Exams, candles, and bananas

I gave my final exam to one of my graduate classes on Wednesday evening. The first half of the exam I delivered orally to each student individually on a series of literary critical terms (feminist criticism, deconstruction, etc.). The second half was to be written and was held in the department office. Our class meets in the office because they are no classrooms available and there are only five students in the group. However, the office is in the basement and has one small light bulb for the entire room. For evening classes, we gather under the light bulb to read. When the electric current is weak, as it often is, the bulb will not even stay on; it flickers on and off.

For the final examination, I wanted to do what I could to improve conditions, so I purchased some candles and matches and brought them. Just in case. “Final examination by candlelight” is a striking concept, but fortunately the candles were not needed. We cleared some desks and brought some chairs under the light bulb and they wrote about Chinua Achebe, Wilson Harris, and Joseph Conrad. I also brought bananas, which I gave to the students after the oral part of the exam. People here don’t always eat well, so I thought I would try to give them some energy for the exam. I have not yet read their examinations so I can’t say anything on the quality of their responses as of yet, or if the bananas were helpful.

I just finished another final examination on poetry for the same students; the light was good this Saturday morning, but the noise posed yet another challenge.