CREATIVE EDITION: Formal encounter of James Kling

James Tiberius Kling, senior in the College of Liberal Arts and the campus editor of the local and prestigious publication known only as “the Exponent”, is soon to leave the campus which has fostered his growth and development over the last four years.

Though Kling works at a newspaper dedicated to finding the truth, he struggles to find the truth within himself.

“I cater to people's whims and help solve conflicts between others,” Kling said.

Kling describes this behavior as “ingratiating,” defined by the Merriam-Webster dictionary as “intended or adopted in order to gain favor.”

Though he confided his personal troubles in an interview with the Exponent, he became increasingly irate throughout the interview.

As the interview progressed, he attempted to throw paper airplanes at the interviewer's head and even in one instance got up from his chair and walked menacingly towards the reporter. In defense, the reporter got up and kept distance from his superior.

As he paced around the table, he continued talking as if nothing changed, even though he held a crumpled up piece of paper up his sleeve.

In an attempt to appease Kling's intentions, the reporter held a pen and offered Kling to hit the pen.

“I learn from the past,” Kling said. “Just as I learned from the paper airplane that I would miss… I wonder if I would miss at such a close range… if I crumpled up.”

Kling stepped forward and still missed the tip of the pen.

As the conversation died down, Kling got silent and stared, not a word being uttered from his lips as his eyes pierced into the deepest part of the reporter.

He turned and grabbed a red paperback book that had been collecting dust over years in the Exponent newsroom. Kling stood once more and walked again to the reporter.

“Shoo!” Kling yelled, waving the book in the reporters face in a threatening manner. “Shoo!”

A productive interview certainly did not occur, but James Tiberius Kling no doubt proved himself to be a character that will be dearly missed at the publication and on Purdue’s campus.