small children as much as I thought I'd that career. Small children, other other people's small kids. Um, so that that was interesting, and really they weren't the actually the worst part of the job. I think I wasn't prepared for the extra duties. Like I had to wash dishes, and like you know, I grew up in a household where there was no dishwasher, so that was my first experience, like learning how to use the dishwasher. Not sure if I was doing it correctly or not. Um, but anyway, it was just the stuff around um the kids, the extra stuff. I was like, uh actually that K through 12 um education dream that I had probably is not where I need to be. So it was not so great because it wasn't what I expected, but really actually turned out to be great as far as my career path because I figured out pretty early on where I didn't feel like I had the best skills for and I could pivot to something else before I got where I got to college. So that was good. Um one memorable job actually was at Blockbuster. I'm sure people remember. Oh, remember Blockbuster. I just like that job. That was probably my favorite sort of part-time summer job.

SPEAKER_02 10:35

Are you like a real film uh not necessarily a real film box?

SPEAKER_05 10:40

I think what I liked about it was the people coming in and their excitement.

SPEAKER_02 10:44

Oh, about getting a particular copies are checked out, right?

SPEAKER_05 10:52

Yeah, or like or the the thrill of okay, we don't have it on the shelf, but I'm gonna dig through the return bin and help you find it. Oh well. Guess what? Here it is. Yeah, yes, yes. The the the the joy I was able to provide working at Blockbuster, I think that was fun. So I myself am not a movie buff per se. I just it was just a fun environment for the colour.

SPEAKER_02 11:14

It was always fun as a customer, you know, because you because you you you knew there was a chance. I mean, that was part of the suspense and excitement. You knew there was a chance you weren't gonna get the film that you really wanted. And then you would you were hopeful that you would get someone who was a helpful employee there that would say, you know, if you like this film, I think you really like this one. Yeah. And you it wasn't on your radar, and you'd be like, oh, okay, I'll try it. You'd be like, huh, and then it kind of opened up your your horizons on the on the on film, right?

SPEAKER_05 11:44

That's right. And it was really truly a joyful place. I mean, a lot of part-time summer jobs are kind of like but you know, this was actually I I really enjoyed it. It was my first time being truly customer-facing, so I think I got what were the perks as a blockbuster employee? I think we might have gotten like some free rentals, and and the the dangerous perk was you got some percentage off all the candy and junk that they had on the pretty disciplined. I forgot about that.

SPEAKER_02 12:19

Yeah, they used to have kind of like a like a movie theater, right? Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 12:23

That was one of the main parts. Yeah, you wait in line and and buy all the candy and pump. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 12:29

How many people didn't return it rewound?

SPEAKER_05 12:31

Oh, I would say by the time I was towards a good memory, I forgot all that. To the to the tail of Blockbuster, I think people were pretty disciplined.

SPEAKER_02 12:40

Was there a a penalty fee?

SPEAKER_01 12:42

Oh, yeah, they got mad at you. And then you had because you didn't want to rewind it in your VCR because that could age it. So you got this other thing a device. You could get one shaped like a car, you put it in there. That's right. I remember all this.

SPEAKER_05 12:56

Yes, or you bring it back to me and let me rewind it for you and be aggravated because I can't just put it on the shelf.

SPEAKER_02 13:03

It consumes valuable consulting time with other customers.

SPEAKER_05 13:06

But by the time I worked there, there were mostly DVDs and not rewinding videos. Okay. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 13:14

Yeah, this thing started moving up. That's right.

SPEAKER_01 13:18

Um did you have a pet growing up?

SPEAKER_05 13:21

So I had all my parents. Fish don't count, by the way. Oh, they don't. I wasn't.

SPEAKER_02 13:26

I'm like it, I'll kid, I'll like it.

