I could practically hear my professor yelling at me for being late before I walked through the door. This was only the second time I had been late to my 8 am class once in my entire senior year at UCLA, but damn if she was gonna treat it like it was no big deal.
I tried to slip inside and to the back row quietly as she was turned around talking. I failed. "Nice of you to join us Ms. Penova." Her voice called to me seriously, "If you'll speak with me after class I'll be happy to assign you your final paper that I explained about forty five minutes ago." She gave me a dark smile and turned back to her board.
I sunk down in my seat and rolled my eyes as her lecture droned on for another hour and fifteen minutes. The second she dismissed us I knew I was in for it. I was a good student, I told myself, and I couldn't let one bad morning get to me. "You wanted to assign me something?"
"Yes..." She muttered slowly to me and went over to her desk.
She handed me a paper with small print that read "FINAL" at the top.
"This is our final?" I furrowed my brows. "It's February..."
"Thank you for making me aware," She replied sassily and began to erase the board, "But this paper won't be due until May 14th. The day of your final."
"That's a long time for a paper..." I huffed and looked at the paper again.
"If you would read Ms. Penova you'd see that this is not just a paper. It's an interview. A very long interview." She pointed to the paper in my hand.
I tilted my head and read the first few lines, "Choose a person who is accomplished in their field and get to know them. Whether it be athletics, fine arts, entrepreneurship, or something else. They must have a career. No staff at UCLA are permitted to participate."
"So does this mean I have to stalk a famous person and get to know them?" I asked her.
She smiled sarcastically, "Very funny but no. Some people are planning to reach out to famous people, but I would look for a more sophisticated route. I think you have the writing capability to make this piece your own Ms. Penova."
"Well, thanks," I smiled, "But I guess I'm not sure I understand. Don't do someone famous... Do someone accomplished?"
"Precisely." She nodded, "What are you interested in?"
"Journalism," I shrugged my shoulders, "Authors... Music..."
"I think you should start with a music person." She steered me, "An author would take over this assignment because they are a writer as are you."
"So who should I pick? Someone in the music field who isn't famous per se, but accomplished..." I thought for a moment and sighed, "Anything else?"
"You do realize this isn't just a sit down interview?" She asked me seriously, "This is your life Ms. Penova, You take this class two days a week and for those two days a week you must spend time with this person and their family until you feel like you have substantial information and I tell you to come to class instead."
"Wait so it's like a biography on their success and their personal life? That's such a big project... How long?" I asked her.
"Welcome to your final semester Ms. Penova." She raised her eye brows at me and sighed, "You'll spend two days or more a week with them for eight weeks."
"At their house?" I asked incredulously.
"If they'll allow it." She replied.
"With their family?" I questioned her.
