Professor Tells Proposing Boyfriend to “Save All Questions for Office Hours"

At the end of Professor Molly Short’s economics lecture, she received a surprise visit from her boyfriend, Derek Johnson. Johnson, who entered just before the end of the lecture, intended to propose to Short in front of her entire EC101 class.Johnson made his way to the front of the room, got on one knee, and began to say “Molly, will you–” However, before Johnson could finish his question, Short cut him off and said, “Derek, please save all questions for my office hours.”When asked about the turn of events following the proposal, student Brad Thompson (QST ‘22) said he could only describe the proceedings as “painfully awkward.”Thompson further stated that after Professor Short told her boyfriend to bring his question to her at office hours, she told him to reference the office hours as listed on the syllabus for available times. “You’ve gotta feel for the guy, I mean, he was just trying to make the moment memorable,” Thompson said.The TA for the class, George Wilson, expressed his approval for how the professor responded to the proposal. “Professor Short’s decision was the only fair one for the students,” said Wilson, “I mean all of their questions about price elasticity and game theory have to wait for office hours, so why shouldn’t her boyfriend’s question about making a lifelong commitment?”Another student in the class, Jessica Milton (CAS ‘22), said she “completely understands Professor Short’s response,” further stating that “office hours are so much more romantic than lecture.” Milton added that, though she backs her professor’s decision, she did feel that the email Short sent after class was “a little odd.”The Bunion was able to locate a copy of the email, in which Short tells her students that this week, her office hours will take place “at the top of the Empire State Building at sunset.” She also states that “students who have questions pertaining to the course material, letters of recommendation, or taking my hand in holy matrimony” should “feel free to bring them to me during said office hours.” The email also specified that Short wears a size 8 ring and that her favorite flowers are daffodils.At press time, Johnson was seen arriving at the observation deck of the Empire State Building at sundown to find a line of 15 students with ring boxes and daffodils already waiting to propose to Professor Short.