QUOTE : As I am new to teaching this course, University policy is that we are to use this time to get to know each other better. I realize that this is an incredible waste of all of our times and tuition money, is utterly tedious, and accomplishes nothing, but that is the rule.” She started handing out more paperwork. “Break into small groups and try to answer as many of the inane and entirely nonsensical questions as you can, before you stop caring about the assignment and learn to hate the others in your group. Once you have spent five consecutive minutes discussing how it is impossible for the members of your group to discuss anything for five minutes-- as you obviously have nothing in common and are all equally boring-- the assignment will be complete, and you can promptly forget all of the names and information you have learned about your classmates, and go home. Please hand in your papers to me on your way out, so that I can discard them without bothering to read what you wrote, as I do not care.