Selam seb Dehai,

Last time we met, I shared with you part of an exchange between a student and his teacher. The student contested the teacher's authority to set Final Examination as requirement for getting a credit for a Course. The requirements were clearly stated in the Course Syllabus. The student sought to blackmail the teacher. Either the teacher rewarded the student with a passing grade, without the benefit of a Final Exam, or the student would blow up the building. So said the student. The teacher was alarmed by the threat and reported the incident to the School Principal. The Principal put together an Adjudication Committee to resolve the matter amicably. If the effort failed, the matter would go to the School Board. During the hearing the student kept repeating one phrase again and again--"Aggression Should Not Be Rewarded". Two of the Committee members ( A and B) were mystified. But the third, C, appeared to know what the student was trying to say. Any way here's a portion of the transcript of the exchanges between the student (Student) and the Adjudication members (A), (B), and (C).

Adjudication Committee Hearing

(A): We understand you refused to take the Final Exam.

(Student): Yes, I declined to take his exam.

(B): What do you mean by HIS exam.

(Student): I mean I don't recognize anything stated in the Syllabus.

(C): Wait a minute. When you enrolled in the course, you were handed the Syllabus, and by staying in the course, you accepted the terms. Isn't that what it means?

(Student): It said a Final Exam. I did not say who should write the questions.

(A): Let me get this right. Are you saying the teacher has no authority to write the questions?

(Student): "Aggression Must Not Be Rewarded."

(A): I beg your pardon?

(Student): "Aggression Must Not Be Rewarded."

(B Looks confused. Looks at his colleagues)

(C): ( Whispering to his colleagues), "He's saying, he should have the right to write the questions."

(A): I think I got it now. Tell me, Student, if you don't want the teacher to write the question, then who do you have in mind?

(Student): Of course, I can do it. I have done it before.

(A): Say that again?

(Student): I have done it once before. I can do it again.

(C): You mean you wrote the questions?

(Student): I sure did.

(A): And who wrote the answers?

(Student): Of course, I did.

(B): And who evaluated the answers?

(Student): Who do you think? Of course I graded my answers! Who would know the answers better than me?

(C): You have a point there. You wrote the questions. You know the answers. And I take it, you passed.

(Student): Yes, I did.

(B): With flying colors, I presume?

(Student): "Aggression Must Not Be Rewarded."

(C): He means yes.

(A): Just for the record. You wrote the questions. You graded the answers, and you gave yourself a passing grade.

(Student): "Aggression Must Not Be Rewarded."

(C): Take it as a yes

(A): OK student. Now we get it.

(B): Tell me what was the course that you passed with flying colors.

(Student): It was called Selected Topics in Geography.

(A): Interesting.

(B): Very interesting.

(C): Very, very interesting.

(Student): Thank you. I now know more geography than I did before.

(C): What topics did you cover?

(Student): "Surveying and the Placement of Markers."

(A): Did it have any practical applications?

(Student): O, Yes! That's what we used for Wolkayit and Raya as part of phase one of our expansion plan.

(B): Wolkayit and Raya? What are they?

(A): Expansion plans? What for?

(Student): "Aggression Must Be Rewarded"

(A): You are not answering my question.

(B): I am afraid, he is . In his own way. Perhaps C can tell us what the student has in mind.

(C): Wolkayit and Raya are annexed territories. From Beghemidir and Wollo. They are part of the future GTR--Greater Tigray Republic.

(A): Very, very interesting.

(B): I am curious about your methodology. What techniques did you use?

(Student): Why, of course, P.O.S. and R.A.M. Then there is S.P.B

(A): What do the initials mean?

(Student): "Aggression Must Not Be rewarded"

(B and A automatically lean towards C who they knew what the initials stood for).

(C): P.O.S stands for Pile Of Stones. First you select the land you want. Then you move a pile of stones every hundred meters a week. After one year you have annexed more than five Kilometers. R.A.M stands for Ras Alula Method. You do R.A.M in three stages: S.P.B. First you Slash; then your Plunder. Finally you Burn. P.O.S may or may not come before S.P.B.

(A): It does not look like your methodology has been approved by the international Society of Surveyors and Markers.

(Student): Who cares?

(B): You don't?

(Student): We have a 5000 years long history. We are a proud people, a sovereign people. No one is going to dictate to us. We believe in seeking "African solutions to African problems".

(A): I am sure you do. I am sure that explains what happened in Rwanda.

(Student): We are not talking about Rwanda. Even there, it was the Belgians' fault. Don't blame Africa for the white man's mistakes. It's arrogant. It's racist.

(C): I am afraid we are going off on a tangent. Could we return to the Syllabus.

(Student): As I was saying as a sovereign people, we have the right to our own Syllabus. We write our own questions; provide our own answers. We have the right to give ourselves grades. It's not any one's business.

(C): I am afraid you will have a problem getting international acceptance for your unusual methodology. I mean for your P.O.S and R.A.M. Not to mention your S.P.B.

(Student): "Aggression Must Not Be Rewarded."

(C): He's saying who cares. I have already awarded myself a certificate.

(A): Your certificate of completion of a course on Selected topics in Geography will not be recognized internationally.

(Student): It really does not matter. I shall print my own certificate. Then I will order the Department of Geography at Addis Ababa University to recognize the Certificate. I will frame the Certificate then hang it on my wall.

(A): I guess you can decorate your room any way you wish. But if you want to get international recognition, you have to abide by international rules.

(C): What my colleague A is saying is that you have to follow the Course Syllabus your teacher gave you when you signed up for the Course.

(Student): "Aggression Must Not Be Rewarded."

(A): OK. Student, Enough is Enough. What do you mean by "Aggression....."?

(Student): It's about the past. About victim-hood. About getting even.

(A, B, C): (In one voice) Could you elaborate, please?