Tuesday, October 7, 2008

Wait a Minute. We Have to Get Up, Get CLEAN, AND Go To Class?

We have to ask our dear little hearts to do so much work out of class that I feel dreadful asking them to do more, but, would it be too much to ask for attention to a little personal hygiene before coming to school?

While I realize that "showering" or otherwise rinsing the bed funk off before 8 a.m. is way too much to ask, is brushing one's teeth too much? Really, is it too much to ask that our students do not come to class breathing their morning dragon-breath on us? Could it be too much to request of the poor souls to slap on some deodorant or at least run a wet wipe over the stinky parts and chew a stick of gum before running up to my desk prior to class to ask me if, really and truly, I am requiring them to use APA citations when Dr. Y asks for MLA?

I work in a subtropical environment and I am often rushing into class, "glowing" as ladies might when they've run up 13 flights of stairs because the broken little 18-year-olds are crammed 30 deep in the elevators and none could possibly move for a prof with arms full of books and papers.

So, I know I'm sweaty when I get to class, but owing to my attention to the little details like showering (with soap!), brushing my teeth, using deodorant, and wearing clothes that have seen the inside of the washing machine since August 1, I'm unlikely to gas my students with my aroma. Is it too much to ask they don't do the same for me?