Academia

Freshman year, fall semester at Utah State University, 2003. About two weeks into my sociology 1010 class, my professor announces to the class he forgot to post on the syllabus that we are entitled to one absence per semester (we had been taking roll every class period to that point). Without skipping a beat, I kid you not, half of the class gets up and leaves.

Junior year, fall semester at the University of Utah, 2007. Approximately one month into the semester, at the beginning of my public speaking class, my professor announces to the class he made a mistake in regard to the weekly reading we were to have done before the class period. "I posted chapter 19, but I meant to post chapter 18," he said. After a pause, "Who did the reading?" Not one hand was raised. Much laughter ensued.