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leafcabbage · 3 years ago

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yooo i should’ve done this earlier but im bringing back the explanation of the american college school system (to the best of my ability) from a comment response back in june when i had like 5 readers lol, so here you go!

So the US has required schooling until 12th grade broken into Elementary School (grades 1-5, ages 6-10), Middle School (grades 6-8, ages 11-13), and High School (grades 9-12, ages 14-18). After graduating high school, students can either go into a trade school (for things like electrical or air traffic controller jobs), go straight into working, go down an alternative path, or go to a college/university, which is of course where this story fits.

College in America is weird because while it has the same base in all the colleges, there are 5,300 colleges in the US so there's also a ton of differences between them, so for this fic I've done a lot of picking a choosing of parts from colleges I toured, or the one I attend. The University in this fic (which I'm shortening to SPU from here on out) runs on a quarter system, so there's Fall, Winter, Spring, and Summer quarter, each lasting 10 weeks, and each student takes 3-4 classes per quarter. Most students take Summer off, there's just the option of year-round schooling. The average student would spend 4 years getting an undergraduate degree (which is the base degree that a lot of people stay with, and others use to go on to get a Masters or Doctorate for more specialized job opportunities).

In Freshman Year/The first year, most students are getting required classes done. In Sophomore/Second year, more specialized classes are chosen, and a lot of students declare their Major (or field of study, so for example I just finished my Sophomore year and am in the process of declaring a major in English and Creative Writing, so I will be taking almost only English classes for the next two years). Junior (3rd year) and Senior (4th year) are spent taking classes in that major until all the required courses are taken and a student can graduate. More confusingly, every University has smaller "colleges" within them that house the majors. So SPU would also have The College of Business, the building for that would house the classes that are needed for that major, and there would be advisors/professors that specifically teach in that college for Business students to be in contact with. (The college of business also houses other majors rather than business, like various management degrees, economics degrees, etc) Any student can take any basic level course in any of these colleges, but there are higher level classes that can't be taken unless in that major.

Another thing is that there are public universities and private universities. Public Universities are government funded and much cheaper (though still stupid expensive), they're also larger and some people think the education there is worse, but I disagree (and that is not just because I go to a Public University). Public Universities are also much cheaper for students who live in the state the school is located. Private Universities are privately funded, and they're much more expensive to attend (funded through alumni "donations" and the cost of attending for the most part). They're smaller, though, and most of them advertise small class sizes and a more one-on-one experience for the students. Just as an example, Oregon State University (public) is $11,166 a year for in-state, $30,141 for out of state. In comparison, Willamette University, located in the same state, but a private college, is $53,624 a year. So SPU in this fic is a Private University, so students who aren't wealthy are there either on scholarship (money specifically for college made through things like outstanding grades or essays that win contests), financial aid (money provided by a school or government to help cover costs), or by taking out loans that they'll pay off later in life (or just have debt for a really long time). I could go off on a whole rant here about the issues of students not having the same opportunities due to family contribution/wealth bracket, but I digress. There's a large difference in student population size as well, reusing my example Oregon State University has 30,000 students and Willamette has 12,000. (Other schools are more dramatic in size disparity, University of Florida has about 52,000 students). Don't know where to fit this in, but there's on campus living (dorms) with one or two students per room (or larger in some cases, im not super well versed since i never lived on campus), off campus university living (small apartments owned by the university), and regular off campus living which is just houses/apartments.

Finally, Student Government! US Colleges have student government so students have a voice in what is happening at the school and a means to communicate with the administration and university president. At the end of the day, what the school administration says is the final decision, but it is often impacted by student voices. The system is a little different based on what college is being attended, but I based this mostly on my own. The Student Governance Board is, in this fic, the first and also the final group that decisions go through, they approve budget requests, have a lot of say over the finances for the Student Government, tend to be the ones who directly communicate with the university administration, and have the power to veto decisions made in the Senate. The Student Senate has a representative from each college within SPU, they bring a lot of student issues to discuss and find a path forward with (like if students with disabilities aren't being supported, the Senate might write a statement in support of those students and suggesting changes, and go on to vote on what they might do to help change things, and then get in contact with the administration about change.) All of the Student Government members are elected, but the positions are paid. The only job not elected in this fic is the Assistant job, that's just hired for.

Writing all this out just.... makes me realize how confusing it is. I know this stuff because I researched colleges for years to find one to attend, and I work in student government so I've spent the last year (and will spend the next 2 years) up close and personal with the inner workings. I still get confused by some of this stuff. I am happy to answer any clarifying questions if it helps this fic make sense (or if you are just astounded by the sheer idiocy of the American College System).

So tldr; SPU is a private university and therefore crushingly expensive, but it is also fairly small with a lot of availability for the professors to meet alone with struggling students. The Student Government has a power imbalance with the Board having final say in decisions and funding control in the Student Government itself, and the Senate doing a lot of the more personal to the students work.

#fic blogging #drdi #cabbage writing corner

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tren-fraszka · 3 years ago

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Fic in a Box 2021 Exchange Letter

Dear creator,

Thank you for taking your time to check my requests. I know my requests can sound a bit tricky, but please don’t be discouraged. I wish you will have good time writing first and foremost!

My AO3 is Tren, if you wish to check it out.

Likes: comedy, casefics, canon compliants, AUs, time loops, bodyswaps, roleswaps, “being hoisted by your own petard” plotlines, snark, pettiness, rivals, enemies to friends to lovers, violence, friendships, and character bonding,

DNW: explicit sex (makeouts and fade to black is okay), A/B/O, mpreg, rape depicted as positive (so no “it’s okay, because the other person enjoyed it/it was what they truly wanted”), trans headcanons, soulmate AUs, stories ending with surrender to fate/destiny, fourth wall breaking in canons where that doesn’t occur, character has cancer or other real-life terminal disease AU, word “queerplatonic”.

Also, I included what ships I’m okay with in each fandom. Please do not include any ships that aren’t canon and I have not allowed in those sections (if you feel really strongly about a ship I haven’t mentioned, you can always ask through mods just in case).

