Column by Virginia Alley. E-mail [email protected].

In the last weeks, the Kernel has covered the annoyances of both professors and students in the classroom.

We’ve learned what professors despise about student behavior, and what irks students about their instructors.

What, then, did we not hear? What annoys students…about other students?

So, while no poll is involved, I’m going to add my personal peeves into the mix.

Obviously, late work, skipping class and sleeping don’t affect me much.

What you do in your square of classroom isn’t really my business. If you don’t want to listen, don’t. Do what you want as far as I am concerned.

For all my tolerance there is, however, one thing I cannot stand.

The offense: talking.

Lately I find myself witnessing people who are absolutely incapable of preventing noises from escaping their mouths. They cannot stop. At a certain point, chit-chat ceases to be chit-chat and becomes a din.

A din is a beast composed of hundreds of conversations that are quiet in themselves, yes, but together?

Together they create a sentient being that swooshes around the room, silencing the voices that are meant to be heard and clogging the ears of those meant to be listening.

Why is this din creature such a problem? My issue lies not within its existence. It’s bound to happen.

However, when it does happen, it’s obvious. The entire room becomes one loud whirr and the professor’s mouth moves but does not seem to speak words. No one can hear anything. You should be able to notice and stop it.

Professors don’t like dins, and neither do I. What amazes me the most is that when professors attempt to squish it, no one pays a bit of attention. They might grace the professor with a few moments of quietness but then reawaken the din, even after he has blatantly warned them not to do so.

Stop it. We’re all paying to be here. We’re paying for professors to help us learn things. If you don’t want to listen, don’t, but don’t keep others from getting what they want out of a class. Talk if you want, but at least have the intelligence to take a direct order from an instructor when it’s too much, and obey it.

It’s really not that hard.