Boring lectures good for one thing: reflecting on society
K.C. Vetter
Issue date: 4/18/05 Section: Opinion
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I was sitting in class one day, not really paying any attention to the lecture that was going on. My mind decided to get some exercise and took a walk down Wondering Lane. "Was Gilmore Girls a rerun last night?" "How long will rehearsal go tonight?" "Is America finally going to gain some intelligence and vote Scott off of American Idol?"
And then I got really uncomfortable. I tried shifting my position, but was unsuccessful. Then I came to the realization of something: These desks are too small! I can't believe that I've gone to this school for two years and this is the first time I'm realizing this!
Who decided on the desks at this school? I'm 5-foot-4-inches (rounding up) and I don't consider myself all that big, and I find myself having a hard time fitting comfortably. I have a friend who is 6-foot-7-inches and has the build of a lineman. How does he fit? And now that I started thinking about this, it was impossible to stop. And that sparked an entirely one-sided press conference in my head about why people do certain things:
People: Why do people talk on their cell phones loud enough for everyone to hear their conversation? In case your memo got lost in the mail when you were seven, technology has improved so much over the past few decades that they stopped using cans and string.
Why do students find it so bad to sit next to someone they don't know on the bus? They'll sit in the aisle seat and then put their stuff in the seat next to them - even if the bus is packed and the bus driver keeps yelling at us to move back and double up in the aisles. It's OK; we all got our cootie shots in the second grade, you're not going to catch them.
Teachers: Why do teachers call on students who don't have their hands raised (or just feel the need to have a good portion of your grade based on class participation)? Obviously, if they didn't raise their hand, then either a.) they don't know the answer or b.) just don't feel like answering. It'll make the students feel pressured or stupid if they get called on and don't know the answer. Teachers begin to assume that just because we are not participating that we don't understand the information.
And then I got really uncomfortable. I tried shifting my position, but was unsuccessful. Then I came to the realization of something: These desks are too small! I can't believe that I've gone to this school for two years and this is the first time I'm realizing this!
Who decided on the desks at this school? I'm 5-foot-4-inches (rounding up) and I don't consider myself all that big, and I find myself having a hard time fitting comfortably. I have a friend who is 6-foot-7-inches and has the build of a lineman. How does he fit? And now that I started thinking about this, it was impossible to stop. And that sparked an entirely one-sided press conference in my head about why people do certain things:
People: Why do people talk on their cell phones loud enough for everyone to hear their conversation? In case your memo got lost in the mail when you were seven, technology has improved so much over the past few decades that they stopped using cans and string.
Why do students find it so bad to sit next to someone they don't know on the bus? They'll sit in the aisle seat and then put their stuff in the seat next to them - even if the bus is packed and the bus driver keeps yelling at us to move back and double up in the aisles. It's OK; we all got our cootie shots in the second grade, you're not going to catch them.
Teachers: Why do teachers call on students who don't have their hands raised (or just feel the need to have a good portion of your grade based on class participation)? Obviously, if they didn't raise their hand, then either a.) they don't know the answer or b.) just don't feel like answering. It'll make the students feel pressured or stupid if they get called on and don't know the answer. Teachers begin to assume that just because we are not participating that we don't understand the information.
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