#meant that I learned to take everything my parents and teachers and higher peers said at total face value

[atalantasfatgock]

So I read hdg

[hardynwa]

Man Who Couldn’t Read Until 18 Becomes Cambridge’s Youngest-Ever Black Professor

In what will come across as a really startling development, a man who could not read or write until he was 18 years old, has accomplished the impossible. The man is about to become Cambridge University’s youngest-ever black professor. Professor Jason Arday was told he would likely spend his adult life in assisted living after being diagnosed with autism and remaining speechless until he was 11. The 37-year-old, from Clapham in London, spent years getting ‘violently rejected’ when he first started writing academically. Now, he is now an acclaimed professor who will take up one of the most prestigious professorship posts in the world – professor of sociology of education at Cambridge. He will be one of just five black professors at the institution and one of 155 black university professors in the UK from a total of 23,000. ‘My work focuses primarily on how we can open doors to more people from disadvantaged backgrounds and truly democratise higher education’, he has said. ‘Hopefully being in a place like Cambridge will provide me with the leverage to lead that agenda nationally and globally.’ Professor Arday was diagnosed with global developmental delay when he was a child, but says that didn’t make him question the world around him any less. He says he remembers thinking ‘Why are some people homeless? Why is there war?’ as a youngster. ‘I remember thinking if I don’t make it as a football player or a professional snooker player, then I want to save the world’, he added. After learning to read and write as a teenager, he became a PE teacher, which gave him an insight into the systemic inequalities that children can face in education. He knew he wanted to study further, but felt lost as he had no guidance on how to create his own path. Aged 27, he wrote on his bedroom wall at his parents’ house: ‘One day I will work at Oxford or Cambridge.’ He remembers his college mentor, Sandro Sandi, telling him, ‘I think you can do this – I think we can take on the world and win’. This was the first time he ‘really believed in himself’ and he became ‘determined and focused’ after this talk. Still working as a PE teacher during the day, he wrote papers and studied by night. ‘When I started writing academic papers, I had no idea what I was doing’, he said. ‘I did not have a mentor and no one ever showed me how to write. Everything I submitted got violently rejected. The peer review process was so cruel, it was almost funny, but I treated it as a learning experience and, perversely, began to enjoy it.’ After years of relentless hard work, Professor Arday has two master’s degrees and a PhD in educational studies. He has had roles at the University of Glasgow and the University of Durham, and is an adjunct professor at the Nelson Mandela University. Looking back at his inspiring story, he says he knows ‘this is what I meant to do’. He will start at the University of Cambridge on March 6 as Professor of Sociology of Education in the Faculty of Education. Read the full article

[everydayanth]

Academic Elitism: an institutional issue

Sorry for being so rant-y lately, but the elitism of university has been a problem for me from the exact moment I accepted my scholarship with a signature and a handshake in high school. (The scholarship was later revoked due to state up-fuckery, but that’s another story, and I was already in too deep by the time they told me).

My parent’s house was only an hour north, my younger sister had already claimed my room, but I was excited. I was in the furthest dorm building, because that’s where the scholarship kids went, it was like a poor kid diversity hall, every few doors was someone from a completely different background, but we were all poor except our Swedish RA, and there was an odd pride in that. We all had various scholarships: robotics, dance team, nerds like me, etc. (not the football or hockey athletes though, they had their own dorm next to the library for... reasons, lol).

But being the last hall, it wasn’t actually full, most of us had entire rooms to ourselves, often whole suites; our hall was co-ed, but rooms were only occupied at every-other, staggered down the corridor. Only the front two halls were used, the back two closed off for construction or codes or something. We had to hike up the hill for dining halls, which was fine until snowdays that shut the whole campus down (and I mean west Michigan ones, with 4+ feet of powder and ice underneath). I had an old computer my dad got me for graduation and I didn’t know it was old until my peers started calling it a dinosaur. I had to use the library computers to write and print papers, and most places I went, I ran into the other scholarship kids. We didn’t talk much, just a head bob here and there, awareness at our similarities and an annoyed spite at being thrown together this way. It was lonely for everyone.

I had a purple flip phone I’d gotten only that calendar year (2009) and was still learning to text with (abbreviations? instant messaging? what?). My roommate had come down from Alaska to live near her dad, we’d talked in the summer, but I never saw her. I moved my things in and her stuff was on her side, I texted her about going to turn in paperwork and when I came back, there was a note on my bed and all her things were gone, she couldn’t do it, had never been away from home for even a night. She left a few mismatched socks and a bag of junk pens that I resented for years. 

Social media was mostly a way to talk to people across campus and exchange homework and party times/locations. We posted over-edited photos of our food and still jogged with our mp3 players and ipods. But within two years, I had to trade in my computer three times and upgrade to a smartphone to keep up with the expectations of communication. Professors would cancel classes by emails an hour out, and if I was on campus, I simply didn’t get the message, running between classes with 19 credit hours and three jobs. Work would call in or cancel my appointments (tutoring) and I needed to be able to communicate at the rate of my peers, so though it wasn’t something we could easily afford, my parents let me get the smartphone and my dad helped me find computers that could keep up with writing papers and researching without having to go to the lab, which saved so much time. 

There was little understanding for my suffering. I didn’t have a car, I had to call my parents and organize a time to get home or take the train which was more expensive than waiting around on an empty campus. They were often things that even the wealthiest students had to deal with, but there were so much more of them for us, more stress, more problems, more solutions, more consequences, and in some ways, more determination.

I spent plenty of breaks holed up in my room, but when the swine flu/H1N1 outbreak happened, guess where they quarantined students?

In our hall. 

Not the back one that was closed. In the room attached to my suite. 

After half a semester alone, suddenly strangers shared my bathroom. I never saw them, I would just hear the formidable click of the bathroom lock followed by the shower. A week later I got a blue half-sheet note in my mailbox about quarantines. The other kids were as pissed off, as we watched kids escorted in with blue masks and were told to just get cleaning wipes from the front desk –they ran out in a week. 

We were the recyclable students, brought in to trade scholarships for university grade averages. Many of my friends were struggling with scholarship qualifications and gpas (which only encouraged my continual obsessive perfectionism and involvement). 

We were expendable. 

I didn’t understand the elitism then, or I did, but I’d twisted it in my head from years tossed between private and public schools. I was an invader, I wasn’t supposed to be there, but I wanted to be. I understood that I didn’t deserve it, that I had to work harder to stay. I completed Master’s coursework for my Bachelor’s degree, finishing two BA programs (anthropology and English: creative writing) and 2 minor programs in philosophy and world lit, lead several campus groups and volunteered with honor’s societies. I spent hours on campus every day, running home just to go to one job or the other. I slept about four hours a night and I still romanticize it because I loved it. And I was good at it. It was a closed system, easy to infiltrate, easy to watch and observe and follow, to feel protected from the world, but there were always ways that I came up short. 

I didn’t have leggings or Northface fleeces or Ugg boots or name brand anything (except a pair of converse I got in 8th grade from my Babcia). I had old high school sweats and soccer shirts, hand-me-down clothes from sisters and cousins that mix-matched a style I thought was unique but I now understand screamed I don’t really belong here. Example: I went to propose an independent study to a professor I really admired and I panicked about what to wear. I still cringe at the memory, gahhhhhh, but I pulled on what I thought was a decent dress because it had no rips or stains or tears and though I’d picked it up from a clearance rack, it was the newest thing and therefore the best. But in retrospect, it was definitely a “party” dress, I grabbed a sweater, hoop earrings that had always been beautiful in my neighborhood, and heels I never wore otherwise, and presented my idea. This old professor was just like “um...did you dress up for me?” Clearly spooked by red flags and I realized my mistake. Saved by quick thinking I clarified “no, I have a presentation later,” and being a familiar face in the social sciences department, I let him assume I was dressed up as something. I just went in my sweats and t-shirts after that, got a haircut that tamed the wavy frizz and learned the importance of muted tones, cardigans, and flats.

I made a lot of interesting friends in the process, people who also stuck out from the American Academic culture: exchange students, older (non-traditional) students, rebels, and other poor kids. But that also meant that we all evolved during our time there, so friendship was quick and fleeting as we adapted or dropped out or remained oblivious, lost in our studies and dreams of changing the world or our lives. 

I had no idea how to approach the dining halls because I could only afford the bronze plan that was included with my room+board scholarship. I could enter the hall ten times per week, with four included passes to the after-hours carry-out (this was an upgrade from the free high school lunch I was coming from). I met other kids on this plan and their dorm rooms had fridges and microwaves and shelves of ramen and mac’n’cheese. Mine was sparse, my fridge had jugs of water from the filtered tap in the common room, and though it had a shared kitchenette, it always smelled bad or was being used and the nearest grocery store was Meijers which was a 15-20 minute drive from campus. I used so much energy dividing up my meals and figuring out how to sneak food from the hall for later or just learn to not eat, which is another story involving malnutrition, broken bones, and the American Healthcare System.

We like to summarize the college experience with fond struggles. I went back to my old high school to watch my younger sisters’ marching band competition that first year (it’s MI, and they were good). My old art teacher (not much older than we were but she felt so much older at the time, also her maiden name was Erickson and so was her fiance’s so she didn’t “change” her name and that blows my mind to this day), anyway, she stopped me to ask how school was going, and I was not prepared to be recognized in anyway and stammered out something like “oh, yeah, stressful. Fun, cool, yeah,” like the eloquent well-educated student I was. And she said, “oh, I loved it, don’t you love it? Everything’s so charming, and being poor? Oh man, it’s hard for a while, but it’s so good to go through.” 

I was dumbfounded at her reference to poverty as a thing to go through when you’re a student. I again had to remember that I was infiltrating places where people weren’t just marginally more well-off than I was, but far beyond, in a place where they couldn’t comprehend an alternative, couldn’t conceive of surviving poverty, of not having a reliable place to fall if you mess up, parents who couldn’t support you if things went wrong, who couldn’t save you from having to drop out if scholarships were canceled because the money just wasn’t there.

Talking with my parents never worked, and I recently found this video by The Financial Diet about Boomer shame in being poor, where many Millennials were united by it and it was #relatable. But all this is to say that there are so many layers and ways we develop in higher education that are often overlooked by the romantic nostalgia of the elite expectation. What we demand from education vs. what it offers us in return is rarely equal for students coming from poverty, and it starts with that first sacrifice of looking at money and deciding it has to be worth it to do something bigger, and that education is a necessary piece of that goal.

