The narrator moves from one structural hierarchy—that is, the military—to another, which is academia. In this instance, too, his work is rather menial; he serves to ensure that others’ needs are met and he is a go-between. Though the college, like the rest of the country, has abandoned the unrest of the protests, it remains interested in those who have killed in the context of war. There seems to be something both repulsive and honorable about someone who is willing to kill, not for personal reasons, but on behalf of the state or an ideal.