The assembly hall of the university was filled with curious and at the same time frightened students. I sat in the fourth row, wishing I could leave for the castle as soon as possible. A group of girls were seated next to me, and they immediately put their feminine charms into action, making eyes at me. I put my hands in my pockets and pretended as if I didn't notice that these girls existed at all.
Ten minutes had passed, and only when the students had become quite chatty did none other than the rector of the university himself enter the front doors with an important gait, and the buzz in the hall died down. The students rose noisily from their chairs in greeting. The rector walked to the stage, took the microphone in his hands and with a careless gesture allowed us to sit down.
– Good afternoon, students! – he said cheerfully.
– Good afternoon!" he replied with a raucous chorus of voices.
– I bet you're all wondering why I've gathered you here. Is that right?
– Yes! That's right! Nice tie! How long are we here for? – came from all directions.
– I admire your enthusiasm. But I'm very kind today, so only the fifth and sixth years will remain in the auditorium. Everyone else is dismissed!
The fifth and sixth year students grumbled unhappily, and the younger ones, with happy faces and a lot of noise, hurriedly left the hall. I gazed intently into their crowd, hoping to see that girl… Damn, what was I thinking! I forced myself to look at the stage and mentally scolded myself.
– Something very strange happened at our university: last academic year, many junior students passed the summer session so poorly that they were suddenly seized by a pestilence," the rector said sadly. – Algebra and physics were especially lame. On both legs.
– What's it got to do with us? – came a disgruntled voice from the gallery.
The students giggled.
– It's none of our business! – came another voice.
The laughter rose again.
– It concerns you most of all. You know, in today's world there are millions of academic programmes that we could adopt, but… I suddenly thought: why doesn't Charles University introduce its own? An experiment, so to speak. The older students, the luminaries of our alma mater, should help their younger comrades to prepare for the winter session…
The rector's proposal obviously did not please the audience: there was whistling, unhappy mooing and even silent swearing.
I couldn't hold back a sarcastic grin: people are completely mad!
– The essence of the experiment is quite simple: each of you will study with one of the junior students until the winter session: one, two, or maybe all the subjects he is not good with… – the rector continued his speech.
– Can I opt out of it? Is the programme voluntary? Why weren't we asked? – was heard from all sides.
– I don't understand why there's so much noise and sour faces? The experimental programme is involuntary, but it is compulsory for each of you! Everyone participates. However, it can be cancelled. – The Rector waited for a sigh of relief to spread through the hall before he continued, dashing my hopes with just three words. – But not you. Only those with whom you will be studying have the privilege of withdrawing from this magnificent programme. But I must personally see an objective reason for the cancellation. Are there no more questions?