Now I live near Brown University, I’ve been to Harvard when we lived in Boston and recently took a trip to Yale with bold expectations. I am friends with several people who work at these places and I hear the same things: so many students are in a place where their obsessions are considered more important than the larger world, an argument that Shakespeare is a woman is more important to prove than the greater issues of sexism in society as a whole, while others are trained to look at data and the world as a pocketable fact-book, going to conferences and  week-long summits and then off to D.C. to make important decisions about places they’ve never been to, for people they’ve never met, about problems they’ve never experienced.  

It’s not new. It’s not romantic. It’s not nostalgic. It’s just sick. 

I was horrified at New Haven. I have read so many social science reports and papers and experiments and academic bullshit that has come from professors at Yale with a big badge of ivy-league validation. So much of this research was focused on homelessness and culture clash and socio-economics in America, as that was my “dissertation” that got me discounted master’s classes for my BA in Anthropology. Anyway, my point was that I thought this noble, proud university that put out so much research was going to be situated in something of a utopia, where their research is put into practice. Obviously, I was wrong, but I didn’t expect how wrong. (I had also started reading Leigh Bardugo’s Ninth House, so... there’s another thing).

My observations were validated by employees of ivy-league schools, who have watched over the past 2 decades as they grow more and more reclusive, hiding away from the public except through a few, probably well-intentioned, outstretched hands that do little to contribute to the world outside the university itself. These ivory towers are built by poaching: environments, observations, resources, research, and yeah, even students.

I love academia. I will sit in a library for hours just pulling down tomes (and putting them back in their proper locations like a dork) and drawing connections just for fun. But right now, I’m a bit bitter and spiteful and angry. 

When something like Coronavirus sneaks up on us, we have a tendency to throw the most expendable people under the bus as quickly as we can, and all I can think about is my shadow of a suite-mate sneezing and coughing with swine flu for two weeks, at how I refused to use my own bathroom and listened to my hall-mates’ advice about showering at the rec center a mile away as we all collectively locked our bathroom doors and were left there by the university to get sick without insurance to help with any foreseeable costs.

It’s not the same now, they’ve rebuilt the entire section of the campus, it’s odd to see it, I wonder where they put the expendable kids. Or maybe they don’t accept them anymore. I’ve worked in college admissions since then, and it is a scary industry of politics and preference and hidden quotas and image-agendas. Not all schools are industry monsters, but when you’re expendable, they sure do feel like it, whether you graduate summa cum laude with two degrees, six awards, and five tasseled ropes around your neck or not. 

I wish I had a positive message. I wish I was in a place to help people who feel expendable or like they can’t keep up with communications because of technology or language or network or environment. But I don’t have much right now. For all its posturing and linear progression, academia needs to create profit. All I can do is yell about this existing.

If you are feeling expandable in university, I can tell you you’re not alone. I can let you rant about all the small ways your peers don’t get it, whether its an accent they shit on or ceremonies you don’t have the right clothes for or textbooks you share with a friend to cut costs but then they hoard them. I can relate to you about guilt and that sneaking panic that fills you with anxiety at night as you question yourself and wonder if it’s worth it at all, if it’s necessary, if it’s okay to be expendable to follow something that feels bigger. I can validate your doubt and tell you that you’re not actually expendable, you’re a bridge. 

I’m sorry it still works like this. I wish we figured out how to change it by now, I wish I had secret shortcuts to tell you about, that there was more accountability or hope, but I’m not seeing it lately. I hope you do. <3

[carcino-generic]

HOW HUMANS ARE HAVING THEIR LIVES RUINED BY KARKAT VANTAS

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ALRIGHT, HERE’S THE BASICS OF CAPITALISM FROM A WORKING CLASS AMERICAN. I WANT TO START OUT BY SAYING I DON’T GIVE A SHIT ABOUT EUROPE, CANADA, AUSTRALIA, OR ANY OTHER “FIRST-WORLD” COUNTRIES. I DON’T KNOW WHO TORIES ARE AND I DON’T CARE ABOUT EMMANUEL MACRON. FOREIGN AFFAIRS ARE NOT MY CUP OF TEA THANKS. I HAVE ENOUGH PROBLEMS WITH DOMESTIC POLITICS. ALSO DON’T GET ON MY ASS ABOUT CALLING IT AMERICA INSTEAD OF THE U.S.A., CANADIANS DON’T ACTUALLY WANT TO BE AMERICANS AND IF THEY DO THEY’RE MORONS FOR REASONS THAT WILL BECOME CLEAR AS YOU READ ON. 

YOU KNOW HOW IN A NORMAL SOCIETY, TRADE IS DRIVEN BY RESOURCES AND PRICES ARE DETERMINED BY THE AVAILABILITY, COMPLEXITY, AND DIFFICULTY IN PRODUCTION OF A PRODUCT? SO IMAGINE YOUR COUNTRY GETS ENOUGH MONEY, POWER, AND SHEER BLIND DEVOTION FROM ITS CITIZENS TO THROW ALL THAT IN THE GARBAGE, AND THEN IMAGINE THAT EVERYONE CAPABLE OF MAKING MEANINGFUL CHANGES AT A FUNDAMENTAL LEVEL, WHILE REMAINING WITHIN THE CURRENT SYSTEM, IS OWNED BY SOMEONE WHO BENEFITS EGREGIOUSLY FROM EVERYTHING STAYING THE SAME, AND EVEN MORE EGREGIOUSLY FROM THINGS BECOMING WORSE. NOW IMAGINE THAT WHEN I SAID “SOMEONE” I MEANT “ONE OF MAYBE FIFTEEN MEGA-CORPORATIONS THAT OWNS EVERY OTHER BUSINESS IN THE COUNTRY,” AND WHEN I SAY “EVERYONE CAPABLE OF MAKING MEANINGFUL CHANGES...” I MEAN POLITICIANS WE ELECT TO PRETEND TO REPRESENT OUR INTERESTS WHO HAVE IN REALITY BEEN BOUGHT OUT BY CORPORATE INTERESTS AND RISK LOSING THEIR JOBS IF THEY MAKE LAWS THAT THREATEN THOSE CORPORATE INTERESTS’ BOTTOM LINES. BASICALLY, WE INVESTED ALL OUR POWER INTO PRIVATELY OWNED MONEY SINKS AND FORGOT TO CARE ABOUT THE THINGS THAT MATTER, LIKE THE ACTUAL CITIZENS? OKAY THIS IS GETTING AWAY FROM ME, WE MIGHT HAVE TO START FROM THE BASICS. 

I DON’T KNOW HOW YOUR SOCIETY WORKS, BUT IN OURS, YOU START OUT AS A LITTLE BABY. AS SOON AS YOU’RE PHYSIOLOGICALLY CAPABLE OF EXISTING FOR CONSECUTIVE HOURS WITHOUT THE PEOPLE WHO RAISED YOU, THEY SHOVE YOU IN A CLASSROOM AND START FEEDING YOU A MIXTURE OF COLONIAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL, PHILOSOPHICAL, AND POLITICAL PROPAGANDA. THAT’S ALSO WHERE THEY TEACH YOU HOW TO SOCIALIZE WITH KIDS YOUR AGE AND SHIT. FOR SOME KIDS IT’S THE *ONLY* PLACE THEY CAN LEARN TO SOCIALIZE, BECAUSE THEIR PARENTS ARE TOO BUSY, ABSENT, OR PROTECTIVE TO BRING YOU OUT TO INTERACT WITH PEERS. EITHER WAY, THIS IS WHERE KIDS FORM THEIR CONCEPTS OF BOTH PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS AND SOCIAL CONTRACTS. THE TRAUMA OF RACIAL AND GENDER PROFILING IS NASCENT HERE, BUT OH BOY IT INTERNALIZES QUICKLY. (MORE ON HOW PEOPLE OF COLOR, THE WAR ON DRUGS, AND PROFIT ARE ALL LINKED LATER ON, OR MAYBE JUST LOOK UP A VIDEO ESSAY ON IT IDK.) 

IT’S PRETTY MUCH THIRTEEN YEARS OF THIS SAME SHIT, ESPECIALLY THE PROPAGANDA BIT. KIDS GROW UP BEING INDOCTRINATED WITH THIS COMPLETELY WHITEWASHED VERSION OF REALITY, BELIEVING CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS* IS THE SHIT AND CAPITALISM IS THE ONLY EFFICIENT MODEL FOR MODERN SOCIETY. THEY’RE USUALLY TAUGHT ALL ABOUT WORLD WARS I AND II, THE VIETNAM WAR, THE COLD WAR, AND THE SPACE RACE, WHICH (BY UNEQUIVOCALLY POSING AMERICANS AS THE GOOD GUYS AND THE SOVIETS AND CHINESE AS THE BAD GUYS,  CEMENTS THE CONCEPT THAT CAPITALISM INHERENTLY RULES AND COMMUNISM INHERENTLY FAILS) FURTHER INDOCTRINATES KIDS. IF YOU’RE REALLY AN ALIEN I DOUBT YOU’VE SEEN THIS IMAGE, BUT EVERY SINGLE AMERICAN EARTHLING HAS:

THIS GUY IS NAMED UNCLE SAM, HE’S BASICALLY AMERICA’S FURSONA. HE EXISTS TO PRESSURE YOU INTO SIGNING UP TO FIGHT IN A WAR. HE WAS USED A LOT IN THOSE WARS I TALKED ABOUT UP THERE, ESPECIALLY THE FIRST THREE. HE’S NOT AROUND SO MUCH ANY MORE BUT THE GENERAL SENTIMENT IS. HERE’S HOW. 

