Practical Jokes and Electron Clouds
So here I am, right now, sitting in C106 where I am supposed to be learning about Electronic Affinity and Ionization Energy and instead, I am getting a lecture about practical jokes.
Now let me provide you first with some type of context:
Dr. Hironaka is teaching Lyman Briggs chemistry for her first semester ever. Thus far she has proven a generally sub par professor. About a week and a half before our first exam she mentioned that she "wouldn't mind" if some people played a practical joke on her... as long as it were after the exam and didn't embarrass her.
So today, the first class day after the exam, she was slightly melancholy that nobody played a joke on her; thus, partway into the class she had a fifteen to twenty minute interlude directed toward her 100+ class about the "collegiate tradition" of practical joking. Here's an excerpt.
"If you remember, I said it was okay if you played a practical joke today, so I just want to let you know... :shrugs:. I don't know if the test was so stressful that you just forgot, or something like that.
Here: Most of you are freshman, so it's my job, really, to break you in; that is, to introduce you to the normal college traditions. One of which is, you know, to try to trick the teacher after a big exam. If you remember, last Wednesday I told you I liked marching band music. You could have, maybe, when I walked in, started to play a tape of marching band music, or something. I guess what I think I'm saying is, when you take Chemistry II, if you take it with me or Dr. Sweeder or LaDuca, and you played a joke on us... Well, I know Dr. LaDuca would be entertained by it. [I don't know Dr. Sweeder as well because LaDuca and my offices are right next to eachother.]
So we'll make Monday 'practical joking day'. You could Write something on the board before I come in... or write something or tape something behind this screen so when I pull it up, you know... or, something like, well, now that I've told you these you can't do them now, because I told them to you.
But remember when I said I didn't want to be embarrassed, all I meant was, you can't have one student distract me while someone else sneaks up behind me and pulls down my pants, or, yeah. And don't rip off my shirt or something.
Remember, next Monday. You can play a joke on me and I can play one on you."
I think I'm just going to convince everyone not to go to class on Monday.
Now let me provide you first with some type of context:
Dr. Hironaka is teaching Lyman Briggs chemistry for her first semester ever. Thus far she has proven a generally sub par professor. About a week and a half before our first exam she mentioned that she "wouldn't mind" if some people played a practical joke on her... as long as it were after the exam and didn't embarrass her.
So today, the first class day after the exam, she was slightly melancholy that nobody played a joke on her; thus, partway into the class she had a fifteen to twenty minute interlude directed toward her 100+ class about the "collegiate tradition" of practical joking. Here's an excerpt.
"If you remember, I said it was okay if you played a practical joke today, so I just want to let you know... :shrugs:. I don't know if the test was so stressful that you just forgot, or something like that.
Here: Most of you are freshman, so it's my job, really, to break you in; that is, to introduce you to the normal college traditions. One of which is, you know, to try to trick the teacher after a big exam. If you remember, last Wednesday I told you I liked marching band music. You could have, maybe, when I walked in, started to play a tape of marching band music, or something. I guess what I think I'm saying is, when you take Chemistry II, if you take it with me or Dr. Sweeder or LaDuca, and you played a joke on us... Well, I know Dr. LaDuca would be entertained by it. [I don't know Dr. Sweeder as well because LaDuca and my offices are right next to eachother.]
So we'll make Monday 'practical joking day'. You could Write something on the board before I come in... or write something or tape something behind this screen so when I pull it up, you know... or, something like, well, now that I've told you these you can't do them now, because I told them to you.
But remember when I said I didn't want to be embarrassed, all I meant was, you can't have one student distract me while someone else sneaks up behind me and pulls down my pants, or, yeah. And don't rip off my shirt or something.
Remember, next Monday. You can play a joke on me and I can play one on you."
I think I'm just going to convince everyone not to go to class on Monday.