SPEAKER_05 13:28

I was gonna say the only thing my parents let me have was a goldfish. So they were uh like I said, I have older siblings. I was a surprise baby. Oh as in a mom had her tubes tied, had no intent of having any kids. That is a surprise. And then here I come. And so by the time they got to me, they were like a pet. You weren't even supposed to be.

unknown 13:54

What?

SPEAKER_05 13:55

No, take this goldfish. So I had uh several iterations of a goldfish named Jasmine until you know her her final untime.

SPEAKER_02 14:06

Did that did that adequately fill the need for having a pet?

SPEAKER_05 14:09

No, definitely not. No, it was no substitution for the dog that I demanded and never got.

SPEAKER_02 14:17

No. Do you have a dog now?

SPEAKER_05 14:18

No, because uh now as a parent, I see exactly what my parents were talking about. This would be insane to add this to the craziness of my life. Why would I do that? Yeah, but they the kids have had goldfish, and that was a traumatic experience because I think I was more attached to it than they were. Yeah and a couple of them had very slow um demise. Oh, yeah, putting on their side.

SPEAKER_02 14:44

You're supposed to technically, you know, clean their water daily, and that always ends daily a oh yes.

SPEAKER_05 14:51

Where were again where were you six months ago, a year ago?

SPEAKER_02 14:55

Oh, you know, I was a fish hobbyist for a while and the hard way. So I'm very sensitive to the the clean water process in the fish tank.

SPEAKER_05 15:05

Oh man, no, that's definitely where we went wrong. Well, I'm sorry.

SPEAKER_02 15:09

Well, let's maybe go a little something something a little happier. Did you have a favorite board game growing up?

SPEAKER_05 15:14

So I my favorite board game, if we're being strict about it being a board game, would be Monopoly. And I got, you know, all the family members involved. I think even though I didn't know that I was an accountant in the making, they probably saw by the way I play Monopoly that there was something, you know, financial related. You're always the banker? Yes. Absolutely. I demanded to be the banker every game.

SPEAKER_02 15:42

Was it an enjoyable experience for you?

SPEAKER_05 15:44

For me, yeah. I don't know. Good clarification character? Like she's a good thing. I always wanted to be the car. The car. I don't know what that means about the person. Don't worry, we don't judge here.

SPEAKER_02 15:57

It's okay. Um let's talk about your grammar school years. Is there a fun fact you'd like to share with your listeners that you think might amuse them?

SPEAKER_05 16:08

Um I grammar school itself was pretty, you know, chill. Chill, cookie cutter, not much going on there. I think outside of grammar school, an interesting fact about those years is that I actually met my future husband in in church during the elementary school years, and he always tells people that um so my mom, my mom and aunt were in charge of children's church, and so that's kind of where we really met each other. And he always says, I hated her. She knew all the answers. She was probably cheating because her her mother Love takes time. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But eventually, you know, he came around. So that was much later in college, he came around. So that was in an interesting time of life where I met a person that would end up being very important in my story that I wouldn't have thought was that significant back then. So that's kind of the only thing I think. That's a great story.

SPEAKER_02 17:09

It is a good story. Same uh fun fact question from your high school years.

SPEAKER_05 17:13

Oh, so high school, I was, you know, a pretty decent student, but not all that popular. How did you go to high school? James Island James Island High School before it became James Island Charter High School.

SPEAKER_01 17:26

Is it when there were two, like Fort Johnson and James Island? No, no, no.

SPEAKER_05 17:29

I'm not that old. No, no. It was after that, but before the charter then. Um so I was a decent student, not like super popular or anything, but my senior year I got the bright idea to run for student body president, and I actually won. It was like yeah, it was uh not something I thought would happen because again, I was not like the most popular person, but it's a time in life where I remember thinking, hey, just because you don't think that you should do like don't doubt yourself, you know, try to um expand your horizons about what you think you can do, and I've kind of carried that throughout life. So that was I don't know how interesting of a fact it is, but it was a pivotal point, I think, in in high school.