WHEN YOU GRADUATE FROM HIGH SCHOOL, THE LAST “REQUIRED” STAGE OF SCHOOL, YOU ARE EXPECTED TO MOVE OUT AND GET A JOB TO SUPPORT YOURSELF. BUT NOWADAYS, IF YOU WANT A JOB THAT PAYS FOR YOUR HEALTH CARE, LETS YOU STAY HOME WHEN YOU GET SICK, GIVES YOU DAYS OFF TO GO TO FAMILY EVENTS SUCH AS WEDDINGS, FUNERALS, THE BIRTH OF YOUR CHILDREN, AND OTHER UNIMPORTANT DRIVEL THAT DOESN’T MAKE CEOS MONEY, YOU BET YOUR ASS YOU’D BETTER GET A COLLEGE DEGREE. HAVING A DEGREE IS THE NUMBER ONE WAY YOU CAN GUARANTEE THAT YOU MAKE MORE MONEY. THAT ALL SOUNDS FINE AND DANDY, EXCEPT NOW YOU HAVE TO PAY SOME INDUSTRIAL-SCALE LOAN SHARK MORE THAN YOU’LL EVER HAVE IN YOUR 401(K) TO LET YOU GET YOUR HIGHER EDUCATION. A LOT OF PEOPLE END UP OWING UPWARDS OF FIFTY GRAND TO A PRIVATELY OWNED LOAN AGENCY BY THE TIME THEY’RE TWENTY-ONE, BECAUSE AS FRESH ADULTS THEY WERE TOLD THEY WOULDN’T GET A WORTHWHILE JOB UNLESS THEY HAD A DEGREE. BUT HERE’S THE THING: A LOT OF TIMES, JOBS LIKE THAT WON’T EVEN HIRE YOU UNLESS YOU HAVE A MASTER’S DEGREE NOW! THAT’S ANOTHER TWO YEARS OF CLASSES AND ANOTHER HUGE CHUNK OF MONEY YOU NEVER HAD TO BEGIN WITH. 

OF COURSE THERE ARE LESS EXPENSIVE OPTIONS, LIKE TRADE SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY COLLEGE. BUT REMEMBER THE PROPAGANDA I MENTIONED? IT’S SO PERVASIVE, A LOT OF YOUNG PEOPLE DON’T EVEN CONSIDER TRADE SCHOOL AN OPTION NOW, BECAUSE WE CULTURALLY VALUE THE “INTELLECTUAL” JOBS—DOCTOR, LAWYER, ENGINEER, ACCOUNTANT, BUSINESSMAN—WHICH ARE STRANGELY ALSO THE CAREER PATHS THAT REQUIRE THE MOST INVESTMENT OF TIME AND MONEY! NOW IF YOU DECIDE TO BE LIKE ME AND GET A JOB RIGHT OUT OF HIGH SCHOOL BECAUSE THE EDUCATION INDUSTRY IS A PUTRID WASTELAND, YOU’RE AUTOMATICALLY LOOKED DOWN UPON. A LOT OF TIMES PEOPLE WHO ARE PURSUING LESS LUCRATIVE CAREERS THAT INTEREST THEM***, INSTEAD OF THE BIG MONEY JOBS, ARE DISPARAGINGLY ASKED IF THEY WANT TO “END UP WORKING AT MCDONALDS.” I DON’T PERSONALLY WORK AT MCDONALDS BUT THIS SHIT STILL OFFENDS ME. BUT THEN AGAIN I’M A MILLENNIAL SNOWFLAKE SO WHAT DO I KNOW. 

ACADEMIA HAS A LOT OF ITS OWN PROBLEMS BUT I’VE ONLY HEARD THOSE SECONDHAND, SO LET’S LEAVE THAT HELLSCAPE TO ITS ELITISM AND STAY WITHIN THE BLUE-COLLAR SUBCLASS. COMMON PARLANCE WILL REFER TO THREE MAJOR CLASSES: THE LOWER CLASS (DIPLOMATICALLY CALLED THE “WORKING CLASS”, HA FUCKING HA!), THE MIDDLE CLASS (WHICH THEORETICALLY MAKES UP THE MAJORITY OF THE POPULATION), AND THE UPPER CLASS (FUCK THOSE GUYS BUT WE’LL GET AROUND TO THAT LATER.) THIS MODEL IS PRETTY MUCH JUST DESIGNED TO CREATE TENSION WITHIN THE PROLETARIAT, BUT HANG ON A SECOND, I JUST REMEMBERED YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT THE PROLETARIAT IS YET. 

SO BASICALLY, THERE’S NOT THAT MUCH DEFINABLE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE “MIDDLE CLASS” AND THE “WORKING CLASS.” WHEN YOU THINK OF WORKING CLASS, COLLOQUIALLY, YOU THINK OF THOSE LOSERS THAT WORK IN THE SERVICE INDUSTRY OR DRIVE TAXIS OR (AND THIS IS INCOMPREHENSIBLE TO SOME PEOPLE) HAVE NO JOB AT ALL. THE MIDDLE CLASS IS MORE LIKE TEACHERS AND MIDDLE MANAGERS AND GUYS THAT BUILD SOFTWARE REMOTELY FOR MICROSOFT. REALLY THOUGH, THERE’S NO WAY TO DRAW A DEFINITIVE LINE BETWEEN THESE PEOPLE. THE BEST WAY TO DEFINE CLASS IN AMERICA, (AND ALSO APPARENTLY GERMANY, AT LEAST IN THE 19TH CENTURY,) IS TO SEPARATE THOSE WHO PRODUCE GOODS AND THOSE WHO OWN THE GOODS THAT ARE PRODUCED. THERE IS NO “MIDDLE CLASS”, THAT’S JUST A MEANINGLESS THING TO STRIVE FOR BASED ON WHAT WHITE FAMILIES IN SITCOMS LOOK AND ACT LIKE. 

WORKERS WHO PRODUCE GOODS AND SERVICES ARE THE BACKBONE OF SOCIETY AND THEY’RE CALLED THE PROLETARIAT. THEY ARE SERVICE WORKERS AND JANITORS AND TAXI DRIVERS AND HOTEL VALETS, BUT THEY ARE ALSO ELECTRICIANS AND PLUMBERS AND MECHANICS, AND THEY ARE LAWYERS AND DOCTORS AND PROFESSORS, AND THEY ARE YOUTUBERS AND INFLUENCERS AND SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGERS. THE PROLETARIAT IS ANYONE WHO MAKES MONEY BY SELLING THEIR LABOR. THEY CAN BE CONTRACTORS SELLING THEIR LABOR TO INDEPENDENT BUYERS, OR FREELANCERS SELLING THEIR LABOR TO MULTIPLE LARGER BUSINESSES, BUT MOST OF THE PROLETARIAT IS DIRECTLY EMPLOYED BY SOME KIND OF COMPANY OWNED BY A MEMBER OF THE BOURGEOISIE. 

THE BOURGEOISIE IS KIND OF A MEME AT THIS POINT BUT THEIR IMPACT ON THE WAY WE LIVE IS FUCKING INESCAPABLE. THEY’RE PEOPLE WHO *BUY* OUR LABOR, ACCRUE CAPITAL BY SITTING ON THEIR (SOMETIMES LITERAL!!!) THRONES, OWNING COMPANIES AND PEOPLE, SOMETIMES BEING A PUBLIC FIGURE (LIKE ELON MUSK) WHO RAKES IN ADORATION FROM HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF MINDLESS TWITTER DRONES WHO STILL BELIEVE IN CLASS MOBILITY****, OR SOMETIMES BEING A SHADOWY FIGURE IN THE BACKGROUND (LIKE THE KOCH BROTHERS) WHO JUST PASSIVELY RAKE IN THE BENEFITS OF OUR HARD WORK AND CAN’T BE ASSASSINATED BECAUSE NO ONE WOULD RECOGNIZE THEM IF THEY WERE SEEN AT KROGER. THEY ARE USUALLY BORN WEALTHY, BUT VERY RARELY THEY CAN USE THEIR CHARISMA, INTELLIGENCE, SOCIAL CONNECTIONS, AND INTRINSIC PRIVILEGE AS A WHITE PERSON TO YANK THEMSELVES UP FROM THE PROLETARIAT (READ MY CLASS MOBILITY NOTE FOR MORE!!!) 

SO THE RESULT OF THIS CLASS DIVISION IS AS FOLLOWS: 

THE PROLETARIAT NEVER EARNS THE ACTUAL VALUE OF THEIR LABOR. A “SMALL” CHUNK IS ALWAYS TAKEN OUT FOR THE PEOPLE AT THE TOP, WHO “RUN” THE COMPANY (BUT REALLY THEIR JOB IS USUALLY TO EAT FANCY LUNCH AND TELL RACIST GOLF JOKES TO RICH INVESTORS). IN FACT, WAGES ARE USUALLY ENTIRELY DISSOCIATED FROM THE ACTUAL PROFIT THE COMPANY MAKES. FOR A BUSINESS TO BE PROFITABLE, IT HAS TO PAY THE EMPLOYEES IT RELIES ON LESS THAN WHAT THEY BRING TO THE TABLE, WHICH MEANS MOST COMPANIES ESTABLISH A BASE WAGE THAT’S EITHER EXACTLY THE STATE’S MINIMUM WAGE OR A COUPLE CENTS HIGHER TO COMPETE. THEY LITERALLY PAY THE LEAST THEY LEGALLY CAN. SOMETIMES *LESS*.

YOUR JOB IS EXPECTED TO BE THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IN YOUR LIFE. EXHAUSTED AFTER YOUR FORTY, FIFTY, OR SIXTY HOUR WORK WEEK? THAT’S JUST NORMAL, THEY’RE NOT SQUEEZING THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT OF LABOR OUT OF YOU THAT THEY CAN WITHOUT KILLING YOU! WANT TO TAKE A FEW DAYS OFF TO SPEND TIME WITH YOUR WIFE AFTER SHE GAVE BIRTH TO YOUR INFANT CHILD? SORRY, YOU’RE OUT OF SICK DAYS. MISSED THE BUS AND THERE’S NOT ANOTHER ONE FOR AN HOUR? IT’S YOUR FAULT FOR NOT HAVING A CAR OR SPENDING FIFTY BUCKS ON AN UBER. TRYING TO GO TO YOUR FIFTH FAMILY FUNERAL BECAUSE ALL YOUR RELATIVES ARE DROPPING LIKE FLIES AFTER A HARD SIXTY YEARS OF LABOR? OOH, SORRY, YOU ONLY GET FOUR FUNERAL DAYS A YEAR! NEED TO GET ANOTHER JOB BECAUSE YOUR CURRENT ONE DOESN’T PAY ENOUGH? WELL, YOU FORGOT TO DISCLOSE IT TO YOUR BOSS AND THEY FIRED YOU FOR TWO-TIMING THEM! A JOB IS MORE OF A COMMITMENT THAN A SPOUSE, AND IF YOU HAVE OTHER PRIORITIES, YOU WON’T LAST LONG. 

