The first half week of classes is over. All of my professors seem, for all intents and purposes, okay. Here is my evaluation, thus far, of their personalities:


Professor Coleman (BioChemistry). The kind of man who seems like the kindly uncle who is always giving you candy. Probably gives nice Christmas presents. Would expect him to be married to a woman that can bake the most delicious pies.

Professor DeFotis (Physical Chemistry). The complement to the kindly uncle: the embittered bachelor uncle. Wise but cynical; acerbic and easily riled. Has great stores of knowledge but imparts them with the price of making you feel stupid and somewhat useless. Smokes a pipe and, most likely, mutters to himself about the follies of youth.

Professor David (U.S. History). Ph.D. candidate. Young and apparently not totally jaded by the Byzantine nature of Academia. Has an ingenuous and charming nostalgia for the rigours of undergraduate work. Eager and bright. Probably always remembers to call his parents on their birthdays and always calls the older professors in his departmant "Sir" or "Ma'am." Wears a jacket and tie.

Professor Voigt (Archaeology of the Near East). An older lady, the kind of woman who might be a spinster aunt or a distant cousin. Might be taken at first glance for a New-Agey type; someone who didn't know she was a professor of Anthropology might supsect she wore crystals and read Alan Ginsberg while burning incense and listening to ambient easy-listening piano ballads. Seems to be fairly laid-back but demanding. Might have an undue fascination with maps.

Professor Orwoll (Introduction to Chemistry Research). A mellow grandfatherly type. Bears some resemblance to Col. Sanders. I expect him to offer me a silver dollar and some type of financial wisdom in the near future. Might be too easygoing to really be qualified for a teaching position.