Alien heads, hundreds of Funko Pops, a who-dunnit style evidence board: each of these decorations adorn the desks of a select few teachers of the English Department.
English Teachers John Cowlin, David Garbe, Scott Glass, and Andrew Reitman spice up their work days by bringing life to their desks. Since teachers don’t get a specific room to make their own, their work space becomes an opportunity for creativity.
These desks are a reflection of the owner which plays into self-expression’s role in the English Department, Reitman said. Reitman’s desk is bedecked in an array of Funko Pops and mini figurines of characters. He holds personal connections with these figurines and the statuettes are just a small portion of the much bigger collection Reitman switches out as he and his mood change.
“I just think that my desk is kind of like a living, breathing thing in a way,” Reitman said. “It should be changing.”
Desks also serve as a record of history, Cowlin said. He keeps recycled material from the wood shop on his desk, as well as movie memorabilia and items from his own life. His beige Flash Gordon thermos serves as a reminder of his childhood, while his typewriter allows him to keep a piece of his grandfather around.
“[My desk] reflects my interest in how the past affects our future,” Cowlin said.
Some desks, like Garbe’s, represent an act of kindness from his coworkers. A tradition in the English office is to do something special when a teacher reaches a milestone birthday, Garbe said. For Garbe’s 40th birthday, his friends put up a conspiracy theory board of all of his niche interests, and he has kept it up ever since.
Glass’s desk is decorated with street-style art he has created over the years. His most meaningful drawing is a commemoration of his late father which Glass created the night he passed.
“It’s impressive that art has continued to be a form of expression in individuals’ lives throughout history,” Glass said.
“Art is a way to articulate a question, feeling, [or something] that is deeply personal,” Glass said.
