Cornell Professor Talbert Freaks Out Over Student's 'Overly-Loud Yawn' (VIDEO)

Perhaps you were up till 3am studying for a test in a different class. Or maybe you had a dinner with friends that ran late into the night. Either way, you're tired today, and you've made the mistake of yawning in one of Professor Talbert's lectures.

Well, you should have yawned quietly because Professor Talbert heard your "overly-loud yawn" and he is having none of it! Also, if you want to anonymously tell on the person who yawned, that will be just fine.

WATCH: (via Daily What)

Comments

[General Public]

01:03 AM on 11/27/2010

I'm glad I never had THAT professor when I went to Cornell... YAWN...

[Simon Andrews]

12:09 PM on 11/25/2010

Reacting to some of the comments posted here ...

-- Why is it acceptable to be rude to someone because you contribute partially to their salary?

-- Why is yawning so loud that 200+ people in a formal setting can hear you seen as "no big deal"? (Would it be no big deal for an individual to yawn like that during a business meeting? A job interview? In a court room? ...)

-- How can this professor's reaction be judged negatively (as an overreaction, as childish, as an indication that he is egotistical, as abusive and reason to be fired, etc.) based on this 2-minute excerpt from a course that likely has 45 hours of lecture time? (Maybe this yawning has happened before, and the professor has let it go, assuming it's an accident. If the yawning has been persistent, maybe the professor has already tried to indicate in various less-severe ways that it is inappropriate and disruptive to the class.)

[warriorwoman73]

05:20 PM on 12/15/2010

I agree, Simon. Bottom line - loud yawning in public is not only rude, it is unnecessary. We all have to capability to yawn quietly should we wish to do so.

[wavinflag]

09:20 AM on 11/23/2010

yaaaaaaawn. Those kids pay you, sir. Bottomline, you wouldn't be there if it weren't for them.

[marron674]

12:28 AM on 11/30/2010

Yes, good call. Contributing to his salary gives one license to be rude.

[warriorwoman73]

05:23 PM on 12/15/2010

Baloney. Cornell University pays him - "the kids" (or their parents, more accurately) pay Cornell. In any case, who pays him is neither here nor there - loud yawning is rude. I guarantee you wouldn't like hearing it if you were teaching a class.

[Steve Kadel]

02:52 PM on 11/22/2010

yawn for the posting

[cusemycampus]

11:28 AM on 11/22/2010

You guys covered this a few days ago, and theres a video remix thats awesome! Its the Yawn Outside video remix. Truly hilarious. http://www.campusbasement.com/cornell/maincampus/videos/411/overly-loud-yawn-remix-the-end-of-the-yawning-era-i-promise

[apricotgreene]

10:23 PM on 11/21/2010

I know that this situation is totally plausible, but I do find the "reverse shot" very weird. I mean, does Cornell really use 2 cameras to film every lecture? I know they have alot of money to throw around but still...

[mgouker]

09:20 PM on 11/21/2010

yawn

[Ellen Elkins]

05:03 AM on 11/21/2010

.

[Ellen Elkins]

04:59 AM on 11/21/2010

Bravo Professor. Just because most parents fail to instruct their children on civility, doesn't mean it isn't in appropriate to do so. Students posters, get over yourselves.

[Acert]

02:32 PM on 11/22/2010

The professors overreaction was anything but civil.

[warriorwoman73]

05:26 PM on 12/15/2010

And the loud yawning was anything but polite. They could (and should) have easily stifled their yawns, as we used to do back in the good old days when people still had manners. The professor would not have had to "overreact" if someone hadn't been classless enough to yawn loudly while he was teaching.

[Shankar Sampanthan]

01:59 AM on 11/21/2010

Check out his ratemyprofessors.com page. This comment from October 04:

Mark talbert should be fired from the hotel school. He is not helpful at all. When I was taking an exam he yelled at us for not saying "bless you" after he sneezed.

Lol! I'm surprised all his talking about yawning did spawn a contagious chain reaction of yawns in the class.

[cliffhammond]

01:40 AM on 11/21/2010

Notice the authoritarian model being used in the class, in all classes. All the students in rows facing the master who has absolute control over them. Yawning in that situation is a universally recognized act of passive aggression. The students will have to wait until the end of the semester when they get one opportunity to grade their instructor.

[James M Connor]

11:47 PM on 11/21/2010

Fanned.

[Elocutionist]

12:02 AM on 11/21/2010

Correct response:
"Out of 220 other professers, why are YOU the *one* who is so boring that, frankly, I cannot help myself yawning out loud? You don't belong on a campus like this-- GET THE HELL OUT! Hey, who pays your salary? Exactly. You work for ME. And my money says, someone mildly interesting should take your place. Maybe some associate of yours can tell me anonymously why you are such a p----. Of course, if you deliver a full apology and try to be interesting, I will not bring up a petition to have you ejected, etc etc etc..."

If the yawner is concerned about his GPA, he can write the above note anonymously, and deliver it under the professor's door-- or, put it on bulletin boards across campus.

[Uncle Toby]

10:20 AM on 11/21/2010

This corporate model for schooling is exactly what is wrong with education today. Education is not a product. A student is not a consumer; "student" means "one who strives," "one who is diligent." A professor is not an employee of a student, an entertainer, or even a motivational speaker; "professor" means "one who brings forth, enlarges, brings to light." Is rhetorical appeal part of teaching? Yes, but anyone who has seriously pursued an education knows that the process of learning, while ultimately rewarding and stimulating, is not always entertaining in the short term. Anyone who lacks the self-discipline and gumption to get the most out of a class whether or not it provides immediate entertainment will come out with only a superficial education.

[Prof Talbert]

02:19 PM on 11/22/2010

Few things in this world possess more banality than a statement stuffed full of dictionary definitions aiming to support a contrived argument.

[WhatBS]

01:57 PM on 11/22/2010

The only thing I can say is that I'm in hopes you're not allowed to breed. That puss student, who was too much of girlie boy to admit that he yawned, will hopefully be ejected. Then his parents will have to find somewhere else to get rid of the useless piece of s#&t.

[Pearcy]

09:51 PM on 11/20/2010

I thought the Professor in the video was engaging and interesting until he said "kilobyte", then I YAWWWWNED.

[cliffhammond]

01:41 AM on 11/21/2010

That one took me by surprise. Good one.

[NB Forrest]

09:17 PM on 11/20/2010

I teach part-time at a local college and I have had the yawwwwnnnn in class too.....that does not bother me....snooze you loose....but I do have to crack the whip when a student is disrespectful to me directly...this Cornell professor just has a big ego :/

[cliffhammond]

01:42 AM on 11/21/2010

Do you teach at Bob Jones?

[Dollgirl54]

09:25 AM on 11/28/2010

So, you're a teacher? It's spelled lose with one l. Crack the whip and return to college yourself.

[W234]

09:12 PM on 11/20/2010

You know what? It is very rude to yawn loudly in class, but that professor, and the way he reacted was LAME. That professor is a loser. I'm embarrassed for him.