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School Ties

Probably Unanswerable Questions

Holiday observance; assigned seats; shower staging; betting line; Batinkoff; Cleary; McGivern

In the discussion (8)
Approx. transcript time · 00:51:18Read transcript
  • Whether playing football on Rosh Hashanah diminishes David’s religious standing is asked; he is defended as balancing school survival and observance during a two-day holiday.
  • Whether the classroom has assigned seats is asked because sitting at the back would make cheating less conspicuous; assigned seats are considered likely.
  • The choice of a naked shower fight rather than another bathroom activity is questioned, as is the absence of slipping.
  • A hypothetical St. Luke’s point spread moves from 3.5 to 2.5 points, accounting for its winning history and David’s arrival.
  • Batinkoff’s missing breakout is reconsidered, with a JFK or stately New England role proposed as a missed path.
  • Cleary is suspected never to have visited France despite adopting French mannerisms.
  • Why Cleary was not fired after the student’s breakdown is questioned.
  • McGivern’s condition is left unclear, with a nervous breakdown suggested rather than a clinical diagnosis.