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February 3, 2005
Today The Poltroon Was Hungry
In which an ill-mannered classmate defies all conventional standards of polite behavior
Right. So I know I should be more mature and/ or unbothered by the classroom conduct of my fellow students. This is my last semester of grad school, we'll all adults, and a certain degree of professionalism governs most interactions in the classroom environment. I shouldn't be complaining about other students; I just shouldn't.
(But I will.)
I dropped an episode involving a fellow student (the "poltroon") a couple weeks back. Since then, I will admit that I've taken particular note of said poltroon's classroom behavior. We've had three classes since then. The poltroon has been no fewer than 8 minutes late for each of those classes. It would be one thing if this was a gigantic lecture hall, but no, this is a small seminar classroom with about 15 students (which is excellent, by the way). Thus, it doesn't go unnoticed when, say, some idiot strolls in 10 minutes late strapped into a backpack of Schneppian proportions, coffee in hand, bumps 4 or 5 people as she ambles to her seat, plops down, produces her computer, ratchets out her ethernet cable, powers up said computer (with attendant Windows XP opening titles and jingle), and then starts tapping away.
That's been the routine the past three classes. I was on the fence about reporting back about it; I mean, it was annoying, but not so annoying as to necessitate putting pen to paper. (Or whatever it is I do.) If you want to be late, I usually don't care. Just come in quietly, sit near the door, and demonstrate a level of self-awareness that indicates you're at least making an effort not to disrupt class for those of us who choose to show up on time. No biggie. She's pretty clumsy about her lateness, but still -- it was a minor offense at worst. I just didn't think anyone else would find her rudeness to be terribly compelling.
Today was compelling.
About an hour into the class, the professor gave us a five-minute break as he fished out the next set of handouts and got his slides together on the screen. Most folks stepped out for a bathroom run or a quick glance at a public computer, and were seated when the class reconvened. But no, not the poltroon. The poltroon walked in a full 18 minutes later (I checked the clock, just to be sure), carrying a large white plastic sack from the deli. She got herself breakfast! And not just a bagel or a piece of fruit! Bacon-egg-and-cheese sandwich, orange juice -- the works! Unreal! And she just chomped away for the remaining eight minutes of the class. Eight minutes! She couldn't have just waited eight minutes to eat!
For a school that turns away literally thousands of students every year, I can't understand how one like this slips through the cracks. How does it happen? I ask you again, admissions officers, WHO AMONG YOU IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS??? WHO???
Other than that, the class was really engaging today.
Posted by thatkid at February 3, 2005 4:05 PM under
MBAwesome!
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