A Skeleton in the Family by Leigh Perry Page A

less about soccer than I now know about anime. I don’t suppose you—?”
    â€œSorry, Madison always took drama classes during soccer season. But if I might make a suggestion?”
    â€œPlease.”
    â€œYou’ve got a class full of would-be journalists, and chances are that several of them play or have played soccer. Give it to them as a class assignment. You might have to do some editing, but still, you’ll get the article and they’ll get a publication credit.”
    â€œThat’s brilliant!”
    â€œModerately,” I conceded, “but it’s an old adjunct trick. I’ve let students critique one anothers’ compositions to cut down on my grading, and let them guest lecture on short stories and poems. They learn a lot, and it saves me work. A win-win situation. I’ve even worked deals with other adjuncts. I realized I had a class full of kids who didn’t know what it meant to fact-check, so I had my students critique papers for a bunch of history students, who then helped my students learn basic research techniques. It took some coordinating, but both classes started producing better work.”
    â€œWow. You know all the tricks.”
    â€œOnly because I’ve been an adjunct ever since I got out of grad school. McQuaid is my—” I paused to count it out on my fingers. “McQuaid is my seventh college.”
    â€œAnd I thought college professors had it easy with the tenure system.”
    â€œOnce upon a time, sure, but more and more schools are using adjuncts to save money. They don’t pay us as much, they can hire and fire as class sizes change, and they only provide minimal benefits. From a business perspective, it makes all kinds of sense.”
    â€œWhat about the adjunct’s perspective?”
    â€œMost of us would kill for tenure.”
    Fletcher blinked.
    â€œWell, we’d maim for it, anyway.”
    â€œI had no idea. You know, this would make a great article. Something meaty, with depth.”
    â€œI can’t see the
Gazette
running it. McQuaid is one of their regular advertisers.”
    â€œTrue, but there are other places I could try.” He glanced at his watch. “Unfortunately, I’ve got to get going to make today’s deadline. I’m so glad I ran into you. This has been really helpful.”
    â€œMy pleasure. Thanks for the cookie.”
    He gathered his things, got up, and then said, “Would you like to get together sometime?”
    â€œFor an interview about adjunct trials and tribulations?”
    â€œActually I was thinking dinner and a movie. Unless there’s another man in the picture?”
    â€œNo, my picture is currently without male embellishment.” We exchanged smiles, and he left.
    To add to my pleasure, Madison wandered by just then. She looked at me with a questioning expression, and when I put on a look of studied nonchalance, she checked Fletcher out from the rear and gave me a thumbs-up.
    I had to agree with her grading. Not only was Fletcher more than presentable from the front, he had an excellent rear view.
    The rest of the day went by quickly, even without further visits from attractive reporters. Since the con was being held on campus rather than at a hotel, it had to shut down earlier in the day than was the norm for cons, and the last panels ended at seven.
    The plan had been for me to meet Sid back at my office at six so I could get him back out to the van before coming back inside to drag Madison away from her friends. But I’d been sidetracked by a particularly tricky level of Angry Birds, and I didn’t get back to my office until quarter after. I’d been worried Sid would also have lost track of time since his costume hadn’t included a watch, but as it turned out he was already in the office, and had packed up his costume and most of himself.
    â€œSorry I’m late,” I said.
    â€œNo problem.”
    â€œDid you have a