BECAUSE THE BOURGEOISIE OWNS SERVICES THAT SHOULD BE PROVIDED BY THE GOVERNMENT, LIKE HEALTHCARE, HOME AND AUTO INSURANCE, A LOT OF HIGHER EDUCATION ESTABLISHMENTS, CREDIT BUREAUS, LOAN COMPANIES, AND HOSPITALS, PROFIT IS THE MOTIVE THERE TOO! WHICH MEANS IF YOU HAVE ANY KIND OF INSURANCE, NEED TO BUY A HOUSE OR A CAR, WANT OR NEED AN EDUCATION, ARE CHRONICALLY ILL, OR JUST EXIST ON A GENERAL BASIS, COMPANIES ARE RIPPING YOU OFF. YOU ARE BASICALLY PAYING THOUSANDS A MONTH FOR THE CHANCE TO GET *SOME* OF YOUR MASSIVE HOSPITAL BILL COVERED IF YOU GET IN AN ACCIDENT. THIS ONE IS NEAR AND DEAR TO ME. FOR UNIMPORTANT REASONS, I MANAGE TO RACK UP A LOT OF DEBT EVERY YEAR GOING TO HOSPITALS AND URGENT CARE, CALLING AMBULANCES, PAYING FOR MEDICATION THAT DOESN’T WORK. DID YOU KNOW YOU’RE CHARGED NIGHTLY TO STAY IN HOSPITALS LIKE THEY’RE GODDAMN HOTELS? LIKE IT’S A FUCKING VACATION? AND DID YOU KNOW THE BILLING DEPARTMENTS OF EACH OF THESE PRIVATELY OWNED ESTABLISHMENTS IS MADE UP OF UNDERPAID, OVERSTRESSED MEMBERS OF THE PROLETARIAT WHOSE JOB IS TO FUCK UP YOUR BILL SO YOU OWE MORE THAN YOUR VISIT ACTUALLY COST? 

MEDICAL FACILITIES ARE ALSO PUSHED TO SELL OVERPRICED DRUGS THAT DON’T WORK TO PEOPLE. HEADS UP, GUYS, BUT ANTIBIOTICS DON’T WORK AGAINST VIRAL INFECTIONS, AND YET THEY’RE PRESCRIBED FOR THE FLU AND COMMON COLD EVERY DAY. AND SOMETIMES THE DRUGS DO WORK, BUT THEY’RE STILL OVERPRICED! IF YOU’VE BEEN ON THE INTERNET AT ALL THIS YEAR YOU’LL KNOW ALL ABOUT THE INSULIN CRISIS, WHICH WAS CREATED ARTIFICIALLY. BASICALLY THE PEOPLE WHO OWN INSULIN (YEAH, *OWN* A LIFE-SAVING MEDICATION) RACKED UP THE PRICE SO MUCH THAT PEOPLE COULDN’T FUCKING AFFORD IT ANYMORE, DESPITE A NORMAL DOSE OF INSULIN COSTING LIKE FIFTY CENTS TO MAKE?? OR, HOW ABOUT THIS—THEY INVENTED THIS COOL NEW CHEAP PAIN-RELIEVING DRUG CALLED FENTANYL AND DISCOVERED THEY COULD MAKE A SHIT TON OF MONEY OFF IT, SO DOCTORS PRESCRIBED THE HELL OUT OF IT UNTIL PEOPLE GOT SO ADDICTED TO IT THAT TENS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE DIED OF OVERDOSES. OH, DID I SAY “PRESCRIBED” IN THE PAST TENSE? MY BAD, THEY CONTINUE TO PRESCRIBE IT EVERY SINGLE DAY. IF YOU HAVE CHRONIC PAIN AND ASK DOCTORS NOT TO PUT YOU ON PAIN MEDICATION, A LOT OF TIMES THEY WILL STILL PUT YOU ON PAIN MEDICATION. IF YOU EXPLAIN TO YOUR DOCTOR THAT YOU KICKED A HEROIN ADDICTION AND YOU REALLY WOULD NOT LIKE TO HAVE OPIOIDS PUT IN YOUR BODY, THEY WILL PROBABLY STILL BE LIKE, HUH, SUCKS FOR YOU, AND PUT OPIOIDS IN YOUR BODY. 

DO YOU WANT TO CHANGE ANY OF THIS? PERHAPS PETITION YOUR LOCAL POLITICIAN, OR GOD FORBID, STATE CONGRESSMAN, TO PASS A LAW THAT YOU THINK MIGHT IMPROVE YOUR LIFE? WELL, IT TURNS OUT YOU NEED A LOT OF MONEY TO RUN A CAMPAIGN NOWADAYS, AND POLITICIANS ARE ALLOWED TO BE SPONSORED BY BIG BUSINESSES, BECAUSE BUSINESSES ARE PEOPLE. SO IF YOU’RE THE SENATOR OF NEW JERSEY OR WHATEVER, AND YOUR CONSTITUENTS WANT YOU TO VOTE TO RAISE THE MINIMUM WAGE, BUT YOUR CAMPAIGN IS OWNED BY WALMART, WHO WANTS TO KEEP PAYING ITS WORKERS ELEVEN BUCKS AN HOUR, YOU HAVE THE CHOICE BETWEEN MAKING A COUPLE LITTLE WORKING CLASS IDIOTS ANGRY OR GETTING ALL YOUR FUNDING FROM WALMART PULLED BECAUSE YOU THREATENED THEIR PROFIT MARGINS. 

NOT ACTIVELY DYING FROM A TREATABLE ILLNESS, WASTING AWAY FROM DRUG ADDICTION, OR ENTRENCHED IN SLAVERY TO A CORPORATION WHOSE PRODUCT YOU DON’T BELIEVE IN? GREAT! DID YOU KNOW THE PLANET WILL BE ON FIRE IN LIKE A FEW DECADES? OIL AND GAS COMPANIES HAVE SO MUCH INFLUENCE OVER THE LAWMAKERS THAT ARE SUPPOSED TO PROHIBIT THEM FROM RUINING THE PLANET, THEY’VE PUT THE ONUS OF SAVING IT ON INDIVIDUALS’ SHOULDERS. REDUCE YOUR CARBON EMISSIONS BY TAKING THAT HOURLY BUS (YOU’LL EITHER BE FIFTY MINUTES EARLY TO WORK OR TEN MINUTES LATE!) OR RECYCLING YOUR SHIT (BUT IF YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT YOUR MUNICIPALITY CAN’T RECYCLE, THEY’LL THROW THE WHOLE BATCH OUT WHEN YOU PUT TRASH IN) OR TURNING THE LIGHTS OFF IN YOUR HOUSE (JUST EAT DINNER IN THE DARK YOU PIECE OF SHIT) OR INSTALLING SOLAR PANELS ON YOUR HOUSE (FUCK ME FOR RENTING I GUESS?) THERE IS SO MUCH WE CAN DO JUST WHENEVER TO SWITCH TO SUSTAINABLE ENERGY, BUT EXXON AND BP AND SHELL OWN SO MUCH INFLUENCE THAT WE’RE JUST *NOT*, AND LEAVING THIS WASTELAND OF A HOME PLANET TO OUR FUTURE GENERATIONS. BUT AT LEAST ELON MUSK BUILT THIS REALLY COOL LOW-POLY BETHESDA LOOKING PIECE OF SHIT FOR US TO MAKE MEMES ABOUT

HERE’S THE SKINNY OF IT, PEOPLE. THERE’S NO OUT WITHIN OUR CURRENT SYSTEM. EVEN IF YOU DID THE MAGIC AND PULLED YOURSELF UP BY YOUR BOOTSTRAPS AND NOW YOU’RE A BIG BOY WHO OWNS HIS OWN COMPANY, YOU LEFT BEHIND A BUNCH OF PEOPLE WHO DIDN’T WIN THE BIRTH LOTTERY LIKE YOU DID. INNOCENT FOLKS ARE DYING OF HUNGER OR ILLNESS THEY CAN’T AFFORD TO TREAT, CRASHING CARS THEY CAN’T AFFORD TO FIX, WORKING THEMSELVES LITERALLY TO DEATH TO SUPPORT THEMSELVES OR THEIR FAMILIES, AND SCRAPING BY WITH A MEASLY ALLOWANCE OF FREE TIME WITH WHICH TO UNWIND AND CATCH UP WITH OTHER PEOPLE. THEY DON’T HAVE TIME TO WATCH THE NEWS, THINK CRITICALLY ABOUT THE SOCIETY THEY LIVE IN, CONCEPTUALIZE UNIONIZING OR REVOLTING OR BUILDING GUILLOTINES. THEY WANT TO KEEP US EXHAUSTED AND STRUGGLING BECAUSE IT’S WHAT KEEPS THEM COMFORTABLE UP THERE, KNOWING NO ONE HAS THE ENERGY OR THE GALL TO TOUCH THEM. THE ONLY FUCKING WAY TO ESCAPE THIS HELL WE’VE CREATED IS THROUGH REVOLUTION. WE NEED TO SCRAP THIS WHOLE THING AND START OVER. BUT I THINK THAT’S ANOTHER ESSAY. ANYWAY I HOPE THIS WAS THOROUGH ENOUGH FOR A LITERAL ALIEN SOCIETY. 

TL;DR: WE ARE ALL FUCKED IF WE DON’T OVERTHROW THE RICH. 

---------------

*CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS IS SOME EUROPEAN WHO SAILED THE WRONG WAY AND ENDED UP IN THE AMERICAS. HE AND HIS BUDDIES RAPED AND PILLAGED THEIR WAY THROUGH A BUNCH OF INDIGINOUS COMMUNITIES AND DECIDED THIS COUNTRY WAS “FREE REIGN” TO SETTLE IN. HE IS HAILED AS THE AMERICAN ODYSSEUS AND CREDITED WITH THE “DISCOVERY” OF AMERICA BECAUSE OF COURSE ALL THOSE PEOPLE WHO LIVED HERE FIRST DON’T COUNT??

**I DON’T KNOW SHIT ABOUT WARS EITHER BUT LET’S GET INTO IT FROM THE POV OF A GUY WHO PASSED HIS WORLD HISTORY CLASS WITH A STRAIGHT B MINUS. 

THE FIRST WORLD WAR: I DON’T GIVE A SHIT ABOUT THIS ONE.

THE SECOND WORLD WAR: THE ONE WHERE A BUNCH OF SCIENTISTS AND GOVERNMENT OFFICERS BOMBED A COUPLE OF CIVILIAN SETTLEMENTS IN JAPAN AND I’M PRETTY SURE AN *ENTIRE HAWAIIAN ISLAND* JUST TO SEE WHAT HAPPENED. TURNS OUT IT KILLED A BUNCH OF CIVILIANS. HUH! WHO’D HAVE EXPECTED THAT! OH IT ALSO TURNED AN ENTIRE GENERATION OF OTHERWISE DECENT FOLKS INTO RABIDLY PATRIOTIC IDIOTS, BECAUSE THE PACE AT WHICH THIS COUNTRY CHURNS OUT PROPAGANDA DURING A WAR IS FASTER THAN THE SPEEDING RUBBER BAND I SHOT WITH MY FINGERS AT THE TEACHER WHO WAS EXPLAINING WHY EVERY OTHER COUNTRY WAS IN THE ABSOLUTE WRONG DURING THIS CATASTROPHE.