On a separate, but similar note, I’m okay with OCs as long as they don’t overshadow the characters I requested.

Additionally, while I almost never request fanart as possible medium, because I prefer my main gift to be fic, I would be very okay with receiving fanart treats. Also, feel free to peruse my old letters if you get your hands on them. I never stop being interested in fandoms, and if I requested something once I will still want it in the future.

REQUESTS

Medium opt-ins (they are the same for all the fandoms):

Length Opt-In: Drabble Length Opt-In: Drabble Series Medium Opt In: Any - Any In-Universe Documents Medium Opt In: Art - Drawn - Comics Medium Opt In: Art - Drawn - Fanart Medium Opt In: Art - Excerpts from a Character's Sketchbook Medium Opt In: Art - Tarot Card Medium Opt In: Illustrated Text (Art & Writing) - Bureaucratic Paperwork Medium Opt In: Illustrated Text (Art & Writing) - Excerpts from a Journal/Notebook/Sketchbook Medium Opt In: Illustrated Text (Art & Writing) - Field Report Medium Opt In: Illustrated Text (Art & Writing) - Mission Report Medium Opt In: Illustrated Text (Art & Writing) - In-Universe Scientific Documents Medium Opt In: Writing - Unreliable Narrator Medium Opt In: Writing - Non-Linear Narrative

MARIMASHITA! IRUMA-KUN

I read new manga chapters as they get translated so feel free to incorporate anything from the manga that’s available in English.

Kirio Amy/Suzuki Iruma

There are many good ships with Iruma, but this one just has a lot things I like. I love enemy ships with both sides being way too emotionally invested into each other so this was inevitable. I love how this relationship starts as this really wholesome friendship and school festival preparation, except Kirio turns out to be a bit messed up and wants to blow up everyone. But then they both accept the outcome and go on with their lives still thinking about each other. Iruma goes through a lot of trouble to keep the club operating even though Kirio has been pretty much expelled. And then Kirio is now obsessed with Iruma as his anthitesis and perfect enemy.

I’m okay with the potential story happening at any point in the canon. I would love both a story set before the festival while Kirio is still hiding his true colors or a story set after it. Maybe Iruma runs into Kirio somewhere after he escapes prison and instead of calling an adult, he tries to stop Kirio from causing trouble on his own. As for pre-festival story. Maybe some upperclassmen steal important parts from the club and Iruma and Kirio set out to get them back.

Naberius Callego & Suzuki Iruma

I love Callego for being a much better take on Snape than original Snape ever was. The second the series made Callego Iruma’s familiar I knew this was about to get good. And it was. I love how Callego slowly warms up to Iruma, even if he is still allergic to his and Sullivan’s antics. I love that Callego is actually a competent teacher who cares about his students, but at the same time he would rather eat a whole lemon than admit it out loud.

For prompts, maybe Sullivan ends up having an important business and Opera isn’t available so he dumps looking after Iruma on Callego for a few days. Or Iruma is struggling with studying since so many things are new for him, so Callego ends up forced to help him catch up with the material (if you are following manga inclusion of Balam is always welcome). Or maybe Iruma gets into usual trouble ends up stranded somewhere and the only one he can call for help is his familiar.

Crocell Kerori | Kuromu/Gyari

One of the last thing I expected to get this year was a canonical yuri romance in this manga, but here it is and it’s perfect. I love how it is pretty much built on mutual pining. I love how Kuromu loves Gyari, but refuses to reciprocate her feelings, because she knows that she needs to remain unattainable to keep their relationship alive, and I love how Gyari is never ever going to give up.

I would love to see more of the time when they worked together. We know it was love at the first sight for Gyari, but I would love to see how Kuromu’s feelings grew. Those hours they spent together practicing, maybe a not-date where they sneak together to scout a venue where they will be having their first big concert, or maybe a small contest that would sow the seeds for their future rivalry. I would love any and all of it. Also, Gyari doesn’t seem to be aware of Kuromu’s civilian identity, so I would love a story where Gyari meets Crocell Kerori rather than Kuromu. Does she recognize her? Or does Kerori manage to successfully trick her? Maybe Gyari makes a full investigation after hearing rumors that Kuromu is attending Babylys. I would also love any sort of future fic for those two.

AUs and ships

I love the worldbuilding around the demon world, so I would ask that if you decided to write an AU that it still incorporates demons. I would definitely love an AU where rather than getting summoned to demon world, Iruma accidentally summons either Kirio or Callego into the human world. Maybe Iruma’s parents try to use him as an offering, but instead he ends up bound to a demon. I would love to see Kirio excited to unleash suffering (even if his weak powers severely limit him in that regard) onto human world just to discover that he made contract with the biggest pacifist possible. Or Callego being torn between wanting to return home as soon as possible (he has classes to teach!) and wanting to somehow help the weird human child that just keeps getting into trouble. Any other demon-focused AU is also welcome. For Gyari and Kurmou, maybe one of them is a human who ends up summoning the other as a demon. How different would their relationship be then? I’m also fine with any sort of AU divergences scenario. Maybe Iruma keeps accidentally sabbotaging Kirio’s terrorist plans without realizing it. Or Iruma ends up summoning Callego more often as his familiar when he gets into trouble. What if Gyari also attended Babylys.

As for ships, I’d rather avoid any love triangle scenarios for this canon, so please focus on just one pairing per character (competing for Iruma’s attention is normal for this canon, I’d just rather not see outright romantic competition). It’s self-explainatory for Kirio request, but if you want to include some shipping elements into the other requests I also ship Iruma/Amelie and Callego/Balam.

VIVY: FLUORITE EYE’S SONG

Solo: Vivy

WB: Any

I would love a look into some alternate timelines or missing scenes. Feel free to go as tragic as you like for alternate timelines, or make a happy end, or anything in between. I just think the core concept of the show has a lot of potential in that regard. For a more specific prompts I would love an AU where Diva doesn't disappear, but maybe she and Vivy end up spliting in some way (I'm sure Matsumoto could find a spare body or something). Or maybe a story where one of the Sisters ends up dragged into Singularity project (I really loved what they did with Elizabeth in the show).

