Practical Philosophy, Monday

[endsthegame]

It was downright balmy out today, which frankly was a first for Ender's class - he was more used to having to watch the skies for sudden attacks of rainstorms or the like. Not that that ever stopped him, but still: it was nice not to have to worry about.

He walked in and sat down when everyone had settled, putting the bag of sandwiches down in the middle of the group. "So," he said. "Last Friday, most of us encountered an old Fandom classic - bursting into song whether we like it or not. Usually not."

He stretched out his legs. "Now there's a lot of discussion about art, expression, of which music is a part. Many have argued that a well-developed civilization needs art, to get people to better themselves - the paternalistic approach - or because expression is a fundamental part of human nature. It is, I suppose: we all express ourselves in our own ways, whether it be through song or painting or macaroni sculptures."

Ender paused, looking wry. "Of course," he said, "You could argue that what happened last Friday was more a 'spewing forth', an unpleasant regurgitation of your or someone else's expression that you didn't intend and didn't ask for. Is it still self-expression when it's done at metaphorical gunpoint? And something that I wondered about - is there a point to doing it, voluntarily or not, in front of someone you've already shared yourself with? Or is it freeing to just... sing out what's on your mind, without social filters, but with an easy excuse to blame it on?"

American History Through Film, Monday Period 3

[screwyoumarvel]

"Today we move on to the American Revolution," Steve announced, "and between The Patriot and this movie with all the singing, I decided this one was actually probably more accurate. So we're watching 1776, a movie about how the Declaration of Independence came about. Enjoy the film."

And with no further preamble, he pushed play.

Cultural Appreciation, Monday

[abitlowkey]

At the front of the class today was not The Thunderer, Bearer of Fabulous Abs, Avenger, and god, Thor. Instead it was Loki and what appeared to be a corgi wearing a helmet and cape. It even had a tiny squeaky mjolnir that had taken Loki far to long to find for purchase.

"Greetings, fellow classmates," Loki said cheerfully. "My brother is, ah, indisposed at the moment, so I will be leading class in his stead."

Aren't you all thrilled?

"Since we are to learn of cultures through food, I thought it best to choose one of the items I first tried when arriving here in Fandom: pizza."

Yeah, it was a pizza party. "I have procured a number of varieties so that you may sample them at your leisure," he added. "But please do not feed them to my brother. I fear for the safety of my room and sense of smell should he consume too much cheese."

Charming Your Way Into and Out of Things, Monday, Period 2

[cannotdenyher.livejournal.com]

Rejoice, class! The Spirit was actually present this week! They were in a normal classroom, and he was sitting on the edge of the desk up front with his legs stretched out, and his hat on the desk next to him. The rest of his outfit wasn't going anywhere, though. Not even the coat. He nodded in greeting at the students. "Hello, kids," he said. "I am the Spirit, and this is Charming Your Way Into And Out of Things. If you're in the wrong place ––" He smiled at them. "–– please consider staying anyway. Charm helps everyone and makes the world a little bit sweeter for all of us."

It had for him, at least. And he was technically dead so he needed all the sweetness he could find.

"I apologize for my absence last week, but I was urgently needed back in Central City. My thanks to Mr. Langstrom for stepping in." And for accepting mysterious letters as a valid mode of TA recruitment. "I won't make you introduce yourselves again, so this week, we're getting right to the basics. What all of you kidlets think charm is, and what it's good for. And after some discussion on that point, I'll ask you to pair up and practice a very basic charming action: complimenting each other. Now, let's get to it."

Introduction to Meditation | Tuesday | Period 1

[justonecondition]

"Hi, guys," Bruce said from his spot at the front of the room once everyone had arrived. Like last week, it was dimly lit, with cushions scattered throughout the room for students to sit on. There was a table with lemon water and tea toward the back of the room, though the implication seemed to be that that was for afterwards. "Before you sit, please put your bags and anything in your pockets against the wall to the side and make sure your phones are off."

Yeah, this was one of those classes. Sorry, guys.

"Today we're going to try samatha, or mindfulness meditation," Bruce said. "If you've ever seen people meditate in a movie, it was probably this technique. Or an attempt at recreating this technique." He scratched the back of his neck. "It's hard to depict something that's mostly internal and private in a visual medium, but this is... especially visually uncomplicated."

"Samatha is a Buddhist idea that strives for spiritual cultivation, which comes about through clearing your mind and achieving mental stillness, samadhi. It's said that through keeping your mind still in the short term, you open yourself up to take in insight and wisdom, and in the long term, you can become more tranquil and emotionally quiescent. You're not shutting off your mind - I actually encourage you all to continue to think throughout this form of meditation - but the goal is to critically process your own thoughts and put them into perspective, reminding yourself that they don't demand your attention at this precise moment. Be aware of your own distractions and catalog them, but don't allow them to take your focus."

Bruce cleared his throat.

"Some things to keep in mind are to stay awake, or to try your best to. Keep your eyes open. It's - a little difficult to do that, but I'd like you to try." Because learning not to simply space out was one of the hardest parts of learning how to meditate. For Bruce, anyway. "As far as your posture goes, I recommend sitting with your legs crossed and your hands on your thighs, with your back as straight as possible. The goal is to spend most of the meditation session sitting still, but first, take your time to feel out what the most comfortable posture is. Breathe naturally and steadily - if your breath speeds up or slows down, notice that. We'll talk about it afterwards. And use this time to analyze what occupies your mind."

He glanced at his watch. "We'll start with twenty-five minutes today," Bruce decided. "If you need to do a quick lap around the hallway before we start, please do. Otherwise, let's begin."