VIETNAM: OKAY SO BASICALLY PEOPLE HATED THIS ONE BECAUSE THEY REALIZED SOLDIERS WERE GOING ALL CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS ON THE COUNTRIES WHERE THEY WERE STATIONED. ENOUGH SAID. 

COLD WAR: THIS IS NOMINALLY A WAR BECAUSE THE GOOD OLD U.S.A. AND ITS HATEFUCKBUDDY THE U.S.S.R.† DID THIS WITH WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION 

(EVENTUALLY THEY DECIDED TO PUT THE FINGER GUNS AWAY. I’M GONNA LET YOU TRY TO PUZZLE OUT ON YOUR OWN HOW COUNTRIES “PUT AWAY” NUCLEAR WEAPONS CAPABLE OF ENDING ALL LIFE ON EARTH.)

SPACE RACE: THE U.S. AND THE U.S.S.R. HAD A FUN COMPETITION TO SEE WHOSE DICK WAS BIG ENOUGH TO GET TO THE MOON. SCIENCE IS RUINED. 

***ARTISTS, WRITERS, JOURNALISTS, VIDEO ESSAYISTS, AND ANYONE ELSE WHO ISN’T EITHER OWNED OR SPONSORED (THAT’S A FANCY WORD FOR “OWNED”) BY BIG BUSINESS TEND TO BE THREATENED BY POVERTY. PRETTY MUCH ANYONE WHO CAN FREELANCE ACTUALLY, BECAUSE WORKING FOR A CORPORATION PROVIDES THE SAFETY NET THAT SOCIAL PROGRAMS WOULD OTHERWISE TAKE CARE OF IF SOCIAL PROGRAMS WERE FUNDED EVER. 

****ALSO KNOWN AS THE AMERICAN DREAM, IN WHICH *ANYBODY* CAN MAKE IT IN THIS COUNTRY IF THEY TRY HARD ENOUGH! UNFORTUNATELY THIS IS A MYTH, AS YOU CAN SEE BY THE FACT THAT I AM STILL REALLY POOR, AS IS LIKE 90% OF THE COUNTRY. PLUS CLASS MOBILITY WORKS REALLY HARD TO KEEP MINORITIES IN EXTREME POVERTY, BECAUSE IT DOESN’T EXIST AS AN ISOLATED SYSTEM AND ANYONE WHO THINKS IT DOES IS A DUMBSHIT WHO’S BOUGHT INTO THIS EVEN MORE THAN THE AVERAGE DUMBSHIT. 

†RUSSIA’S COOL NEW NAME WHEN IT TRIED OUT SOCIALISM

[thinkingaboutyoungroyals]

Red String (2/4)

Summary: When T.J. was 8, he read a book about the Red Strings of Fate. And when he was 10, he started seeing strings EVERYWHERE.

A/N: I’ve always loved the idea of being connected to your soulmate with a Red String of Fate. I did a bit of research on them and I’ve read some manga that have it as a theme. So, I took some liberties on how it works here and I’m still figuring it out along the way but I hope I’m able to convey them in a justified manner.

Part 1 Part 3 Part 4

Chapter 2: Blue String

Despite the surprising appearance of a pink string around his pinky, T.J. opted to ignore it. He didn’t want to waste any time wracking his brains trying to figure out why it showed up… or who triggered it to show up.

Besides, he had more pressing matters to pay attention to. Like Math.  

For as long as he could remember, T.J. hated Math. He hated numbers. He hated the way other kids could add, subtract, multiply, and divide like it was second nature but every time T.J. tried, the strange symbols just looked like some kind of alphabet soup, but with numbers.

Somehow, he managed to make it to Middle School, only passing by a hair each time. (He may or may not have become an expert in subtle cheating but that was beside the point.)

But, now, his position on the basketball team was in danger because of stupid Math. And what more was that his teacher decided to assign his black string as his tutor.

T.J. wondered if he hated Buffy, not just because of the number of strings on her fingers, but because she, admittedly, was good at almost everything. But, he would never say that to her face.

“You do know the multiplication tables… right?”

T.J. couldn’t help but glare while feeling a painful pang in his chest. But, he refused to cry in front of Buffy.

“You think I’m stupid?” he accused.

Buffy looked surprised but immediately defended herself, “I never said that.”

She may not have said it out loud but she was thinking it. T.J. knew she was thinking it. Everybody thought he was stupid.

“Well, I am.”

Standing up, he grabbed his backpack, not bothering to take his notebook or textbook with him. It wasn’t like he would need them, anymore. He was stupid at Math and that was a fact.

Without another word to the girl, T.J. practically ran out of the room. His eyes were stinging and his heart was beating, painfully, against his rib cage.

He had to get out of school. To not be reminded of all the things he was lacking in.

His feet took him to the park. Something was tugging him there and he didn’t feel like fighting it that day. The walk kept him calm on the outside, but on the inside, he was still filled with turmoil.

“Legs go up, legs go down. That’s how we make the swing go ‘round...”

T.J. heard him before he saw him and he couldn’t explain the reason why he was drawn to that familiar voice.

Buffy’s friend, the muffin boy, was on the swings, kicking his legs into the air in a gentle manner as he continued to sing to himself.

T.J. wasn’t familiar with the song. Was it made up? That was pretty creative.

Dropping his backpack on the ground, he calmly walked over and placed his hand against the pole.

“Nice song,” he commented before a little kid’s squeal distracted him and he turned to see a little boy sliding down the slide before turning back. “What do you sing when you’re on the slide?”

The other boy had paused while he was distracted, almost looking fearful of him. It bothered T.J.

“We go down, we say ‘yay’,” he sang, immediately. “Don’t climb up, that’s the wrong way.”

How amusing. T.J. felt himself chuckle as he smiled.

“Huh. Did not expect you to have a song for that.”

It appeared to be the right thing to say as the other boy’s face immediately lit up.

“Chocolate-chocolate chip muffin, right?” 

The boy pointed at him. “Scary basketball guy.”

Immediately, T.J. felt his face fall in disappointment. “Actually, T.J.”

The other boy continued to smile, almost teasingly. “I know.” He pointed at himself. “Cyrus.”

And that was how T.J. found himself getting on a swing and kicking himself into the air, feeling the wind rush against his face. For the first time in so long, he felt light. Free.

And Cyrus? He was great company. T.J. could see why he had a ton of blue strings. Cyrus was friendly and sweet. He had a way with words that could ease T.J.’s anxious thoughts and relieve him of the tension in his body. He had T.J. feeling like a little kid again, with no worries, no “stuff”. Just a normal kid on the swings with a friend.

And despite Cyrus claiming that he was scared of swinging higher, T.J. discovered that with just a little push (both literally and figuratively), the other boy wasn’t opposed to dancing with danger (as he so proclaimed it being on his bucket list just days prior). He was insecure but, really, what kid their age wasn’t? T.J. had his own insecurities, though he would never tell anyone.

He felt the tug on his middle finger before he heard the “Cyrus! You okay?!”

Buffy was running up to them and T.J., though he felt like a coward for doing so, tried to run away.

But Cyrus stopped him, insisting that Buffy was really cool. Of course he would say that! They were friends. Their friendship ran so deep that they were connected with a blue string!

Unfortunately, staying back just an extra minute to thank Cyrus for his help allowed Buffy to catch up with him.

“Cyrus, can you give us the playground?” she asked the other boy.

“Yeah, you know where to find me.” Cyrus, then, turned to him with a kind smile. “And so do you.”

T.J. felt his lips twitch in response, threatening a smile as Cyrus walked away.

His good mood immediately dampened as soon as Buffy started talking to him. And what more, she decided to web-diagnose him with a learning disability?! As if he didn’t have enough problems already?!

He was so angry and upset that he didn’t even notice the tingling in his fingers.

It wasn’t until he was attempting, for the millionth time, to do his Math homework that he saw it.

A new blue string was wrapped around his previously empty pointer finger.

..........

It didn’t take T.J. too long to figure out who was on the other side of that new blue string.

He had been talking to a classmate about a group project for English when he felt the tug.

It was followed by a “Hey, not-so-scary basketball guy!”

Immediately, T.J. ended his conversation with the kid and turned to greet Cyrus.

“Hey, Underdog! What’s up?”

Clear as day, a light blue string hung between them.

And it meant only one thing…

“If I could get an RSVP ASAP, I think I can get you into my Bar Mitzvah parteee,” the boy cutely stated.

He handed over a heavy envelope and T.J. could hardly believe that it was really for him as he stared at it for a moment. He rarely got invited to his peers’ events unless their parents forced them to. But, his name was right there, scrawled at the center of the envelope in a neat cursive.  

Cyrus was personally inviting him to a party. Cyrus saw him as someone worth having at his special day of all days. Cyrus saw him as a friend.

Looking up at the other boy, T.J. smiled and gave him a short nod. “I’m there,” he replied, coolly.

He had a friend. A real, genuine, blue string friend. He was so happy.

..........

As T.J. watched Buffy tear it down the basketball court as the crowd cheered her name, he felt his black string tighten even more. His team was out there, dominating…without him! And all because he failed his last Math test!

And he hated the feeling. He felt useless. A loser.

“You’re not playing?”

T.J. looked up at him, glaring as he felt his anger flare. “Nothing gets past you,” he said, sarcastically.

The other boy frowned. “I’m not here as a punching bag. I’m here to see if you’re okay.”

Normally, he would feel touched at that. Cyrus was his only real friend, after all. His blue string was still tied around T.J.’s finger. It didn’t disappear like T.J. initially thought it would.

But, his anger and insecurities were all at the forefront. He ended up snapping at the boy, instead.

“How about...you’re not here at all?” he sneered before walking away, ignoring Cyrus’ concerned looks.

That boy didn’t deserve a friend like T.J. He didn’t deserve to be tied to him. He deserved better.

He found himself leaving the gym and grabbing a snack from the vending machine.

As he watched a bag of cheese puffs fall from their perch, he felt the tug on his blue string.