For more worldbuilding prompts I would love a more in-depth look of how Matsumoto as more advanced AI differs from the past eye and how that gap is slowly being closed with each case he and Vivy resolves. Or outsider POV on how Vivy’s and Matsumoto’s actions shape the world. Them turning off the plant producing new androids and the subsequent suicide would definitely get coverage. I would love to know how the whole thing was officially explained. Are there conspiracy theories on the Internet? Sisters are involved in every major incident, would people suspect something?

AUs and ships

I would prefer no setting changes for this story. Any other AUs are fine. As mentioned I would love any look for alternate timeline. I would also love an AU where Diva doesn’t recover her memories and keeps helping Matsumoto while trying to regain them.

Any canon pairings are fine.

SOUSOU NO FRIEREN

I read new manga chapters as they get translated so feel free to incorporate anything from the manga that’s available in English.

Frieren

Frieren/Himmel

I love how this manga is a slow-paced fantasy dealing with loss and inevitable passage of time. And I love Frieren for being one of the best depictions of an elf whose long life actually affects their outlook on life and actions.

I would equally love the insight into Frieren’s present with her charges and the past with hero party. What other shenanigans they get into on their journey? What kind of weird magic Frieren pursued? I would love to see more of her mentoring Fern and Stark. I also love to see her interactions with the hero party. Maybe some more insight into how they fought with demons, since Frieren seemed to have picked up a number of enemies during that time. For some more specific prompts: maybe Frieren accidentally stumbles ona cursed item that erases her memories (or just her memories of Himmel). How would it affect her? What would the party do to help her? Or maybe a demon kidnaps someone from Frieren’s party?

Feel free to include any other characters, they are a colorful bunch.

AUs and ships

I’m fine with AUs as long as Frieren’s long lifespan is preserved. Her perspective is very much shaped by how long she has lived, so I wouldn’t want that aspect to change. One exception would be, a roleswap where Himmel is an elf, while Frieren is a human, and exploration of how both of them would be affected by having a different lifespan. An AU with mythological creatures or similar could be interesting.

I would very much love Himmel/Frieren, though I also enjoy how the manga softly builds on their connection. I also enjoy the budding romance between Fern and Stark.

ONMYOJI

I like all the characters so feel free to include any of them in the story. Bonus points for Ennmusubi doing some subtle matchmaking.

Hakuro/Kusa

I love both of them and how much Kusa looks up to Hakuro. I would love to see them have some adventures together. Maybe they help some other youkai? Or one of the onmyoji? I would also love a deeper insight into how Kusa became stronger after getting inspired by Hakuro. How did she try to improve herself? There definitely was some trial and error and I would love to see that.

Shiranui/Kinnara

That pairing came out of the left field for me, but I absolutely love the interactions the two of them had so far. I would love to see them meeting more, their feelings growing each time they see each other. I also feel like a story where they keep meeting each other in a dream would really fit them, as they would long to finally meet each other in reality.

AUs and ships

I’m fine with any AU. A modern AU with archer Hakuro and gardener Kusa would be cute. Or a dancer Shiranui and a musican Kinnara. Alternatively an AU where one of the two is onmyoji could be very interesting.

I’m fine with Hakuro’s admiration for Hiromasa being present as long as it doesn’t overshadow her relationship with Kusa.

DRESDEN FILES

Harry Dresden/Lara Raith

I was sceptical of this pairing all the way through Peace Talks, but then Harry and Lara had this intense falling out, Murphy had died, and suddenly this is a supernatural arranged political marriage and I love everything about this situation. I mean everything. Harry still being in mourning and absolutely not wanting to be forced into this arrangement, Lara still being distrustful of Harry, suspecting that Dresden is using their brother as a bargaining chip, Mab expecting both of them to present themselve as a couple for political reasons. It’s just terrible time for both of them, but so much fun for me.

I would love to see them forced to attend various supernatural events to present themselves per Mab’s wishes. How badly would Dresden handle it? Also it was confirmed that he was marked with true love which means he and Lara probably can’t even touch directly. How well do they hide that fact from everyone? How much guilt would Harry have once he realized that the mark has weakened or disappeared now that he started to develop feelings for Lara? How much chaos will ensue when the wedding does happen?

AUs and ships

I don’t want any setting AU for this fandom, because the existing setup is just too perfect. I’m fine with a divergence AU as long as Lara and Harry are still forced into arranged marriage.

I would want for Harry’s past relationships be acknowledged mostly because him being in mourning is part of what I find appealing about his situation. I don’t expect any scenes actually showing him with his past lovers, but I would be very okay with them appearing.

TALES OF CRESTORIA

Feel free to include other Tales characters. My faves are the cast of Xillia, Symphonia and Graces, but I’m also fine with including other characters (I would appreciate proper introductions in that case, I still haven’t played some of the games, so I might not recognize everyone just by their name).

Solo: Lloyd Irving

I would love more insight into small, but murdeous Lloyd. Seriously I loved the idea of Lloyd originally being manipulated into killing Colette and would love to see Lloyd remembering his lost memories at some point (bonus points for also exploring the idea of Colette as an artificial construct). Also I'm always a sucker for Kratos and Lloyd awkwardly trying to rebuild their familial bonds. What if Lloyd went with Kratos after all? What would happen if they ran into each other again.

Stahn Aileron & Leon Magnus

I would love more of Leon's utter suffering as he searches for a way to turn his best friend back into human, so people stop thinking he's crazy whenever he tells his sword to shut up. I would love to see him reunite with Crestoria’s main cast and getting annoyed at how chaotic they are. Or running into Sorey again. Honestly, I would love seeing him interact with pretty much anyone, and grumpily helping them kill monsters/do charity/etc. Or exploring Stahn’s and Leon’s past. I would love to see their childhood and how they grew to be such a good friends.

I haven’t played Destiny, so please give me context if you want to include any elements that aren’t in Crestoria.

