Student Question
Why was Dr. Rohmer worried at the Academic Championship in "View From Saturday"?
Quick answer:
Dr. Rohmer was worried at the Academic Championship because he feared Mr. Homer Fairbain, the master of ceremonies, might embarrass himself due to his lack of knowledge, which could project a negative image of the event. This concern was heightened by the larger audience and the participation of an all-sixth-grade team. Additionally, Dr. Rohmer's contract as district superintendent was up for renewal, making him anxious about maintaining a positive impression.
Dr. Rohmer is worried that Mr. Homer Fairbain, his "deputy superintendent in charge of instruction and master of ceremonies for the district playoffs", will make a fool of himself at the contest. Mr. Fairbain is not knowledgeable in areas in which an Academic Championship master of ceremonies should be knowledgeable, and in the past has made silly errors, like mispronouncing the names of foreign republics or misreading Roman numerals. Dr. Rohmer is worried that if Mr. Fairbain makes too many "goofs", it will reflect poorly on the image projected by the community's contest, especially because the audience this year will be larger than usual with an all-sixth-grade team competing for the first time. Most of all, though, Dr. Rohmer is worried because his contract as district superintendent is up for renewal, and if the contest goes badly, he is afraid it might affect his chances of having his contract reapproved (Chapter 7).
Dr. Rohmer is a man who is very concerned with outward appearances. He worries about meeting the desired perception of political correctness, diversity, and the general aura expected of proper "ed-you-kay-toars" (Chapter 2).
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