#athena goes to grad school

[athenasdragon]

You know the code is coming along nicely when literally everything in the document is commented out because it's not working

[letapollojusticesayfuck]

fuck it, Klapollo Camp Rock AU (where I change like half the plot to make it fit the characters better lmao)

Apollo and Trucy are Phoenix’s adopted kids; Phoenix has a catering business and gets hired last-minute to cater the food at Camp Rock

Trucy’s 12 and has been dying to go to the camp since she read about it on the Gavinners fan forums--they’re her favorite band and that’s where they got their start. She’s hoping to eventually start a magic-themed band where she integrates magic tricks into their stage performances

Apollo’s 19 and really does not want to spend his summer at some music camp--he’s not a fan of being onstage or performing at all, though he knows guitar and has a notebook full of songs he’s written over the years. He’s not sure they’re any good, but they’re personal and they’re his.

(He’d also been planning on spending his summer going on an epic road trip with his best friend Clay, before Clay found out he got into an intern program at GYAXA and they had to abandon that idea--leaving Apollo at loose ends for the summer)

Phoenix insists that both Trucy and Apollo come to the camp with him and help out--Trucy gets to participate in camp activities, and Apollo’s supposed to be a counselor who can sit in on some classes if he wants. Trucy’s thrilled; Apollo less so.

Meanwhile, there’s been some drama within the Gavinners--amidst rumors of unruly behavior and accounts of an uncooperative, pop-diva attitude, Klavier Gavin is unwillingly pushed into spending his summer taking some time off from the band and acting as a guest teacher at Camp Rock, under the supervision of his former mentor and owner of the camp, Miles Edgeworth

Shortly after arriving at camp, it becomes very obvious that Phoenix and Miles already know each other--and Apollo and Trucy start wondering if they’re going to have to start making bets about if they’re going to have a new dad by the end of the summer

Trucy finds a group of friends to fall in with almost immediately--she ends up moving into a cabin with Athena, Pearl, and Juniper Woods

Meanwhile, Apollo’s stuck having to live with Phoenix in the staff cabins--and having to go through camp counselor orientation, where he meets fellow disgruntled counsellors Ema and Kay, who he bonds with over mutual distaste for having to supervise a bunch of kids with ~musical dreams~

(Kay got drafted into being a camp counselor by Edgeworth, who’s not quite her dad but who might as well be. She dragged Ema along because they’re dating and Ema needed a job to help with her grad school debts--studying forensics isn’t cheap!)

Sometime during the nebulous time period before camp Officially Begins, Apollo’s helping clean the dining hall and takes a break to chill and play some guitar and hash out one of his newest song ideas

While he’s doing this, Klavier just so happens to walk past the open window, on his way back from trying to argue with Edgeworth that he’d had a world tour planed for this summer, and what if the fans forget about him? He’s gotta get out of here!

Klavier’s entranced by Apollo’s singing--who is this mysterious singer with the fantastic voice and incredible music composition skills? He runs into the dining hall, only to find an empty room and a guitar propped up against the wall--no trace of the person who’d been playing

But Klavier can’t get the song out of his head--and so he vows that, before the summer’s end, he’s going to find out who was singing

The first time Apollo meets Klavier properly, he does not get the best first impression of the rockstar--Klavier’s supposed to be teaching a class about song composition and music theory, but he basically goes at it with the least enthusiasm possible and uses a bunch of technical terms that go way over the heads of the group of 12-to-14-year-olds Apollo’s supervising (including Trucy et al.)

Somewhere in here, Trucy finds out that Apollo has literally no idea who Klavier is, despite her having been obsessed with the Gavinners for at least three years now. She makes fun of him mercilessly.

Apollo ends up making some snarky comments about Klavier’s teaching ability to Ema, and Klavier overhears

The next time they encounter each other, Apollo’s moving some baking supplies from the storage into the kitchen, and Klavier stops him halfway--he asks Apollo what his problem with him is, and Apollo tells him straight--he thinks Klavier is acting way too high-and-mighty and not letting the kids have any fun in his classes. He chides him for his perfectionist attitude, telling him that the camp isn’t about putting together the perfect performance, it’s about learning and making mistakes and having fun.

