Wise Words from Wilper

Wise words with Wilper

Economics instructor speaks to college students about the economy through late night comedy shows

Photos & Story | Cassidy Smith

Want to watch “The Office” or “Parks and Recreation” while learning about the study of individuals and looking at the decisions of countries and governments? Macro and Microeconomics with Matt Wilper, Economics Instructor, is the class for you.

Economics can be a hard concept to grasp. Using a language that college students understand - comedy - is an art Wilper has mastered. No matter the time of day, Wilper not only has a joke to crack, he also effortlessly puts a smile on students’ faces.

Trevor Whiteman, a Microeconomics student from Udall, said, “[He is] a fun and laid back teacher. Wilper is very relatable and always has real world examples relating to our inclass topic. Wilper’s class is very fun and interactive.”

During class, Wilper exudes energy and passion for the subject he teaches. Lectures are never boring and he always keeps his students on their toes.

“I didn’t know I wanted to teach until I got my MBA [Master of Business Administration]. I was then offered a part-time job teaching Economics and Intro to Business. After two years of teaching part time, I got the job at HutchCC,” Wilper said.

He is a natural when it comes to teaching college students.

“I enjoy getting to know all of you. Most of the time my students are really funny,” he said.

Cracking jokes during class and getting to know all of his students is what makes Wilper’s class enjoyable.

“Even shy students feel comfortable enough to speak up during class. Wilper makes me laugh every day with his brutal honesty and funny analogies about the economic world,” Whiteman said. Wilper is not only a charismatic professor in the classroom, but he also stays involved around campus. This year he became the second advisor for the Student Government Association. This organization helps the student leaders on campus with various activities throughout the year. During homecoming, they handed out HutchCC giveaways at games.

“Get a little more involved, we have many different organizations and clubs on campus,” Wilper said to all students. “Try one out, if you are not a fan, try another one.”

Wilper is a cheerful and compassionate professor. He always finds a way to crack a joke, make students laugh, and always make a witty, yet hilarious comment. He continues to show young students how the government is sometimes incompetent, makes the silly late-night shows relate to economics, and be able to teach college students and make them feel as if he is one of them as well. His teaching is lighthearted and easygoing, and he always has the perfect thing to say and is never lacking a clever comment behind it. This makes him a professor that students feel comfortable with, and it is for this reason that so many students enjoy taking his class.

Photo | Cassidy Smith Wilper starts his lecture off with a whitty comment on microeconomics. He continued to ask the students about the previous chapter they learned about.

Photo | Cassidy Smith Matt Wilper, Economics Instructor, lectures his Microeconomic students. Wilper’s imfamous hourly cup of coffee made an appearance.

In my experience

Sometimes taking notes and listening to a lecture can get boring after a while, but Wilper always finds a way to make every class fun. His constant comments on how the government is doing everything wrong, questioning the international students about their government, then telling them they are also doing it wrong, is one way that he makes class so entertaining. Every morning Wilper is on his third cup of coffee and brings lots of energy. There hasn’t been a day during class where I haven’t let out a laugh. He always finds a way to keep every student engaged. His references to late night comedies make lectures more tolerable and fun. Between all the witty comments, Wilper is a great Economics instructor. This is why so many students love taking his class.

Photo |Cassidy Smith A HutchCC students takes out his notes for class. He took Macroeconomics with Wilper the previous semester.

Photo | Cassidy Smith Football player, Trevor Whiteman, Udall, asks a queston about supply and demand during a lecture with Wilper. Wilper followed Whiteman’s question with a joke.

Photo | Cassidy Smith This HutchCC student listens to Wilper’s lecture on Microeconomics. She previously took Macroeconomics with Wilper as well.