Students lined up to sign thank you letters to their professors in the Skutt Student Center on Tuesday, April 22. 

The College of Arts and Sciences Student Senate held a tabling event that encouraged students of the college to share their gratitude for their professors. The table held a plethora of custom thank you cards accrediting specific professors and teachers of each department in the arts and sciences. Students that came by the table were also given the option to write a personalized note to a professor of their choosing. 

“I know for me and for all of my friends and all of my fellow peers, we’re so grateful for the awesome opportunities that we get here at Creighton and all of the amazing professors so just an opportunity to say ‘thank you’ is awesome.” Emma Nelson, a freshman in the College of Arts and Sciences, said. Nelson signed several cards among other students at the table. 

“This was actually senior Bridget Backer’s idea of having a big thank you and appreciation for all the faculty and staff in the arts and sciences over the past few years,” explained junior Abby Keys, president of the College of Arts and Sciences Student Senate, who was in charge of the table at the time. 

“All the craziness with COVID and the restrictions and having to teach in-person and then online, so as a kind of a thank you for their flexibility and understanding over the past two years was [Backer’s] idea and want for this year.” 

Backer was also responsible for designing and putting together the College of Arts and Sciences buttons that were distributed. 

“Overall, I think this is just a really nice, easier way to show our appreciation for the students and the faculty,” said Megan Ptak, a freshman in the College of Arts and Sciences who was also supervising the table. 

“I do think that every professor really cares about their students. Having that interpersonal relationship with your professor I think is really important and helps a lot with engagement in the class.” 

“I think this is a very thoughtful way and very personal way of saying ‘Hey, thank you for all the work you’ve put in, it hasn’t gone unnoticed by your students,’ said Ellie Fogarty, a freshman in the College of Arts and Sciences. 

Keys mentioned that in years past there have been appreciation events held for professors near the end of the academic school year. 

“We haven’t really done this before, but I know we’d love to do more of this in the future,” Keys said when asked if more events such as this one will be making another appearance. 

“We’re going to wait until around finals week, when everything kind of dies down for professors and we’re going to hand deliver them to the departments and maybe have a little goodie-bag too with these thank you notes.” 

Fogarty agreed with the notion that this kind of event is a great reflection of the Creighton campus and student body. 

“Part of what makes Creighton so special is the way that students are so kind to one another, to our professors […] and just giving back and being able to say that what they’ve done hasn’t gone unnoticed is such a Creighton thing to do,” she said.