Professor Shahriyārī had related the story of his first day as a teacher to us. He said, “The first time I went to class as a professor, considering my relatively short height and small build, the students started to hurl taunts at me. For example, they would say ‘It’s a little too early for you to be teaching, don’t ya think? Why don’t you come back and sit down.’ They thought I was a student like themselves and had just got up and positioned myself behind the professor’s podium. I was at a loss as to what to do! Just in the nick of time the Assistant Dean of the department entered the class and introduced me to them as their professor. It was not a custom of the Department to introduce their professors to the students and so it was a grace from God which saved me. About half the class hung their heads in shame. Or perhaps they were concerned that I might want to take my revenge on them.”