Dr. Andre Winandy hurries into Java City, brow furrowed as he scans the crowded campus hangout. Despite the pages of loose-leaf notes he clutches in his hand, he doesn’t quite blend into the mass of other students busy juggling books, cell phones and lattes.
He finds his way over to an empty chair and lets out a long sigh, marking the end of another day of Spanish class. Maybe today’s lecture was particularly difficult; or maybe the multilingual professor-turned-pupil is finally feeling his age.
“We learned tenses today,” he says, pushing a neatly typed review page across the table. “I get all the different forms mixed up, you know: German, French, English and now Spanish.”
Winandy isn’t the typical SMU student. In fact, up until last year he wasn’t enrolled here at all. After 33 years of teaching French literature in the university’s foreign language department, the 71-year-old exchanged his grade book for a textbook, becoming one of the school’s oldest undergrads.
Already an alumnus of Denison University, the University of Pittsburgh and John Hopkins University, Winandy says he registered for classes at SMU to keep himself busy during retirement.
“[My wife] Rita thought I was crazy,” he says. “She didn’t think I’d stick with it.”
But stick with it he did, dedicating three hours a night to studying for his one, 50-minute Spanish 1402 class, the follow-up to his Spanish 1401 class taken last spring.
“I’m very stubborn like that,” he said. “I wanted to do it, and I thought I could do it. And once I start something, I can’t quit. Otherwise, that would be embarrassing.”
Juxtaposed against his classmates’ token T-shirts and flip-flops, he sports a suit jacket and pressed khakis. He carries a worn leather briefcase (or a fanny pack on occasion) and a surprisingly dry sense of humor.
“The hardest part of going from a professor to a student was learning to shut up,” he said. “I had to learn to keep quiet, because sometimes I know the answer but I don’t want to be that student.”
As much as he may try to blend in, though, the Luxembourg-native sticks out. If it’s not for his thick, mixed European accent, it might be his fervent note taking in the front row.
“He is always prepared for class and takes notes on everything,” sophomore classmate Will Waggoner said. “He is a very good student, even for a teacher.”
Likewise, the course’s professor, Betty Nelson, said Winandy is “one of the best [students] in the class,” regardless of the 50-year gap between him and the average collegiate.
“I treat Andre like any other student,” Nelson said. “He participates in dialogues…and is enthusiastic in class…[He is] clear evidence that one is never too old to learn a new language.”
Nelson admits there are perks to having a practiced professor among her students.
“I always enjoy teaching students who are older than the ‘typical’ student,” Nelson said.
“They add a lot to the class…and I always enjoy hearing my colleague’s teaching techniques.”
Winandy confesses that he has the best of both worlds when it comes to becoming a student, again.
“The nice thing is that other teachers around the department will give me pointers outside of class,” he says.
In addition to learning another romance language, Winandy has discovered an invaluable life lesson through his Spanish class.
“For once, I don’t know more than the students,” he said. “It’s a good experience of humility.”
And that is precisely why Winandy is more likely to be seen with his nose in a book rather than hitting the golf course or relaxing in a recliner during his retirement.
“You should never stop learning,” he said. “It’s crucial to keep challenging yourself.”
In Java City, three over-caffeinated students buzz by their silver-haired schoolmate, lamenting over their spring schedules. From early morning 8 a.m. classes to notoriously difficult professors, their new classes seem more like a burden than a blessing. Unlike them, however, Winandy looks forward to another semester and another challenge.
“I want to take another class,” he said, lips curling up at the ends, “if they’ll have me.”
