The meeting commenced with much fanfare. The speaker on stage was fervent and impassioned, but the parents seated below were fighting off drowsiness.

Ordinarily, they might have shown some respect, given that he was someone authoritative. However, now that their children's futures were at stake, patience was wearing thin.

The speech was long-winded and tedious, extolling the virtues of the proposal without offering much substance. When the speech finally ended, volunteers began distributing co