Velvet Crowe/Milla Maxwell

I thrive on the twisted codependency those two have in Crestoria. I will take both good, tragic and/or ambiguous ends for this relationship. Whether Velvet decides to forgive Milla or kill her it will be great. Give me all those twisted emotions, the hesitation, and pain both of them are carrying.

For straightforward approach, maybe the two of them stop in a town while chasing the last Incarnation and Milla decides to throw a party (because it’s some sort of festival, or maybe she found out it’s Velvet’s or Laphicet’s birthday and wants to make some amends however small). Or maybe one of them gets hurt during the fight with an Incarnation and the other ends up nursing them to health.

For some more levity, maybe Velvet and Milla ran out of money and pick up some side-job to have enough money for an inn. Maybe they work as waitresses and are both great and terrible at it at the same time. Or they have to take care of kids. Any other amusing job is also good.

AUs and ships

I’m fine with any AUs, though for Stahn&Leon request I still want Stahn to be the sword. I’m okay with Stahn turning human (or from human to sword) in the course of the story or being human when showing his past with Leon.

I don’t want Velvet or Milla paired with anyone else or Asbel/Cheria. Other than that there’s too much ships. Please inquire through the mods about specific ones.

FATE/GRAND ORDER

WB: Any

Please only include NA content, I want to avoid JP spoilers

I would love to explore any part of the setting really. I especially love the various interesting connections Servant have with each other that might not be obvious at first glance (like the fact that Iskander is also a pharaoh). I’m just fascinated by all the intricate historical connections. I would also love to see how some Servants would react if they were taken to Singularity/Lostbelt/Event they weren’t a part of.

Alternatively I would love to see exploration on how different the protagonists upbringing is from other mages especially given how bad they are at magic. We get some of it with Crypters (I loved how frustrated Kadoc was at the fact that the protagonist is even worse at magic than him), but I would love to see more of it. Maybe some Servants try to teach protagonist magic or prepare them for interactions with Clock Tower mages.

I'm fine with both male and female protagonist. Feel free to do anything from a serious character exploration to zany antics. I love both moods FGO jumps between, you can't go wrong with that. Historical context always welcome. I'm fine for any usual suspects when it comes to plot ideas: be it training simulator shenanigans, "oh no we lost comms and are stuck in Singularity", Moriarty scheming, to someone wanting to make Master happy in their own special, dysfunstional and/or possibly destructive ways

Some of the characters I enjoy: Gilgamesh (any), Mordred, Karna, Medea, Saint Martha, Ereshikigal, Danzo, Jeanne D'Arc Alter, Mysterious Heroine XX, Sitonai, Moriarty, Goredolf, any character from pairings section solo. Though honestly I love pretty much everyone in Chaldea except Columbus.

AUs and ships

Obviously, no setting changes AUs, but feel free to Canon Divergence

Pairings: Amakusa/Semiramis, Izou/Ryouma, Kintoki/Fuuma, Romani/Merlin, Romani/protagonist. Also feel free to assume protagonist/everyone (except the "child" Servants). Feel free to ask about other pairings through mods, I’m definitely missing some

#exchange letters

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zmwrites · 4 years ago

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tag: 20 first lines

I was tagged by @teasenpaiwrites! Thank you!

Rules: List the first lines of your last 20 stories (if you have less than 20 stories just list them all). See if there are any patterns. Choose your favourite opening line. Then tag others!

I was tagged in a similar game LITERALLY forever ago by @scmalarky PRE-BLOG MOVE, which makes it the oldest tag game sitting my drafts. It came with the following rules:

Rules: list the first lines of your last ten published stories. note if there are any patterns yourself and see if anyone else notices any! tag ten friends!

I put it off bc to date I’ve only published two stories over on Wattpad. So doing the first lines from the last twenty projects is somehow...easier? I suppose?

I’ll be putting the opening paragraph or so of each piece, and will only be using WIPs that I actually started at the beginning. Anything that doesn’t start at the actual beginning will be skipped.

Anyways, this is going under a cut bc I know it’s going to be ridiculously long. In order of ‘last modified by me’ as per Google Docs:

Remnants

Radka had been a seamstress in a previous life. Trained from childhood on the most delicate stitches, the most intricate embellishments. She had worked for royalty, sewing crystals and spun gold into skirts for the biggest social events of the year. Her steady hand and attention to detail had earned her a job in the palace by fourteen, and a spot on the queen’s personal seamstress team by fifteen. But that was years in the past. The girl she had been then, demure and innocent, wouldn’t recognize the woman she had grown up to be.

Open Seas

Theresia Bowen sat in the back of one of her family carriages, forehead pressed against the window as she watched the countryside fly past. The sky stretched on forever above her, interrupted only by the occasional wispy white clouds, and the spring sun had melted the snow from the hills to her left. The grass was still struggling to grow but was scattered in patches across the mud. To her right, the sea rolled and waved to the horizon. Ships dotted the deep blue, their sails bright and full with wind. Most were trading ships, a few navy, and the smallest of them all were pleasure ships. It was how she knew they were close to her destination.

Indigo Wars

Violet Colby sat cross-legged on her narrow bed in the room she shared with her two sisters at Osbrick Estate. The name was a holdover from the property’s previous life as a stately home, though not much else had carried over. The walled compound was nestled in the eastern sands of Edristan, less than two kilometres west of the capital city, with sun-bleached buildings that housed several dozen orphans and foundlings.

Pine Hollow

It was a miserable Monday morning, with dark, heavy clouds masking the rising sun and a steady rain pounding the town of Pine Hollow and the surrounding area. The dirt trails through the dense forest were slick with mud, the tire ruts becoming puddles and the puddles becoming proper ponds. It was as far from ideal body hunting conditions as possible without snow, but Virginia Crane had a job to do and she wasn’t about to let some adverse weather stop her.

Rochester WIP

The wedding was supposed to begin in five minutes and the bride was nowhere to be found.

