· to work hard. He often gets notes from alums saying that Compilers was the best class they ever took. When one student complained, "I am working so much on my compiler, my wife hasn't seen me in days", Steve quipped, "Yes, I know. She called to thank me."
· to think before you speak. He would challenge student assumptions by asking them to "bet a malt" on the answer. Steve almost always won.
· social etiquette. If a cell phone went off in class, the owner was expected to bring doughnuts for the class.
· humility. His cell phone was usually the first one to go off in a semester.
· stay alert. If anyone fell asleep in class, Steve led the group in making fun of them.
· relationships are the most important thing. Steve always had time for people, be it students, janitors, peers, or office staff.
· the joy of laughter. Steve loved a good joke – from his office filled with crunched up paper, to the screen saver than looked like Windows but wouldn't respond. While still in Colorado, he went to the department head to admit he had gotten one of his students pregnant. After several uncomfortable minutes, Steve said the student was his wife.
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