Today was supposed to be our first exam in American Philosophy [and my first exam of the semester]. It started out well enough, but approximately five minutes into the exam, the fire alarms went off.
We had had a fire drill in our hall of residence earlier this week. One of the features they added to the renovated halls (of which ours is a part) is fire alarms in ever single room -- bedrooms, common room, bathroom, hallways, everything. The downside is even though you'll be saved from burning alive, you'll be deaf as a doorknob. A fair tradeoff, perhaps, but things don't have to be taken to the extreme.
The fire alarms in the Arts and Sciences building were very quite in comparison. Our professor - who is certainly one of the coolest on campus - said afterwards that he thought it was just someone's cell phone until the emergency announcement sounded. "Emergency, emergency. Please evacuate the building."
As usual with a Philosophy class, we had the extra jokes revolving around views we've discussed in class as we left. We should be self-reliant and refuse to leave until our tests are finished [Ralph Waldo Emerson]! If it is merely a drill, then the sensational effects are no different from normal classtime [C.S. Peirce]!
As pointed our by our professor, waiting outside while the fire alarms are still ringing and flashing is very anticlamatic. One policeman comes by, a firetruck pulls up and the firemen walk leisurely into the building, and you're left standing around listening to other students talk about the difficulty of Phenomenology and the idling of the fire engine.
Soon it became apparent that we weren't going to be able to finish the exam today, so we rescheduled for next Wednesday (which is just as well since we have our first Japanese exam on Monday and first Ancient Philosophy exam on Thursday). Some people had left their bags in the classroom, not to mention that all our exams were still spread out on the desks, so the majority of the class hung around to wait until we could go back inside.
First they told us that we could go back inside unless we were in the basement (we were). Then they said that all classes in the basement were cancelled for the day. Our professor explained that we had some belongings we wanted to get from the classroom and the first response he received was that faculty could go back in to pick up any objects they needed. I found it a rather odd reply; 'yes, we'll send the professors, but it's too dangerous for students to go; they're the ones that give us money.' Eventually, he let us all go down as long as we left as soon as we had gotten everything.
When we reached the basement, it was obvious from the smell that their concern had been justified. A gas leak, perhaps, though I thought I picked up the scent of ammonia, too.
Philosophy class is never boring.
It seems like classes have speeded up a notch since coming back from home for the long weekend. Maybe it's the extra stress of studying for exams and starting to think about papers, but it seems like it's taking up much more time.
The first meeting of the Ancient Philosophy Reading Group is today after Japanese class. After that, I'm going out to eat with my parents and my grandparents, who are visiting this weekend from Maine.
There's more that needs to be said and some things I need to get off my chest, but it will have to wait until later.
We had had a fire drill in our hall of residence earlier this week. One of the features they added to the renovated halls (of which ours is a part) is fire alarms in ever single room -- bedrooms, common room, bathroom, hallways, everything. The downside is even though you'll be saved from burning alive, you'll be deaf as a doorknob. A fair tradeoff, perhaps, but things don't have to be taken to the extreme.
The fire alarms in the Arts and Sciences building were very quite in comparison. Our professor - who is certainly one of the coolest on campus - said afterwards that he thought it was just someone's cell phone until the emergency announcement sounded. "Emergency, emergency. Please evacuate the building."
As usual with a Philosophy class, we had the extra jokes revolving around views we've discussed in class as we left. We should be self-reliant and refuse to leave until our tests are finished [Ralph Waldo Emerson]! If it is merely a drill, then the sensational effects are no different from normal classtime [C.S. Peirce]!
As pointed our by our professor, waiting outside while the fire alarms are still ringing and flashing is very anticlamatic. One policeman comes by, a firetruck pulls up and the firemen walk leisurely into the building, and you're left standing around listening to other students talk about the difficulty of Phenomenology and the idling of the fire engine.
Soon it became apparent that we weren't going to be able to finish the exam today, so we rescheduled for next Wednesday (which is just as well since we have our first Japanese exam on Monday and first Ancient Philosophy exam on Thursday). Some people had left their bags in the classroom, not to mention that all our exams were still spread out on the desks, so the majority of the class hung around to wait until we could go back inside.
First they told us that we could go back inside unless we were in the basement (we were). Then they said that all classes in the basement were cancelled for the day. Our professor explained that we had some belongings we wanted to get from the classroom and the first response he received was that faculty could go back in to pick up any objects they needed. I found it a rather odd reply; 'yes, we'll send the professors, but it's too dangerous for students to go; they're the ones that give us money.' Eventually, he let us all go down as long as we left as soon as we had gotten everything.
When we reached the basement, it was obvious from the smell that their concern had been justified. A gas leak, perhaps, though I thought I picked up the scent of ammonia, too.
Philosophy class is never boring.
It seems like classes have speeded up a notch since coming back from home for the long weekend. Maybe it's the extra stress of studying for exams and starting to think about papers, but it seems like it's taking up much more time.
The first meeting of the Ancient Philosophy Reading Group is today after Japanese class. After that, I'm going out to eat with my parents and my grandparents, who are visiting this weekend from Maine.
There's more that needs to be said and some things I need to get off my chest, but it will have to wait until later.
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