Study Hall, Wednesday [03/17]

[eager-platypus.livejournal.com]

Ziva was not even remotely Irish, and needed no excuse whatsoever to drink. So, she was a little more focused on studying for her citizenship exam than on planning how to appropriately celebrate St. Patrick's Day.

Oddly enough, her study material had to do with holidays today. It was fitting, and Ziva liked it when things happened like that.

Library [03/17]

[likethegun]

Although he'd been aware of the date earlier in the week, Sam had woken up late today, and in his rush to get to the library on time, he'd forgotten that it was St. Patrick's Day until he was already at work without a single piece of green clothing on. He didn't think it was a big deal, but the library seemed to have a different idea, and Sam realized his mistake right around the time he went to put the returned books back and found that every time he picked a book up, he felt like he was getting pinched.

If the computer tried to hurt him while he checked his e-mail, there would be some serious bitchfacing going on.

Love & Romance, Hollywood Style [Period 4, Class 10]

[carpe_demon]

"All right, kiddies," Drake started the class, "the next two classes are going to deal with same-sex love. Emmett, you'll get your turn next week. If this is going to bother any of you, you're excused, you can leave now and not be marked down for skipping class." Not that he marked anyone down for skipping, and he really hoped no one was going to leave.

"So, sapphic love. There's this thing called 'The Dead/Evil Lesbian Cliché,' so named because for awhile there, any time a lesbian appeared in a film, they invariably turned out to be either evil or they got killed off. Or sometimes both. They could never find happiness and were generally portrayed as bad seeds or weak and unstable because being gay was supposed to be bad. Hence, if you were a lesbian, you were doomed. Or if you were 'lucky'" -- that was complete with air quotes -- "the healing power of the penis would fix you right up.

"Fortunately, there are movies now telling that cliché to go screw. First, there's Bound, which is a neo-noir crime thriller that just happens to be about lesbians. Violet is in a relationship with Caesar, who is involved with the mafia, and Corky is the ex-con renovating the apartment next door. Violet is immediately attracted to Corky, and since she's tired of the violence and brutality of the life of a mafia moll, she asks Corky for help in making a new life for herself. So Corky and Violet plan to seen $2 million worth of mafia money and set up Caesar to take the fall. Things don't exactly end up going as planned, and Violet shoots Caesar to stop him from killing Corky, and our two lesbians ride off into the sunset together.

"The Incredibly True Adventure of Two Girls in Love is more of a romantic comedy. It's the story of two very different high school girls, Randy and Evie, who meet and fall in love. They have to struggle with disapproving family and friends, different social statuses, grades, and worries about intolerance. The movie ends with Randy and Evie kissing and hugging in the open motel room doorway while everyone they know argues about them in the background.

"While cinematic portrayals will never make everyone happy," Drake finished up, "being a lesbian in a movie or TV show doesn't automatically mean you're going to be evil or die anymore. Fortunately, you'll find a lot more realistic roles, or even parts where the character isn't defined primarily by their sexuality. It's just one of any number of facets to their life and personality. And that's a trend Hollywood should be proud of. Love is love, and same-sex or not has nothing to do with it."

Magic for Dummies | Period 1 | Class 10

[angelandwitch.livejournal.com]

When the students entered the classroom today, they would find the desks and chairs pushed back and the floor covered with cushions. There was a variety of pastries along with coffee and tea.

"We're going to have an easy day today and watch another film," Paige said once people had arrived. "It's about witches who try to take over a town on Halloween."

History of Medicine - Second Period - Wednesday, 3/17

[notsobadatall.livejournal.com]

"Ah, medieval medicine," he said as they walked. He was smiling, but it was a smile that said that there was a certain amount of amusement tempered by something else.

"You've heard the horror stories, no doubt. Leeches. Incense. All manner of... terrible treatments, cobbled together from what was left of the classical medical texts and whatever doctrine they thought made sense.

"Most of the class we've discussed what historical medicinal practices have brought to modern study, but while there are perhaps some portions of the practices that aren't ghastly, suffice to say that modern medicine seeks to step away from what was practiced at this time as opposed to taking much from it."

[ocd up!]