If attendance is mandatory what choice do you really have? You have to go to get a decent grade no matter how absurdly dumb the lecture might be. I had several classes that had mandatory attendance where the prof would stand in front of the class and read directly from a power point slide show. Waste of my time.
Just out of curiosity who's teaching that class? Is it Porascky by chance? That guy could bore a tree to death.
Nate, I think it was great of you not to resort to the obvious profanity fest. I think the old guy just has a different mindset. If it's getting to you, it may just be subconscious guilt.
this is the real answer. If you really have to say something just be polite "I'm sorry if I distracted you from your own studies."
The original instructor has been out since the first day after emergency surgery on his gal bladder. Porascky is overseeing the course until Thomas Harvey returns. We've had two guest instructors, and last Thursday was Porascky's turn. He droned on about trees in the city for two hours. I wanted to shoot myself.