No, straight to the lecture hall

You would have loved to explore other booths with doubtlessly equally great entertaining, but a look at your watch tells you to get going. With regret you turn and make your way towards the lecture hall of the postgraduate's offices building. You are glad to see a few familiar faces already, from your dorm and your previous brief visits to the school both. The seats around you are filling up quickly in an organised and calm fashion and you have a look around the lecture hall. There is a small implement rack by the lecturer's stand, certainly not the scale you would have expected in a place full of students. Next to it there is a single padded bench. Probably most punishments take place in smaller groups or own implements are relied on.

The department's deputy enters through one of the doors behind the podium and although no announcement of his arrival is made a hush falls almost instantly. One way or another the rumours about him that reached you also reached most others in the audience; probably there is some substance to them. The man appears to be in his 50s and he can be told apart as an academic from a mile by his attire. His first action is to take one of the canes off the rack and place it on the podium's desk. Only then does he turn on the computer and the projector.

He begins talking and you can tell immediately he is a researcher rather than the student-engaging type. He just does not care about the delivery or the audience's comprehension. Granted, this is mostly admin stuff, but there is not need to make it quite so dull and boring. He does, however, care about making sure students are listening. The first student he calls out is a young man, who has to make his way down, present his student ID and be told he earned himself two demerits. A single word in an attempted response makes it four. The whole process took about 30 seconds. Others get the idea quickly and take his judgement about them making noise or not paying attention without a word. Another male student is called forward to get two demerits; then the first girl attracts attention in a way she presumably rather would not have.

The new PhD candidate makes her way down promptly and without protest. She is wearing as modest a dress as length regulations would permit, which is is told to take off. Her thong and bra (her size permits her one) follow. She is then on the bench on her back with her legs up, offering a full view of herself to hundreds of people. Her caning is just like everything else the lecturer does, efficient and with little imagination; it does, however, capture far greater attention than any part of this lecture. Six strokes are delivered in rapid succession across her bottom and she makes a little sound with each but takes them well otherwise. As per PhD girls punishment rules, he then moves to aim the cane between her legs. This time her suppressed yelp can be heard all too well as the tip of the cane cuts into the sensitive flesh; even from your rather distant seat you can see the raised welt. The caning concludes with a stroke across your poor peer's voluminous bust.

The girl is told to get dressed and resume her seat; the talk continues even as she hurriedly puts her clothes back on and quietly makes her way back. While you do feel sorry for her, the distraction was welcome. It is a relief to know this guy will only do the introductory lecture and no conduct any of the topic-specific ones. Now he drones about the referencing rules you have read many times already. Despite your best efforts your attention starts to wander. Still, when he calls out "Young lady!" it jerks your attention back, despite having been said in almost the same drone.