Describe the significance of Marbury v. Madison...

Around November:

In history class we're studying a bunch of important Supreme Court cases from the early 1800s, under Chief Justice John Marshall. I go to gym; my gym teacher, who was pregnant, has just given birth so we have a substitute.

"Hello, I'm your new teacher," he says. "My name is John Marshall."

Wait, like the Supreme Court justice? I think to myself. After gym class is over I say to my friend, "Did you notice his name is John Marshall? Like the Supreme Court justice?"

"Oh, you're right!" she says. "That's so wierd! I wonder if he knows."

"Yeah, I don't know. Well, he's a gym teacher; he probably doesn't know much history."

"Yeah, but John Marshall is pretty famous. Maybe we should ask him about it..."

***Fast forward to today, second to last gym class of the term:

20 minutes on one of those bicycle machines is boring. I decide to read through the skit I have to perform today in Spanish to pass the time while I bike. After all, I've heard that studying while exercizing helps you remember things. Then my aforementioned friend asks me a question about history. We start quizzing each other for our history mid-term coming up on Friday.

"Do you guys have some kind of a test coming up?" Mr. Marshall asks us.

"Yes," we tell him. He asks what its on and we tell him its on American history from the begining to the Civil War and reconstruction.

"You're in luck," he says. "I'm a certified history teacher."

"You are not," says someone else in the class.

"I am," he says. "I have a degree in history and a degree in exercise education."

I don't know whether or not to beleive him but he soon proves he's telling the truth by quizzing us on history. He asks us questions about the Federalist Papers, and Articles of Confederation, and the War of 1812...

As we leave class, my friend and I comment on the funniness of the situation. Suddenly, I recall that conversation two months ago and I realize that he must know that he has the same name as the famous Supreme Court justice!

I always enjoy meeting someone with unusual combination of interests. Like, how often does a person want to be either a gym teacher or a history teacher?
-Rebecca