I’m in my MQM 220 class, watching as the professor drones on and on about general business practices. I look up at the screen just as he flips to the next slide on his PowerPoint.
“And, as you can see, these are the differences between ‘efficiency’ and ‘effectiveness’,” The Professor says, adding, “Now, these are some VERY important concepts, and they WILL be on the test.”
Now I know you are thinking “Wow, what a nice professor to tell you what questions are going to be on the test”.
Yes, that WOULD be nice. It would be even nicer if he didn’t say this when he gets to
EVERY.
SINGLE.
SLIDE.
Since his tests probably aren’t 500 questions, I assume that this slide is probably not “VERY important”.
Buttt…Just in case, I’ve been copying down all of the slides (since he gives us plenty of time to do so anyways)
He points his wireless remote at the computer and pushes the ‘next’ button. The slide flips again, and I put my pen to the paper.
Suddenly, a woman comes bursting through the doors, chest heaving.
“Run,” She gasps, jumping up the stairs two at a time in the auditorium we are being lectured in. Most people just laugh at her appearance - her hair is flying madly and sticking up in odd places - her backpack skewed off her shoulder.
She gets to my row (I’m about halfway up the large row of seats in the auditorium) and ducks behind the chair nearest to the stairs.
The Professor is still talking as if he frequently sees people come flying into his classes saying “Run” and then hiding.
“Hey, there are people running out there!” A girl says, looking through the small glass pane on the door.
Suddenly, the door bursts open and a…What is that?
A Bear?!
People in the front rows start screaming and running up the stairs to a higher level in the auditorium. The Professor screams like a girl at the top of his lungs and jumps onto the desk at the front of the room.
“How…” I say, turning towards the girl. She just shakes her head and pulls at her hair.
The bear lets out a huge roar. People still running away up the stairs cover their ears and duck.
“STAY CALM!” The Professor yells. But he, of all people, does not appear to be calm.
The bear suddenly turns towards the desk that the professor is standing on and walks over to it on all-fours.
The students watch in horror as the bear turns the desk completely over - wires and drawers flying everywhere. The Professor tries to jump, but the bear jumps over the desk and grabs the professor before he is able to escape.
The bear roars again.
“Please,” The professor moans. It’s completely silent in the class now.
The bear leans in, about to engulf the professor…
“Jillian!!” Lauren hisses my name, reaching over and hitting me on the shoulder. I jerk awake from my daydream.
I look over at Lauren and she shakes her head.
“You missed the past three slides - what were you daydreaming about?” Lauren whispers, pushing her notes towards me.
“Something way more exciting than this,” I mumble, writing down the notes at top speed. The Professor drones on about Efficient Productivity and clicks to the next slide.
