Thursday, September 16, 2010

leniency- do we deserve it?

It’s one of those morning classes, yup the same morning, the night before of which you were lying drunk in a pool of your own vomit, and you still after a fight with your head and many a failed attempt to screw the top of toothpaste back, manage to turn up for the class at 7:35. But you are thrown out with many an expletives thrown your way, what do you do? Even when you were fuming that you even bothered to take such pains, You mutter an apology, turn back, and go home.
It’s one of those morning classes, yup the same morning, the night before of which you slept in late woke up late had a breakfast, deliberated about going to the class and after a few minutes strolled in the classroom at 8:00. One full hour late! You are allowed in. What do you do? You go in, find a seat in the back, and clap at the every mispronounced word uttered by the hapless professor.
Welcome, sir to IIT.

In the last semester when we were filling the choices for IT breadth I came across the name of a professor (who taught computer software) and numerous anecdotes associated with him. Someone said that he was an AIR 2 of his times; someone told that he is very simple, others claimed that he donates all that he earns to orphanages but whatever the said the consensus was that he is a very good teacher and a great human being. So naturally I was excited to learn from him, and thought people would also have the same attitude. But what I saw in the class was not interest. Student came and went as they wished; they clapped, booed and whistled. Okay this might be condoned but what happened next breached the limits.
Someone started to show his origami prowess by making airplanes from paper and throwing them in the class. It soon turned into a kind of competition. Tear. Fold. Fly. Now one of the planes (I don’t know if it was thrown there or the plane decided to change its trajectory) flew on to the black board and the timing was such that it fell in front of professor as soon as he turned his face towards us. Needless to say he was startled and stepped back. This triggered a peal of laughter amongst the students (with the plane makers laughing raucously). The professor though humiliated didn’t say anything and continued with his teaching. This encouraged them and they started calling him names. Fakir, sentry and some other chosen names. Some even commented on his simplicity.
It shook me. And I remembered word of some philosopher that humans don’t deserve civilization, they are by nature barbaric and hence need to be ruled by force. What could be a better example than what was in front of me? You create chaos in the class because you have a lenient professor who forgives each of your transgressions. But all your guts evaporate once you face someone who doesn’t permit even slightest of jokes.Try flying planes in his class.If you behaved alike in front of both the professor then it would have been commendable. But what you do indicate what idiots you are. And if you are reading it keep in mind that you don’t matter to the professor, that’s why he doesn’t give a shit to your activities in the class. You are not hurting him, you are hurting yourselves. What you are doing is not brave at all. Its the highest form of cowardice.
Adios.
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