(He’s mostly saying this because Trucy was really upset that she couldn’t follow the lesson the other day, and spent days stressing about how this might mean that she can’t be a real musician magician, and Apollo’s basically gonna defend Trucy with his life, even if he himself doesn’t want to be at camp)

Apollo asks Klavier about his experience at camp--surely everything wasn’t about being perfect the whole time back then?

He leaves Klavier to think about that and gets back to his errands--and Klavier does take Apollo’s words into account

During his next lesson, Klavier actually plans a kind of fun, hands-on activity, and Apollo’s surprised (and kind of touched, honestly)

They end up hanging out a lot more during their free time, after that, and realize they actually get along pretty well

Meanwhile, there’s background Narumitsu shenanigans going on where Phoenix and Miles keep having emotionally charged moments over really mundane things, like double-checking the food supplies and confirming the amount of music-themed cupcakes to be made for the weekly Music Event

Trucy and her group of friends are working to put together a performance for the Final Jam at the end of the summer--it’s just been announced that the winner of the Final Jam contest will get to record a song with Klavier, and it’s basically a guaranteed jump-start to their career

They’ve got stiff competition--(though I haven’t decided from who yet, OOPS, lmao--open to suggestions! Who’s around their age and Mean? Bonny and Betty DeFamme, perhaps?)

Apollo has no plans to participate in the Final Jam at all--again, he doesn’t like performing onstage in front of a bunch of people who are going to judge him

HOWEVER--the rival group to Trucy’s plot a scheme--they’re going to frame Trucy and her friends for masterminding a sabotage of the competition! Whoever the “leader” of this group is plants evidence around Trucy’s cabin and drags Edgeworth into it to investigate--though Edgeworth believes that Trucy and her friends are being set up, his hands are tied--the rival group have Connections and famous family members, and the camp’s already struggling financially. He can’t afford to have these rich parents pull their support

And so, Trucy and her group are banned from performing--until the end of the Final Jam. 

Obviously, Apollo and Phoenix are outraged. Phoenix goes to confront Miles about it, and finds out about the financial situation--and Apollo asks Trucy if there’s anything he can do

And Trucy sees an Opportunity--because she’s Noticed Apollo and Klavier spending time together

She asks Apollo to perform at the Final Jam on her behalf, and Apollo, although kind of uncomfortable with the idea, agrees, because he wants to make his sister feel better, and if he’s got to face his fears to do it...well, he’s going to do it for her, even if he makes a fool of himself

Meanwhile, Klavier’s been trying and failing to find out who his mystery singer from the start of the summer is--and he’s running out of time. 

And Then...

it’s the Final Jam!

A bunch of performers perform various musical numbers, and they’re all pretty good

Klavier is one of the judges, along with the rest of the Gavinners and Miles Edgeworth

Apollo actually hadn’t technically entered the competition during the designated sign-up period, so he’s not on the official program--he gets announced as a surprise late entry, and Klavier is taken aback

because he had no idea that Apollo could sing, or play an instrument, or anything--Apollo had basically just made out that he was here against his will and got dragged into this to help out his dad, Phoenix

So Apollo walks out onstage, looking very awkward and holding his guitar, and all eyes are on him

and Klavier recognizes the guitar, doesn’t he? It’s the guitar that was in the dining hall, that first day

But wouldn’t that mean...?

And then Apollo starts playing, and he opens his mouth to sing, and from the very first notes, Klavier knows this is it

This is the song! 

Anyway, he’s stunned, shocked, until without realizing it, he’s stumbled up, grabbed a microphone, and he’s onstage, singing along with Apollo in a Dramatic Duet(TM)

Apollo’s also stunned--he’s spent the entire summer listening to Klavier lament about his mysterious singer that he’s trying to find, and this song that he’s never gotten out of his head (that Apollo never actually got to hear, come to think of it...), and it turns out that in the end...he was Klavier Gavin’s mystery muse?

They finish the song, and Edgeworth announces that that’s it--it’s the end of Final Jam!

