Week 9: Lab Maggots

We wrapped up the evolution of behavior in Primates last week. This week, those who are doing a presentation on their evolutionary topic will be doing so. The rest of the class is writing a paper as part of the writing intensive option for the class.

We discussed more non-parametric stats and started getting ready to review for finals in Stats. The students turned in their last homework assignment. The final is next Wednesday. 

We had the first two presentations in History of Anthropology. There are two more today and mine is Thursday. I am presenting on Bioarchaeological Theoretical Inquiry. 

I did not attend classes last Friday because I had to go home on Thursday night. Jared threw discus at state on Friday and placed third (up from seventh last year). He also threw a two inch PR. The boys team placed 2nd and the girls 7th. 

That made it a four day weekend for me and I spent it with my family. I can't wait to be home for the summer. I check out of my dorm on Monday. 

Last week, one of the grad students from the cohort ahead of mine came in to my office to say that there were maggots in the lab. I went in there to see. There were indeed maggots crawling across the counter by the sink. Someone had left a hard-boiled egg and a strawberry in a bagel bag there and a fly laid her eggs. They hatched and when someone moved the bag, they went all over the counter top. I had to laugh. A handful of maggots sent most of the undergrads who were in the lab screaming down the hall. I scooped the maggots (with my hand) onto a tray and took them outside. As I walked down the hall with the tray, the undergrads screamed and scattered. Lol! 

On my way back to my dorm last week, I stopped to use the ladies room in a building I pass all the time but don't have classes in. One of my stats students was walking in to the bathroom as I was going out. She looked at me in shock and said, "What are you doing out of the Anthro building? You need to go back. It confuses me to see you here." It guess it's like when you are a little kid and you see your teacher at the store. You are shocked to realize that teachers are people too. 

I have been having fun (insert sarcasm here) with some of my students and their attendance or I guess their honesty about their attendance. To keep track of attendance, I pass a spiral notebook around and they write their name on the current page. There is a paperclip at the top of the page to keep it open (or to keep people from flipping to previous pages). Every day after class, I draw a line at the end of the names in pen. Then, I transfer the information to a spreadsheet. I do this every day after class. There are only 27 students. I know all of their names. But, several times now I have had students add their name to a previous day's attendance or even add their friend's names when they are absent. Really?! 

I have only had two students come to me for help during my office hours. I wonder how much that number will go up now that it is almost time for the final.