fandomhigh | OPEN MIC STUDENT COUNCIL QUORUM

((OOC: let the games begin. GO! (edit: Bingo Cards are done! Yay! Now go play.)) (second edit: This will be open for discussion until 10pm US CST, Friday, 10/7. If you want to chime in, do it before then. After that time, comments will be locked.)

"Hello and welcome to the Open Mic Student Council Quorum. This is going to be a cross between a Crossfire event, a debate, and a party. We want you to get to know your Student Council candidates - all of them - better. A lot better. To that purpose, we've invited all of them here tonight. However, as this was not a mandatory event, we don't have a roster yet of who will show up. Feel free to write your questions in, we'll make sure they all get them whether they show tonight or not.

Here's how tonight is going to work:

1) Each Student Council Candidate will be asked 5 questions from the quorum directors (that's us), and they will have 1 minute to answer the question to the best of their ability. We'll be keeping score and awarding points for how accurately each question is answered, as well as style and delivery. At the end of the night, the representative with the most points will win a prize.

2) When the 5 questions have been answered, the floor will be opened to the audience for the Crossfire section - to ask the Candidates anything they want. HOWEVER, the questions must be on topic. Questions phrased with vulgar or offensive language, or questions about personal lifestyle choices or habits will be striken - and the asker will be asked to leave. So phrase your questions carefully. We're here to learn things and have fun.

3) The Candidates may ask each other questions in the Crossfire section. Feel free to go head to head over your issues. Well, verbally, anyway.

4) I mentioned fun, and to that effect, we have Buzzword Bingo going. Each of you was handed a set of Buzzword Bingo Cards and a pencil as you entered. Here's how it works: Each card has the name of a Candidate on it, and many, many buzzwords pulled directly from the debate last night. When you note any Candidate using a buzzword in any of their answers, tick it off on their Bingo Card. The first player to declare a Bingo wins a doorprize. The first player to get Bingos on more than five cards gets the grand prize.

The Prizes:
Single Card Bingo: First 12 people will each win 1lb boxes of chocolates from Wonka's Sweet Shop
Two Card Bingo: First person to get one wins a $15 gift certificate to Deb's Diner and Retro Store
Three Card Bingo: First person to get one wins a $30 gift certificate to Deb's Diner and Retro Store
Four Card Bingo: First person to get one wins a $50 gift certificate to The Emporium
Grand Prize: a $100 gift certificate to Red's Tattoos

((OOC NOTE: For the sake of our sanity, here's how it's going to run.

The "(Candidate name) Questions" threads will be locked to only the Candidates - please, no ooc comments or non-Candidate posting in them.

The "(Candidate name) Crossfire" section will be open to any IC comments. Please direct your questions to the Candidates in their threads.

Please keep all OOC comments in the "OOC" thread" - we ask because we'll be cutting and pasting from the other threads as the night goes on.

This post will remain the same - a secondary post will be linked for people who want to catch up without scanning a billion comments.

If you have questions for the moderator - and for right now, that's me - there will be a seperate post in my non-comm journal and you can ask them there. I am turning email notification for this thread off.))

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Ask Beka your questions here.

If/When you are elected, what is the one most noticable change the students and staff of Fandom High will notice one month after elections that we will be able to directly attribute to you?

The first answer that crosses Beka's mind is personal to Shep and entirely inappropriate to the forum. She makes a mental note to tell Shep later, because he'll mock her for it and it'll be fun.

"If I'm elected, I'll compile and distribute a regularly updated list of teacher and TA voicemails, office hours, clubs and advisors, as well as an academic calendar of field trips and events requiring special permission in order to facilitate focus on academics and minimize the stress of managing the school day."

What drew you to a position that is, at best, that of glorified secretary?

"The absolute truth? This is a school. Academics are what's supposed to matter most here. I believe if we pay more attention to learning, and devote more energy to making students feel secure in small things like -- what happened to the teacher for this class? Am I going to get expelled because I don't have enough credits and it's not my fault? What do I do if I need to drop a class? -- the school will be a better place.

"I wouldn't vote for me for Securities or Student Relations or President, because I'm hotheaded. I'd vote for me for Academic Affairs because it's known that I care. And that I actually enjoy class."

