University is an exciting period of any young person's life. It's where you meet some of the best friends you'll ever make; it's where love can bloom in student unions and the corridors of lecture halls. Perhaps most importantly, it's a place where your intellect is constantly challenged by professors; great minds who encourage you to shape even your most fractured ideas into cogent arguments. To give them purpose. And ultimately, to give you the very same.
So it's strange to think of a professor in anything other than an academic context. It's strange to see them in Tesco, let alone down the pub. It's even stranger to find out your university professor stars in explicit adult films. However, I recently discovered just that.
Earlier this week, we learned that Professor Nick Goddard, a lecturer in chemical engineering at the University of Manchester, has a second job as a porn star called 'Old Nick'. For obvious reasons, I won't go into too much detail about myself. But I am currently a student at Manchester and, yes, I have been taught by the man himself.
So what is he really like? Who is the man behind the lab coat/video camera?
I, and many other students, have known for a while of Old Nick's hobby, and can say it really isn't as big of a deal as it seems. It was definitely a shock at first - nobody wants to see a 61-year-old's tackle flying around - especially if he marks your coursework. Well I thought nobody, but there is obviously an audience for 'Beauty and the Senior' (so credit to Nick for making the most of the market) as I found out when a friend of mine initially showed me the video he stumbled upon while browsing the internet one day.
Here's how he described it
"The day I found it I was doing the afternoon ritual of mine, when I suddenly came into a strange video in the featured section. It seemed like an ordinary clip, except the guy appeared to resemble Nick, similar build and hair. The first disturbing sign of confirmation was the oddly recognizable voice. Then I saw the video's title "Busty teen Lolly fuck Old Nick outdoors". But the realization came when I noticed all his distinct mannerisms and gestures. It was Nick. For the first few minutes I couldn't believe my eyes, the very idea was disturbing. I had to show it to somebody, to prove that it wasn't my mind playing tricks."
When I enquired if he concluded his ritual, he simply replied, "a lumberjack doesn't stop until the tree has fallen".
Having known about Old Nick for a while now, I can say It was strange at the first moment, and exciting for a few days after. But at the end of the day, the porn has nothing to do with the Professor we see at university.
He is always very professional, and has obviously done his best to keep this separate from his work. He is a kind and approachable guy, and will help in anyway he can. Judging by his catalogue of publications, he is clearly a very competent academic and hasn't let his second career affect this.
Nick is what you would expect a typical engineering professor to be like. Quite nerdy, clearly intelligent, and prone to ramble about stuff you don't really understand. He's engaged and fascinated by his field. A consummate academic. This makes the initial revelation all the more shocking. I don't know what I would expect an amateur porn star to be like, but if I had to guess it would be something close to the exact opposite of Nick. Of course in an ideal world there would be no stereotype on such things, but I am trying to stress how unexpected this was.
The university is yet to make an official announcement on the matter, other than the fact that they are investigating the situation. So we are yet to know if Nick will be returning to work, however I feel the calls for him to be sacked are ridiculous.
It is not necessary to justify his private life, the real problem and reason why people are so shocked is that, in a typical British manner, we try to ignore the subject of pornography, rather than discuss and educate around it.
From a practical perspective, I don't really care what he is doing in his free time, as long as his lecture slides are clear, his laboratory advice is sound and he does his academic tasks wholeheartedly. He is a competent lecturer, and we, university students, are all 18+, so claiming the issue is immoral or unprofessional is nonsense. Not only because it is hard to draw the line between moral and immoral, but because only the effectiveness of his teaching should count. Having been taught before and after this news came to light, I can confirm it has made no difference whatsoever.
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I expect he will be welcomed back to the university like a celebrity by students, after the painstakingly awkward conversations with his colleagues. But when all is said and done, we are all adults here.
Should anybody really care?
TheLADbible has seen several documents confirming the author's place on Prof Nicholas Goddard's course, including his timetable and Student ID.
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