Get them to install vanilla Slackware on their machines. For assignments: compile, package and run a custom kernel; configure, compile, install and run the Gnome desktop (no slapt-get); etc. At the end of term, let them switch to the distro of their choice and ask them to compare and contrast with Slack. They'll understand the fundamentals, appreciate simplicity, but also appreciate package/dependency management and other conveniences of some of the larger distros.

Disclaimer: Not intended as a potshot/criticism of Slackware, I just think it's got the simplest boot sequence, clean and well written scripts, and simple configuration. If you want more than that, figure it out.

Telus truly is a marvel of customer service. We used to be customers until we moved into an older apartment building, and in order to move our service they had to send a tech by to ... I'm not quite sure what. Anyhow, our connection appointment happened to fall on the same day as their labour dispute started. Not taking sides, just bad luck on our part. We started calling the help line, which is a topic in itself. Who decided it would be a good idea to force customers to thrash about with a horrible voice recognition system with sometimes lengthy interludes of "Margaritaville" and that goddamn "Take it eeeeeeeasy, take it eeeeeeeasyyy" song? Anyway, they strung us along for about two months, promising us a great deal on a cell phone that never arrived, install appointments every second week, and finally "free call forwarding". What they didn't tell us about the "free" call forwarding was that it would trigger the start of full phone line billing. We didn't find out about that until we got the bill in the mail three months later, long after we'd switched to Shaw. A couple of phone calls making it extremely clear where they could send that bill made the situation disappear, and they ended up sending us a cheque for 15 bucks due to a "billing irregularity". Long story short, I understand that labour disputes suck. Please don't lie to me. Repeatedly. And then bill me fraudulently. Not good.