With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, love is the main theme, from gifts to events on campus. Many couples meet while in school, and Professor David Major was one of them.

Major, a technical writing teacher for the English department at APSU, said he has been married to Professor Charla White-Majors a little over 14 years. “We got married in December of 2000,” Major said.

Major said they were introduced by a mutual friend while at the University of Oklahoma. “I got my degree while she was finishing classes, and I returned as a lecturer while she was finishing her Ph. D.,” Major said. The two of them share a similar interest: White-Majors also teaches in the English department, currently teaching American literature and composition classes.

While some couples may find it a little awkward working in the same facility, Major said they have never had any issues while working in the English department. “Meetings are business,” Major said. “We met in the same department, so it’s nothing new to balance those things out. There’s never really any kind of conflict because of that.”

In regard to Valentine’s Day itself, Major said “Media depictions [of love] are all over the place,” and are not a reliable standard. “Every marriage is its own,” Major said. “There is no standard to judge by.”

When asked about those searching for that special someone, his biggest piece of advice was a good introduction. “It’s good to have that mutual friend who can help introduce you,” Major said.  “It’s how Charla and I met.” Taking that first step in introducing yourself can go a long way.

Major also said, “Keep talking, and keep listening. Both sides need the attention. Too much of one or the other, and it doesn’t work,” according to Major. “That ‘Hello, my name is…’ introduction can go a long way,” Major said. TAS