The judges go away to tally the scores, and...what’s this?

The curtains go up, the lights turn on, and it’s a surprise performance, from Trucy, Pearl, Athena, and Junie!

They get to play the song they’ve been working on all summer, and it’s a hit--surprisingly good for a bunch of kids between 12 and 14!

(Trucy’s integrated magic tricks and it looks Super Cool)

The votes come in, and...

turns out Apollo got disqualified for the fact that Klavier ended up singing with him, oops

(He’s secretly glad--he didn’t really want to get roped into more public performances with Klavier)

The winner actually ends up being Vera Misham, who’d entered with a heartfelt ballad set against a backdrop of her own drawings

But Trucy’s made a bunch of new friends and got to surprise everyone with her magic/music combo!

And Apollo meets up with Klavier out by the lake, after the show, to talk things over

because really, Klavier spent an entire summer pining after him?

And Klavier’s like, “Wow, I’m an idiot, I spent the entire summer torn between hoping I’d find this mysterious singer who stole my heart right at the start, and wanting to get to know you more--and it turns out you’re one and the same, and all my worrying was for nothing.”

to which Apollo responds: “You’re sure you’re not...disappointed? Because I’m just...me, and I don’t really want to be a performer, and I’m really not that cool, and--”

Klavier cuts him off: “Nein, don’t talk like that! You are perfect, exactly as you are--and I can’t tell you how happy I am that it’s you”

And Apollo lets himself believe Klavier, and they just smile at each other with these stupid huge grins on their faces, standing out on the dock on the lake, before Apollo finally decides that fuck he’s gonna go for it

and he kisses Klavier, right there, arms wrapped around his neck so he doesn’t go falling over with the combo of standing on a dock and standing on his tiptoes so he can reach

They only break apart when they’re interrupted by the sound of raucous applause from the bushes by the shore--

where Trucy and her band were watching, and they cheer them on

(Apollo turns exactly as red as his signature hoodie, and even Klavier is hard-pressed to just laugh it all off)

Klavier and Apollo make sure that they’ve got each others’ contact details, and confirm that yes, they want to try this dating thing, even though they’re both going to be pretty busy and not in the same place

The only thing left is to get all packed and ready to go home--so Klavier walks Apollo (and Trucy) back to the cabin Apollo shares with Phoenix--

--only to walk in on Phoenix and Miles finally having gotten their acts together, making out on the couch.

(Trucy wins a lot of money that night, and everyone at the camp learns definitively not to enter into bets with her)

In the end--Trucy’s got lifelong friends and promising feedback that her music/magic idea is gonna work out; Apollo’s got a boyfriend and more confidence in his songwriting abilities; Klavier’s also got a boyfriend and learned that it’s important to not forget what’s fun about making music; and Phoenix and Miles found each other again after Several Years Apart (and later decide that they’re going to try running the camp together--but that’s something that’s not immediate).

Vera gets to record her song with Klavier; and Kay and Ema actually end up having a pretty good summer, despite their cynical outlooks at the start (and Kay’s attempts at stirring up mischief)

fin.

[annabethy]

percabeth disney headcanons

because i am yearning™️

• Percy and Annabeth meet in line for Splash Mountain while on vacation with their friends, and it goes something like

“Can you move?”

Percy looks back at the first behind him. He almost does move forwards, but the look she’s giving him makes him feel unsettled. He decides that maybe he should teach her a lesson. “No.”

“No?”

“No,” he repeats. “Maybe if you didn’t speak to me like that, I’d move. But you did, so...” Percy shrugs.

“You speak like I’m obligated to actually give you anything,” she answers, mildly heated. “Move.”

Percy blinks. “No.”

They stare at each other for a good ten seconds, each refusing to waver first, before Percy decides not to punish the other people in line for the existence of such a despicable human.

It makes him upset, knowing that he had to give in first, but that feeling washes away when Annabeth comes out drenched, and him without a speck of water on him.

• He only feels a little bit bad for his immediate laugh in her face when she looks like she’s about to cry, but then he feels really bad when he notices that this was a graduation trip slash grad school celebration and her makeup is ruined.

