More Seats Than Heads: Students in College

The large conference table was fully occupied by thirty five members of the university's administrative staff. Among them was Marla, a dark haired middle aged woman who, while having been employed by the school for some six years was in attendance at this meeting of the Administrative Council for the first time, having only recently been promoted from within the Counseling Division.

The discussion was about enrollment and Marla seemed at a loss to grasp something. The conversation had included a numerical breakdown of the number of "seats" for the Fall semester and the number of "heads". Heads being the number of students who had enrolled and since many students enrolled for more that one class they would occupy more than one seat. They paid tuition for each class taken and therefore for each seat.

"A ha", exclaimed Marla who seemed delighted to have finally grasped the distinction," I have been wondering for awhile about the difference between "Seats" and "Heads" and how you could possibly have more seats than heads".

The room was respectfully silent for long seconds as no one chose to reveal what was going on in their mind about her slowness in seeking out an answer until it suddenly came upon her.

Sensing that the ice had to be broken the Head of the Faculty Senate Pete interjected, "The thing about it is that, it makes teaching an awful lot harder". The previously silent and serious tone of the room shattered into uproarious laughter that went on shamelessly for long minutes.