The door opened and Cyrus appeared beside him.

“Eating your feelings?” the other boy stated, casually before smiling. “I do that!”

T.J. felt annoyed but he didn’t have the heart to push him away a second time.

That was how he ended up telling Cyrus about his possible learning disability: dyscalculia. He felt so ashamed and he hated feeling so less than. There were so many things about himself that he didn’t understand.

Why couldn’t he do simple Math?! Why was his brain wired differently from everyone else?! Why did he have to be different?!

But, with just a few words, Cyrus made the worries about dyscalculia disappear, even for just a moment. With just a few words, he made sure T.J. knew that nothing was wrong with him. That he wasn’t different.

If only Cyrus truly knew about his ability to see the Strings of Fate. Would he think differently of him then? Something told him that Cyrus wouldn’t care. Maybe he would even find it cool. But, should he tell him?

In the end, he decided not to.

“She may have been right, but you’re the one who really helped me,” he told the younger boy.

Cyrus broke into a small smile, blushing almost, like he couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

They talked for an hour before Cyrus realized the time and decided that he needed to get back to Buffy.

T.J. felt almost disappointed but knew that Buffy’s blue string with Cyrus was far stronger than his ever would. She was probably unknowingly tugging on it without realizing.

As he got up to throw away the trash (between the two of them, they finished an entire bag of cheese puffs and two packets of cookies), his pinky finger caught his eye.

Curiously, he brought it closer to his eyes, examining it.

Was it just him or was the string getting longer? That was different.

..........

Sometimes, T.J. would lie awake in bed at night, just staring at his strings. Specifically, he would stare at Cyrus’ blue string.

A lot had happened ever since that fourth blue string appeared. And, every day, with no fail, T.J. could feel it getting stronger…firmer. Even the color was getting brighter, a calming blue that reminded him of the sky.

Cyrus was sadder these days, though. Buffy had moved away and T.J. felt guilty for not patching up before she left. The black string felt less tight but didn’t completely go away. He wondered what it would take for it to disappear.

And, then, that pink string. And he still hadn’t figured out who made it appear. He thought he would know since he figured people knew who they ended up liking and falling for, but he truly had no clue. (He added that little tidbit to his notes.)

Absentmindedly, he tugged on the blue string around his pointer finger.

Not even a minute later, his phone ping-ed with a text.

Hi! Watcha up to? Cyrus texted.

Smiling, T.J. texted back. Nothing much. Staring at my ceiling. Wbu?

Ooohh, must be an interesting ceiling. Taking a break from studying. History test tmrw.

Ouch. U got Carter, rite?

Yep. He’s a nightmare.

Sorry 2 hear that. But I’m sure you’ll do great.

Wish Buffy was still here. We always study 2gether.

At that, T.J. sighed. He wished there was something he could do.

Pursing his lips, he typed a respond. Well, I’m decent at history. Want me to help?

Heart pounding, he anxiously waited for Cyrus’ reply.

It arrived quickly. Will you really? I don’t have history ‘til 6th period but I have study hall at 4th.

I have class 4th period but I can meet you at lunch, if you don’t mind spending an hour of your life with me.

T.J. sent the text before realizing how it sounded. It sounded so…flirty. Was that an okay thing to send a friend?

Before he could send a follow-up, Cyrus had responded.

Sounds perfect! I’ll see you there! Got 2 get back to studying!

Feeling giddy, T.J. replied, Okay! See u 2morrow!

He put his phone away now and laid back down on his bed, sighing. He raised his hand up again, looking at his strings. The sight of them used to dampen his moods, reminding him that he was someone unworthy of having a real bond with, since he had so few.

In fact, Cyrus had a lot, most probably from his family and a couple of good friends. T.J. knew of Buffy, Andi, and Jonah and T.J. was sure he had other friends as well because he was just that great of a person. He even had a red string, granted it was broken, but still. He wondered who was on the other end of that string. Such a shame that person didn’t return the other boy’s affections, Cyrus was a great guy.

Because of him, T.J. didn’t really feel jealous of other people’s strings anymore. He had all the important ones wrapped around his fingers (except for Buffy’s black string, of course, but he was working on that).

His gaze went to the pink string that seemed to be getting longer and closer to red day by day.

That string was still such a puzzle to him. It changed everyday. But, what did it mean?

Tag list: @oreo-275 @mrsirwinson

@imonlyhereforjoshuarush @illbeyourreasonwhy @completelysterling @cytriclemon @luckyharmonydragon36245 @cxrus-kippen @booklove-2 @tyrusinarush @luckyharmonydragon36245 
 @petra-dragneel

If I missed you on the tag list, please let me know in a message! I’ll gladly add you!

[mikeysbride]

To College Or Not to College: That Is the Question

Recently, my daughters stopped me in my tracks with a question I wasn’t expecting. It wasn’t about boys or peer pressure. Nothing like that. We were in the car, and from the back seat, they asked me if everyone HAS to go to college. After a few seconds, I answered, “Well, *I* did. It wasn’t a choice in my family. It was expected, period. But no, it’s not a law that everyone has to go to college.” They were apparently pleased with that answer, cheering after I gave it. Then they said, “Good because we’ve had enough of school.” 

This conversation took me aback because I honestly never considered they wouldn’t want to go to college. Both my husband and I went to college, as did our parents, and like I said, it was basically a given in my family. I think it was the same for my husband. My dad even taught college English for almost 30 years. My husband’s parents were also both teachers, as was his grandfather who was the Head of the Music Department at the University of Florida at one time. I was groomed from an early age to pursue higher education from everyone from my grandparents to my aunts and uncles. It’s just what we do in my family. So, of course, when my girls were born and I imagined the story of their lives, college was a natural part of it.  

My girls are biracial, but speaking from my own viewpoint as a Black woman, I think that going to college may have also been ingrained in myself and the others born into my family because there was certainly a time in this country when folks who look like us weren’t able to do so. Like voting and owning property, a college education was once something we were denied simply because we have a darker complexion. It only stands to reason, we should take advantage of it. Having a degree is also widely seen as a way to a better life, and since Black people routinely have to be the best of the best at everything we do in order to be taken seriously, of course going to college would be considered part of that. 

Even though I did go to college, I stopped at a Bachelor of Science. My degree is in Mass Communications with an emphasis in Radio/TV Broadcasting. Have I ever used it? No. Even in school, I was over it. I took most of my electives in Music Industry classes because I much preferred them, and my adviser was kind enough to approve it. To actually change my major would’ve meant staying in school longer, but that was out of the question. Much like my daughters, I’d had enough of school. So, I hunkered down and got out of there in exactly 4 years like a good girl. 

I’ve often said since my college years that college is not for everyone, and it’s certainly no guarantee of happiness or a higher income. While I fully understand why my family pushes its members to go to college, I can also appreciate that that’s not the only way to have a comfortable life. There’s a lot to be said for learning a trade and learning it well. Where would we be without talented plumbers and mechanics? We’d be stuck on the side of the road, and all our drains would be clogged. Not to mention, I am super artsy fartsy and would’ve left college in a heartbeat if I’d been offered a recording contract. Not everyone is meant to be a doctor or a lawyer. It takes all kinds to make the world go around. 

Do I still want my daughters to go to college? Absolutely. But only if it’s really what they want. And they might decide it is what they want when the time comes. One is in middle school now, and the other will be joining her there this fall. So, time will tell. Either way, what’s important is that they have goals and a plan. After the year we’ve had dodging COVID-19 and balancing virtual school and then making the transition back into traditional classrooms, it’s been a lot. It would probably be weird if they WEREN’T tired of school. Truthfully, I’m tired too, and I’m not even a student or a teacher! Eventually the dust will settle from the chaos of the pandemic. Maybe then, we can all breathe a sigh of relief. And maybe then, my girls will reconsider sending in those college applications in a few years because while having a college degree isn’t everything, it certainly doesn’t hurt.

[rebeccagomez026]

Switching Perspectives - Weekly Reflections / Reading Blog - Week 3

***This is a combination of both the readings and weekly reflections since it was said I could do both, if we’ve done both.

Reflections

Rather than learning about repetition, I learned about something else. Many of the activities we seem to do truly reflect what I already learned in taisha’s, interestingly enough, so I never really have anything to add onto my vocabulary beyond learning that I am improving in finding new ways to approach things when it might have taken me half the performance/activity to do so before.

Regardless, I was hoping to say something in response to the question, “What have you learned from doing repetition yesterday?” I suppose it was a leading question because we went on an enormous discussion on repetition, even going as far as making an entire chart. I was hoping to have at least expressed what I wanted to share at the end, since it was short and not an answer meant to be elaborated upon by my peers.

The one thing I did learn was from the demonstration with ana’s group. I always read about artists going far and beyond by including the audience or changing the perspective of the piece, but it was not until I finally got to see an example of this at work that I was to finally “put a name to a face.” The only way I really imagined ‘audience participation’ is when I would have people come up and teach them some Tahitian or West African, or even have them walk around the performance for each person. While this could basically apply to any other technique-ridden form, the way people can creatively implement audience participation without prompting people to come up--apart from what I had done with the concept(s?) of Body Madness in taisha’s--really put everything in perspective. It was also something I really needed to see because it gave me something to think about for my piece (for UCRiD) that I felt was missing and also gave me something to add to my vocabulary for future reference, now that I understand it.

Reading #2: Repetition

‘And yet the continuity acts as if something else is happening. Nothing else is happening.’

 Variation of the same movements, parameters, score

i.e. Grid Walking?

‘Rate of Change’

repetition in/through generations

realization that you’re turning into your parent(s)

recreating what has inspired you

“What performance changed everything for you & why?

could also be in learning technique & reproducing that

when they occur -> device to heighten/intensify/emphasize OR to erode [an image]

consistency of exhaustion

i.e. repeating squats (exhausting) to reach goal until you don’t need to do it anymore

emotion comes out on both sides & it’s okay b/c it makes sense

a moment of recognition vs. something tiresome

pattern allows you to recognize

maybe 1 way

“...a face is a thing so recognizable that te smallest imperfection stands out like punctuation”

can also show you differences--whether imaginary or not--each time

o can make you [notice] something you didn’t see before

*     a study

is 1 way of arriving at a rhythm, new idea, knowledge, word didn’t notice before

there is always a place to go

marching <- ex?

may slowly give rise to the arrival of a new word/set of words

may intensify/emphasize/heighten that “next” part--if there is one

ppl will watch again if repetition is approached w/ a diff. state of mind/differently

w/ time -> comes naturally

the repetition in the poem tied together phrases that didn’t quite make sense until it was tied together w/ something else (1 way of arriving....)

wishing for more b/c we know the repetition will end

expectation that things will change eventually OR desire for the new

“arriving eventually & irresistibly at prayer”

building the necessity for a change

filling time

committing to something

how communities are built

“Repeating is not a choice for everybody” (a classmate said this)-- I think not

I think there are different ways of repeating beyond movement and routine. Maybe it’s the repeating mindset or beliefs that creates different actions, but the fundamentals from where it comes from is repeating.

