Do I get hazard pay???

Yesterday was a big day for my students, their midterm exam.

I teach two sections of this particular course, so I have about 65 students. Normally I take a class period to give the exam to each section separately, but this semester, for various reasons, I decided to try something new. I reserved one of the lecture halls for an hour when one of our course lectures had been cancelled.

There were good and bad things about this decision. The worst thing was having to climb up and down steep auditorium steps for an hour, answering questions from students who don't actually bother to read directions. Exercise? Good. Unexpected exercise in work clothes? Not so much.

My greatest shock happened about halfway through the exam. From across the auditorium I noticed one of my students rustling in his bag. I stopped to watch him, and when he straightened up he took one of his hands away from his face.

His cupped hand was full of blood. There were smears on his face, and I could see red spatters on his exam - from across the hall.

Trying to not draw too much attention to him, I tried to help him stop the bleeding. I sent my TA out to get some ice to try some vasoconstriction, but eventually there was too much blood and too many bloody tissues.

My student left the auditorium and went to the bathroom. About 15 minutes later I asked him if he wanted to go to the clinic. He declined, but asked for an extra 15 minutes for the exam.

I decided that a spontaneously exploding face merited special consideration.

When he handed in his exam he apologized for the blood all over it. I half-jokingly asked if he has HIV (this is something I was required to ask my patients in NJ).

He smiled and said, "We don't have HIV in Egypt."

I responded, "Wrong answer."