10-11-2021, 10:26 AM
Sounds like there has been a sea change in academia since I went to university.
I recall some outstanding professors. One had come to the USA from behind the Iron Curtain and he had absolutely NO time for Marxist sympathies. Another man who taught modern European history had fought there in World War II. I can remember him dryly saying,
Those kind of people had direct and very serious connections to real world events, and they had something to say about what had gone on.
Another one I recall was an old guy with a bad foot who could barely drag himself to the podium for astronomy lectures. The first time we saw him, we all thought "well, this will be a wasted course". Wow, we were completely wrong. He was a wonderful lecturer who enthralled us with his knowledge. We gave him a standing ovation at the completion of the course.
Of course, there were less serious things that went on, like calibrating "funnelators". This was an elastic band used to launch water balloons from the dormitory room window. It was amazingly consistent in its performance. Once one knew how far to draw the band back to hit a certain point, it always landed on that point. Poor pedestrians that suddenly found themselves wet!
Cheers
I recall some outstanding professors. One had come to the USA from behind the Iron Curtain and he had absolutely NO time for Marxist sympathies. Another man who taught modern European history had fought there in World War II. I can remember him dryly saying,
Quote:Adolf Hitler. I remember that guy.
Those kind of people had direct and very serious connections to real world events, and they had something to say about what had gone on.
Another one I recall was an old guy with a bad foot who could barely drag himself to the podium for astronomy lectures. The first time we saw him, we all thought "well, this will be a wasted course". Wow, we were completely wrong. He was a wonderful lecturer who enthralled us with his knowledge. We gave him a standing ovation at the completion of the course.
Of course, there were less serious things that went on, like calibrating "funnelators". This was an elastic band used to launch water balloons from the dormitory room window. It was amazingly consistent in its performance. Once one knew how far to draw the band back to hit a certain point, it always landed on that point. Poor pedestrians that suddenly found themselves wet!
Cheers
![[Image: 14sigsepia.jpg]](https://i.ibb.co/9yxWwxj/14sigsepia.jpg)
Location: The lost world, Elsewhen