No Late Seating: The Concept for Students

I've just listened to late messages from students who had two weeks before the 6:00 PM deadline yesterday, Tuesday, October 8, to conduct an interview with a native speaker on the subject of forbidden food and then leave me a message about the most interesting aspect.  One of them, calling at 7:59 PM, clearly hadn't conducted the interview until after the deadline--from 6:00 to 6:30 PM October 8, she told me.  I think what she said about the most interesting thing was "She ate spoiled food." The student who called at 7:54 didn't mention anything about the most interesting aspect but tried to compensate for it by telling me how much his speaking skills improved as a result of the assignment.  (Students who don't do their assignments often rhapsodize about them the way I in high school raved about Treasure Island, which I hadn't read before the essay test.)  The student who called at 10:39 PM said the most interesting answer she got was when she asked about her interviewee's best memory of a meal, and he said the time he went to a restaurant and "a crab was walking in his food."

But...that's not what I came here to tell you about.  Before I resume typing up my comments to my students on their essays, I wanted to comment on their cluelessness on how to conduct themselves when they arrive late.  They think it's strange that I keep a row of desks by the door clear for the late arrivals, but I found this in the Berkeley rep mailing:

"Plan to arrive early 
All shows start on time, and there is no late seating.  Unfortunately, latecomers should expect to watch the show on a video monitor."

Yes, I know.  A classroom is not a show, and those who arrived on time are grateful to the late arrivals for any disturbance.  But....Well, you know me.  Or do you?  Maybe you arrived late.