Grades

BY CHARLES SEMINE, TUFTS STUDENT 1999-2003
I met Tony as an incoming freshman in 1999. I was very interested in the Drama Dept. and upon arriving at Tufts that fall, I promptly signed up for the course of courses, the incomparable Drama 12, taught by none other than Signore Cornish. I was also in the orientation group he led that fall, and I was cast in Love for Love, the show he was directing. So, on average, I was spending about 6 hours a day with Tony, and while I was still very intimidated by his grandeur, I felt that by the end of the semester we had established a strong repore with eachother.

Around December the fall term grades came out, and I signed onto SIS online only to discover that the worst grades I had gotten that semester had been from Tony. I spent the rest of my break fuming at the idea that this man, who I thought had liked me, had in fact detested my company, and my performances.

The first day I returned to school I stormed into Tony's office with one thought on my mind: I Hate This Man!! I walked to his door, and banged with intensity. "Come in." I walked in, pulled out my report card, and gave it to him. He picked it up, looked up at me, and said, "Yes?" I told him that I could not understand why he had given me a B- in Drama 12 and a C+ in Love for Love. He looked at me with that smirk that I'm sure we all know well, and said something that I will never forget. Semine, I grade people according to their potential, not their performance. If I'd thought that the work you did this semester was the best that you could have done I would have given you an A. But as it stands I expect much more from you in the future."

Tony always expected his students to reach farther than they ever dreamed they could, and the lesson he gave me that afternoon has stayed with me ever since. I'll miss him.