“If SIUC’s goal is to appear as a mind-numbing, third-rate university, the school’s marketing machine hit a home run Thursday.” So begins a savage commentary in today’s Daily Egyptian, the student newspaper at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. The object of the paper’s ire was an ordinary promotional photo posted yesterday on the university’s home page. The photo, designed to show avid learning afoot in a university classroom, did anything but.

At the right in the photo, which was taken by the university’s media and communication resources department, is an associate professor of mathematics, MingQing Xao, delivering a lecture. The students facing him form a frieze of youthful tedium. One is yawning broadly, another appears to be sleeping, a third is subjecting her fingernails to close inspection, and a fourth seems to be picking her nose. Two others may also be napping. Alone among the 11 students in the class are two with their eyes on the professor, and one who appears to be taking notes. Unless he’s just doodling.

(A tip of the hat to The Paper Trail, a college-newspaper blog, where we spotted this gem.)