SPEAKER_01 18:18

Okay. Did you what did you run on? Like better, better concessions, uh, good good question. Better better park. Better what? Better parking. Parking.

SPEAKER_05 18:29

That was a big thing. There were many, many more drivers than parking spaces. So figuring figuring that out, I think was a hot button issue. And there was something else about the lunch times people didn't like. I don't think we ever got any traction on changing it, but you know, that was part of the platform.

SPEAKER_01 18:46

Yeah, open lunch. Did you have open lunch? Could you leave campus or yes, yes.

SPEAKER_05 18:50

We could already do that. Yes, yes. If you were a junior or above or something like that, yeah, we didn't. Lots of little Caesars.

SPEAKER_02 18:58

Oh yeah. Five dollars a pizza, I think it's a little bit more, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 19:00

Yeah. So you moved on to to USC. Some fun fact about your your time as an undergraduate fan.

SPEAKER_05 19:07

Yes. During undergrad, I eventually connected with my elementary school nemesis from children's church. So that's where we started dating. But in addition to So he came around.

SPEAKER_02 19:18

It took it took him a long time, but it took him a college year. He said, Hey, you know what? She's not so bad after all.

SPEAKER_05 19:23

Yeah, it took about a a decade, but he finally finally got there. Um, but also I was an RA and that was a pretty cool experience. Yeah, I I really loved that job. Um not because I was like authority hungry or anything like that, but I just like getting to know the other residents and you know being a resource for them and somebody they could come and talk to. Um you enjoyed that role. I did. It was not fun when you had to bust people for like alcohol parties and stuff like that. But uh outside of that, just getting to know people, it was a great job. Cheap housing, cheap food. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 20:06

Um so I guess your graduate school years are split in two. You were uh partly at USC and then at Florida State.

SPEAKER_05 20:14

I d yes, I was. I did a year's master's program in accounting at USC, and that was really just like a fifth year program kind of thing, and then started working in Charlotte for about four and a half-ish years and went back to Tallahassee to Florida State for the PhD program. And and that was a really interesting Tallahassee. I I I was gonna say it was interesting. I coming from Charleston, I was like, you know, nothing's nothing's gonna be about hometown. Like there's there's no way. Um, but uh it has its charm. I actually kind of miss it from time to time. There's certain things about there's a lot of nature-related stuff that is very popular there, lots of open spaces which I love. The the academic communities are really thriving. There's the government aspect, so there's a a lot of different types of people there because of the there are a lot of different things attracting them. So it's a nice mix of different types of people. So I I love Tel Had.

SPEAKER_01 21:18

And and um, are you a seminal football fan?

SPEAKER_05 21:21

I am, unfortunately. Yeah, that hasn't been a very good patch here recently, but yeah.

SPEAKER_01 21:28

Well, you know, that comes and goes.

SPEAKER_05 21:29

Yeah, this is a go.

SPEAKER_01 21:30

It's gotta it's gotta be a great environment. I'd love to go see the game.

SPEAKER_05 21:33

Oh, yeah, nothing beats it. Nothing beats it.

SPEAKER_02 22:00

Uh you might have been engaged into your time at uh Tallahassee?

SPEAKER_05 22:04

Uh the not particularly. The the main interesting fact is that I know some people in graduate school live in graduate student housing, but by this point, me and Dante, my husband, are now married. He's fully converted at this point by the time we get to graduate school. So we're there together, and he actually is a student affairs person and worked um in housing. So when we moved there, his job was in housing, and we lived in the residence halls at Florida State. So we were in and amongst, I mean, we had a little apartment, but we were in and amongst the student population, which was amazing because again, I I think that's why I love working here now. It just sort of keeps you engaged in what's going on. And so we were like in the mix of everything. We were steps away from the stadium, like wake up, walk across the street, go to a game. Like you couldn't be there.

