Professor’s office reflects passion for culture

If you walk into Room 221 in the UCF Nicholson School of Communication, chances are that you may run into Jesse Wolfe, the film professor residing there. If he's not around, however, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr will be there to greet you instead.

With an elaborate office adorned with antique furniture, movie memorabilia, a plethora of knick-knacks and posters of rock bands from the British Invasion era, Wolfe's workspace is not your typical teachers lounge.

"When you spend hours of your work there it's nice to be comfortable," said Wolfe, who has taught film at UCF for about eight years. "It's nice for the students, too; they get to see a side of my personality."

One of the most notable and eye-catching items displayed is a 6-by-4 poster of The Beatles tacked onto an even larger bulletin board.

"Many people who walk by tend to comment on it," said Wolfe, who considers the poster to be the focal point of the room. "It's a good entry object — it draws people in."

Being a filmmaker himself, Wolfe has also plastered his walls with posters of his own movies, such as A Boy Called Fish, as well as some of his favorite classic films, such as Young Frankenstein and The Shawshank Redemption.

Another object that you might notice as you enter the room is a light blue piggy bank, which holds particular value to Wolfe beyond the contents of the porcelain pig.

The piggy bank was given to Wolfe by his film students who were graduating this past year to wish him luck on funding his most recent film, Eye of the Hurricane. His film centers on the fictional Everglades town of Hatchee recovering from a brutal hurricane.

On a gold label on the side of the piggy bank, an inscription reads, "Eye of the Hurricane Fund."

"I cherish it," Wolfe said. "It's nice when a professor receives something like that."

An item that also pops out in Wolfe's office is his tiny mechanical hula dancer given to him by his 10-year-old niece. The hula dancer, which dances and plays music, used to sit at the front of his bamboo and oak desk, but after one film student too many pressed the button and cued its lengthy Hawaiian hustle, Wolfe decided to keep it perched high up on a shelf out of reach.

"I had to stop people from pushing it; it goes for a good minute," Wolfe said laughing. "My fellow professors have heard it more than they'd like to."

As far as making his office so extravagant, Wolfe chose to do so not just to make himself feel at home, but to make his students more comfortable as well.

"It helps students see professors as people with interests and personality, not just people with power who hand out grades," Wolfe said.

Along with showcasing his tastes and interests to his students, Wolfe has even gone out of his way to lay down a rug, throw in some cushy leather seats and avoid fluorescent lighting.

"I tend to use my own lighting so it doesn't feel sterile," Wolfe said. "It makes them feel a little less like they're being interrogated."

John Bowen, the operations manager and senior technician of the UCF film department, works closely with Wolfe and also feels that having a unique work space is necessary.

"I think it's important for a person to surround themselves with a practical space in which they can do the things that they do but also have an aesthetically pleasing space so that they feel comfortable and relaxed," Bowen said.

Bowen went on to state how Wolfe's office is not only interesting, but well-maintained. He explained that many college professors are not given enough space, and it results in offices being cluttered with books and manuscripts piled up to the ceiling, which can be very intimidating for a visiting student.

"He has a very welcoming office. It's open, it's bright, he's got a window and it's just easy to sit down and get comfortable with him," Bowen said. "He has an office that says, ‘Hello student, come in and let's talk about cinema,' and some other people's offices say, ‘Hey I'd love to talk to you but I'm really busy right now, maybe you should come back later.'"

Wolfe plans on continuing to add unique items to his office, though he's running out of wall space fast. He plans on adding another bit of movie memorabilia in the near future: a road sign reading "Welcome to Hatchee," used in Eye of the Hurricane and signed by all the cast and crew.

"I want students to be creative," Wolfe said. "Being in a cubicle isn't conducive to that."