LZ: read this -- it's good


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LZ: read this -- it's good



>>>> =
>--------------------------------------------------------------------
>>>> >             GETTING AWAY WITH IT
>>>> >
>>>> >The setting is Ohio State University about six or seven years ago =
in a
>>>> >huge lecture hall (approximately 1000 students) for a Calculus =
final.
>>>> >
>>>> >Apparently this particular calculus professor wasn't very well =
liked. He
>>>> >was one of those guys who would stand at the front of the class and=
 yell
>>>> out
>>>> >how much time was remaining before the end of a test, a real =
charmer.=20
>>>> Since
>>>> >he was so busy gallivanting around the room making sure that nobody
>>>> cheated
>>>> >and that everyone was aware of how much time they had left before =
their
>>>> >failure on the test was complete, he had the students stack the
>>>completed
>>>> tests
>>>> >on  the huge podium at the front of the room.  This made for quite =
a
>>>mess,
>>>> >since there were 1000 students in the class.
>>>> >
>>>> >Anyway, during this particular final, one guy entered the test =
needing a
>>>> >decent grade to pass the class.  His only problem with Calculus was=
 that
>>>> >he did poorly when rushed, and this guy standing in the front of =
the
>>>room
>>>> >barking out how much time was left before the tests had to be =
handed in
>>>> >didn't help him at all.  He figured he wanted to assure himself of =
a
>>>good
>>>> >grade, so he hardly flinched when the professor said "pencils down =
and
>>>> >submit your scantron sheets and work to piles at the front of the =
room".
>>>> >
>>>> >Five minutes turned into ten, ten into twenty, twenty into
>>>forty...almost
>>>> >an hour after the test was "officially over", he finally put down =
his
>>>> >pencil, gathered up his work, and headed to the front of the hall =
to
>>>> >submit his final exam.  The whole time, the professor sat at the =
front
>>>of
>>>> the
>>>> >room, strangely waiting for the student to complete his exam.
>>>> >
>>>> >"What do you think you're doing?" the professor asked as the =
student
>>>> >stood  in front of him about to put down his exam on one of the =
neatly
>>>> stacked
>>>> >piles of exams (the professor had plenty of time to stack the =
mountain
>>>of
>>>> >papers while he waited)  It was clear that the professor had waited=
 only
>>>> >to give the student a hard time.
>>>> >
>>>> >"Turning in my exam," retorted the student confidently.  "I'm =
afraid I
>>>> >have some bad news for you," the professor gloated, "Your exam is =
an
>>>hour
>>>> >late.  You've FAILED it and, consequently,  I'll see you next term =
when
>>>> you
>>>> >repeat my course."
>>>> >
>>>> >The student smiled slyly and asked the professor "Do you know who I=
 am?"
>>>> >
>>>> >"What?" replied the professor gruffly, annoyed that the student =
showed
>>>no
>>>> >sign of emotion.
>>>> >
>>>> >The student rephrased the question mockingly, "Do you know what my =
name
>>>> >is?"
>>>> >
>>>> >"NO", snarled the professor.
>>>> >
>>>> >The student looked the professor dead in the eyes and said slowly, =
"I
>>>> >didn't think so", as he lifted up one of the stacks half way, =
shoved his
>>>> test
>>>> >neatly into the center of the stack, let the stack fall burying his=
 test
>>>> >in the middle, turned around, and walked casually out of the huge
>>>lecture
>>>> >hall.
-eric
-elinenbe@umich.edu
-www.umich.edu/~elinenbe