SPEAKER_02 22:57

Yeah. Correct. Well, we're gonna refocus a little bit on the title of this podcast, which is Faculty Off the Clock, and ask you about a current pastime or hobby of activity that you enjoy regularly, and maybe give us some insight into how that first started.

SPEAKER_05 23:13

So I would say a couple of things. I I actually had to ask Dante, what do you think my hobbies are? Because I feel like I spend a lot of time doing stuff, but nothing, no defined hobby. And he was like, You like community service. I was like, is that a hobby? And he was like, Sure. So I think that's one element of what I would say. Like I love just getting out there. I work with a youth program now. Well, actually two youth programs. I'm treasurer for the city.

SPEAKER_02 23:43

So you've come around to like other people's kids.

SPEAKER_05 23:45

Well, look when I have very limited responses. I gotcha, mentorship is good. Uh day-to-day not so much. Gotcha. Okay. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So youth programs, being treasurer for some community organizations, uh, I really just enjoy finding ways that I could use the skills that the professional skills I have to help people out in the community. So that's that's great. And and beyond that, audiobooks, podcasts, um, and trash TV probably is because are the hobbies I would define. Yeah, you would what are you watching right now? Yeah. So actually, now I have moved a little bit away from the pure trash and kind of have been I didn't know they were different middle groups of trash shows. So now I've sort of redirected to to old shows. So now I'm re-watching stuff like The Golden Girls, The Office. Living Single. I don't know. Oh, yeah, sure. That's a good one too. Yeah. Yeah. So I'm I've been trying to wean myself off, you know, the pure just debauchery and and move on to nostalgic.

SPEAKER_01 24:55

Yeah, I gotcha. Not so much Love Island or No, no, no.

SPEAKER_02 24:59

No. Golden Bachelor, isn't that another one? Yeah, that's all. Yeah, right. Um is there a a a particular perspective off-the-clock activity that you would like to tackle in the future that you haven't managed?

SPEAKER_05 25:12

This one was, yeah, definitely. So I have been telling people for the last year, or probably two years, that by the time I turn 50, I want to own a boat of some kind and learn how to drive a boat or navigate through a motorized boat. Oh, yeah. Okay, not a sailboat. No, no, no. Yeah, a motorized boat and no learn how to navigate through open waters. I feel like I grew up here surrounded by water. Sure. And I am not as proficient as I should be in that area. And so that is one of my my perspective hobbies. If anybody out there has any tips, let me know.

SPEAKER_01 25:52

And would that also involve the backing of the boat trailer into the water?

SPEAKER_05 25:57

The backing of the into parking spaces, anything, yeah, it's hard.

SPEAKER_02 26:01

With the trailer, no. Yeah. See, my boating, I've been here for in Charleston 33 years, and so my satisfying this ongoing obligation, as I guess now I'm a I'm a Charlestonian to a certain degree, to get on the water was kayaks. No motors. So much easier to get some physical activity, and you say, yeah, I can boating.

SPEAKER_03 26:24

Kayak.

SPEAKER_05 26:25

Yeah, I'm looking for something a little more leisurely. I gotcha. Okay, I gotcha.

SPEAKER_02 26:30

Well, to me, the stress of backing up the boat into the Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_01 26:33

Yeah, one of my favorite videos is like these bunch of kids who like sit in lawn chairs near a boat ramp and just like watch and comment and jeer and clap. Oh, awful, awful, awful. It's hot and sweaty, it's hard. Uh so uh our our last question in this round is if you weren't a faculty member right now, what would you be? Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 26:52

Okay, so thinking back, I had to pull one. Not a preschool teacher. No, definitely not.

SPEAKER_04 26:58

No, no, no, no.

SPEAKER_05 27:00

I actually, when I was younger, had dreams of being a news anchor. I was obsessed with them. Really? Obsessed. I would get the little like highlights magazine and put it on my violin stand and open it up like a teleprompter and pretend I was on the news. So I feel like if I was news.

