Class of 2008, Psychology and Sociology Major Hometown: Lima, Ohio
David C. Springer is graduating in May with more than just an academic degree; he says that he’s gained greater self-knowledge, which he values even more. “When people learn about themselves, it’s easier to understand others in relation to themselves. That’s actually the biggest thing I’ve learned here at Findlay,” he remarked.
Understanding other people and why they behave the way they do fascinates Springer, which is why he chose to major in both psychology and sociology. He said that studying psychology and sociology helped him develop his own thoughts and perceptions about things.
Springer’s sense of individuality and his perceptions and opinions are conveyed in his regular newspaper column, “Color Me Conservative,” in the student newspaper, The Pulse. The Pulse recently won four Honorable Mentions from the Ohio Newspaper Association for its news coverage in 2006-07. Springer was particularly acknowledged for three of his columns, with the judges noting, “Springer lends a strong voice and a provocative take on issues of race and gender.”
Springer blends originality, wit and humor with serious messages. He addresses racial issues from a viewpoint that has been interpreted as “conservative,” but represents his mission to exhort the black community to give up self-defeating behaviors, advocating black empowerment by accepting responsibility for their actions. “Self-destructive notions need to be identified and quarantined, if not discarded completely,” he commented.
Springer says that he finds inspiration for topics for his columns by watching the news. “At some point or another, something comes on that gets the wheels turning,” he noted. “Usually the topics I pick are ones that are pretty volatile, and ones that people are very passionate about and that I feel passionate about.”
He mused, “We like to think civil rights and all the progress that we’ve made up to this point, we’d like to think that we’re over the hump, and we’re not quite there. Things aren’t as bad as some people would have you think, but things aren’t as great either.”
He found his niche on campus as a member of the Black Student Union where he has served as vice president for a semester and president for the past three semesters. He also enjoyed participating in Psy-Key – the psychology club, and being a resident assistant in Bare Residence Hall.
He cited Dr. Kathleen Grant, associate professor of sociology, and Dr. John Malacos, associate professor of psychology, as inspiring him academically.
But it was the late Desmond Buford, adviser for the Black Student Union and director of intercultural student services, who taught him about life, Springer said. Buford helped him discover Martin Luther King Jr. in greater depth, and introduced him to John McWhorter, an academic scholar and columnist for the New York Sun, whose books on race relations greatly influenced Springer’s thinking.
A native of Lima, Ohio, Springer has set goals of teaching in higher education, writing and researching. He has been accepted into the sociology program at Ohio University for the fall, and has chosen an emphasis area of social psychology. “That’s fascinating stuff,” he said, “That goes right along the lines of what I write about and where my interests are.”
Springer said he feels an obligation to speak the truth. “As far as the race stuff, which makes up the bulk of what I write about, there are a lot of problems in the African American community, and I feel like I need to raise awareness about the issues and help people realize that they’re a lot more complex than we like to think they are.”
Springer’s editorial columns can be found in The Pulse online archives at www.findlay.edu, Keyword: Pulse, beginning with the Feb. 8, 2007, issue.
