On the first day of 9th grade Algebra class our teacher began explaining the rules to us. You know – the usual stuff you might expect at an all boys Jesuit high school. ( I sometimes wonder if all boys schools even exist anymore… and what about Jesuits…. Are they still around anywhere? ) So this room full of 14 or 15 year olds sits nervously listening to our new teacher. One rule caused us all to open our eyes a little wider and wonder if he was just kidding us.

Rule # 2 If any student disrupts class and / or is disrespectful towards the teacher – he will soon regret his actions. “Do Not try me” proclaimed our new teacher.

Well it didn’t take long for some poor schmuck in the front row to test rule #2. The consequences we quick and effective. Our Average looking Jesuit knocked that poor little freshman right out of his desk and onto the floor. There was a minute of silence and then the now embarrassed young lad picked himself up and his desk and sat down.

I don’t recall any of our classmates ever test in rule # 2 ever again that year. And i think its safe to say – We all left that class a little wiser and a whole lot smarter than when we started.

Things were different in 1968.