To the gross Keiths of IU

It’s about 22 minutes into my morning sciences lecture when Keith, a classmate, finally shows up.

Clad in thin, plaid drawstring pajama pants with a pair of Beats headphones still blaring ‘round his neck, he plops nonchalantly in the seat next to me and wastes no time in asking to borrow a pencil and a piece of paper for notes.

Rather than bringing such supplies himself, Keith instead pulls a giant foot-long Italian sub from his backpack. Once he is finished, he disappears once more into the black Jansport, only to return with a toothbrush and full tube of toothpaste.

Yes, dear reader, Keith actually brushes his teeth during the lecture. The horror on my face must be evident, because Keith takes off soon after — 10 minutes before class officially finishes. And, of course, with my mechanical pencil.

Though clearly an extreme end on a varied scale of class behavior, the Keiths of the world are very real, very out there and very much in many of our courses. Some of us may even be incarnations of Keiths — constantly showing up late and dressed poorly, with a latte from the Union in hand and Amazon already loaded on our browsers.

And while it may be unobtrusive to occasionally wear pajama pants, forget classroom supplies and spend lecture time doing other things than taking notes on the lecture, it is the opinion of this humble columnist that making a habit of such behavior truly does have negative consequences.

First, it’s just bad form.

There are set start and end times to class for a reason. If you have trouble making those times because of a long walk from a previous class, talk to your professor. Showing up halfway through a session just because you didn’t allocate enough time to get ready in the morning is just plain irresponsible.

We’re adults now, and as such we need to start getting into the habit of being accountable for our actions and obligations.

Second, it sends a message to both faculty and your peers that you don’t care enough about them to attempt to maintain yourself or your decorum.

Yes, it’s a drag to have to attend class at 9:30 a.m., but your professor shouldn’t have to spend valuable class time wondering if you’re planning on taking a nap just because you decided to wear the ratty thing you visibly slept in last night.

And lastly, it affects you.

Failing to bring the most basic materials needed to attend class — like writing utensils, paper, textbooks or capacity for shame — results not only in you looking a little lazy, but the lack of organization also reduces your functionality in a learning environment.

I’ve noticed that on the days where I don sleeping garb for class, the plush material hugs my body in a way that is more conducive to daydreaming and naps than actually taking notes.

I know that it’s February and many of us are second semester seniors, but just because we can slack off on our behavior doesn’t mean that we should.

Treating professors and classmates with respect may require us to spend a little extra time for preparation, but in the long run, it’s worth it.

- mcaranna@indiana.edu
Follow columnist Marissa Caranna on Twitter @marissa_caranna.