By David Sweeney

April 13, 2007 | For those who "doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world," English Professor Patricia Gantt adds 41 years of educational insight to Margaret Mead's famous aphorism: when life gives you mayonnaise, eat it.

Utah State's English professor of the year, Gantt quoted the anthropological icon at the 32nd annual Last Lecture, encouraging students to take initiative instead of waiting idly for improvement. Gantt spoke on "Waiting for the World to Change: Reflections of an Aging Hippie" Thursday in the Taggart Student Center ballroom.

Dedicated to the late Kurt Vonnegut, Gantt's speech included an elegiac anecdote about her former colleague, Lynn Meeks, who died of cancer in October.

In what she termed a "brief foray into mayonnaise advocacy," Gantt described Meeks' penchant for the fatty food. Though she vowed, with her husband, to give it up for good, Meeks kept a secret stash in Gantt's office. Bringing sinless sandwiches from home, Meeks continued habitually to get into "mayo mischief" at work, Gantt said.

After Meeks' death from "another disease, unrelated to cholesterol," Gantt said she was saddened when, upon cleaning out her fridge, she found Meeks' mayo jar to be only partially empty.

"I wish Lynn had eaten more," Gantt said, on the verge of tears. If you enjoy something, she added, "Why hold back?"

This year the Last Lecture, traditionally delivered as though it were just that, invited students to approach each day with a similar mindset of finality.

Christie Fox, director of the Honors Program, introduced Gantt, later presenting her with a commemorative plaque.

Fox called the lecture a "unique tradition," largely because it's an "entirely student-run initiative."

Honors students nominate lecture candidates each fall, Fox said, later voting for the professor they feel is most deserving. This year, Gantt was the unanimous selection.

And because she was chosen by students, Gantt said she would direct her speech toward them. With graduation around the corner, her speech assumed the quality of a motivational commencement message.

"It's the summative moment in my career, to be honored by students this way. I truly appreciate it," Gantt said.

Gantt compared the beatnik generation to the present. In the '60s, "'Where were you when Kennedy was shot?' was the pivotal question," she said. "Now it's 'Where were you on 9/11?'"

In linking the world-altering events, Gantt referenced an eclectic mix of musicians, such as The Rolling Stones and John Mayer, from whose lyrics she derived the title of the lecture, and writers such as T.S. Eliot and J.K. Rowling.

During the civil rights movement, Gantt said she participated in countermarches against the Ku Klux Klan, invoking the organizational power of the government -- the same "establishment" that her generation "also decried."

In true flower-child fashion, Gantt, who graduated from the University of North Carolina, enumerated 12 simplicities she takes to heart. Among these were such pieces of advice as "Look for little miracles everywhere," "Blend a healthy sense of modesty with a real sense of your worth," "Be kind; at least, try to be as kind as your nature will allow," as well as the occasional witticism: "Friends don't let friends go to Duke."

Every person, Gantt said, does something better than everyone else. It's important to discover that hidden talent, and then exploit it fully.

"Dig for gold," she said. "You might find a rich vein waiting to be tapped."

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