Sunday, July 1, 2007

Lecutre Hall

The first-year medical lecture hall was a fascinating landscape. This vast expanse consisted of distinct territories and, as occurs throughout the animal kingdom, distinct groups were associated with these territories. The lecture hall was divided into three primary sections: Left, Center, and Right. Each primary section was further subdivided into three secondary sections: Front, Middle, and Rear. Distinct groups established themselves within these territories early in the school year. Those seated in your immediate vicinity were likely to become your closest friends at school.

Movement within your section (e.g., Left Rear) was generally accepted, but heaven forbid you move to another (e.g., Left Rear to Right Middle). I committed this ultimate faux pas one morning when I arrived to lecture thirty minutes late. Not wanting to disturb those seated in the aisle seats of my section, I took a seat in the Center Rear section. "What's wrong?" "Are you lost?" "What happened?" "Did you have a falling out with X?" "Why are you sitting here?" Clearly, I had upset the fragile lecture hall landscape. When break time arrived after an hour of lecture, I quickly made my way to my usual seat.

Through the year, the lecture hall became a second home. It's a place I went not only to listen to lectures, but to eat, sleep, study and socialize. It also provided constant entertainment: people falling down steps, people tripping up steps, dropped laptops, spilled coffee, and -- I kid you not -- George Foreman grilling.


I know for sure that next year will be much of the same, albeit in the noticeably smaller, more intimate setting of the second-year lecture hall.

6 comments:

The Lone Coyote said...

George Foreman grilling? That's freaking hilarious. One year in college I had an illegal George Foreman grill in my dorm room because the food stank. I would grill up steaks and pork chops with apples. One day as I was leaving the dorm after a pork dinner, I heard someone entering the dorm say "why does it always smell like grilled meat in here? There's no dining hall in this dorm." Apparently, the smell carried throughout the dorm through the air ducts. I never did get caught :)

DC Med Student said...

Woo-hoo! The first comment on my blog! Thanks Lone Coyote!

Yes, the George Foreman grilling was ridiculous. We're sitting in lecture when all of a sudden we hear sizzling in the rear of the lecture hall. We turned around to find people having a BBQ in the back. At least the professor had a sense of humor and said, "I'll take a burger -- well done, ketchup, hold the mustard."

Anonymous said...

Just now found your blog...it's great! Got it bookmarked.

DC Med Student said...

Thank you, Anon!

Anonymous said...

Heh, now I really think we go to the same school.

DC Med Student said...

I told you I wasn't lying! I can't imagine George Foreman grilling was also happening at another school, so we must go to the same school. :)