Tuesday, March 27, 2007

LTA Part V - Proxies

Well.. it is difficult to stop me when you start talking of college.
So after getting ‘hints’ of turning this LTA thing into a series and getting positive feedback from everyone.. I can’t help myself from writing more.
The fifth in the series concentrates on the Proxies.

  • A proxy-friendly class, many students missing and Mr Atul Singal in his true elements. I guess he said yes sir, present sir to roll no. 00601 , 00610 (his own), then 2-3 more roll numbers in 30’s and then Chawla’s(00641) which was just before me. Some were bold and loud..some with covered mouth.. some bending down from almost under the table… and I guess only 1 (his own) with raised hand..(The teacher was not seeing above so it didn’t matter much).
    And yes, he was sitting besides me. So when he said “Yes Sir” 4th or 5th time that day.. I couldn’t control it… I laughed out – quite loudly.. the prof called out my roll number.. looked up.. I was still laughing (by now under the table).. and then the prof carried on. Not much of a problem though. At the end I went to him, told him that by mistake I had missed my attendance. Some normal words – “Sote rehte ho kya class mein” etc etc.. and end of a successful class.

    Def: Successful Class – The one for which you get attendance.


  • A new teacher - M.E student who had committed the grave sin of coming to teach 1st Year Mechanical. No white hair/ bald head meant that the Prof was in for a hard time.
    So it was Triple E class (Elements of Electrical Engineering). Somehow the prof was able to pass half an hour with everyone on seat. Then started the shouts of “Bas Sir”.. “Sir.. next time”.. “Attendance Sir” ..
    Gradually some people got up and started roaming around… the prof was helpless.. he came forward near the benches, kept giving a strange smile and continued teaching to a few who were sitting. Some of us (not me though ;)) went behind to the teachers table, opened the attendance register, picked the pen, marked their attendance and got out of the class. After one did it, many followed. I don’t know how, the prof didn’t come to know that people were marking attendance. He later found out when more than half of the class had marked ‘P’. The rest forced him to fill P for the few blank boxes that remained. The poor prof, never ever came back to teach any class!!


  • Then there was one Prof. His unmatchable husky voice was legendary.. In the class he was full of energy. With his real life examples he tried hard to teach the finer things of Chemistry. He used to come up to the last bench, sit besides students, telling them how to solve the numericals… That is why whenever you attended his class – there was a rush to sit on the 1st bench – the safest place. But such fights for 1st seat were far and few. Reason – his distinct style of taking attendance. He used to pass on a sheet and tell everyone to write his name and roll no. on it. Once it was tried to write a few absent friends roll no.s also. The ploy succeeded. Slowly it became the norm that 10 – 15 people used to attend the class and there were 60 names on the list.


  • All said and done, the Professors who had style of taking attendance where proxy was possible must be aware that they are ‘allowing’ it. Doing it they, in a way helped us – not only in completing our attendances but also letting us have so much thrill and fun.. It was thrill – wasn’t it..
    Thank you Profs…

    14 comments:

    Cuckoo said...

    I am thoroughly enjoying your series. Always smiling. :))

    When it can make me smile, no wonder if it makes you laugh.

    Keep it up !

    Anonymous said...

    Third proferssor...
    Guddu (kyun bedi bro)..

    suggestion..do one thing...for pecobians(esp mech guys..start coll quizzz to check whether memories of guys are fresh or not).

    SiD said...

    @cuckoo: Thanks.. :)
    They are indeed funny and nostalgic for me!!

    @Anon: absolutely on target bhai.. (which ever bhai u r.. i feel u t the star of #1 story of this post)

    interesting suggestion bro..but have to consult from a few guys before putting the quiz.. as kunnu told me that there was some mistakes in the previous High Court post..anyways.. suggestion taken :)

    Amey said...

    We didn't have many profs in engg college who indulged in activities like attendance and all, and those who took, counted the heads in the class later (sadistics).

    But in junior college, (especially for last lecture), most of the class except 5-10 of us would sit in nearby class, and we used to tell the prof that all others have gone home. If he continued the class, others would filter in, else we got our attendance marked.

    SiD said...

    @fleiger: Lucky youuu...
    And ya.. hiding around the class used to happen a lot with us too... may be playing chupan chupai in bachpan gave good practice!!

    Amey said...

    Lucky youuu...
    Well, our profs with their 150-odd yr history realised that taking attendance doesn't make much diff anyways ;)
    It was only the new-and-improved profs who tried that, as far as I remember.I remember one of the real ancient one asking us to submit our "submissions" in the canteen because that day there was a match (and the TV used to be in canteen).

    SiD said...

    @fleiger: hahahahaha..... LOL @ submissions in canteen.. we did make drawing sheets, assignments etc in canteen but the actual submission happening is new!!!

    Santosh Kumar Sharma said...

    One good thing abut the professor with husky voice, was he used to give good marks in the viva.
    I bet yu had the same experience

    SiD said...

    @santosh bhai.. yeh baat to aapne sahi boli.. number to vo khul ke de deta hai!!

    NehaPandey said...

    Haha..
    huh.. so much we have moved ahead it really took me hours to recall my physics teachers' name.
    * We had two doors in B1 room. So while takin attendance it used to be full strength and by the time lecture will move on, half of the girls would empty class as teacher would turn to write somthin on the board.And it was real funny as girls would duck down while crossing windows n then run fast in front of other door.
    * our chemistry teacher - would never look up while taking attendance. A girl in my class knew my roll no. well than even hers. She would remember mine but sometimes forget hers. N i didnt kno chemistry teahcer knew my Mom (she a teacher too) and she told mom -"neha never comes to class, but have full attendance thruout". But as my marks always been real good my mom forgive me :) And i was just smilin in embarrasment standing beside both...

    SiD said...

    @neha: Well... guess you too have a lot of intersting tales to tell abt school/college..
    why dont you too start a similar series!!! :)
    reading about college days is always fun!!!

    NehaPandey said...

    Hey Sid thanks for the suggestion, even i had thot this 100 times but i guess I'm too lazy to do that.

    I like your blogs as they r simple, cool, logical, funnny, interesting and quite close to the style of writing I like.

    Though I recently finished Shanataram and was thinkin to start write\ing on similar lines ;)

    SiD said...

    @neha: Wow! That was a huge compliment. Thanks a Ton!

    And eagerly waiting for your writing to start...:)

    NehaPandey said...

    Hmmm, lets see... I'll try my best bt even i dont have any hope frm myself :)