*    an odd structure “causes us to speak fast/slow in the wrong places & places emphasis on the wrong syllables when it works ->wrongness makes you prick up your ears just when your ears had felt like giving up’

inconsistency

can exist w/o repetition

diff. between repeating for the sake of endurance

                                                     vs.

repeating for the sake of trying to get it “perfect” but you can’t b/c impossible

but by doing that you’ll have to start over & by starting over you’ll understand it better so that you can do it again

Reading #3: Thinking Slowness

things need to be resolved in thoughts

whether or not thought explains any aspect of their work

something inaccessible to thought: something available to eyes only

slowness / ritardandi (”slow movement”/deliberate slowings of tempo)

imprecise indication of time

taking longer (than something else) <- could also mean it could be done quickly (in shorter amnt of time)

an illusion (may belong in technological realm)

incomprehensible that it be valued positively in a life that is hectic & fast-moving

but: strolling⬆walker’s enjoyment/window shpper slows so as not to miss anything/teachers slowing down to make it absolutely clear/ppl wanting to slow down in life <- implies slow means less but it means ‘far more’ / higher degree of concentration <-> fewer things overlooked & less waste produced;⬆productivity

makes many things feasible

(1) technological (b/c it can be made use of)

(2) human slowness (i.e. elderly/sick ppl.)

(3) appears ‘endlessly’ slow -- slowness before the end

                 * in the context of time

changeable

sense that it may or may not exist

it can be made & destroyed

sense that it does exist

enlarged or reduced in size/painted/shaped/decorated/packaged in any # of ways

in terms of #

completely diff. according to whether it exists only once/a million times

in terms of place

it can be moved from 1 location to another

not thought of as ‘fixed’

                          *each of these processes can be thought of it terms of speed

rather than thinking of slowness as a means to relax but “intensification”

learning slow: greater concentration--slowly, precisely--understands more & remembers⬆# of things better

driving slowly: see more/everything/greater intensity; if slow reaction -> tense situation b/c other drivers angry

slow music: played b/c touches you more (at that moment)

scenic route: fascination isn’t relinquished

human slowness (not purposeful?)/the human lifetime

combating/preventing so as to not be [too slow]

awakens pity, anger, impatience

can spur ppl into action

do not actually see more

are barely noticed/almost invisible

1 knows about/feels/senses it

“I can't bare to watch that”

unfascinated & w/o adopting a standpoint

no “process”/development???

human slowness (purposeful)

deliberate/hesitant/tardy?/measured/patient/gently

eloquent witness

varied & profound

human life, human world, human time

could be “destroyed by attempts to see it in any other terms than its own”

slowness before the End

demand & enriches thugh

i.e. it was like we were our own world; that 1 sec. was an eternity (good context) for us

 or: times seemed to stand still

or: being in fear/shock

described as time having been stopped all together

time that feels especially full

idea that it could be the starting point of though processes

Reference Point

A Web

many points of departure

a place to come back to

instants where time become so slow -> perceived as having eroded

held ‘outside’/’beyond’/’w/o time

dying/death/eternal life (/everlasting today);paradoxical; present time)

i.e. exceptional moments

dependence on time

perception, feeling, experience, looking, thinking

*time becomes possible w/ the birth of each human being--through human emotions & unfolding in real world

*thinking: leads to uncertainties, into strange regions of thought, leads to ever further afield

[sprinkledmoonlight]

A – Accidents

01. Have you ever been in a car accident? yes, but not a serious one. 02. Do you have a lot of scars? a few. 03. Have you ever been in a fist fight with someone? no 04. Have you ever seriously hurt anyone by mistake? no 05. Have you ever had stitches? Where? no

B – Beauty

06. Do you consider yourself beautiful? no 07. Are you self conscious of how you look? yes 08. Do you put on a lot of makeup? no 09. Would you ever consider getting plastic surgery? no 10. What do you think makes a person beautiful? confidence

C – Consequences

11. What was the longest amount of time you’ve been grounded for? never been grounded 12. What would you do if you got pregnant, keep it or have an abortion? it would depend on the situation 13. Do you ever think about how your actions affect other people? yes 14. What do you think is the worst punishment someone could give you? i’m not sure. 15. What is one thing you wish you didn’t do, just because it wasn’t worth it in the end? ----

D – Dealing

16. When you are mad at someone, how do you show them? not talking 17. Name a time when you had to be strong. 18. Have you ever dealt with a divorce or parents fighting? Any kind of abuse at home? no 19. When people at school don’t accept you, or have problems with you, how do you react? i’m not in school 20. Have you ever lost someone to death? Explain how you got through it. yes, several people. you just keep going.

E – Experience

21. Have you ever had a job? Any volunteer jobs? yes, yes 22. Do you think that you are sexually experienced, or not at all? somewhere in the middle. 23. Have you gone through a lot emotionally, or has life been easy thus far? A LOT 24. Do you think you are ready to be on your own (have your own home, job, etc.)? well i am, so whether or not i am ready is irrelevant 25. How old do you act? sometimes 15, sometimes 30, sometimes 80

F – Family

26. Is there anyone in your family you don’t talk to? Why? no 27. If you had to choose, family or friends? that’s hard. i’m not sure. 28. Can you tell your parents or one of your parents anything? no. 29. Do you have any siblings? If so, do you ever get jealous of them? yes, yes. 30. How often do you spend ‘quality time’ with family members? like once a month

G – Growing

31. How tall are you? How tall do you wish you were? 5′5, 5′7 32. Do you think that you have grown more in the past year than any year before that? yes 33. As a person, do you think you are mature for your age or still act childish? mature 34. Are you scared to think that one day you will turn 30, then 40, then 50? yes 35. Do you believe you still have a lot to learn? yes 

H – Hope

36. Love – real or not? real 37. Are you a pessimist of an optimist? pessimist 38. Do you believe in fate, that everything happens for a reason, or do you think that our actions lead the way? actions 39. Do you think that after we die our spirit is still alive? ish 40. What gives you hope when you just feel like dying? i don’t know

I – Issues

41. Do you suffer from depression or constant sadness/loneliness? yes 42. Do you have any type of disease or disability? yes 43. Are you currently in a hard relationship or have bad luck with the opposite sex? bad luck 44. Do you think that you are alone in this world? yes 45. How often do you think about death, suicide or running away? --- i’m just gonna ignore this

J – Jokes

46. Say a word or phrase that would not be funny to anyone but you & one of your friends (an inside joke). shotput 47. Are you usually the one who makes people laugh,Or the other way around? other way 48. Do you cry when you laugh hard? yes 49. Write down a hilarious moment you had with someone that makes you laugh to this day!  50. Do you ever get in trouble for laughing or talking a lot during class? no

K – Knowledge

51. The purpose of school: to learn, to cause trouble or to hang out with friends? learn 52. Do people refer to you as smart, dumb, or average? smart 53. What was the highest grade you have received (full course mark) ever? 100 54. What was your last average? This year would you like to maintain it or aim higher? not in school 55. What do you find the most interesting subject to be (to study or to talk about)? biology

L – Love

56. Are you currently in love? If not, have you been before? no; yes 57. Do people around you show you a lot of love (tell you they love you, hug you, kiss you, etc.)? no 58. Is love worth it? yes 59. Do you hate it when girls in their young teenage years say they ‘love’ someone that they’ve been dating for a few months? it’s not really my business 60. Does it take a lot for you to say you love someone, or is it just a word? a lot

M – Money

61. Do you believe that money makes the world go round? no 62. Is your family on the poor side, average, or above average when it comes to money? poor 63. Are you saving up for college/university, or planning to? -- 64. Would you rather win millions of dollars & be set for life, or find the perfect person to marry & start a family with? perfect person 65. On a scale of 1-10, how important is money to you? 8 

N – Naughty

66. Are you a virgin? no 67. What do you think about doing sexual things with someone you’re not going out with? it’s fine 68. Do you know anybody you consider a ’slut’? What makes you say that? no 69. If you could, would you erase some things you did in the past or make it so you did more? yes erase 70. Do you consider yourself more nice or more naughty? You can’t say both! nice

O – Openness

71. How long does it take for you to open up to someone? a while 72. What does it take for you to fully trust someone? their own vulnerability 73. Are you generally untrusting towards people because of past experiences, or any other reason? yes, just because 74. When are you comfortable with someone sexually? after moving really slowly 75. When it comes to parents and close friends, what’s the limit of what you can tell them? superficial + a little deeper, but nothing really deep or scary or sad

P – Positive

76. Have you ever had an experience with someone that didn’t necessarily end positively? If so, would you rather erase the memory of that person because of

the sad times or keep the memory of that person because of the good times? yes, no 77. Do you agree with the saying: better to have loved and lost than not have loved at all? yes 78. Are you more optimistic or pessimistic? What do you try to be? pessimistic 79. Do you agree that something good can come out of everything? no 80. Have you ever had a time where something really bad happened, but something really good happened because of it? If so, please exlain what it was:

Q – Questions

81. When faced with a problem, do you ask for help or try to figure it out yourself? figure it out 82. Do you often question the world and how we came about? What are some things you would like to know about creation? i don’t really care 83. Do you think the government is truthful? If you could ask the president one question, what would it be? no 84. When someone does something wrong to you, do you confront them and ask them why they did it or just let it go? let it go 85. What is one unsolved mystery about the world that you want answers to? loch ness monster

R – Respect

86. How do you show respect? golden rule 87. What can someone do for you to lose all respect for them? 88. Do you respect your teachers, parents, and other authority figures? no 89. When you are disrespectful to your parents, what is the punishment? 90. If someone is mean to you, are you mean back or do you kill them with kindness? kindness

S – School

91. If you are still in school, what grade will you be going into? 92. When will you graduate high school/college? 2013/2016 93. After high school, what did you do/are you planning to do? 94. Do you like or hate school? What do you like/hate about it? 95. Have you ever been suspended, expelled, or dropped out of school? no

