There was an excitement in the air unlike any phenomenon I had ever experienced before. The anticipation of the arriving crowd of anxious students was that something wonderful was about to happen... and it was going to happen any minute now... to us, to all of us!

In small groups -- one, two, three students at a time -- we filtered through the doorway. The gathering class increasingly became transformed into a frenetic group of fidgeting and high-pitched, fast-speaking, but enthusiastic, conversationalists. The room was so abuzz with such supercharged energy that goosebumps appeared on my arms and I sat away from the window lest I get struck by lightning.

We were all eager to begin what was rumored by other students to be "the most worthwhile course you'll ever take." Naturally, we wanted to know why the course was so terrific, but the standard reply always was, "you'll have to find out for yourself!" The words were always spoken with great enthusiasm -- as from souls who had found a new self-confidence, a sense of purpose -- and they always sounded sincere in their encouragement to take the course, as if they wanted to bestow upon us a secret gift. When college students speak with that much enthusiasm about a class, either they're playing a cruel prank or they're letting you in on something special. I decided to take a chance and find out for myself.

So, there we were... a full house -- 40 desk chairs, 40 students -- 20 men, 20 women -- awaiting "The Obstacle Course", taught by Dr. Ernest T. Acton, known to the fortunate few as a truly remarkable "teacher" in the fullest sense of the word.

And then there was a roar of thunder outside, and you could hear a torrent of rain driving hard down from the sky, riveting the outer world with drops of polluted water as the horizon flickered with momentary illumination.

As if on cue, the atmospheric distractions coincided with the entry of Dr. Acton into the room.