Dr. Petronis and the "Curve"

Submitted by Roger Byrd (BS 1972)

Once, just after a particularly gut-wrenching exam, a student plaintively asked Professor Petronis whether his policy was to convert test scores to course grades using a curve, presumably rather than requiring a score above 70 to get a passing grade. In those days, strict adherence to numerical scores was referred to as having a "steep curve." Petronis looked up, and without missing a beat, he replied something like, "Yes, of course. But my curve makes Lover's Leap look like a sliding board!" That colorful expression has stuck in my mind for over 40 years now.

Roger Byrd, BS '72