Teaching celebrities still demands “Excellence in Achievement”
Zuri Dale is an instructor in TSU’s College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences. She also serves as the Director of the COVID Prevention Center and campus epidemiologist. In addition to her Principles of Disease students last semester, she also taught clinical anatomy to the celebrity Tigers who were part of “College Hill: Celebrity Edition.”Dale says she watched the original “College Hill” series. “I never thought I would be on there,” Dale said. “It was actually one of my favorite shows. ‘College Hill’ was like original reality TV. It’s very interesting, though, watching it on TV and being on the other side.” Dale tells “InsideTSU” she knew coming into the show that the students were non-traditional and would have other priorities that kept them busy. “I knew I would have to really work hard to capture their attention, which was challenging and rewarding.” Celebrity students Big Slim and NeNe Leakes talked to “InsideTSU” about their dissection experience during clinical anatomy. “Taking pigs apart is not my thing,” said Big Slim. “I don’t want to do surgery. But I did what I needed to do to get my work done. But at the end of the day I’m not interested in being a doctor.” “It didn’t work for me,” Leakes added. Dale believes she came across more strict than she really is when teaching. “I was a student at TSU and I know what it means to be a TSU Tiger. And I know what excellence in achievement really means. So honestly, I feel like I was comparable to how my professors were with me when I was a student. No excuses. Standard of excellence. And that’s really just the TSU way.” For more of Zuri Dale’s “College Hill: Celebrity Edition” experience, watch the video:
