I saw the leaves descending from the trees only to cover the ground in a sea of golds, reds, and browns. I saw the chipper squirrels dancing around collecting nuts for the winter wonderland of hell ahead. I saw William’s Hall with vines crawling up the brick walls. I saw the classroom with desks in a horseshoe facing my teacher’s table. I saw my professor who was tall and gangly, and always in a cheerful mood. I saw my peers sitting around me with their books out on the desks. I saw the open space in the middle of the floor and wondered why the desks were set up in such a fashion. I saw my notes in front of me not knowing whether I fully understood the text I read. I saw my professor start the discussion. I saw empty faces. I saw bored faces. I saw interested faces. I saw fascinated faces. I saw the same students talking as usual. I saw myself becoming interested in the topic. I saw myself understanding what was going on after listening to what other people thought about what was going on. I saw the clock. I saw myself raising my hand and sharing my thoughts about the text because I knew what was going on. I saw myself confident. I saw everyone else around me become more confident. I saw hands rising towards the ceiling. I saw my professor with a huge smile on his face because people understood the material. I saw the clock. I saw myself taking more notes. I saw myself leaving in a good mood. I saw myself walking away not completely confused and frustrated. I saw myself excited for the next class so that I could prove how much I could comprehend the text as well as the next person. I saw a useful class.
Shannon Stahl