• He decides to buy her an apologetic disney shirt that is way too overpriced. For the first time, he sees a smile and his breath catches.

• Their friends decide to group together from then on out, and it doesn’t take long for them to bridge the original gap.

• Annabeth’s quick to tell him about the pin she’s been looking for for years — a simple Athena pin from the movie Hercules. It’s off far in the back of his mind, but it doesn’t stop him from catching it on a cast member’s lanyard and trading his prized Nemo pin for it.

• Later when they’re in line for Space Mountain, after Annabeth’s laughing at his face when the in-line games shock him, he lets it slip that “The water didn’t ruin your makeup. You’re practically the prettiest girl here.”

• Annabeth flushes. “Practically?”

• Definitey, Percy decides. He’s never been so quick to be affectionate, but he decides to grab her hand. She lets him.

• Later that night when the fireworks are about to start, Percy pulls up the Athena pin from his pocket and hands it to her. Annabeth looks so in shock and beautiful and perfect that he wants desperately to kiss her. He’s working up the courage to do so when the fireworks start. He’s only a bit disappointed — the fireworks are illuminating her hair in an array of colors, so he doesn’t mind too much.

• It’s actually on the monorail back that he sits down next to her. They’d been shoved into a separate section than their friends, and it’s so crowded that there are barely any seats, so Annabeth is practically sitting on his lap.

• Theyre surrounded my so many people that it’s sweaty and not at all romantic, but he wants to kiss her so badly. He withholds, until.

• “I’m from New York City.”

• They lock eyes, a whispered “me too,” and then he’s kissing her, and it’s like he’s never kissed someone before. He’s filled with butterflies, passion, care, and the beginning of what would be a lifelong love.

• It takes people lifetimes to fall in love, but it takes them less than 24 hours. People may call it unusual, but they don’t. They call it magic made in a place where dreams come true.

[synnefo-nefeli]

MORE INDULGENT Head Canons:Apollo, Clay, Klapollo, AA +Disney/Disney Parks

I know I’ve done this subject before but IDC it’s my blog, so here’s more.

Established in others hc: Apollo is a huge Disnerd, and the moment he could afford it, he bought an annual pass to Disneyland. He wined and dined Klavier in Disneyland for Klavier’s first trip/birthday and Klavier became an annual pass-holder the next day.

Apollo and Clay are avid pin-collectors and pin-traders. They have thousands of pins between them.  Clay will actually go up to others in the parks or at Disney Cons and trade with them, Apollo prefers to go into the pin shops or other trading locations and quietly place a pin on the “take one, leave one” pin boards the Cast Members display.

Clay did the Disney Parks program in college; Apollo wanted to but couldn’t due to him wanting to get through undergrad and law-school as fast as humanly and as debt-free as possible.  Apollo, was however, Clay’s +1 for cast member nights and his College Program grad-night.

Despite his Astronaut goals, Clay didn’t work at Space Mountain. Clay was a Skipper on the Jungle Cruise.  He can and will recite the whole spiel and ALL the dad jokes if you let him.  Apollo at this point is sick of this, Klavier, however, is amused.

Klavier didn’t grow up with Disney - his parents were pretty strict and didn’t see the merit of him watching “cartoons” (Klavier, rebelled hard against the “no fun zone” he grew up in)  so all of his memories with Disney-movies and the theme parks- are with Apollo.

Apollo actually held back on showing his Disnerd powers to Klavier, thinking Klavier would find it childish, but then Klavier mentioned that he’d never been, let alone, barely seen the animated features, and Apollo was like “NOPE, WE’RE FIXING THIS”

When watching Coco, Apollo was worried because Klavier got choked up at the scene of Miguel sitting in his little attic/shrine to Ernesto learning how to play by sight. Apollo:  “Oh god, we’re only 10 minutes in, and he’s already crying...” thinking that Klavier wouldn’t like the rest of the movie. Klavier loved it - saying that a lot of moments hit home for him.  