Evelyn Rochester, for her part, was not surprised. Her sister Dorothea had claimed a headache a week earlier to get out of a family outing and had been gone by the time they’d returned. A small chest and a collection of her clothing had been gone as well. Their parents had made inquiries to some family friends but no one had seen Dottie, and at twenty-six she was allowed to do as she pleased, so they’d been left to wait to see if she’d return.

Just Jane

Jane rolled over in the narrow bed, pressing her face into the pillow as though it would make it any easier to sleep. Even as she breathed in the warm, sweet scent of the bed owner’s favourite perfume—myrrh, rose, styrax, and marjoram—a new sound made her ears prick to attention.

UNSS Spectre

The spacecraft glided through the void, following its prey silently. It was using its minimum operating power, leaving the two inside to perform their duties without overhead or emergency lighting. Only the glow of their instruments illuminated the interior of the craft.

“Cloaking device operating as normal,” Ensign Graecyn Ramsey said. She didn’t need to provide verbal updates since Captain Mezei could see everything that she could see and there was no one else aboard the tiny stealth class craft, but it was habit and she couldn’t seem to stop herself.

Fissures

Katherine Delacroix was seething. It was hard enough trying to get a gaggle of thirteen to eighteen year old girls to focus under normal circumstances but having the #1 most eligible bachelor of the school just hanging out at the back of the auditorium was making it nearly impossible. To make matters worse, the attention paid to the blond was bruising the egos of the boys in the group and she was painfully aware of how desperately the musical needed them not to quit. They already had a female Cogsworth and Le Fou; they didn't have enough girls with deep voices to play Gaston or Lumiere or, god forbid, Beast.

Snapshots

“Are you still looking for a roommate?” Misha asked, voice muffled slightly by whatever she was doing on the opposite end of the phone.

“You mean since you stole my last one? Yes,” Micah replied. He was stuck in traffic on his commute home from work, something his twin sister Misha knew, which was why she’d called when he had no excuse not to talk to her. It wasn’t that he didn’t like talking to her, he just wasn’t much of a talker.

“You’re gonna have to get over that,” she said.

The Tournament

The coin spun in lazy circles on the table, defying every law of physics. Izora Graham watched it with one hand held in a claw-like position over it. She didn't need to but it made it easier to cover the coin should anyone watch it too closely. The bar was still fairly empty so early in the evening and she was tucked away in the back booth away from the few early birds sitting at the counter, however any displays of magic would bring unwanted attention. Especially something that could be useful to any of the Upper Houses like her telekinesis.

Noyama Contest

Earthens had spread across dozens of galaxies once they’d perfected faster-than-light travel, and hundreds of solar systems within those galaxies. PT-759 was one of the galaxies they’d colonized only to find that it was already inhabited. It had ended up working out alright though, as the native species had radically different planetary needs and also happened to find Earthens downright adorable.

Naetov was a smaller planet at the edge of Federation-controlled space in PT-759. It had a few key cities where government funding was funneled to keep them perfect for non-Earthen tourists. Those cities were clean and friendly, open spaces and carefully maintained flora making up the downtown cores, streamlined designs and shiny surfaces giving the impression of a planet on the cusp of significance.

Gossamer Girl

It was the first day of winter and things were already looking bad. Even though the cold weather had held off for an extra two weeks, the harvest had been poor. A mold had festered in their southern field during the wet spring and had spread quickly. They’d razed the infected sections as soon as the fungus had been discovered but it had already destroyed a large swath of plants. They’d lost nearly a quarter of their usual yield and the troubles had only spiralled from there.

Knotted Strings

The room was just a bit too cold to be comfortable. The walls were wood panelled with some sort of reddish wood that matched the flooring. Rows of chairs with collapsible desks filled most of the lecture hall, with the front of the room dominated by a whiteboard and a table. The professor, hawkish in appearance, was perched on a bar stool facing the students and overlooking the table.

Tess lounged in her seat at the table at the front of the room, notebook open on the table in front of her and pen moving deftly across the page. She watched her competition critically as he spoke. His argument was solid enough to cast reasonable doubt on her case, or it would have been had he bothered to address a small piece of evidence she found to be damning. He finished his conclusion to a spatter of applause and returned to his seat across from her.

“Well done, Mr. Wynn. Miss Kinney, would you like a few moments to prepare your rebuttal?” the professor asked.

“No, I’m good,” Tess replied. She sat up, scribbled a note in her book, and then pushed the book across the table.

Oh, Ophelia

Alexis lounged in the shade next to the pool, sipping a daiquiri and considering her next move. She’d been using the same identity for nearly fifteen years and the neighbours were starting to get suspicious. With all the new beauty products and surgeries available to people of her wealth it was easier to convince people she was nearing forty when she was in the body of a twenty-three year old, but now she had to deal with people asking for her skincare routines and her doctors and the identity wasn’t worth all of the research she was having to do. She was getting sick of Malibu anyways, what with the yearly forest fires that got closer each year. She missed the deep-rooted history of Europe, the memories she had in all of the major cities, the people like her who were still living in their castles and manors pretending like the world hadn’t left them behind.

Bloodlines

Ten of Wands. The Tower. Two of Swords.

Morrigan Keeling sat on the floor of her bedroom, chewing the end of a pen and staring intently at the tarot cards spread in front of her. It was a simple three card spread to indicate how her day was going to go: a card to describe herself, one to indicate what was going to greet her, and another to show the outcome of the situation. She’d gotten into the habit of doing it every day while living at home, and even five years after moving out she found it a relaxing routine to start the day.

The day’s cards, however, were not very relaxing.

PerDeA

The backseat of the car was dark, only illuminated for short intervals by the orange glow of the streetlights. Two figures sat across from each other in the shifting light. In the backwards-facing seat on the driver’s side was PerDeA. Her dark hair was pulled tightly into a ponytail, lips slightly parted as she stared unblinking out the back window. Shoulders square, back straight, chin up, hands folded neatly in her lap, her breathing perfectly rhythmic; she would have looked human if not for the faintly glowing cybernetic blue rings superimposed over her black eyes.

