You Never Know Who You’re Going to Run Into…
By Standing at the podium this morning, drinking my coffee, waiting to start my class. . .
“Professor Farley,” a student says.
“Yes?”
“I was wondering. . . My dad is driving Joseph Wilson around today, and he’s going to be on University Avenue, and he said that he would be willing to give a short talk in your class. Would that be okay?”
“Joseph Wilson. Ambassador Joseph Wilson?”
“Yes. He’s in town for a talk he’s giving tonight.”
“Joseph Wilson wants to talk to my class. Hmm. I think, yes. Yes, I would like to have Ambassador Joseph Wilson come talk to my 321 class. You can make this happen?”
“I just have to call. . .”
“You are allowed to use your cell phone in class today. Bring me Joseph Wilson.”
Long story short, Joe Wilson shows up at 10:10am (ten minutes before class ends), and gives a brief, stirring discussion of his experience with the administration. Also gave a pretty solid description of the situation in Iraq, and a set of reasons why this administration is incapable of dealing with it, all of which I agreed with. One of my College Republican students stormed out, slammed the door as he left. Kind of rude, but what are you going to do?
Frankly, if someone had told me that Richard Perle or Paul Wolfowitz was on campus, and wanted to talk in my class, I would have been just as happy.