After learning the songs (after playing the OST over and over) He makes Apollo sing the Spanish parts of “Proud Corazón” because Apollo *does* have a nice voice (albeit untrained) and Klavier will use any excuse to get Apollo to speak Spanish. Also upon re-watches, Klavier likes to point out that the animators actually animated the correct chords whenever a guitar is being played.

 Miles won’t go on the Tower of Terror or the Haunted Mansion, due to them involving elevators in someway. However, in Disneyland he *will* got on Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission Breakout (their Tower of Tower)-as it’s a “gantry lift” (and not a ride centering around a haunted death elevator- even though it has the same ride mechanic) and the Haunted Mansion in Disney World, as the “stretching room” isn’t actually an elevator.  Phoenix has learned not to argue.

 Klavier also won’t go on the The Tower of Terror either, when they do go to Florida- which surprised Apollo considering Klavier never misses out on Guardians.”That’s because ‘Mission Break Out’ has a gut soundtrack and is a partybox- not a scary deathtrap”.  While everyone else goes to wait in the 2 hr line for ToT, Miles and Klavier, do go on “The Rocking Roller Coaster”.  Miles does like roller coasters and Klavier is all “ I will suffer through any thrill ride so long as I like the music and Jaaaaasss Aerosmith”.  

When the rest of the group gets out of ToT, they have seven texts from Miles: “Klavier and I are on the rollercoaster”.  They first think that there’s something wrong with Miles’ phone and it sent the text several times.  But no, Miles and Klavier actually went on the rollercoaster 7 times in a row and Miles, updated them each time.  Klavier threw up after the 5th time (”Worth it”) but went back on it.

Apollo and Clay’s favorite ride is Space Mountain, Klavier’s is “The Haunted Mansion”. Miles’ “Indiana Jones and the Temple of the Forbidden Eye”,  Phoenix and Athena’s is Pirates of the Caribbean.  Trucy and Simon cannot leave the park without going on Peter Pan (they will riot).

Klavier is actually deathly afraid of dolls and any ride where the animatronics get *too* close to him.  So while Apollo learned that there will never be another ride with Klavier after the “it’s a small world” incident”, he learned the hard-way how deep Klavier’s fear ran when they got stuck on “Snow White’s Scary Adventure”. Klavier was sure that Simon would give him shit for it, but Simon was like - “I haven’t been on that ride since I was five..Aura took me off that ride in tears.  There is no shame in it- that ride *is* scary”.  So they’ll just go on “Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride” while Athena and Apollo go on “Snow White”.

Clay and Apollo went on Opening Day to Galaxy’s Edge; they have a TON of memorabilia.

Miles collects’ character autographs

 Apollo refuses to ride in the swinging gondolas on the Fun Wheel with Athena, Trucy and Clay, because they’re assholes who will rock the gondola.  Apollo stays on the ground with Phoenix. 

Klavier’s favorite treat are “Tigger Tails” and Candied Apples 

Given that they live in SoCal and are annual passholders, Klavier and Apollo will have a once-a-month date night at the park. Sometimes they don’t even go on the rides, they just wander around, eat good food and watch the shows and parades.  They enjoy dates when there are Dapper Days, and on Saturday nights there is Swing Dancing at the Royal Faire.

Christmas Season is Klavier’s favorite time of the year for the parks - aside from the food festivals, he will drive down to Anaheim to go in *just* to get a band to pick up a fresh-made candy cane. 

[jordanthatblondegirl]

Introducing the Top 10 Books I Read in 2019

1. An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green.

There’s Something standing in the middle of 23rd street. April May - a 23-year-old art school grad walking home at 3am - decides to name it Carl in a video that goes viral. What follows is a thrilling tale of science and social media as April navigates her new-found fame as The Discoverer of The Carls. 

Watch my review here.

2. The Mark of Athena (Heroes of Olympus #3) by Rick Riordan.

Annabeth Chase is a pretty capable demigod. She’s faced off against Titans, redesigned the wreckage of Mt. Olympus, and kept Percy Jackson alive for five years. But after meeting her Godly parent, Athena, in a train station looking unrecognizable and asking her to, “Follow the Mark of Athena. Avenge Me,” Annabeth isn’t sure if she can. She’s already leading the Argo II to the especially dangerous Old World to fulfill the Prophecy of Seven and close the Doors of Death. Saving her mom is a tall order, is Annabeth up to the quest?