SPEAKER_02 27:19

And you would recite them like aloud?

SPEAKER_05 27:20

Oh, yeah. And I would put on a news anchor voice. Like I was all in.

SPEAKER_02 27:25

Who's your favorite newscaster?

SPEAKER_05 27:27

So growing up here, you've got Bill Sharp, Debbie Charles, Car Carolyn Murray, you know, all those people were like, I would sit and watch in amazement, like, how are they able to do this? And I would practice, and my mom would just find me reading random like newspapers.

SPEAKER_02 27:44

In this news voice.

SPEAKER_05 27:45

Oh, absolutely. Yes.

SPEAKER_02 27:47

See, I this intrigu I see I did the same thing in the 70s. Mine was William Concrete, and I would take the I would take the newspaper and I take certain sections, and all by myself, I just recite it. Recite it aloud in this news voice.

SPEAKER_05 28:00

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 28:00

And that was my fascination for a couple of years and things pivoted. That's interesting.

SPEAKER_05 28:05

I don't know what happened to that dream. Eventually I just I think I I started to believe like I needed to be walking around with a briefcase, so I needed to go to business school. I don't know where that came from. So I I switched gears, but I feel like that was a a second dream. And and third to that was a voiceover actor. I also wanted to do I don't I don't even know how to do voices or anything. Like for animated movies? But I wanted to do either not not even animated movies, but like commercials and advertisements. I think it was the news anchory voice thing. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 28:43

Well, we're gonna move to our lightning round now, and this always concludes our faculty off the clock installments where we ask each guest some important standard questions. Again, about your life off the clock. We also want to clarify that we do know the difference between thunder and lightning. But since this is an audio podcast, we had to settle on the thunder sound effect to cue this portion of the interview. First question: what's your favorite meal? Omelets. Omelets?

SPEAKER_05 29:10

You make them yourself? Yes, probably three, four times a week. What do you like to put in it? Yes. So I love pepper jack cheese, spinach, any any other vegetable. Does Mr.

SPEAKER_02 29:22

Dante also like your omelets?

SPEAKER_05 29:24

He's not a big of a fan of omelets. So you're making them for yourself. Oh, yeah. I just introduced him to eggs. Like growing up, he hated eggs. So we're it's a slow process. Okay.

SPEAKER_01 29:34

Wow. Uh a favorite dessert? Cheesecake.

SPEAKER_05 29:38

Oh. I make a mean cheesecake. You do? Those are difficult to do. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 29:43

How do you like the cheesecake? Because there's a consistency. See, I grew up outside the New York metropolitan area. So I I consider myself a real cheesecake snob. Oh boy. Do you like it light and fluffy? Or do you like it so it's cracking and dense and you're really having to push that fork into the street?

SPEAKER_05 30:00

I want something in the middle. I don't, I don't like it too dense, but definitely not light and fluffy. I don't want flour. No flour in it. Okay. Yeah. Interesting.

SPEAKER_01 30:10

Because you gotta, you gotta you cook it and then it's gotta cool. That's right. There's a whole process. You gotta do a water bath and all of that. Yes. Oh, yours sounds pretty good. Do you like to put like uh like zest in it?

SPEAKER_05 30:22

Like a there is, there's lemon involved. Absolutely. Lemon juice, a little zest. Well, if you ever make one, very tricky slices. Okay.

SPEAKER_02 30:33

Um pancakes or waffles?

SPEAKER_05 30:36

Hmm, I'd say waffles, specifically waffle house waffles.

SPEAKER_02 30:41

But you gotta take a big nap after that. I mean, because there's not I mean, it just slows you at least it does me. I'm like fun.

SPEAKER_05 30:47

No, I had it I had it today. I went to waffle. You did I didn't.

SPEAKER_02 30:50

And you could function after?

SPEAKER_05 30:52

Absolutely. You don't eat the whole waffle.

