Healthy Diet and Living; Monday, Period Five [ 07/27 ].

[darkangelsawyer.livejournal.com]

Peyton had gotten a letter from Daisy saying she'd had to go out of town for an emergency for the week and asking Peyton to run the class today.

So, she'd pulled together all the materials and ingredients and was here in front of the class, ready to do her best. If she still looked a little sad and as if she hadn't had enough sleep, well, that was just the way it went.

"So... Today we're covering dinners. In your packets you'll find a selection of recipes for two. That's right, for two. Your assignment is to go home and cook a nice healthy dinner for yourself and another person - a friend, a date, whatever - and come back ready to tell the class about it next week." Peyton passed out the sheets as she spoke.

"For the actual class part of today, you're going to make blueberry tarts. All the ingredients you'll need are set out over there. I don't claim to be much good at this cooking thing, but if you get stuck let me know and I'll do my best to help out. Okay... get cooking."

Ethics & Etiquette - 1st Period - 7/27

[screwyoumarvel]

"Good morning, everyone," Steve said. "Today we'll be talking about a subject near and dear to everyone's heart: how to behave when dealing with your roommate or roommates."

Deadpool nodded seriously along with that. "Important rules about replacing food and cleaning up their dirty laundry and not being so damn fat all the time. I mean, c'mon. If you're gonna teach a gym class, you should try to be in shape. But nooooo. Just wallowing about and bein' more fat."

...what? He was very passionate about the subject at hand.

( Cut for length )

Art Appreciation & Protection (Period 2, Class 4, 7/20)

[magdaofslovenia.livejournal.com]

"Moving away from European art, and onto something less familiar to many of you today," Sophie said, opening her class with another sip of coffee. "Native American Art, or First Peoples, as they're often named in Canada, is also quite rare, beautiful and expensive. Masks made by the Tsimshian people have been valued at over $1,000,000 by Sotheby's auction house. Unlike art created in France or Italy at approximately the same time, symmetry is not valued as highly, and the faces appear simple, uncomplicated... but they're very personal and expressive, and the originality of the designs incorporated into each mask contribute to their value. They were also used in religious ceremonies, as were those made by the Tlingit and Haida along the Northwest Coast. Facial painting on masks usually represented designs of crests and shamans’ spirits." Sophie paused, then added, "For the peoples to whom these objects belonged, they were not just items of beauty or commerce, but magic and medicine."

"Today, we have an exhibit of priceless masks on display courtesy of the French and Canadian governments." Sophie's eyebrows rose in amusement. "A few of you have expressed covert or overt disbelief that there can ever be a good reason for a theft. These masks were sold by missionaries who appropriated them in the 1800's to the contemporary French government for a bare pittance of what they're worth. Activists for the First Peoples believe that they belong back within their original culture, where they can be properly valued and shared. Your mission today is to get past a security guard, a cultural attache, and a Mountie, in order to retrieve these objects. Use any means at your disposal, work in teams or alone."

Sophie smiled. "Begin." And the Danger Shop changed to a museum, with the displayed masks visible on a pedestal covered in glass in the center of the courtyard.

[ooc: OCD going up, and today's caper stolen from Due South, 2.6, "The Mask."]

Sexual Anthropology, Monday, Period 3

[doesnt-vomit.livejournal.com]

Brennan seemed to be in a good mood as she waited for the class today. The suitcase parked near the lectern might give some hint as to why.

"Morning," she greeted. "Today we're talking about courtship rituals -- dating, if you prefer. In traditional terms, 'courtship' refers to the time period between when two people become aware of each other as potential monogamous life partners and when they solemnify their bond, either with an engagement leading to a wedding or through some other step. Typically the word 'courtship' refers to a relationship that is known to the community, as opposed to an illicit affair."

"Courtship traditions differ in different societies. In ancient times, marriage by kidnapping was the norm. A hunter would simply walk up to a group and grab the young woman who most appealed to him, and she was his wife if he got her home and to the marriage bed safely. Later, parents and other elders selected for arranged marriages -- as they still do in certain South Asian cultures -- and the couple were consulted only for a token consent. This began to change in late medieval times, when the concept of romantic love was glorified. However, it was several hundred more years before romantic love was seen as the most important element in a marriage, rather than a happy coincidence. And even now, there's data suggesting arranged marriages to which both participants agreed are as happy or happier than love marriages."

