Economics professor Ralph Byrns stands in front of more than 500 students a semester and makes jokes about sleeping with deans and the economics of punching students in the face.
But Wednesday night in the Great Hall of the Student Union, the jokes were on him.
Byrns, a teacher known around campus for his interaction with students, whether debating on the steps of Gardner Hall or talking with students about their career paths, became the subject of a “roast” — a good-natured ridiculing — to help support student-teacher interaction.
“I’m sort of considering bringing a water pistol full of ammonia to squirt the people who say nasty things,” he said before the event.
The event, sponsored by Connected for Cause, raised money for Another Way of Learning, a student group that attempts to improve student-professor relationships to enhance the academic environment.
Michael Johnston, a member of Another Way of Learning, said the group wanted to use the event to get students more involved with their professor while having some “chaotic entertainment.”
“Byrns was more than happy to be our sacrificial lamb,” Johnston said.
After decades of teaching, Byrns said he doesn’t think students can break through his thick skin.
“At my age, I’m fairly bulletproof,” he said. “I was drafted to the Army, and I lived through that.”
And he left the roast unscathed.
“I did okay,” he said. “I survived.”
Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
Boom, roasted
Well-known professor mocked for fundraiser
Professor Ralph Byrns was subjected to a good-natured “roast” on Wednesday night to raise money for Another Way of Learning.
