I still got it, baby

Today in my biochemistry class, I went up during the 5 minute break to ask my professor when I could meet up with him to ask him some questions for our upcoming exam. We had conversed over email about meeting that morning, but it just hadn't worked out. So I stood in line at the front of the class to have my chance to ask him when I could come to his office, and when it was my turn, the following conversation occurred:

Prof. Tsai: "Woh, you're on the soccer team?" (I was wearing my A&M soccer jacket)

Me: "Yes sir."

Prof. Tsai: "Like the real one...the varsity team? What's your name?"

Me: "Yep! My name is Elisabeth. Anyway, I emailed you this morning..." (cuts me off)

Prof Tsai: "You play forward, don't you?!?"

Me: (chuckling) "Yes, I played forward."

Prof Tsai: "You're like REALLY good!"

Me: "Well thank you, but not really, my friend Melissa up there is better than I am." (I point up to Mel sitting in our seats)

Prof. Tsai: "Cool! I have TWO soccer players in my class! Y'all are like celebrities! So which one is Melissa?"

Melissa: "Me...why?"

Prof. Tsai: "You're on the soccer team too?! You play goalie?"

Melissa: "NO! Do I look like a goalie?!" (side note: never tell a girl she looks like a goalie, that is not a compliment)

Prof. Tsai: "I don't know how to get myself out of this predicament, so I am just going to stop talking now."

Me: "That's a good idea. OK, back to the point, can I come to your office tomorrow morning around 11:30?"

Prof. Tsai: "Yeah, that's cool, sorry about the mix up this morning. Will Melissa be coming too?!"

Me: "Yes, the two of us. So we'll see you then."

Prof. Tsai: "Awesome! So would it be possible to get you two to sign something for me?"

Me: "Only for extra credit."

Prof. Tsai: "That's against the rules."

Melissa: "Well that's too bad then."

So he's now made a scene in front of the whole class (approx. 200 people), but that was not the end of it. He lectures for another 30 minutes, then at the end of period he asks the class if we want the test changed from this Thursday to next Tuesday. I voice my opinion loudly that I think it should remain on Thursday because I am slammed with other tests next week. The rest of the class is begging for the extra days to study and wants it changed.

He then says, "Elisabeth wants it on Thursday. And she's on the soccer team. She's famous. Didn't you score a hat trick this season?"

Me, now trying to hide, quietly respond "Yes". He then screams over everyone again and says, "SHE SCORED A HAT TRICK THIS SEASON!...Well I hate to break it to you Elisabeth, we are changing the test to next week, but that just means you get to spend more time with me in my office! And Melissa can come too!"


Even though I didn't get what I wanted, I left with new-found confidence of my "has-been" athlete status. AND, I was randomly on the cover of the Battalion today, for being born in the Year of the Rat (booyah). They had pictures of Acie Law (former A&M point guard now in the NBA), President George H. W. Bush (his Presidential Library is at A&M), Edwin J. Kyle (Kyle Field's namesake), Reveille V (our beloved mascot), Marquis Carpenter (former cornerback for the football team), Jorge Quiroga Ramirez (former Aggie and President of Bolivia from 2001-2002), and then there was me. hehe :) As one of my friends so eloquently put it in a text message, "Why the hell are you included in that group?" Who knows, Ags, who knows.


* I must put it out there that I have never gotten any sort of special treatment from a professor just for being a soccer player in any of the 5 long years of my undergraduate career. This is not the norm for us. Usually professors look down on me as a "dumb jock" and I am forced to break this stereotype. So Melissa and I plan on taking this and running with it. It's our last chance. Does that make me a bad person?