This semester, I am taking an Art History class (1400AD-Modern) from one of my sister’s favorite Profs (who remembers her most for her bear, Edward.) On the first day of class, a student’s cell phone started ringing. Without missing a beat, Professor Parrish said, “silence that phone immediately. This time I will let it pass, but in future do you know what we do to phones that go off in during class? We take them up front, put them on the floor and grind our heel into it. Then it will not ever go off again.”
The student whose phone was ringing frantically found her phone and turned it off. Then there was no more ringing in class. Then, Monday rolled around. Professor Parrish was lecturing on early Renaissance architecture. Suddenly, in the middle of talking about Philippe Brunelleschi, who lost a competition in Florence to design the doors to the Baptistery, the ringing of the phone breaks Professor Parrish’s sentence. Confused, Professor Parrish says, “That sounds like my phone. Oh well. They must not know I’m in class… or it’s an emergency. But you can never get to it on time. So where were we. Oh yes! Brunelleschi…” The phone finally stopped, but then immediately started again. “Well! It may be an emergency. Excuse me, I’m going to answer this… Hello? Yes, I am in the middle of teaching a class. Can I call you back later… I need to teach, I’m in the middle of a lecture! Yes, thank you.” He hung up and said, “Dentist office. Now, dear me, where were we…”
If that had been any of us, we would have had a smashed phone. Everyone wanted to laugh, but he was so matter of fact about it and already back in the middle of the lecture that nobody could. So much for setting a good example for his students. =)
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