Westhaven

Her eyes were open but she couldn’t see anything. There were mechanical sounds ‒ beeping, whirring ‒ all around her, and voices too far away for her to understand. The sharp smell of antiseptic and the softer detergent scent beneath it.

“Initiate optical system,” a muted female voice instructed. Between one breath and the next she started processing visual information: bright white lights above her, the featureless ceiling beyond, her own nose and eyelashes. She couldn’t move her head to see much else. Walls that matched the ceiling so well it was hard to tell where one became the other, bits of the bed she was on with its bleachable white sheets and side rails.

“Increase tactile responsivity by fifty percent and disengage the motion inhibitors.”

Pro Patria Mori

She sat on the narrow bed with her packed suitcase next to her. Her blonde hair was pinned back, her blue eyes fixed on a spot next to the door, her hands folded neatly in her lap. The winter chill clung like burrs to the house, helped by the heavy spring rain that beat against the window in a staccato rhythm. Outside, trees bowed under the charcoal sky. The old house creaked and groaned around her, the wind whistling and wailing as the storm continued to batter the country estate. She waited.

At any moment there would be a knock on the main door of the house. Godfrey, the aged and shuffling butler, would answer. Standing on the other side would be some men in crisp uniforms, holding up her picture and asking if he knew her. She had seen them in town the evening before, and it wouldn’t take more than a day before someone pointed them in the right direction. They looked like military men but there was something different in their manner, something sharper. Godfrey would lead them up, and up, and up, until they reached her third floor apartment. The butler would introduce them, she would smile politely, and she would leave with them without a fight.

The Clocktower

Astra hated Capperham. The way it sprawled its squalor from border to border, from the sea in the west to the battlements in the other three directions. The harbour reeked of dead fish and unwashed human, the slums of sickness and stale beer. Even the neighbourhoods of rich merchants and factory owners lay under the thick smog of black soot the mines and mills spat out day and night. The grit and dirt was part of everything, so deeply ingrained that even the most rigorous scrubbing couldn’t make something clean.

Stars Incline Us

The Christmas gala was in full swing. The entire ballroom was full of people Pippa didn’t know, all wearing fancy clothes that probably cost more than her rent. Her own dress was aubergine and a simple V-neck, form-fitting enough to be attractive but loose enough to not draw too much attention.

She and another girl who didn’t seem to know anyone at the event were chatting with Antero and Mr. Rabinoff near the edge of the dance floor. Antero was already antsy to leave despite the dinner having just ended, but Mr. Rabinoff had trapped him in a debate he was too proud to back down from. The other girl was from legal and either found them hilarious or had had a little too much to drink because she kept giggling, leaving Pippa no choice but to laugh along while adding the occasional remark to the back and forth between the men.

That brings us all the way back to October 2016. Which tells me that I need to start at the beginning of more stories haha. If anyone has questions about any of these, please feel free to ask. Also, if you read all of that, you are a saint and a hero and have my eternal friendship.

I tag @the-writing-avocado, @radiowrites, @pigeon-hold, @sleepyowlwrites, @akindofmagictoo, and anyone else who wants to share their projects!! As always, no pressure (to play or to read this whole post lmao).

#tag games #about me

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inthedayswhenlandswerefew · 5 years ago

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Eccentricity [Chapter 2: You Can Run Around Infinite In My Head]

Series Summary: Joe Mazzello is a nice guy with a weird family. A VERY weird family. They have a secret, and you have a choice to make.

Potentially a better love story than Twilight (we’ll let @killer-queen-xo decide when it’s all said and done 😉).

Chapter Title Is A Lyric From: Rome by Dermot Kennedy.

Chapter Warnings: Language, mentions of violence.

Other Chapters (And All My Writing) Available: HERE

Tagging: @queen-turtle-boiii @bramblesforbreakfast @killer-queen-xo @maggieroseevans @culturefiendtrashqueen @imnotvibingveryguccimrstark @escabell @im-an-adult-ish @queenlover05 @someforeigntragedy @imtheinvisiblequeen @seven-seas-of-ham-on-rhye @deacyblues @tensecondvacation @brianssixpence

Please yell at me if I forget to tag you! 💜

Missing In Action

I wish she would stop staring at me.

Lucille sat at the Lees’ usual table and apathetically picked through a heaping salad. (Friday was salad bar day, which I appreciated considerably more than the chicken finger obsession that marred Mondays at Calawah University.) Every once in a while, Rami nudged her and Lucille would spear a cherry tomato with her fork and bite it in half with perfectly even, white teeth. But her large blue-green eyes—they reminded me of webs of seaweed tumbling in the cold, frothing La Push waves—always found their way back to me, strangely focused, inquisitive, perhaps accusatory.

Ben probably told them how much he hates me for whatever nebulous reason and now they all hate me too and I’m going to spend the next two years being death-glared by five ridiculously attractive and somewhat incestuous foster kids.

Chemistry was a three times a week class. Ben hadn’t shown on Wednesday, and I was 99% sure he would skip again today. I spotted him around campus periodically, always from a distance: dropping quarters into a vending machine, clandestinely vaping behind dorm buildings (what self-respecting pre-med student VAPES?!!), browsing YouTube videos in the library next to a tower of unopened textbooks, biology and chem and physics and calculus. He wasn’t home, he wasn’t sick; there was no attempt made to construct any sort of pretext. He was patently avoiding me.

I stabbed moodily at the serrated disks of cucumber in my salad. Jessica was blathering away about the latest season of The Bachelor and ranking the contestants’ eyebrows from best to worst. “...Like seriously, has she never heard of microblading?!”

“For real,” Angela offered, not especially invested but forever a good sport.

Lucille’s eyes settled on me again as she sipped a cup of steaming tea, staring until her forehead crinkled with the effort, staring hard, almost leering.

“What’s her problem?” I muttered.

Jessica shot a glance towards the Lee table and slurped her Sprite. The great mystery surrounding her potential Mormon-ness persisted. “Who? Lucy?”

Only Lucille’s friends called her Lucy. Jessica, a shameless aspiring socialite, presumed she was everybody’s friend unless they explicitly informed her otherwise, which of course no one ever did.