I must admit to minor confusion as to some of your stated positions, Ms. Valentine. The office of Liason for Academic Affairs is one that consists of statistics, polls and the organization of student groups to discuss curriculum, syllabi and grading. In short, academic matters. The things you are promising and espousing have all, thus far, fallen under the duties of the President, the Security Officer or Student Relations. Tell me, Ms.Valentine... exactly which office are you running for?

"Thank you for giving me the opportunity to clear this up. The questions I was asked pertained to general student government policy. Regardless of my specific function, I will be required to have a voice in shaping Student Council policy.

"My specific aims of having educational events are within the ambit of Academic Affairs as the positon was explained to me. When I met with Dean Bristow, he did nothing to disabuse me of this notion.

"I am running for the position of Academic Affairs, Miss Addams. It's simply that I think in of the position in human terms. Not in numbers."

"It's not simply the debate questions, Ms. Valentine," Wednesday clarified, "but also all of your campaign materials and slogans. It appears, for the most part, that your campaign has been run not on this office and your ability to handle the work, but on popular buzzwords and issues that do not actually fall under the purview of Academic Affairs."

"My campaign was not run at all, until yesterday when Maia graciously stepped in to help me. She's done the best she could on very short notice, and I'm exceptionally grateful to her." Beka nods to Maia in the audience, and smiles at Phoebe.

"In the first instance, we elected to go with what would be familiar about me as a person, so that we could build on that in future iterations.

"I'll state for the record that to the best of my knowledge (OOC but IC: as no grades are given in most of my classes, ahem, Daniel *cough, cough*) I am a straight A student with a near perfect attendance record and no detentions.

"As the daughter of a salvage freighter, I performed such detail-oriented tasks as keeping cargo manifests and ledgers, engaged in sensitive negotiations with hostile parties, and provided logistical, clerical and statistical support to my father. I own my own freighter at this point and have successfully turned a profit on my first three voyages and recouped my losses on the purchase of the ship.

"To do this requires the same type of focus, clarity and attention to detail as the position of Academic Affairs requires."

It's only fair that I answer this question myself, since I'm asking it of everyone. So here is the question, and I will answer it shortly. "What is the one thing, that you as a person, not as a politician, most want? What steps are you taking to achieve that end?"

Beka lifts her chin. "This is a difficult question for me. In my world, the only thing it is safe to want is to stay alive. The one thing that I want is freedom.

"I am running for this Council to have a voice, however small, in the running of this school to ensure my freedom. I take trips back to my galaxy to visit a nebula that helps me feel peaceful so that I'm not a slave to my temper. I'm trying to understand my fellow students better and build bridges across differences so that no one is a slave to fear. And when I get home, I'll take the things I've learned, and find ways to put them into practice."

"Ms. Valentine, I'm curious. What do you have against the love lives of other candidates?"

"Nothing at all. I'd be happy to hear more about yours at any time. Especially on Wednesdays. I'm a big fan of ratings systems as well. Would you be willing to help me design one?"

OPEN MIC STUDENT COUNCIL QUORUM

CROSSFIRE - BEKA VALENTINE (ACADEMIC AFFAIRS)

Re: CROSSFIRE - BEKA VALENTINE (ACADEMIC AFFAIRS)

Re: CROSSFIRE - BEKA VALENTINE (ACADEMIC AFFAIRS)

Re: CROSSFIRE - BEKA VALENTINE (ACADEMIC AFFAIRS)

Re: CROSSFIRE - BEKA VALENTINE (ACADEMIC AFFAIRS)

Re: CROSSFIRE - BEKA VALENTINE (ACADEMIC AFFAIRS)

Re: CROSSFIRE - BEKA VALENTINE (ACADEMIC AFFAIRS)

Re: CROSSFIRE - BEKA VALENTINE (ACADEMIC AFFAIRS)

Re: CROSSFIRE - BEKA VALENTINE (ACADEMIC AFFAIRS)

Re: CROSSFIRE - BEKA VALENTINE (ACADEMIC AFFAIRS)

Re: CROSSFIRE - BEKA VALENTINE (ACADEMIC AFFAIRS)

Re: CROSSFIRE - BEKA VALENTINE (ACADEMIC AFFAIRS)

Re: CROSSFIRE - BEKA VALENTINE (ACADEMIC AFFAIRS)