At some American Unis, they get to keep any special snake-fighting tools issued by their department. (If they don't defeat the snake they're generally required to return the tools. At unis that distribute such tools, used ones are believed to have bad karma.) www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/faq...

FAQ: The “Snake Fight” Portion of Your Thesis Defense

Q: Do I have to kill the snake? A: University guidelines state that you have to “defeat” the snake. There are many ways to accomplish this. Lots o...