T – Temptation

96. Have you ever done something wrong, knowing it was wrong, because something inside of you said it was okay? yes 97. Has anyone ever pressured you to smoke or drink? Did you do it? no 98. Did you ever cheat on someone? Why did you do it? yes 99. Did you ever want to do something sexual with someone you didn’t really know or love? What did you end up doing? yes 100. Do you give in to temptation easily, or are you more independent and strong willed? easily

U – Unique

102. Do you do a lot of things because your friends are doing it? yes 103. Do you follow trends, wear whatever you want, or wear really unique pieces? trends 104. Do you give in easily to peer pressure? Do you do things such as smoke, drink, or have casual sex? yes 105. What makes you different from people your age? more mature, more experience

V – Value

106. What’s the most expensive thing in your room? uh. my bed 107. What’s more valuable: your life or the lives of your loved ones? Would you sacrifice your life for other people? loved ones 108. What is something you value not because it cost a lot, but because it means a lot to you? bunniessss 109. If there was a fire in your house/apartment, what is the first thing you would grab? BUNNIESSS 110. Do you think past memories and experiences are more valuable than what could possibly happen in the future? no

W – Wishes

111. If you had three wishes, what would they be? money, a job, a relationship 112. Would you rather wish yourself to be happy, or your loved ones? myself. they’re already happy enough 113. Do you believe that wishes come true if you really believe in them? no 114. Have you ever had a wish come true? If so, what was that wish? yes 115. Do you find wishing for things a waste of time because everything that’s meant to happen, will happen? no

Y – You

121. Are you more independent or social? independent 122. What is something that makes you very mad when you see it? 123. Do you think that you have potential to do great things? yes 124. Do you think people are born a certain way, or develop their personalities based on what they go through in life? both 125. Do you think people are generally good ? yes

Z – Zest

126. Are you currently happy with your life? Why or why not? no 127. Do you go on FacebookCraze.com to get facebook survey’s and quizzes like this one? no 128. When change occurs, do you get scared or are you excited for it? scared 129. Do you like to try new things, meet new people? no 130. What is the most motivational thing in the world? possibility

[cchq2]

Greening: education and skills will unlock our nation’s talent

Justine Greening, Secretary of State for Education, speaking today at Conservative Party Conference in Manchester said:

 (Check against delivery)

 Conference, good afternoon, it’s fantastic to be here in Manchester.

 For our country to prosper and succeed in the future, we need to make it a country that works for everyone.

 Education and skills are right at the very heart of that ambition.

 Our Party, in government, has made huge improvements to our education system, improvements that are transforming the opportunities for our young people and our country.

 We should be exceptionally proud of that fact.

 1.8million more children being taught in schools that are good or outstanding than when Labour were voted out in 2010.

 That has not happened by accident. Labour’s legacy was grade inflation, which meant ever-rising GCSE grades whilst standards fell, and a shocking number of children leaving school without the basic skills they needed.

 Conservative Education Ministers stepped in, with a programme of bold, ambitious reforms.

 Giving choice to parents with the introduction of free schools.

 Giving more freedom to head teachers to innovate and improve standards through academies.

 Delivering a more rigorous curriculum, establishing a world-class examination system at GCSE and A-level, so our young people come out of our school system with the level of knowledge and the skills they need – and that ultimately employers need – to be successful.

 And in this past year, we have gone further, tackling the iniquitous decades-old post code lottery in school funding in England, introducing a national fair funding formula, backed by an extra £1.3bn funding for the core schools budget.

 And in the last month we’ve also delivered on our promise to introduce 30 hours of free childcare for working parents – that is going to make a very big difference to literally hundreds of thousands of families.

 And in teaching, there are already a record number of teachers in our schools – 15,500 more than in 2010.

 But I am determined to help strengthen the profession through stronger qualifications and ensuring access to continued professional development, right the way through a teacher’s career.

 The fact is the historic attainment gap in our schools between children from disadvantaged backgrounds and their better-off peers is now finally closing.

 And in Higher Education, thanks to our reforms and the removal of Labour’s perverse cap on student places – which was literally a cap on aspiration, more talented young people from disadvantaged backgrounds than ever before are getting the chance to go to our world-class universities.

 In fact, last year 18 year olds from disadvantaged areas were 43 per cent more likely to go to university than in 2009.

 But there’s a whole lot more we can – and must do – to help make sure that this really is a country that works for everyone, and that the benefits of our education reforms are spread to all areas, so that how far someone can go in life isn’t determined by their family background or where in the country they are born.

 But we know that for some children, their development has already fallen behind on literacy and numeracy by the time they even start school.

 So, I am announcing that the next phase of our £140million Strategic School Improvement Fund will include a new focus on boosting literacy and numeracy during a child’s Reception year.

 Our Maths Hubs are already spreading excellence in maths teaching.

 Today I can announce we are now going to invest a further £6million to put them in more areas where we want them to make the biggest difference.

 And we will also create a new £12million network of English Hubs, in the Northern Powerhouse, to further improve early language and literacy.

 And because great teachers are at the heart of a great education, I want to do more to support schools to be able to attract and keep the best of the teaching profession.

 We will invest more than £30million in tailored support for getting more great teachers in some of the schools that struggle the most with recruitment and retention.

 And we will introduce a pilot student loan reimbursement programme to help attract and retain teachers, and we will target it at the subjects and areas of the country that need them most.

 Last year in Birmingham, I announced the first six ‘Opportunity Areas’ – places facing some of the biggest challenges for young people growing up, where we are working inside and outside schools, with local communities and charities, and with employers like EDF Energy in West Somerset, Grant Thornton in Norwich, and Rolls Royce in Derby, not just to raise educational attainment in the school system, but also to raise sights and broaden horizons for those young people, through mentoring and work experience.

 Since then I have doubled the number of ‘Opportunity Areas’ we are working in. I am determined that we will apply the lessons that we learn from them on what works, to boost opportunity for young people in other parts of the country too.

 But I want also to talk about the children outside our mainstream schools, in so-called Alternative Provision settings.

 These are the children with perhaps the most challenges in their lives, which mainstream schools often find it less easy to deal with.

 Less than 4 per cent of these children achieved A*- C in English and maths GSCEs compared to more than 64 per cent of children in state-funded mainstream schools. None of us should accept that.

 It is just as unacceptable that compared to other children, they are they are so much more likely to end up in the criminal justice system.

 But with the right support, earlier, their lives could have been on track.

 In Alternative Provision there are some of the most dedicated, inspiring teachers and parents you will ever meet, but this is an area of education that has been set on one side for far too long.

 So I will bring forward proposals to ensure that Alternative Provision is the best it can be, and that the best practice already there in this field becomes the norm, so that it gives all the young people in it the opportunity to fulfil their potential.

 We will make sure those children can do better.

 Now, on technical education: many people don’t realise that since 2010, with business, we have created more than 3.4 million apprenticeships. That’s millions of opportunities for young people to get development in the workplace.

 Coming into this role, I felt it was so important that our education system post-16 should be gold standard for all our young people, not just the half who go on to A-levels and university. That’s what I said at conference last year.

 And our reforms to technical education in this country are going to deliver choice for those great young people, and skills for our employers.

 As we prepare to leave the European Union, this has never been more important for our country.

 Because this great country of ours needs a skills revolution.

 I want our country to have an army of skilled young people there and ready for the British businesses that so need them.

 Labour was happy to import skills.

 As a Conservative Government, we are going to build up our home-grown talent.

 And that’s why in the Budget this year – hailed by the CBI as a ‘break-through budget for skills’ – we announced a half a billion pounds a year extra investment in our technical education reform.

 We will pursue excellence in Further Education, as we have in our schools, and we will introduce T-levels, technical qualifications that will be every bit as rigorous and respected as academic A-Levels.

 We will make sure that the technical education ladder is going to reach every bit as high as the academic one.

 In 2015, we introduced degree apprenticeships, so individuals can earn while they learn, and in less than two years, more than 2,000 people have started one.

 So today I am announcing the next wave of 27 Degree Apprenticeship projects, that will help meet the growing demand for these opportunities from the next generation.

 Everything I have talked about is about giving our young people the chance to fulfil their potential. Not just some of them. All of them.

 Many of them will have voted Labour at the last election.

 I don’t agree with Labour’s proposals to scrap tuition fees.

 Because, we can see the impact of not having fees over the border in Scotland. It leads to a cap on places, which is a cap on opportunity.

 We know what happens. As the Sutton Trust found last year in Scotland, the gap between people from the most advantaged areas and least advantaged areas going to university is higher than in any of the other home nations.

 I was the first person in my family to get the chance to go to university, and I want more and more young people to have that choice in the future, not fewer.

 And we want to help students when they graduate.

 That’s why we are taking action right now to freeze student fees, and it’s why we’re increasing the amounts graduates can earn every year before they start paying back their fees from £21,000 to £25,000, saving young graduates up to £360 next year.

 But, if we are going to win the trust and support of young people more generally, we need to understand two things.

 First of all, for lots of them, negative party politics is a turn-off.

 Yes of course we should hold Labour to account for its empty promises – like Labour’s empty promise to young people on student debt – and they’re actually raising tuition fees in Wales – but that’s not enough.

 Because secondly, they want to hear about how our polices are going to make their lives better.

 We have to take the priorities of a new generation of voters, and make them our own.

 And the means we’ve got to be positive, constructive, and optimistic.

 We’ll win the battle of ideas by showing how our politics delivers for them in practice, how it makes a difference in their lives.

 In the end, it’s about equality of opportunity – that’s why I’m a Conservative.

 You’ve heard from me about how education is at the heart of our positive message to young people.

 I’m someone who went through the state education system and went to my local comprehensive school. My teachers inspired me.

 Whether it’s work in Opportunity Areas to lift the communities that can do so much better through education . . .

 Whether it’s our technical education reforms giving young people post-16 great choices . . .

 Or whether it’s understanding that we cannot allow a young person to be written-off because of the difficult circumstances that their life might have started with . . .

 Education is about levelling up opportunity.

 No one community or part of our county has a monopoly on talent.

 Britain will only be at its best when we unlock all it all. That’s what social mobility is all about.

 Stronger communities, a stronger economy, a stronger country.

 Equality of opportunity. This for us is our party’s mission. A country that works for everyone.

 The Conservative Party is the party that reached out to me when I was a young person growing up in Labour-run Rotherham . . .

 . . . and I know we are a party that can reach out to young people today.

 They want a choice, they deserve a choice, let’s give it to them.

  ENDS