Michael Jackson appears in Latin class

Recently three more students have dropped my Latin class. For the first time in a while, the professor gave a war speech about the intangible glories of learning Latin. Needless to say, with the inherent difficultly of the class along with the professor’s strict approach, the mood inside the classroom is often somber.

So I decided to invite Michael Jackson. “Eo” is Latin for “I am going,” and also a verb form we just learned. On a completely unrelated note, Captain Eo was a mid-80’s 3D short film at Disneyland starring Michael Jackson. In it, Jackson defeats the villainess by shooting out bolts of lightning every time he successfully breaks into a choreographed dance number.

I found this picture on the web, inserted “Captain Eo” very prominently next to it and printed it off. Then I came to class very early one morning, so as not to be caught in the act, and taped it to the top window, viewable only as when you are inside the classroom. No one saw it, or if they did, they said nothing.

The next class, I once again came early, and moved the picture front and center. What is the only place in a classroom that all students are guaranteed to look at? The clock! So I took it down, and moved it next to the clock. Throughout the day, the gloved one smiled down upon us, but still no one mentioned a thing.

Was he the white elephant in the room, did no one care, is a Latin class no place for humor, or perhaps everyone needs glasses?