Let's Get Creative!, Monday, Period Three

[jedigrammarians]

"They say you only get one chance to make a first impression," Aphra told the class. "But that's only if you wait until you actually meet someone to make it. If you're smart about it you can make multiple first impressions by careful management of your reputation."

Yes, Aphra, let's talk about your reputation why don't we? "Essentially, you're harnessing the power of rumour to put an idea about yourself in people's heads before they even meet you. Contradictory ones even if you want to keep people off balance.

"So today you're all going to come up with the kind of rumour you'd like to spread about yourself and then try to get that spread before our next class."

Have Portal, Will Travel; Tuesday, Fourth Period [02/16].

[somethingwithturquoise]

At the front of the class, toothpick in mouth, portal waiting and ready to go behind them, Summer didn't have a lot of preamble for today's class, so she'd just get right into it.

"So next week, of course, is the school trip," she offered, "which, you know, basic portal travel stuff to another location on usually the same Earth, same time, sometimes same dimension, but not always. It's really hard to tell until we get there, but, either way, it's definitely going to be a different culture, which is an important thing to experience, you know? Japan's kind of interesting because it's gone through some periods of imperialism, it's gone through some periods of isolationism, and since World War II, it's definitely gotten very 'Westernized,'" the finger quote and the roll of her eyes there was clear indication that there was a whole rant in there somewhere, but she'd save that for another class, "so it very distinctly has its own culture, but it's also fairly accessable, too.

"Not so much with the place we're going today. Quick rundown: it's called Glaagablaaga, and the people who live there are called Garblovians. On the surface, there might seem to be some similarities between their culture and ours, but they don't speak a word of a Common language like English, which, for some reason, is actually really widely known around the galaxy, who knew? Anyway, they don't speak it, they do seem to understand it, though, but they have their own language and they are fully convinced that you understand it perfectly, which I'm assuming you do not. So let's go and see what we can do to work on some communication skills by interacting with some Garblovians.

"Oh," she added, after gesturing for them all to come up and slip on through the portal, "one more thing: they do tend to randomly explode, so if that happens, don't be startled, it's just a thing, and I promise you, the blue goo really does wash right off."

Diplomacy, Relationships & Tactics: the Art of War [Tuesday, Period 3]

[atreideslioness]

As the students entered today, they would see the following text scrawled on the chalkboard in Ghanima's neat handwriting:

In making tactical dispositions, the highest pitch you can attain is to conceal them; conceal your dispositions, and you will be safe from the prying of the subtlest spies, from the machinations of the wisest brains. How victory may be produced for them out of the enemy's own tactics--that is what the multitude cannot comprehend.

All men can see the tactics whereby I conquer, but what none can see is the strategy out of which victory is evolved.

Do not repeat the tactics which have gained you one victory, but let your methods be regulated by the infinite variety of circumstances.

"While the joys and effectiveness of a direct attack should never be underestimated, it is important that you do not forget the importance of being devious," Ghanima began briskly. "Tzu often admonishes us to make ourselves unassailable, to maintain a secure position if at all possible. However, even the most secure location can be overcome. "

"'If we wish to fight, the enemy can be forced to an engagement even though he be sheltered behind a high rampart and a deep ditch,'" she recited. "'All we need do is attack some other place that he will be obliged to relieve.'"

"So, what ways can you think of to conceal you motives? When is it to your advantage to do so, and when is it a disadvantage?" Ghanima grinned and gestured to the boxes set on tables around the room. "I want to see how well you've been paying attention."

Adulting 101- Tuesday- 2nd period

[throughaphase]

Today the Danger Shop was pretty self-explanatory.

"It's entirely possible you guys have done some grocery shopping before, and if so, good for you," Kitty said. "I know food delivery around here is insane, and you may or may not have had a chance to branch out and get your own stuff. Or if you have done your won shopping, you may not have prepped for say, a full week of having to feed yourself. Anyway, welcome to the supermarket."

"It helps to have a list. Plan ahead, figure out what you'll need, or what you're running low or out of, and write it down so you can pick everything up and don't forget something you really needed. Stores also tend to have weekly sales, so you can check out the ads or apps and see what's available, in case you want to adjust. There's a lot of choice out there. A lot of different brands, a lot of different sizes or flavors. So if you're not married to one particular kind, you have to go with what looks good. Stores will often have sales, which they mark on their labels, where you might get two for the price of one or a discount. There's also generics, which are like the store brands. They're cheaper and sometimes aren't as quality as name brands items, but it depends on your preference level and budget. Also be careful about sizes. Companies and stores try to upsell you. If you're getting something like, say, cereal, they might have a couple different sizes of boxes. Check the prices when they do that. It requires doing a little math, but a lot of the time if you're going for the large size of something, you might be able to get two boxes of the smaller size and get the same amount for less than you'd pay for the one. If you're shopping just for yourself, you're going to shop a little differently than you will if you have a significant other or a roommate."

"I'm telling you this because you're also getting a budget. You each get to spend fifty bucks to feed yourselves for a week, and you have five minutes to come up with a list of things to get. Think about things you might need, or what you need to make something you might want. Staples like produce and meat and dairy are around the edges of the store, other stuff is in the middle, and once you're done we'll see how you end up."

Sexual Health and Education, Tuesday, 1st Period

[spin_kick_snap]

Another year of Valentine's Day ridiculousness had Kathy back in the classroom sans glares at Dante. In fact, the glances she was shooting at him were downright soppy if she didn't catch herself in time and put on her professional 'teacher' face. "So last week, we had you do some research to come up with a cool ad campaign for various birth control options," she said. "Something that presented the information succinctly, but also made it interesting."

It was amazing what a well-timed trip, strawberries in all the best places, and a very large cake could accomplish. (And flowers. Lots of flowers.)

"So, today you're up," Dante said, grinning. "And no, we won't mind if you turn it into a 'fuck, why don't dudes have this shit' anti-commercial either."

ALSO LOVE, DANTE. LOVE AND APPRECIATION. C'MON NOW.

"The answer is, as per usual, systemic inequities in the medical industry," Kathy said cheerfully - the kind of cheer that you developed after an entire lifetime of seeing the wrong end of that inequity. "So get out your information and let's get going." She pointed at a student at random. "Congrats! You're up."