“Yeah,” I answered glumly.

“Maybe it’s your dress.”

“My dress? What’s wrong with my dress?”

Jessica wrinkled her nose and surveyed me as if I were a bug, and not a cute bug like a roly-poly bug or The Very Hungry Caterpillar or whatever. Like a really hideous bug. Like one of those spider-cricket hybrid things that hopped straight out of a hell dimension and into the dark, drippy corners of your basement. “It’s, like, very 1960s. But not in a sexy Woodstock way. In a ‘I’m about to join a hippie murder cult’ way.”

“I got it at TJ Maxx. It was on sale.”

Jessica snorted. “Probably for a reason.”

“That’s it. I’m giving all the hippies in my new murder cult your address.”

She and Angela laughed. Mike and Eric, the missing pieces of our daily lunch puzzle, were preoccupied with a campus protest to convert fried fish day (Thursdays) into tacos day. I sympathized with their efforts, but didn’t feel that my one-week tenure as a Calawah University student gave me much right to go around overhauling the dining hall schedule.

“I doubt she’s actually offended by a dress,” Angela said, nibbling on French fries that shed grains of salt like snowflakes.

Jessica sighed dreamily. “But Lucy’s just so fashionable...and that accent...” She drifted off into some daydream which began—I could only assume—with Lucy’s invitation to go shopping together and concluded with marrying Ben on some lush tropical island in the South Pacific.

Lucille was definitely fashionable, especially today: short black dress with sheer sleeves that ran to her fragile wrists, black polka dot tights, black heeled oxfords, dangling ruby earrings like beads of blood. She would have blended in perfectly at Paris Fashion Week. Rami was wearing a cardigan and khakis, per usual; Joe was in dark fitted jeans and a roomy U Chicago hoodie despite the fact that Forks was at minimum a thirty-four hour drive from the Windy City. What did Angela say his major was? Finance? No, Mathematical Economics. So he’s probably aiming at Chicago for an MBA or Econ PhD someday. Angela had told me that Joe was wicked smart. He better be if he’s entertaining fantasies of grad school at the University of Chicago.

Scarlett had come straight from Fencing Club and was wearing bright pink yoga pants and a t-shirt with the sleeves cut out, sprinkling Hot Cheetos into her open mouth, her blonde hair secured in a tight French braid. You know those girls who are so irrationally, gluttonously, unfairly beautiful that it doesn’t seem possible the genetic lottery could spit out so many winning numbers at once, and you comfort yourself with the certainty that there must be some set of circumstances that would level the playing field—I bet she looks like anyone else without all that makeup, she just has a really good sense of style and knows how to maximize her assets, there are definitely some goofy oversized ears hiding beneath that hair and that’s why she always wears it down—and then one day you run into them wearing sweatpants and a ponytail in the tampon aisle at Walmart and they’re still so perfect it stings you, baffles you, makes you feel like there must have been some divergence in the evolutionary chain because there’s no freaking way you’re the same species? Yeah, Scarlett was one of those girls. Scarlett was the queen of those girls.

Ben was conspicuously absent from the table.

Scarlett’s pink leopard-print iPhone rang and she answered. “Hello?” She turned to Joe. “Dad says you left your phone at home. Do you need it?”

Joe was gnawing his way through his third slice of pepperoni pizza. “No, I’m good, thanks though.”

Scarlett relayed the message. “Dad says he’s going to bring it by just in case.”

“Oh my god, ScarJo, I’m fine! Tell him not to!”

“Dad says he doesn’t trust you and he’s going to be here in fifteen minutes. He’s also bringing the Game Theory homework you left by the hot tub.”

Joe groaned and rolled his lively dark eyes as Rami grinned at him; Lucille was still watching me and entirely oblivious.

“Isn’t it weird that Ben and Lucille have accents?” I asked Jessica. “That they’re from the U.K.? I didn’t think fostering kids was an international thing.”

“It’s not that weird. Dr. Lee is British too. Maybe there’s some kind of exchange system, I don’t know. But you know what I do know?”

“What?” Now my interest was piqued.

She smiled. “That the British accents are hot.”

“Ugh,” I exhaled involuntarily.

“Please get a hobby,” Angela begged Jessica. “Start a YouTube channel. Make care packages for orphans. Grow marijuana. Adopt a cat. I have a shift at the animal shelter this Sunday morning, you want to come with me?”

“Sorry, can’t. I have a temple thing.”

Temple on Sunday. The mystery is solved. She’s a Mormon for sure. I mentally resolved not to let her set me up with anyone unless I was still single on Valentine’s Day. Which, obviously, assuming I’m not dead in a ditch somewhere, I will be.

I gathered up my trash and slung my backpack over my shoulder. “Okay, well this has been a bizarre lunch to be completely honest, and now I have to go to Chemistry so I’ll see you later and hopefully we can brainstorm some more alternatives to Jessica’s current life trajectory on Monday. Because I am not looking forward to being a bridesmaid in these impending Lee nuptials.”

“Oh please!” Jessica lamented. “He doesn’t even know I exist. You, on the other hand...”

I scoffed. “Yeah, he wants to kill me. I truly have a gift.”

They waved as I left. I could feel Lucille’s eyes on me until I reached the door.

Sure enough, Ben wasn’t in Chemistry. I tried not to notice. I drew my atoms, wrote my equations, took my notes diligently and in my favorite sky blue ink. But I felt the emptiness in the chair next to me like a black hole, like an immense and dragging weight, like a snag in the fabric of all those interwoven strands of physics that orchestrate the universe like an immortal puppeteer. Why can’t I forget this guy? Why do I still feel like I’ve met him before?

Halfway through class, I hauled my emergency sweatshirt out of my backpack and pulled it on over my dress, floral and flowing and golden yellow like the sun, the sun that never shines here in Forks. I had liked it plenty under the florescent lights of the fitting room at TJ Maxx, and I had still liked it this morning; but Jessica’s words hummed around in my skull like wasps. The zipper of the sweatshirt was broken, but it accomplished the task of obscuring my dress well enough.

