Journalism Class - Tuesday October 25

[jerusalem-s.livejournal.com]

This morning, all the newsfeeds are off, for a change, and Spider appears to have made a concerted effort to get rid of the amphibians that have been haunting his desk and the dark corners of the classroom. The cat looks very round and roly-poly and self-satisfied and is lurking sleepily beneath the cappucino machine in the back of the classroom in the newspaper section, so perhaps it was she who did the cleanup.

Spider is leaning against his desk, arms folded and, for a wonder, not smoking.

"Good morning, class. Today we are going to have a guest. I'd like you all to be polite and respectful to Professor Dream in thanks for his agreeing to spend time with us and aid the class with today's exercise. I'd also like to welcome any of Professor Dream's students who are with us here today. Please try to keep any chatter for after class, as the exercise is one of human observation."

Spreading his hands, he continued. "Professor Dream is going to share with us all an event. You will be given a short time to think about what you saw and then each of you will be required to write a short piece on what happened. Please include any observations, no matter how apparently inconsequential, and turn in your papers before discussing the exercise amongst yourselves. This is vitally important as tomorrow's exercise will be for the class to go over all the descriptions in an attempt to piece together the most accurate picture of what was witnessed."

Spider smiled broadly. "This exercise has a very specific point, so please concentrate on your own impressions, however vague or uncertain. And now, I should like to turn the class over to Professor Dream."

Comments

[jayne-serenity.livejournal.com]

*takes his seat, sipping a cup of coffee*
*looks content, slightly smug and interested*

[medusae-x.livejournal.com]

Duce walks into class, taking a seat in the back. A look of trepidation crosses her face as she takes in the visage of an apparently sober and non-nicotined Spider. A quick glance at the cat assures her that not even the CAT is smoking, and she quickly hunkers down at her desk.

The feeling is somewhat akin to walking outside some morning to discover your normal, everyday trees have been replaced with psychadelic singing mushrooms. Spider. Sober. Not smoking. The cat. Well fed. Content. Also not smoking.

All was definitely not right with the world, and that terrified Duce. Just a little.

EXERCISE

[game-of-you.livejournal.com]

Dream stands before the class in his formal robes. It is clear he takes this event very seriously.

Hello.

As part of this exercise, I am going to transport you briefly into the Dreaming. This should not hurt you or cause any lasting repurcussions; however, if you object, please let Mr. Jerusalem or myself know, and you will be reassigned to an event in the waking world.

Dream pauses for a moment to allow any students who wish not to participate to make their objections known. Once the class is settled -- heads drooping onto their desks -- he speaks again.

The scene you are about to see is from a production of A Midsummer Night's Dream, by William Shakespeare. It is ... a bit of a personal favorite. You are to describe the onstage events.

The students who have made the trip to the dreaming find themselves at the fringes of an English field on a summer day in the 16th century. The audience is made up of all manner of fantastic creatures, but the actors are completely human.

Onstage, the story plays out. "What angel wakes me from my flowery bed?," asks a teenage boy dressed as a fairy queen.

An actor wearing a mask shaped like the head of a donkey replies with a song; "The finch, the sparrow and the lark, The plain-song cuckoo gray, Whose note full many a man doth mark, And dares not answer nay;-- for, indeed, who would set his wit to so foolish a bird? who would give a bird the lie, though he cry 'cuckoo' never so?"

The queen responds, "I pray thee, gentle mortal, sing again:
Mine ear is much enamour'd of thy note; So is mine eye enthralled to thy shape; And thy fair virtue's force perforce doth move me
On the first view to say, to swear, I love thee."

The actors continue to coo at each other for a few moments, the audience obviously entranced. Eventually, other actors -- dressed as lesser fairies -- join them onstage, seemingly in service to the Queen. Shortly after they enter, the scene dissolves, and the students awake on their desks, ready to describe the event.

Do you have any questions for me?

[OOC: They saw Dream's production of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" from the Sandman. The specific portion of the play described is
Act 3, scene 1 (http://www-tech.mit.edu/Shakespeare/midsummer/midsummer.3.1.html), starting shortly after Bottom's transformation]

[forlornslayer.livejournal.com]

Buffy signs in and gets comfortable.

[positive-angel.livejournal.com]

After his meeting with the Dean, Chihaya slips in and finds a desk. Hearing Professor Dream is doing something cool, he moves closer to participate.

[valentine-tart.livejournal.com]

Beka signs in and settles next to Phoebe and Buffy. Her mun has been up all night and there's no sign of sleep ahead, so she'll probably be very stupid today.

[lady-jessica-bg.livejournal.com]

Jessica signs in and waits patiently.

[soldtoarmenians]

Xander signs in, then curiously checks out looks over the guest lecturer.

[2ls-in-oneill.livejournal.com]

Jack signed in and took a seet in the crowded classroom, waiting for excercise to start.