A Miracle Christmas Gift: Nearly-Perfect Finals
Wednesday morning, students across CMU campus awoke to an incredible email resting in their inboxes: “You’re done with finals!” Sent from a gibberish address, the messages contained only roughly-scanned notes written on sheet paper. In large looping cursive text and taped-on Polaroids, these letters told students that their last commitments had all been completely taken care of. For some, final essays had been handed in days early, the letter jotting down a favorite cited peer-reviewed study that "Might just tickle your fancy if you give it a read!” For others, letters contained a scored final exam: only ever a sign error away from perfect, and always enough to bring home the student’s coveted A. “That was a tough one,” many a letter would encourage, “I’m mighty proud of how hard you’ve worked!” Though no name was signed in the letter, most included a final picture: a scanned Polaroid selfie of a smiling, white-bearded old man, pointing at the student’s name on a laptop screen. Scrawled on each photo, a little note: “From your biggest fan!” Students were beyond overjoyed. Many were left speechless: they approached a ReadMe staff member choked in tears, and collapsed asleep moments after presenting the email. Those with the energy to run home did so, sleeping for the first stint of over five hours in the last week. Students promised to leave gifts in their kitchens before heading out for break: cookies and chips, milk and now-unneeded Celsius cans, anything they could muster. These students went on their merry way with a fresh spring in their step: that was all this letter sender wanted in return.