Humorous History: Friday, Period 1, Class 2

[makesfaces.livejournal.com]

When the students walked in today, a song was playing playing on Jim's laptop. He wasn't offering an explanation. He just greeted people as they came in.

When the bell rang, Jim smiled, paused the song, and started his lecture. "Let's talk about the Vice President. And let's be completely honest... Does anyone here really know what the Vice President does? I don't. And that's why I'm not qualified to teach any kind of history class but this one. I know they have some tiebreaking powers in the Senate. And take over if the President dies, but day to day work? No clue. And that's why history forgets most of them unless they became President, were killed in a duel, or were just really, really stupid."

"But there was this one guy, Vice President Charles Dawes. He was the VP during Calvin Coolidge's elected term in office. But before that he spent some time as a composer, completely self-taught. In 1912, he wrote a piece called 'Melody in A Minor,' which is a really boring name if you ask me. But the music was pretty good and everyone likes to give people theme songs. So, when he started really making a name for himself in politics, any place he went, he was usually greeted by some band playing 'Melody in A Minor' when he showed up."

"And you know how high school bands keep playing oldies for no real good reason that anyone who isn't in band can figure out? The same thing happened with 'Melody in A Minor.' The music stayed pretty popular with bandleaders for years, but then a songwriter named Carl Sigman decided to turn it into a pop song called 'It's All In the Game.' A bunch of artists recorded versions of it in 1951, but a version by Tommy Edwards was remastered in 1958 and that ended up at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 for six weeks."

"For the record, that's the song you heard when you walked in."

"Since Dawes wrote the original music, he got a co-writer credit on the song, making him the only Vice President in American history to have a #1 single."

"So, two discussion questions today that I think you'll enjoy. First, what musician with a number one single under their belt would you most like to see as Vice President, keeping in mind that you probably have no clue what the VP does? Second, if you could recruit any Vice Presidents, living or dead, to form an all-star band, who plays what instruments and what would their name be? The best suggestion gets my solemn vow that if we ever have an invasion of former VPs, I'll try to get them to play a concert. And if I can manage that, you're absolutely getting backstage passes."

Newspaper Staff Meeting; Friday, after classes. Journalism Room [ 09/11 ].

[not-a-mused.livejournal.com]

The first newspaper meeting for Cal Stephanides, editor, and he, of course, was as cool as a cucumber. He was in charge! He was the head honcho! He was the one at the helm that directed the others. Why would he be nervous to have such power?

...God, he was nervous. But hopefully he didn't show. Hopefully, any shaking or anticipatory bouncing that was occurring would be taken merely as an attempt to channel in the last editor for her courage and strength and....bounciness.

The jaunty little press fedora he had on his head was helping a lot, too. And the coffee. With a lot of sugar. There were also donuts, naturally, but some baklava, too (leftovers from Wednesday, but, hey, it was still good!).

"So!" Cal greeted the group. "Welcome the first meeting of the Fall edition of the Fandom High Times! I'm Cal Stephanides, I'll be the editor this semester and probably in the spring, too; I wrote for the paper last year,"--sometimes--"and am actually the only one of that staff left here; everyone else graduated or left, which is kind of sad, but I can tell we have a pretty awesome group this time. Help yourself to some food and coffee and today we're just going to chat about what we might want to do for the paper. Since there was a mass exodus of staff, we have an entirely blank sheet to work with and can take it in whatever direction we want to take it. Articles are due Thursdays, and then the paper goes out Friday mornings. And then lather, rinse, repeat."

A process he knew much about now with his long pretty hair.

[[ please wait for the OCD is hot off the presses! Check your invites for the fhightimes comm and check your email for all the OOC glitz and glamour. Please let me know if you didn't get any of that stuff ]]

Library [09/11]

[furnaceface]

Jono came into the library today, looking like he was actually... in a good mood? How could this be?

But he was, and he'd have been humming, if he could. The tune to some old Beatles song, perhaps. Even when he got in to see a bunch of somewhat unhappy flowers in vases here and there. He shrugged, tossed out the dead ones and changed the water in the new ones, and then set about to make sure that they had enough books for Mr. Démon's class for the next few weeks, should any of his students decide to come in for their reading material.

Engineering Math, Period 2, 11 Sep '09

[offthelisthero.livejournal.com]

The desks in the classroom were edged around the walls today; the centre stacked with with weights, pulleys, hooks and clamps. A number of materials - plastics, fabrics, woods, metals and other moddable items were arrayed next to the equipment.

Mohinder stood in front of a board lined with equations, passing handouts as class assembled.

"There is only so much force you can apply to an object before it breaks," Mohinder started. "Materials have only so much strength in compression," he demonstrated, "and tension." He pointed out the relevent equations behind him, highlighting stresses and strains and structural faults and how they might appear in macro and micro situations.

"But theory can only go so far as an illustration. It's time for you to test the properties of the materials in front of you. How strong are they? Can you predict when it will break? Does it matter how the force is applied? If you have any questions then I'm here, or I'm sure Elle if she's here will be glad to help you."

[OCD is a go!]