Read my review here.

3. The House of Hades (Heroes of Olympus #4) by Rick Riordan.

Cut off from their friends and in a new realm where even the ground below their feet seems to want them dead, Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase must rely on their wits and their faith that their friends above will meet them at the Doors of Death and save them from Tartarus. Without the fearless duo, the remaining crew of the Argo II must forge on to the House of Hades and quickly. Gaea and her bloodthirsty forces are growing in power and the days until she finally rises is closer than is comfortable in this fourth installment of The Heroes of Olympus.

Read my review here.

4. Always and Forever, Lara Jean (To All the Boys #3) by Jenny Han

Senior year sucks. Lara Jean is stressing over college admissions, planning her father’s wedding despite her sister’s disapproval, coming to terms with the fact her boyfriend will probably break up with her, and - on top of it all - she can’t figure out the secret to the perfect chocolate chip cookie! In the heart wrenching conclusion to Jenny Han’s To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before trilogy, Lara Jean continues to learn how to navigate her relationships and make the tough decisions about her future.

Review Pending.

5. Insurgent (Divergent #2) by Veronica Roth.

Having escaped the city limits and seeking refuge in the Amity faction, Tris and her friends must come up with a plan to take back the power from the Erudite and restore the balance of their city. But how can they do that when the Dauntless are divided and the Abnegation are all but gone? Seeking help from an unlikely group, our heroes learn what people will do for power and what they are capable of when they are afraid. 

Read my review here.

6. The Blood of Olympus (Heroes of Olympus #5) by Rick Riordan.

The Lost Hero has been found, the Son of Neptune has found his way, the Mark of Athena has been recovered, and the House of Hades has closed its doors. Now, our heroic demigods must part ways once more to stop Gaea from rising and to prevent a war between the Greeks and the Romans before everything is destroyed.

Read my review here.

7. Allegiant (Divergent #3) by Veronica Roth.

Everything Tris knew was a lie and their city is no longer safe. As the Factions further descend into chaos, Tris and her friends escape to the world beyond the city limits in hope someone out there can fix what's happening inside. But just because they're are no Factions doesn’t meant they're are no problems. In the conclusion to Veronica Roth’s electrifying dystopian trilogy, readers see just how twisted being selfless can be. 

Read my review here.

8. Battle of the Labyrinth (Percy Jackson and the Olympians #4) by Rick Riordan.

Percy Jackson has survived being a demigod long enough to make it to Freshman orientation, and congratulations are in order. Except, what he gets instead is attacked by demon cheerleaders. Literally. That’s just the start to his fourth grand quest in the name of the Gods. With his loyal friends at his side, Percy must brave the mythical Labyrinth in hopes of gaining an edge on the Titan lord, Kronos, who may destroy Percy’s life as he knows it.  

Read my series review here.

9. The Lost Hero (Heroes of Olympus #1) by Rick Riordan.

Piper, Jason, and Leo are friends. So, why doesn’t Jason remember them? Starting the day on a bus heading towards the Grand Canyon and ending it at some hidden place called Camp Half-Blood is not what Jason would have expected, but he’s pretty sure his life is about to get a lot more complicated. 

Read my review here.

10. It’s Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini.

Your success in life depends on getting a good job which depends on going to the right college which depends going to the right high school which Craig has done. Except it’s really hard and Craig isn’t sure if he can stay afloat. After one particularly bad night, he’s checked into a mental hospital, where he meets and unusual cast of characters that help put his life and his struggles with mental health into perspective.

Review pending.

