8/27/14
Art Hampton felt more than a little nervous as he dressed for the first day of class. His age was only part of the reason for his anxiety. His family had recently relocated across the country so he also faced adjusting to a new city with its local customs as well as making new friends. Thus starting school surrounded by kids with attitudes far different from his own would be trying. Gazing at himself in the mirror he reviewed the long chain of events and family history which had brought him here.
Artemis Hampton came from a poor family. So despite being a fast learner and a hard worker the prospect of attending college had seemed non-existent. But during his senior year of high school he learned the military would pay for him to get a degree in exchange for a few years of service. He jumped at the chance and soon had earned a master’s degree.
It was hard to say what had been the second-best part of his military years. The best part, of course, was finding a wife and starting a family. But beyond that he had enjoyed traveling the world, especially the Middle East and Asia. He’d also loved the challenges of logistics and project management and had impressed his superiors with his efficiency and clever solutions to many difficult problems. That then led to being asked to train others so they too could implement his ideas and work as well as he did. Thus he discovered a hidden talent which provided immense satisfaction.
He enjoyed educating others so much that after leaving the military he found a position at a small liberal arts college and continued teaching for the next twenty years. During this time he was also called upon to guest lecture at other colleges and to write extensively about the unique techniques he had developed.
But here he was, nearing fifty and considered by many to be an expert in his field, now being asked to go back to school. He took a deep breath and sighed. He pulled himself from reminiscing as he realized he was almost late then hurried out the door.
The university campus was vastly larger than the grounds of the college where he’d worked. He had to ask directions from other students several times before he found the building and classroom he wanted. Taking a seat near the back he noticed the raised eyebrows and smirks of his classmates as they glanced at this new student who was obviously thirty years their senior. They seemed to feel the subject was unsuited to one of his vintage. He fixed his eyes on the podium at the front of the room and lapsed into thought while awaiting the arrival of the professor.
Through most of his teaching years he’d counted on remaining at that same small college until he was ready to retire. Even now he estimated he had at least fifteen years before he’d think of slowing down. But the past year had brought a change to his plans. The birth of their first grandchild made his wife want to be near the new arrival. So he’d resigned his post, sold their house, and accepted a position near his daughter and her baby.
The university was very glad to add such a well-known expert to their faculty. In fact, they had approached him on several occasions in the past trying to recruit him. Now that he was here, though, they mentioned a requirement which hadn’t been previously disclosed. One small detail which they were sure he wouldn’t mind fulfilling. It was university policy that professors hold a PhD in the field they were teaching.
They credited his years of work and teaching experience as most of the needed hours. But there were still a couple of courses to be added to his transcript. So here he was sitting as a student again. He could work part-time for a year while he finished the required coursework, then return to teaching full time. So he’d bear up to this temporary inconvenience. Besides, the thought of adding “doctor” to his name was starting to grow on him. Just then the professor rushed into the room and banged the door shut. Art sized him up and guessed him to be in his late thirties.
“Good morning, everyone,” he said. “Before we begin I’d like to read down the roster. When your name is called, please respond.” Hearing a few groans he added, “We won’t do this after today. I just want to put your faces to this list of names.”
He proceeded down the list quickly, but when he reached Art’s name he paused. “Artemis Hampton? That’s an uncommon name. In fact, …” He set down the list and picked up a book. “I thought so. The author of the textbook for this course has the same name. Are you related by any chance?”
“Yes,” answered Art. “It’s my book.”
“Excuse me?” said the professor. “What do you mean your book?”
“Well, um, I wrote it. I wrote the book you’re holding.”
“You’re the Artemis Hampton?! The top expert in the field?”
Art could feel himself blushing. Every eye in the room was on him. And a few of the students who had smirked at him before class now stared with mouths open.
“I heard you’d finally agreed to join our faculty,” said the professor. “But I never expected to see you sitting in my class. What are you doing here? Supervising to make sure I teach your subject right?”
“No,” answer Art. “Nothing like that. It’s just that I need to take a few courses for university requirements.”
“What? They’re making you take your own course?! But why?”
Art just shrugged.
“Wow. I’m flattered you’ll be in my class. I’ve admired you since I was in high school. I’ve read everything you’ve published. But this is going to be awkward. How am I supposed to teach you?”
Again Art said nothing.
“And how can I grade you?” the professor continued as concern spread across his face. “If you give answers different from mine, it’ll probably be that you know something I don’t.”
“Just treat me like any other student,” answered Art.
“No. You don’t understand.” The professor paused, not sure if he should say any more. “Our department head has already mentioned he’ll be retiring in two years. I’ll bet they’re thinking of you as his replacement. You know, because of your record. So that means you’ll be my boss soon. I can’t do anything that might make you mad!” The longer he spoke the more stressed he became.
Art’s expression grew serious as he considered what had been said. The man might be right. It would explain a lot — the earlier attempts at recruitment and the insistence on a PhD. He looked around.
The whispering of the students had grown louder. It was clear everyone was as surprised as he at these revelations. The students’ excitement along with the professor’s nervousness were such that it was clear they were unlikely to have a productive lesson today. And Art recognized it was his presence which was disrupting class. Sheesh! It was as if they had seen a celebrity or something.
Should he get up and leave? That way the professor might still be able to save part of the hour. Art could then speak to him afterwards about how best to work out the remainder of the semester.
He looked around again to see if he might be able to slip away in the confusion. But there were a half-dozen students holding up their cell phones recording him, and several others scrabbling in their packs for their phones too. This was turning into a circus. He looked toward the professor hoping he would do something to bring the class back to order. Unfortunately the professor seemed no more in control than the students. Well, this explained why the department head wasn’t looking at this guy as a potential replacement.
Seeing no other help for the situation Art rose from his seat and walked to the front of the room. The professor moved quickly to the side and held both palms forward in a gesture of “go ahead.” Art saw a look of adoration appear on the professor’s face that reminded him of a love-sick school girl. Art turned away quickly to hide the revulsion which had just erupted inside him.
“Please turn off and put away your phones and cameras.” Although he spoke calmly the students complied instantly. They then faced him with expectation showing clearly on their faces. No one made a sound. Art slowly scanned the room making eye contact with each student. They sat as rigid and still as cadets in officer training school. “Good. That’s better.”
He turned to the professor. By now Art was braced to look at him. “Professor. Please come forward.”
He rushed to stand beside Art with a grin still stretched broadly across his face. Art addressed him firmly. “Now please teach this class exactly as you would if I weren’t here.”
The grin fell and was replaced with a look of shock. The professor’s face flushed with embarrassment, then took on a tinge of sickness. He closed his mouth which had been hanging open and nodded affirmatively. He dropped his gaze to the floor then turned to the podium.
Art returned to his seat and every eye followed him. Once he sat down everyone looked back to the professor.
“I apologize to all of you for my unprofessional behavior and for allowing this disruption to occur,” he said. “I’d like you to read Chapter One of your textbook by tomorrow and write down five questions which it raises. We will spend tomorrow discussing the chapter and answering your questions. That is all for today. Class dismissed.”
Art noticed the professor glancing toward him from the corner of his eye. He seemed to want to talk but it was plain he was still stinging from the rebuke, so Art joined the exiting students. There’d be time another day to straighten things out.
As Art entered the hallway his classmates stopped chattering to each other and stepped to the sides to let him pass. No one moved along with him as he walked to the stairwell. But as he turned the corner and began descending he heard the students behind him burst into applause.
He sighed and shook his head as he continued down the stairs. He thought to himself, what an interesting first day.
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