SPEAKER_02 30:54

Oh no, I gotta eat the whole thing. I like the waffle, but man, afterwards I'm not feeling that great.

SPEAKER_01 30:58

Are you a coffee or tea person? Both?

SPEAKER_05 31:01

I am a cappuccino specifically person. Yes. Regular coffee. Do you make it in your house? Cappuccino? I don't. I keep saying I need to get a legit machine. Yeah. Um, but I don't, but so I don't have it that often. Okay. But I am a cappuccino girl.

SPEAKER_02 31:16

Oh, okay. Favorite snack food?

SPEAKER_05 31:19

Snacks, probably popcorn.

SPEAKER_02 31:20

Popcorn. Oh, we'll talk about that. Maybe it's a we'll talk a little bit more about that later.

SPEAKER_01 31:25

It's the blockbuster influence, I think maybe. Yeah. Uh do you do you like a sub sandwich, a favorite kind of sub sandwich?

SPEAKER_05 31:32

So I don't like sandwiches that much. You don't like a good sandwich? I don't, I'm not a huge fan. I don't like a lot of bread. I think it's too much. I do eat them. Like I wouldn't pass it up if someone gave me a big thing. But that's not you're not going to be able to do it. You're not stopping on a road trip.

SPEAKER_02 31:48

Yeah, you're doing your van. You're not stopping. No, no, no, no. So what do you I mean you what are you serving on a picnic? I mean, I'm coming on your picnic, no sandwich.

SPEAKER_05 31:59

No, no, no, no, no. Dromettes. So I this is this is a childhood specific thing. Yeah. So there's my my family, like you go on trips, you go on like the the the back to school bash or whatever. You pack and foil like dromettes of chicken. That's yeah, that's what you do.

SPEAKER_02 32:21

Okay. Well, I like I like this a lot. I like this, yeah. Yeah. What's your favorite soft drink?

SPEAKER_05 32:26

I don't normally drink soda. You don't? But if I do, it'll be a nice strong coke.

SPEAKER_02 32:32

Okay. You don't like sweet tea or unsweet tea?

SPEAKER_05 32:35

You'd consider that a soft drink. Yeah, I would. Oh, okay.

SPEAKER_01 32:39

Would you, Dr. Corn? No, I would not.

SPEAKER_05 32:43

I would. Wrong answer. Okay. I I love I love sweet tea. I love a good Arnold Palmer, but did not consider that a soft drink.

SPEAKER_01 32:51

So if you go soda um in a can or off the fountain. Okay.

SPEAKER_02 32:56

Oh, yeah, good question. We've been having this discussion in your office.

SPEAKER_05 32:59

I actually prefer a bottle.

SPEAKER_02 33:01

So I like a bottle. I like a glass bottle.

SPEAKER_05 33:05

A glass bottle. I'll take a plastic bottle. The fountain, it's too inconsistent. The fountain. Yeah, this is true. It depends on the place. This is true. Yeah, you gotta find your place.

SPEAKER_01 33:13

Yeah, it's good. Uh and the off-the-clock activity you like to do by yourself. Oh, sleep, probably.

SPEAKER_05 33:21

Oh, that's a good one. We haven't had that answer yet, I don't think. A big napper? I love naps. I love a power nap. Yes. A secret. If if I am in my office and the lights are off, but you saw me go in there, I'm probably had my head on my desk for like 10 minutes. Power nap. No, power nap.

SPEAKER_01 33:37

Some of my favorite offices on campus were ones without any glass. So I could just or I'd have to turn my chair away and just for a few minutes.

SPEAKER_05 33:44

It's better than coffee. It gives me so much energy.

SPEAKER_02 33:48

Go for the coffee. What's your uh you have a current favorite music group?

SPEAKER_05 33:53

Hmm, I I don't, but I will say because I have a 10 and 7 year old, the K-pop demon hunters. Oh, yes. I'm I'm fully engaged with with them. Yes. Have you not heard of this mark? No.

