OK. In another thread I was prompted to relate a story from my days in grad school (working on a Master's in Math).

So I got the idea of relating other interesting, funny, poignant, whatever, school stories.

Here's one:

As an undergrad in a California State University, I was required either to pass an exam in California government, or to take a class in California government. Stupidly, the exam was given a few weeks after the start of each semester, and, to be allowed to take the exam, you had to be enrolled in the class (which you would likely drop once you learned that you'd passed the exam).

So, I enrolled in this stupid class.

About a week into class, the professor posed this question: Suppose that some of the students in the class want to be allowed to smoke cigarettes in class, and other students don't want them to be allowed to do so; how can we decide whether they should be allowed to smoke in the classroom or not?

I was sitting in the back of the class, and waited to see what sorts of replies the other students would produce. It didn't take long.

"We could vote on it."

The teacher wrote that on the chalkboard (there weren't whiteboards at that time; this was the dark ages): Vote.

I waited a little longer.

Nothing.

That was the extent of the class' replies.

Finally, out of sheer frustration, I raised my hand.

"We could have a darts match: smokers versus nonsmokers; whoever wins decides whether smoking is allowed or not."

The teacher wrote that down on the chalkboard: Darts match.

I continued.

"It doesn't have to be a darts match. It could be arm wrestling. A spelling bee. A free-for-all brawl."

The teacher was writing furiously.

"We could appeal to a higher authority: the university has banned smoking in classrooms."

The teacher continued to write.

"Or tiddlywinks."

The teacher turned to me. "You're an anarchist."

"No. I simply have an imagination."

I passed the test and dropped the class. Thank God!

Yes...once you recognize that the solutions have to be neither good nor rational, you've pretty much demonstrated a good knowledge of California government.

In an undergraduate math class, a student asked the professor where to find his mailbox so that she could hand something in. He replied that he didn't have one. Perplexed the student asked him why not. He looked slightly bewildered by the question and replied, "then I'd have to check it."

A M E N !