Shop Class; Tuesday, Fourth Period [02/20].

[special_rabbit]

The internet was truly an amazing thing, and Amaya tended to use it to find interesting new ideas to try in her shop...and, well, her shop class. So when a bit of random scrolling and reading lead her all the way over to an article about ancient Greek alarm clocks, she immediately knew she had to do something with that.

Or, well, maybe make her class do something with it!

"Today," she said, "I've decided we're going to dive into a little project focused around a clepsydra, or water clock. Well, technically, it translates into 'water thief, but these devices were basically a way to have an alarm clock when you didn't have actual mechanical time pieces or phones you could conveniently set to a specific time. With these devises, time is measured by the flow of water from one vessel to the next, much like sand in an hourglass, but an alarm version of a clepsydra would involve some other mechanical element that will create a signal when the water reaches a certain point.

"I'll go over some examples and break down various aspects of how they work, and then the challenge is for you to try and recreate a current model or experiment with your own form and structure. But the key elements need to be present: it needs to use the passing of water to create a way of marking the passage of time, and there must be some sort of alert or alarm system to inform people of when that time reaches a certain point. Do we have any questions right out the gate?"

In the Cupcake of Good and Evil, Tuesday 2nd Period [2/20]

[stykera]

"Last week," Summer started cheerfully, in a way that might make some be a little wary that she'd actually managed to find something even worse than last week's contribution, but, rest assured, she was merely just riding the high the the pus cupcakes…probably, "we talked about how much of an impact what you put in your cupcakes can make with filling them. This week, we're going to be looking at the impact of what can happen when what you put into your cupcakes is alcohol."

Stark, for his part, was always somewhat wary when it came to Summer’s food ideas. Stark was no fool. Usually. “Like the champagne I used last week?” He was foolishly hopeful sometimes though. “Or sangria? Maybe bourbon?”

"Or Malört"!" Summer said cheerfully, clearly the one word that everyone definitely wanted to hear just then, as she gestured to a tray of otherwise innocuous looking cupcakes in front of her.

“Summer, no,” Stark said. “Nobody wants that in a cupcake! I’m not sure anyone really wants to drink it, either.” It existed just so people could torture others by making them try it, didn’t it? “I have champagne, again. This time for these cranberry mimosa cupcakes.”

"Hmmm," Summer looked a little thoughtful for a moment. "Do you think maybe the PBR cupcakes would be better, then?"

“Beer in cupcakes is fine,” Stark said, looking at her a little suspiciously. “Unless you’re doing something else to it? Or is that terrible beer? Does it taste like the Malört? Or worse? I don’t know.”

Turning back towards the students, he continued, “if it’s worse than Malört I don’t recommend it. But there are plenty of options for things that aren’t worse. We have many of them here for you to utilize if you wish.” He just hoped nobody was going to use the Malört, Anakin.

Art in STEM, Tuesday, February 20, 2024

[heroic_jawline]

Thanks to supersoldier metabolism, students wouldn't be able to tell that Steve had spent the last week flirting with sunburn on a ridiculous beach vacation to celebrate Valentine's Day, but he definitely looked more relaxed than he had last class. So relaxed, in fact, that the classroom was set up for a movie day.

"Welcome back," Tony said, also looking relaxed, but more tanned. "Today will be an easy one for you all since it's a bit of a relaxed week."

Because lesson plans were for non-vacation weeks.

"We're watching a movie, but I still hope you'll take notes about the way the filmmaker designed the look of his world," Steve said. "How well does it work? Does the costuming fit in as well? Does the entire thing make sense?"

"And enjoy it, " Tony added. "Don't get too bogged down in the details."

Said the man who did all the time.

Steve tried to hide an amused grin. "Wouldn't want to do that."

Diplomacy, Relationships & Tactics: the Art of War [Tuesday, Period 1]

[atreideslioness]

As the students entered today, they would see the following text scrawled on the board 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."