"Modern courtship -- or, again, dating -- takes several forms. A traditional first date is coffee or dinner and a movie, and a normal modern courtship in the U.S. takes roughly a year to five years to get to the point of engagement. Most couples meet through friends, work, social activities such as religious services or community groups, but personal ads and online matchmaking services are growing in both popularity and acceptability. Also, many people, myself included, eschew traditional dating in favor of other arrangements that don't include the expectation of marriage as a goal. And, of course, gay couples also court and date."

"You've been assigned to pairs, and I would like for each pair to participate in some sort of mock courtship exercise to report back on during the next class. Dean, I assigned you a partner as well to make the numbers even. Your dates can range from a token gift or conversation during this class period to a full date to any of the tactics described in your handout. I know some of you may be otherwise committed or paired outside your normal gender preference. If you cannot do the assignment for personal reasons, please see me after class to discuss alternate work, though there is nothing in this that should threaten your boyfriends or girlfriends."

"Also, please don't assume that the person in your pairing who is physically male has to play the male role for the purposes of this assignment, or the same for the physically female. This is a class exercise, not a true courtship; play the roles with which you are most comfortable."

"You have the rest of the class period to find each other and discuss how you wish to fulfill the assignment. Also, if you anticipate needing me this week, I'm going out of town and won't be in my office on Friday. Talk to me after class or send an email."

Mythbusting, Tuesday, 7/28, Period 2

[tyler_gone]

There were ice baths set up at each Danger Shop lab station today, and Tyler tossed goggles and gloves at each student as they came in. He folded his arms and waited for the class to settle before beginning. If he was enjoying teaching this session a little less than he normally did, he gave little sign.

Then he reached onto his desk and held up a container of clear, thick stuff. "So this," he said, "is the extra glycerin from the soap we made the first week. And now it's time to get to the fun part and make it nitroglycerin. Not a straight myth, but hey, it seems worth exploring in class."

He pointed out two vials on his desk. "This is nitric acid. The big one is sulfuric acid. What you're going to do is add the nitric to to three times the amount of sulfuric in the ice batch, then start adding the glycerin with an eyedropper."

"This is a delicate reaction, so please, work in pairs if you can stand it. One person watches the vat, other one drops in the glycerin. You'll know you're done when it gels up."

"Once you see that happen, you can scoop it out and mix it with sawdust to get a plastic explosive. You can roll it together and light it on fire. We don't have to do that this week, but if you have time, we have a lovely shooting range for you to test it in." He gestured to the back wall of the shop and hit a button on the control panel, transforming it into a wall of assorted moddable targets.

"You can also fake a similar reaction with some supermarket stuff -- Diet Pepsi and kitty litter, or orange juice and gasoline. I'm handwavily passing around a handout on that stuff, if you're interested and want to do that instead of nitro. Just remember, this is Danger Shop only."

"Go to work. I'll be around. Ino, if you're here please wait after class."

Flight and Flying [Tuesday, July 28, 4th period]

[sith_happened]

When the students entered the flight shed, they would notice a sequence of lights spread across the ceiling.

"Meet Drol," Anakin said, waving his hand as he walked in a few seconds late. He hadn't planned on taking a nap in his office, and the dream had been especially vivid--and odd. He shook his head. "The god of the moon of Iego, who brings destruction to all those who attempt to leave." He snorted. "In reality, Drol is a system of laser emitters programmed to track onto a ship as it hits orbit and blow it out of the sky. That same technology was later used to exterminate entire planets. We'll get to in a few classes. For today, you will be piloting a G9 Rigger freighter, which is neither sexy nor particularly speedy, but it's your first time flying in space, so you need something that can take a little beating up."

He flashed them a tiny smile. "For you beginners, you will only have to navigate around the asteroids in Iego's atmosphere. People with a little more experience will face off against Drol. Figure out how to disable the system without exploding, please."

He clasped his hands together in front of him and tried not give Peter a confused look. The dream hadn't been real. "Begin."