In my graduate file is a Reprimand. The year was 1973. I instructed Vertebrate Zoology Lab for my Graduate Assistantship. $2250 per year. I did so well, I bought my first handgun, S&W K-22 Masterpiece. I made more money than my Dad did farming. We were dissecting the common water snake as a representative of the Class Reptilia. A girl from New Jersey was in the class and she had a pet boa. She wore hip-huggers, high cut blouses; see through tops and her body showed pretty well. I brought in a live Copperhead, placed it on a lab table and let them see it. Most would not come within six feet of the cage. But the Boa girl was fascinated. She says can I have him for a day. My mind was not computing the risk that proposition posed so I said yes. When I entered the Graduate Suite the next morning, a fellow graduate student said your committee Chairman was looking for you. I walked into his office. Woodrow Barber was not famous. He was from eastern KY and a very nice fellow. He became my Chairman because me and another professor had words. (Like my Dad before me, I have my failings). Woodrow looked up and said, this time Ron you got your tet in the wringer. Dean Payne wants you in his office. The President of the University called him in last night. Seems a girl took a live Copperhead into the dorm. They had to evacuate the dorm, call in the Campus Police and recover a Copperhead that the girl said her Vertebrate Lab instructor let her borrow. I could see that my assistantship was flying out the window. He said Ron of all the silly things you have done, nothing is close to this. You are considered faculty. I was worried but Woodrow liked me. He said,Do you know what the washwoman does when she gets her tet in the wringer? No Sir. She gets it out without any further damage, he relied. Go done to Dean Payne and act like you are at your best friends funeral. I went straight to Dean Payne, head of the school of Sciences and Mathmatics. He was a sharp looking fit fellow that came to MSU from a college in Alabama. He explained the commotion I had caused and the risk to the University. He was looking for a response. He said Ron, you are acting like you are attending a boring class. I said, No Sir, I am trying to act like I am attending a funeral.
Posted on: Sun, 03 Nov 2013 13:06:42 +0000
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