No Fair! Nerd Who Actually Did Reading Seriously Hogging Spotlight in Class Discussion

Talk about a smart aleck!

Last Thursday, eyes from all around the classroom table peered enviously at Jesse Babin (C ‘22) as he flawlessly interpreted and explained a passage from Robert Smithson’s “Hotel Palenque,” effectively stealing the metaphorical spotlight in the room.

“That damned nerd. He thinks he’s better than us just because he did the reading,” fellow classmate Donna Hills (C ‘21) growled. “Well, you know what? Knowledge isn’t everything.”

In the greatest display of scholarly excellence since “Stand and Deliver,” class-goers witnessed Babin dissect the author’s intentions, quickly move on to symbolism, and then close out strong by tying the passage to the main themes of the course. Unfortunately, classmates who had only gleaned the text during their breakfast at Pret struggled to get many words in edgewise.

“It’s not fair,” Jeraldine Davis (C ‘22) protested. “Why doesn’t he give the rest of us a chance to make up some bullshit for participation points?”

Despite the fact that Babin will most likely get an A in the class for his hard work and genuine passion for literature, many of his fellow Quakers are still reluctant to change their ways and just read the assignment.

“There’s no way that’s gonna happen,” Davis declared, rolling her eyes. “I’m not paying tens of thousands in tuition to sit around reading all day, that’s for sure.”