Running Out of Steam [Emotionally Drained but a bit of Fun Implication at the End]

If you've read this blog for very long,
you've come to realize that
I make lots of promises I simply don't keep.

Unintentionally. I guess.

But I've talked my head off to every
willing ear and now I have no steam left
from which to write about the fated events.

But I will tell you:
A young man approached me today
about his midterm.
He wanted to know how he could have gotten a 57
when his study partner, a female in WS100,
got a 97.

Gender bias?

I tried to explain to him,
from the rubric I put on BlackBoard before the exam,
that the essay had 4 parts:

+2 for Identifing the author
+8 for Summarizing the main arguments
+10 for Synthesizing with course goals
and
+3 Bonus

For the 3rd part (+10) he wrote _nothing_.
Nada.
Blank.

Do the math.

Apparently he couldn't. Instead he wants
to investigate me for gender bias in my grading.

Did I mention he missed a week's worth of class?
He seemed to think that had little to do with his score.

Student: "I just don't want you to think I'm
just some dick in the back of the class . . ."

Me: "Really? You think that I think that?"

Student: "Well, from what I said in class
the other day. I don't want you and some of the
girls in here to think I'm an ass."

Me: [Furrowed brow, nodding, and look of concern] "Hmmmmmm . . ."

Student: "Yeah . . . you know, I don't
want you to think I'm some meat head."

Me: [Look of shock and horror]"No! I don't think you are
a meat head. I've never thought that."