EDUCATIONAL ANECDOTES

STRANGE MATH

Another mathematics professor at Southern Paulson University, offers this gem of a story. Dr. Wallace had devoted his entire career to the teaching of basic mathematics principles. He was a dedicated professional who never found the time to get married. Consequently, he lived alone in a small rented apartment in the city.

It was during one of the high inflationary periods that prices on necessary goods and commodities were soaring. Increased health care costs, higher insurance rates, and rising taxes were affecting everyone with limited income. You can imagine, Dr. Wallace's concern when he returned to his apartment one day and saw a notice that his rent was being increased by a whopping eighteen percent!

He, of course, sought immediate counsel with the landlord to determine the rationale for such a large increase. The landlord was more than willing to give his explanation.

"We must keep up," he said, "with the rising cost of inflation. In the last year, the cost for heating fuel increased by six percent, the telephone bills increased by six percent, and the power bills increased by six percent. As a professor of mathematics, you will quickly realize that this represents a TOTAL increase of eighteen percent. We are simply passing that increase on to you."

Dr. Wallace never tired of telling this story. He said it was very similar to another instance in his life, when one of his former students told him of success in a business venture. This young entrepreneur said that making money was no trouble at all.

"I tell you, Prof." He would say. "You just get yoreself a product that cost $1 to make, and then sell it for $4. Four percent profit ain't bad!"

Needless to say this was not one of the professor's brightest students, but his annual income far exceeded that of a college professor.

Late For School

I don’t know the source for this story, but my dad loved to tell it to his students whenever they would bring an excuse from home. It seems that a third-grader in a small country school came in about two hours late, and his teacher demanded an excuse. The boy was dirty and looked as if he’d been working in the field all morning. He set down his books, lifted his head to the teacher, and said: “Well, Miss Ledbetter, you know we’d been havin’ lots of trouble with weasels. They been robbin’ the hen house and killin’ our chickens and all. Well . . . In the middle of the night, my Paw heard a racket outside. He grabbed his double-barreled shotgun off the wall, slowly walked outside, stepped into the hen house, and cocked both barrels. Now, Paw don’t wear nothin’ but a night shirt, and as he stuck his head into the hen house door, ole brumby, our big dog, come up behind him and “cold-nosed” him on the rear. We been cleanin’ chickens since three o’clock this morning.

--The End--