SPEAKER_02 34:07

There's a lot of things I'm still learning.

SPEAKER_01 34:09

My wife works with kids, so I've heard of the K-pop demon hunters.

SPEAKER_02 34:12

Oh no, wait, K-pop, yeah, I have. From my my daughters, I have. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_05 34:15

Yeah, yeah. They're they're very happening now. And actually, I love the songs.

SPEAKER_02 34:20

How about from your youth? Do you have a favorite uh musical group from your youth?

SPEAKER_05 34:25

I would have to say probably like a new edition. Yeah, I like them. I like them. Yeah. Um edition. Yeah. Okay. Um, I was a big Mariah Carey fan.

SPEAKER_02 34:39

Yeah, Mariah Carey liked to. Yeah. Okay.

SPEAKER_01 34:43

Um, do you have a favorite kind of barbecue? Texas, Southern? Anything like that? Not barbecue? Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 34:50

You better you better be fair faithful to you to South Charlestonians here with this answer.

SPEAKER_05 34:55

I I am biased and I love a good southern barbecue. The reason why I have not been eating as much barbecue as probably I would like is because I'm find di find it difficult to find places that have good sides. So barbecue will be good. Glad to hear you say that.

SPEAKER_02 35:15

Sides are very important.

SPEAKER_05 35:18

Yes, I love a mac and cheese, but I also love like a nice um crispy Brussels sprout.

SPEAKER_02 35:26

I mean, yeah, which have become very in vogue and kind of ubiquitous ubiquitous, but not always as great.

SPEAKER_05 35:34

Yeah, they're not again the consistency I can't find.

SPEAKER_02 35:37

So still on food, is there uh what's the most memorable restaurant of your lifetime?

SPEAKER_05 35:42

Of my lifetime.

SPEAKER_02 35:43

Of your lifetime that used to go, you know. And it could be in existence still, maybe not.

SPEAKER_05 35:48

Um there was one, the Western Sizzler. Does anybody was know this? Different than the regular Sizzler?

SPEAKER_01 35:56

I didn't know there was an alternative.

SPEAKER_05 35:59

You like the Western memory?

SPEAKER_02 36:00

Is this like a youthful memory?

SPEAKER_05 36:03

Yes, that's a youthful memory. And there was a similar restaurant here called Grandy's that had the best biscuits of all time. Was it a chain or like a local place? No, it was a chain and the the logo. I think I remember it being an older lady as like a silhouette of her and the logo. Currently, my absolute favorite restaurant is Waffle House.

SPEAKER_02 36:24

I do like Waffle House, but again, Waffle House. It puts me into a food coma and I just can't function after.

SPEAKER_05 36:30

You're not doing it right.

SPEAKER_02 36:32

See, I like to get the what is it, the the super bird. All star. Yeah, the all-star. It's the best brand for your body. Yeah, you get because I like to sample a little bit of everything. And while I'm eating it, I feel great. And then like half hour later, I'm like, I don't know if I should have done that. Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 36:46

No, no, no. I'm only I'm only sampling. I'm only eating a bit and pieces of each thing. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 36:52

Uh walk, bike, or drive?

SPEAKER_05 36:55

Walk. I like you like to walk, huh? I love walking. Um that's why this campus is so amazing. You can just, oh, I need a 10-minute break. I'll get out on the walk. That's great.

SPEAKER_02 37:06

Yeah. Um can you tell us uh in detail how you dispense toothpaste out of the tube?

SPEAKER_05 37:15

Oh, I love this question because I have strong feelings about it.

SPEAKER_02 37:18

Oh, we do too.

SPEAKER_05 37:19

So I do. Just only one of us. You have to squeeze from the bottom. Of course you do. Pushing up from the bottom. Thank you. There's no middle squeeze. No, there is not.

SPEAKER_02 37:37

Between that and the cheesecake answer, I'm really impressed with you right now.

