Want to create an interactive transcript for this episode?
Podcast: Notes on the Week Ahead
Episode: Midterm Report Card
Description: The all-boys Catholic school where I spent my formative years was a traditional establishment. The air was thick with chalk dust and a steady tension between a rebellious student body and an establishment which resorted to corporal punishment to maintain discipline. However, a second line of defense for the authorities was the issuance of report cards every six weeks. Twice a quarter, the Headmaster would stride into the class room brandishing a batch of colored cards to be signed by parents and returned. A rare pink A-Card, containing all 8s and 9s would be a cause of domestic celebration. A B-C...