“Tucked into the second page of the syllabus was information about a locker number and its combination. Inside was a $50 bill, which went unclaimed.” It’s a story of life in college: “Professor Put Clues to a Cash Prize in His Syllabus. No One Noticed” (The New York Times).
And the syllabus was only three pages long.
A funny, sad story, but I have to question the word clues in the headline. Merriam-Webster:
something that guides through an intricate procedure or maze of difficultiesIf you tell someone looking for 123 Main Street to seek the source of acorns, you’ve given a clue. But if you tell that person to turn right on Oak, left on Main, and go two blocks, you’ve given directions, not a clue. The syllabus gave students all that was needed to get the money: a locker number and a combination. Directions, information, not a clue.
specifically : a piece of evidence that leads one toward the solution of a problem
Thanks, Elaine.
[Anyone in academic life should recognize RTFS.]
The professor claims that he can't duplicate this. He's missing an opportunity. He could place the "clues" in any material he provides to students. I think his students will scour his materials.
ReplyDeleteThat’d be an interesting experiment. I can imagine someone racing from the room after he passes out copies of an assignment.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if they'd have found the directions even if they were on the first page...
ReplyDelete--Frex = Fresca
Perhaps if the instructor had read the whole damn thing aloud, word by word, as too many instructors do.
ReplyDelete