Office Artifacts: Louis Mayhew
CGS advisor shares music memories
Office Artifacts: Louis Mayhew
CGS advisor shares music memories
Click on the circles above to see more of what Louis Mayhew displays in his College of General Studies office.
In his 23-year career advising College of General Studies students, Louis Mayhew recalls countless conversations that have gone something like this: “I’m here because I want to go into the Questrom School of Business, but I also love music. I don’t know how I’m going to deal with these two things.”
“What I say to students is, ‘Look, we have to learn how to incorporate things into our lives. Just because you’re going to be in business doesn’t mean you can’t play music or do art or whatever,’” he says. “‘It just means you’ll find ways to incorporate that interest into your life so it becomes an asset, and it’s something positive that you enjoy.’”
Mayhew (SSW’93) knows something about balancing outside interests with a career path. In addition to advising CGS freshmen and sophomores, he is a musician who plays in two bands. After learning to play the trumpet in the fourth grade, he moved on to the guitar and the harmonica. He plays both instruments in the backup band for local blues singer Shor’ty Billups and in the Mayhew Brothers Band (his brother plays the bass).
Mayhew thinks that some of the things that make him a good performer also make him a popular advisor, specifically, his people skills and approachability. “If I’m gonna have students come in to talk to me, they have to feel like I’m accessible and that I won’t be judgmental,” he says. “I think they come into my office and are relaxed, and it’s maybe different from what they might expect.”
There’s no shortage of funky trinkets in Mayhew’s office overlooking Comm Ave: photos, toys, and artwork from his now-grown kids adorn the perimeter. “This office has really started great conversations,” he says. “I think it’s a reflection of who I am and they see that. But it’s funny, because sometimes I just look around and say, “God, I have so much stuff.”
In our series “Office Artifacts,” BU Today highlights interesting artifacts professors and staff display in their office. Have a suggestion about someone we should profile? Email amlaskow@bu.edu.
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