[bewitched-sunflower]

Phew 😮‍💨 I sure am one exhausted Grad Student. But I’m doing it. By the grace of Athena and the support of my husband, I am making it through. And as time goes on, I am even more convinced I am in the right place. Despite being terrified of so much responsibility in my hands in the near future, I know that I am called to be a high school English teacher. Just a bit further for this semester. Will need more than one pep talk, but my confidence steadily increases after every successful semester. And I keep going, don’t I? May I instill that in my future students! (at Bennett Spring State Park) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cct8sugstkZ/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[thousandmaths]

Promoting Diversity in the Mathematical Sciences

This post is about a panel at the 2017 Joint Meetings. The panelists were Carlos Castillo-Chavez, Duane Cooper, Kristin Lauter, and Talithia Williams. Again, I arrived a little late — there’s so much to do, and panels are so long :( — so I don’t know who to credit for all of these quotes. 

Nonetheless, i think that this panel was pretty frank, informative, and practical. It was definitely on the upper end of diversity talks that I went to, and easily won my “award” for best panel.

------

If there’s one thing that anyone should have taken from this panel, it was summed up in this quote (by Cooper, I believe):

We know how to do it! The University of Arizona doubled the number of [minority] math majors. There’s no secret.

In other words: the research is in, the case studies are in. We know what the problem is and we have apparently effective, scalable* ways to combat it. What’s left is to change the culture and do the work.

[ * University of Arizona has about 28,000 undergrads enrolled, making it the 19th largest institution in the US. Basically, if it can be done there, it can be done pretty much anywhere. ]

The panelists talked about some of the roadblocks to getting that done:

“The issue with being the only [female, black, latinx, chinese, etc.] faculty is that it puts people in an unnatural position; having to represent their entire [group].”

The cultural divide is very serious; we need to find ways to break the ice. The faculty and the students are not often enough encouraged to see each other as people. [Williams: “The faculty would send us wedding gifts... it wasn’t ‘why are you getting married?’ ‘why are you having a baby?’.”.]

Castillo-Chavez: “We need a change of philosophy... we can’t pretend that we are in a meritocracy... I think that [this goes all the way up to] the NSF.”

And of course: engrained prejudice. Lauter: “I think part of the reason that departments don’t change is because they don’t have to change”. 

Regarding that last point: spend some time today looking at the Athena SWAN program, implemented in the UK. Because before you say “it’s too hard to change the culture”, consider that how quickly things would change if the grant money were tied to it...

------

There were quite a few moments when the panelists gave explicit advice. A few of these were surprising but pretty great ideas, so I’m recording them here:

When starting programs, it can be very helpful to have a team of leaders, instead of a single person, who can rotate the heavier responsibilities year-to-year. If you can build that team, it can prevent minority faculty from being put into that “unnatural position”.

Don’t forget that there are resources outside your department. We tend to think of the administration as loosely adversarial, but for creating programs they can be very helpful.

Cooper: “Don’t worry about institutionalizing things. Do what you can, where you can.” If you start doing work, you don’t need to form a committee and get it recognized by the school. Maybe that means it will die when you leave, but better that it dies of age than be choked in red tape.

Castillo-Chavez: “We listened to what the students wanted to do, and we do that... This is part of the demystification of the faculty: once you remove us from our field of study, we’re really dumb. It’s really important that the students see that.” [He gave an explicit example of this: “I had some women who wanted to look at the dynamics of bulimia. I didn’t even know what bulimia was... we have to listen to what our students want to do.”]

[Not quite advice, but not not advice...] Williams: “The moments that formed me as a mathematician and statistician — they were intense and they were intentional.” She gives the example of a high school teacher who pulled her aside one day and told her that he thought she had a future in mathematics. It was 17 seconds, but it changed her whole perspective.

[Also in the ‘not not advice’ camp...] “At Cornell [in the engineering department], they started an Office of Diversity, and... they chose a very prominent professor to lead it.” This gave the position weight, attracting the current advisor’s high-powered friends, and nowadays a huge portion of the money in the department goes through the Office of Diversity. Good initial conditions can save such programs from being relegated to the backwaters of the department. (There are definitely qualifications to be made here, but this is a useful existence proof to keep in mind.)

