Wednesday, October 25, 2023
I'm a graduate student of Dr. Schroeder's from long ago and recently I decided to write a little paper on my university days including my Master's Degree studies at Queen's during the 1986-1987 school year for my children. I wrote the following story about something that happened in his class on the End of the Roman Empire and thought I would share it with you. Also in this class was Laurie Young who, a few years later, would become my wife. We celebrated our 34th anniversary this summer.
"Laurie and I both took Dr. Schroeder's class on the End of the Roman Empire, I as a graduate student and Laurie as a 'special student' (since she had her B.A. but was not pursuing a M.A.). The course covered two terms and we were required to sign up to run one of the classes as a seminar in each term. Any topics not covered by the class, Dr. Schroeder did. We all quickly signed up for the November and December spots, delaying our presentations until we knew better how the class would unfold. Dr. Schroeder did the first two months of topics and then the students started presenting. Well, one young man discovered that he had left signing up too late. There were no spots left. He should have presented one of the topics Dr. Schroeder had already done. In what I imagine was an act of kindness, Dr. Schroeder allowed him to do two presentations in the second term, starting in January.
We all reconvened in the new year for our first class, sitting around the large table in the Classics seminar room. Dr. Schroeder made some introductory remarks and then said, "Now I'll pass it over to -----". We all turned to the young man who had missed doing his presentation in the Fall term. He was looking down but reacted when his name was spoken. He opened and closed his mouth. Then looking in horror at Dr. Schroeder he said, "I forgot.... I completely forgot." There was dead silence in the class for what seemed like a long time. It was so uncomfortable for us all. We wanted to help him but there was nothing we could do. I'm sure he wanted to just disappear. Dr. Schroeder let the tension hang in the air a moment and then said, "Okay, then I will do this topic. But Mr. ---- you'll have to see me after class." Dr. Schroeder then conducted the class himself. The unfortunate young man got up part way through and left the class. He wasn't in the next class and we never saw him again."
