Another Logic Problem

We are reading Animal Farm aloud in class. Alan Lackey finishes his part and another student carries on. Then Alan quietly gets my attention.


Alan: "Mr. Vonn, what does 'fortnight' mean?" He had just read that aloud in the last paragraph.

Mr. Vonn: "Two weeks, 'fortnight' means two weeks."

Alan: "Oh, OK."

Dan Webster, sitting behind Alan: "It mean what?"

Me: "Two weeks."

Dan: "That don't mean two weeks, that mean four nights."

Me: "No, a FORTnight, like two weeks, fourteen days."

Dan: "No that's two days."


You try explaining that one.

point (verb): the act of pointing someone or something

In homeroom, I am fiddling with my laptop projector.


Tierra Ford: "Ooh! Mr. Vonn can I take a picture of myself and save it as your laptop background?"

Mr. Vonn: "Uh, no, Tierra."

Silence, then a baffled Troy Jenkins: "Aw come on Mr. Vonn you gotta point her for that!"


I am constantly amazed at the word's versatility.

Merry Christmas

It's the last day before winter break. We are taking a final exam on Animal Farm. The room is relatively quiet as students write their answers.

In the distance we hear something--singing. Gradually the sounds becomes clear and distinct; the school's chamber singers are walking down the hallway singing Christmas carols. This one was "The Twelve Days of Christmas."


Student [Garry Johnson]: "Mr. Vonn can you please tell them to shut up? We are taking a test."

Other students in background: "Thank you!" "Mm-hmm!"

Mr. Vonn: "All right, all right, I gotcha, they'll be gone soon."


They walk away and the singing fades. The class becomes silent again, for roughly five seconds. Then Charles pipes in:


"That IS the song, though."

Garry: "Shut up."