SPEAKER_05 37:40

Thank you. Thank you. Yes. It it ha there has to be a process to it.

SPEAKER_02 37:45

Yeah, there sure does. How about when you get to the end of the tube and you know it's hard to squeeze, but you know there's a couple more brushes left.

SPEAKER_05 37:53

Today, today, I'm there. I am there today with my current toothbrush toothpaste tube, and I am milking it for all it is worth.

SPEAKER_02 38:01

Good for you. Do you ever resort to cutting the top off to get a couple more? No, I haven't gone that far. I'm a little bit more. We just discussed this last night.

SPEAKER_01 38:10

My wife brought in the toothpaste, and she's like, what would Mark do right now?

SPEAKER_02 38:13

He would cut it open.

SPEAKER_01 38:14

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 38:15

You get two to three more brushes out of that and multiply that by every tube. I mean, that's a substantial amount of toothpaste.

SPEAKER_05 38:22

Where I have done that though for is lotion. I cut the bottle open and scoop the lotion out. You know? There's lots left.

SPEAKER_02 38:29

You have inspired me. I am ashamed to say that I can't.

SPEAKER_05 38:33

You're throwing the bottles away?

SPEAKER_02 38:34

I yeah, uh, and I'm I'm ashamed to admit that. Why this had never occurred to me.

SPEAKER_05 38:39

For the toothpaste, you're only getting two or three more brushes I'm getting a week's more worth of potatoes. Oh my gosh.

SPEAKER_02 38:46

The information that you're sharing with me today is invaluable. It's changing my life.

SPEAKER_01 38:50

Yeah, yeah, it is. So we're back to your popcorn. How do you like it?

SPEAKER_05 38:55

Oh, I like light salt, not very heavily salted, but tons of butter, which probably is not great. But if it's dry, I can't. How do you make it at home?

SPEAKER_02 39:05

What do you use?

SPEAKER_05 39:06

Okay, so I buy I bought a specific machine. So I am not into the uh microwave popcorn. I don't like that.

SPEAKER_02 39:15

What kind of machine you got?

SPEAKER_05 39:16

It's uh Pop O Matic or something like that. You heard of the Popomic? No, I have not.

SPEAKER_02 39:20

What explain this to us?

SPEAKER_05 39:21

So it I y'all don't know this. No, we're listening a lot with you. Oh, I mean, I it's not a big deal. You just I now don't quote me on the name. I'll I'd have to look it up. But you just put in your kernels in this thing in the center, and then you plug it in and it heats up so it's all air pop. Yeah, okay, and then it pops all the kernels and it has a lid on it, and you just flip it over and the lid becomes your bowl. Does Mr.

SPEAKER_02 39:48

Dante like popcorn too? He loves it. Oh, good, good, good, good. Yeah, we do too. So you are at a it's your signature celebrity event. I mean, um, you have been preparing for this for weeks. Everybody is looking forward to seeing you and hearing you, and you are about to walk out on the stage. What is your entrance song?

SPEAKER_05 40:11

Oh, wow. I'd probably say I'm coming out, I guess. Maybe something a little sassy. Yeah. I don't know. Like sassy? Okay. Maybe. Or maybe something from K-pop again. I don't know. Okay. I'd have to think more about it.

SPEAKER_02 40:30

Yeah, no, it's it's it's a pr it's a it's a it's a big question. I mean, we don't give folks a lot of time to think about it.

SPEAKER_03 40:36

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 40:37

That was a tough one. Uh Professor Belzer, thanks so much for sharing today about your time off the clock and for giving listeners an alternative glimpse into your life outside the classroom. We really appreciate it. And as a personalized marketing tool, we ask you to display in your office to bring attention to the podcast. We present you with your very own bobblehead to represent your lighter side as revealed to us today. Yeah. Check it out. Stay tuned for next month's installment when we learn more about the life off the clock of another College of Charleston professor. Thank you so much.