------

On a personal note: Williams was a professor where I went to undergrad (Harvey Mudd) and she spoke glowingly about the diversity in the math department there. I remember as a student, my friends and I didn’t see it that way (women were underrepresented in the pure disciplines, only one latinx professor, overrepresentation of men among the full professors). But now, having been to grad school somewhere where the math department is more “status quo”, I find myself inclined to agree with her. Here’s a picture of the Mudd math department 2013-2014:

Yeah, the representation isn’t perfect. But the UMN roster doesn’t look anything like that, let me tell you.

[thechampionsrp]

BEXLEY CRESSWELL is EIGHTEEN and a SEVENTH YEAR, muggle-born SLYTHERIN. She is currently CRUSHING ON ATHENA CRAWLEY. Her role is TAKEN.

THE STORY:

+ BACKGROUND: Born to a family of modest muggles in Bath, England — her mother a school teacher and her father a carpenter — Bexley has managed to keep her humble beginnings a secret from the rest of her house. Though she feigns pureblood superiority, and even goes as far as throwing the name of Ministry Members as her own blood, the lie is getting increasingly difficult to keep; especially with graduation edging around the corner and friends asking which of her many Wizarding World Celebrity family members will attend the ceremony.

+ PERSONALITY: outgoing, adventurous, loyal, cunning, vengeful, prideful

+ CLUB(S): quidditch captain (seeker), magical creatures club

+ POST GRAD PLANS: Become a professional Quidditch player. 

THE CONNECTIONS:

+ ADELAIDE WOODCOURT: Spending countless summers at Adelaide’s Italian grotto with all expenses paid, Bexley can easily say that Adelaide is her best friend. Despite the fact that Adelaide has gone above and beyond for her, even introducing her to all the right somebodies in pureblood aristocracy for Bexley’s blooming Quidditch career, the jealousy is hard for her to conquer.

+ DAHLIA COPPEN: People often wonder why Bexley is so defensive of Dahlia, who is both a Hufflepuff and the T.A. of Muggle Studies — things stereotypically hated by Slytherins. Dahlia, who was born and raised in the small town of Bath, England too, is the only person at Hogwarts who knows Bexley is a muggle, because they attended primary school together. Their friendship, though sometimes strained, is still a priority for Bexley.

+ ATHENA CRAWLEY: Summer lovin’, Bexley had a blast, but now that they’re back at Hogwarts she’s absolutely terrified of rekindling her friendship with Athena. Having seen each other at a muggle club, and then consistently over the summer at other various muggle locations, Bexley’s starting to worry about whether or not Athena will tell the rest of school that Bexley — a presumed pureblood — is out fraternizing with muggles and spending way too much time in the muggle world.

[athenasdragon]

I was at a party on Saturday and met another female geologist and she mentioned who she worked with for her masters and I said “Wow, I’m such a fan of his research! I would love to do a postdoc with him!” and she said “No you wouldn’t. Here’s my card.” Many such cases lol

[athenasdragon]

My PhD advisor knows I'm chronically ill and some of the details and knows it flares up randomly sometimes and knows the quality of work I can normally produce. So why does it still feel so embarrassing to go into a meeting with him and say hey I couldn't get much done the last couple weeks because of my health.

[athenasdragon]

you MUST groove in the laboratory

[athenasdragon]

JUST GOT ASKED TO TEACH A CLASS I LOVE NEXT SPRING WOOHOO

[athenasdragon]

I remember in high school someone I followed on tumblr was doing a PhD and I was like "damn don't you have other stuff to be doing" and look at me now

[athenasdragon]

In the lab doing my suffering martyr bit for being here by myself on a federal holiday even though I literally took yesterday off to compensate lol

[athenasdragon]

Man. At one point I really felt like there wasn’t room for me, someone unable to do most fieldwork, in the type of geoscience I wanted to do. Part of the reason I’ve continued in academia thus far is wanting to make things more inclusive for other chronically ill and disabled, queer, and otherwise historically excluded people.

Hearing from a chronically ill undergrad in our lab that I inspired them to see a path forward in geoscience and they want to apply to grad school just made me cry.

[athenasdragon]

I gave a talk today that I was really nervous about and the feedback was extremely positive 💪