Teaching an 8:00AM class requires inspiration,
especially when one or more students consistently
have difficulty getting out of bed and getting to
class on time.
Fall Semester was no exception. I listened
repeatedly to the explanation by one young man,
"But snoozing after shutting off the alarm causes
me to be late." An unacceptable excuse, in my
opinion.
I suggested experimentation with a new version
of the alarm clock: a simple device--a piece of
string, one end of which is attached to a rock. The
other end is tied to the most prized part of his
body, with the directive that at the same time he
reachs to turn the alarm off, he should throw the
rock across the room. This would insure his on-time
arrival to class.
The class accepted the new invention, and
tardiness diminished. But in two weeks the same
young man was late again. When queried, he smiled
and replied, "The string slipped off." The class
roared and I, being inspired, returned to lecturing
as to how convolution is used to introduce the idea
of the network transfer function.