Situation Boy Strikes Again

So yesterday I had my last class on American Culture. If you haven't been reading this I'm not a student. I'm taking the class to finish a second degree in Anthropology (I graduated in Journalism). Our last class was a peer review of the preliminary version of our 10 page essays about what it is to be an American. I haven't written a college essay in maybe four or five years (did it all the time in my anthro classes, but never when I went into Journalism). I thought I'd done a pretty good job, despite the time lapse. But then, and I just had this sinking feeling about it, the "situation" boy was the one selected to review MY paper-the guy that doesn't ever make sense and adds lots of religious comments that have NOTHING to do with what we're talking about in class, the one that has repeatedly tried to set me up-one with a stranger he met at the gym (keep in mind he doesn't even know me-he's just pretty much insane). I finally resorted to telling him I have a boyfriend.

So I get my paper back with all these comments on it from him and it's quite clear he didn't understand what was happening in the paper. He also grades me a C-!!! I was flabbergasted. Never in my entire life have I ever received such a grade on anything I've ever written. I've received A's, A's, A's. I was understandably upset and had him go over everything he thought was wrong with the paper. It was clear in the conversation he had an absolute lack of understanding of logic. I'm not just saying this because my ego was wounded-though it was-he honestly had the reading comprehension of a rock.

In the first paragraph I lay out my thesis, and I include everything I would like to use in the paper to back it up. He wrote, "a lot of ideas at once". Yes, bonehead, that is what is called a thesis, where you talk about what you intend to lay out in your paper. He seemed confused later on when I mention the founding of our country and the the First Amendment being an integral part of allowing the variety of beliefs and traditions within America. He writes, "Is religion the theme of your paper?" Ummm...okay. Then he actually suggests I use headlines for all the different ideas in my paper so the professor will know what I'm talking about. Headlines? Are we in third grade? I'm sure if the professor reads the paper he'll have a much better comprehension of what's going on with it than that idiot. There's another part where I mention the diversity in New York and I use a personal example of my first time there. I mention taking the Chinatown bus up from DC. He actually wrote, "Is the theme about your trip to DC?" Clearly the boy didn't understand that when I said leaving DC and then followed with a trip to New York that meant it wasn't about DC.

I was later talking to this other guy in class who kept giving me a sympathetic look. He was being really friendly as I was leaving (we've been flirting all semester) and suddenly the "situation" guy blurts out, "So, how's the sweetie?" I thought the boyfriend idea was brilliant up until that moment. The other boy's face sunk. I, trying not to appear guilty of my lie, played it cool and said everything was fine, quickly walking to the door and avoiding any other awkwardness.

I am hoping his absolutely ridiculous review of my paper-which we have to turn in-doesn't affect my overall grade. I've even written a letter to the professor explaining the boy didn't seem to know how to read (but in nicer terms, of course).

My only consolation is that I don't have to see him in class anymore.