Jacob Lawrence, The Children Go to School (1943)

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August 12, 2003:

University campus, lower floor of a multistory urban building. First day of class. Crowds at the registration windows; crowds at the bookstore; crowds in the halls and classrooms.

Heavy-set student sits behind a folding table. Short hair, gold-frame glasses, a friendly and somewhat bemused expression. Handing pamphlets to passing students: guides to the campus libraries.

With somewhat quirky logic, his supervisors in the library have placed his table directly next to the main men's restroom, where a line queues to enter, and where he's subtly in the way.

"How goes?", you ask.

Shy smile, flickering glint of amusement. "Well," he says. "If you listen attentively, you can hear the act of urination from start to finish."

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