Introductions
Hi. I'm Ethan.
The quiet kid by the window was asked to write 250 words about himself. He has opinions about that requirement.
Hi. I'm Ethan.
Mr. Degen says these have to be at least 250 words. I asked if I could explain why that's an arbitrary number. He said that would count toward the 250. So here we are.
I sit in the third row, by the window. Good light, near the outlet, far enough from Tommy that his pages don't land on my desk. Usually.
Things I like: tea, a calculator that doesn't need a case, quiet rooms, and the feeling when two numbers that are supposed to match actually match. Things I don't like: being told something is "due." Nothing is due. The dice don't remember.
People in class think I don't say much. That's fair. I just don't like saying things twice, and I really don't like saying things I'll have to take back. If I post something, I've already checked it. Then I checked the check.
Some days I post a lot less than everybody else. Some days the board just isn't interesting. Bev calls those my "nap days." They're not naps. I'm reading. There's a difference, and it's mostly posture.
About the others. Tommy is very fast and very enthusiastic and has a notebook for every possible situation, including a notebook about notebooks. Bev asks the question everybody was thinking and then three more nobody was. Rich brought his own chair. I haven't decided how I feel about that yet. The chair looks comfortable.
Mr. Degen grades all of us the same way. Red pen, every result, no erasing. I like that part most, honestly. A record you can't edit is the only kind worth reading.
If you want to see how I'm doing, my slip is on the front page. If I'm quiet for a while, it's not personal. I'm just waiting for something worth saying.
That's 250. I counted.