After Chemistry, I journeyed to the campus library to find a book I was supposed to read and present for a different class. I looked it up in the computer catalogue, spent an embarrassingly long time trying to figure out how the Dewey Decimal System works, eventually wound up finding the book on the highest floor of the library...and, to add a little extra peril to the mission, on the highest shelf. The book mocked me from its lofty, unattainable stronghold. The title was embossed in gold letters down the crimson spine. The Walruses And Me: A Transformative Experience. Idiotic title, I’m aware. It’s about some marine biologist who spent months alone in the Arctic studying the lifecycles of walruses. A noble pursuit, sure, but still a terrible title.

There wasn’t a chair or stepstool in sight. I tested my weight by stepping up onto the second-lowest shelf. The metal immediately squealed and shifted in protest. I retreated back down to the carpet, defeated by gravity. I scowled up at the book and sighed melodramatically. Ugh.

“Need something?”

I spun around to see Joe in his University of Chicago hoodie and pale flawless skin and intangible magnetism, that bewildering trademark Lee ethereality. I instinctively crossed my arms, clutching the sleeves of my sweatshirt, shrinking inwards like a startled armadillo in the Arizona desert.

“Are you, uh, anemic...?” he ventured.

“Oh no, I’m not cold. I’m just trying to hide my dress. My friend said it was too hippie-murder-cult 1960s.”

I figured he’d laugh, make a snide comment, maybe just blink in confusion. Instead, he glimpsed down at my dress—what could still be seen of it, anyway—and shook his head. “The neckline isn’t right for the 60s. And you seem like you’ve showered at least once in the past two weeks, so definitely not a hippie.”

I smiled, completely unexpectedly. “I didn’t realize Econ majors knew anything about leftist counterculture.”

“Disparaging it is our favorite pastime. Are you trying to get a book or are you just disrespecting university property for entertainment?”

I pointed. “The big red one.”

“The Walruses And Me...?”

“I know, it’s a horrible title. Not my personal preference. It’s for a class.”

“Bestiality 101?”

“Good guess. Marine Mammals.”

“Ahhh.” He glanced up and down the aisle, tapped his chin with agile fingers, pondered something I wasn’t privy to. “Turn around for a second.”

“What? Why?”

He waved his hand mysteriously in front of his grinning face. “It’s a magic trick. I’m going to make your problem disappear.”

“You can’t climb that,” I warned. “You’ll fall and break your neck. Or you’ll knock the whole shelf over and cause a tragic domino effect and the university will withhold your diploma until you pay them restitution.”

“I’m extremely athletic.”

“Are you sure?” I appraised him with exaggerated skepticism for comedic effect. “My dad refers to you only as the spindly annoying Lee.”

Oh my god, WHY did I say that?

Now he would definitely hate me. Now I’d have two mortal enemies on one campus. I mentally calculated how humiliating it would be to transfer to some Florida college, any Florida college, after only one week at Calawah. Hi mom, yeah I’m coming to live with you and Paul, a gang of hot pasty foster kids wants to slaughter me.

Instead, Joe threw back his head and cackled wildly. A librarian—mid-fifties, angry red hair from out of a box, fuzzy cat sweater—glared into the aisle and shushed him.

“Chief Swan...he actually...he calls me that? Really?!” Joe managed, wiping his leaking eyes. “That’s hilarious. I’m so glad my life is in his hands. Okay seriously, turn around.”

“Why would you help me?” I asked suspiciously.

“That’s just what I do. I’m a friendly guy.”

“This friendliness must not run in the family.”

Again, Joe’s cheerful demeanor didn’t falter. “You mean Ben? Forget about Ben, he hates everyone. Don’t take it personally.” Then he added: “Plus, as I’m sure you know, we’re not biologically related. No overlapping genetic material whatsoever. I didn’t get the male supermodel gene, he didn’t get the irresistibly charming gene, life’s not fair but the world keeps spinning.”

“It sure does,” I agreed softly. Unexpected wisdom from my new favorite Lee. I turned away from him. “Fine, I’m not looking, go ahead and dazzle me with your supernatural friendliness—”

“Done.”

“What?” I whirled around. Joe held The Walruses And Me in his hand. “How...did you...?!”

He passed me the book as I sputtered incoherently. “I told you. Magic trick.”

“I don’t....?!” I gawked up at the top shelf, at Joe, back to the top shelf. Sure enough, the space where The Walruses And Me once lived was now just a vacant slit in the row of dusty books. How could he have climbed up there that quickly? How could I not have heard anything? “The shelves didn’t even creak,” I murmured shakily.

“Yes, well, that’s due to my conveniently spindly physique.” Joe winked. “Any other problems I can help you solve at the moment, Baby Swan?”

“No. And don’t call me Baby Swan, or I’ll push this whole bookshelf over and tell the feisty librarian lady you did it.”

“That’s cold, ma’am.”

I liked that Joe didn’t make me feel like Ben did: unworthy, unloved, infuriating. Joe made me feel something else, something lighthearted, casual, buoyant; like the world didn’t have anything in it worth worrying about, regretting, agonizing over. Like unadulteratedly myself was all I ever needed to be.

I heard a muted buzz and Joe slid his iPhone out of his jeans pocket. Dr. Lee must have successfully delivered it. “Whoops, I forgot that Ordinary Differential Equations existed. Got to go. See ya.”

“Bye,” I replied. And then Joseph Lee was gone, very quickly, a little too quickly, the same way that Ben had vanished on that first afternoon after Chemistry.

Forks is weird. Calawah University is weird. And the Lee kids are super fucking weird.

Long Walks On The Beach

“Can I ask you a random question?”

“You just paid me $100 for an oil change that took fifteen minutes. You can ask me anything you want.” He grinned, flashing bright teeth and deep dimples.

It was Saturday afternoon. I had shoveled down a Chipotle veggie bowl as Archer changed the 1999 Accord’s oil in a small garage with a cracked concrete floor and the searing pungency of gasoline fumes thick in the air. He had apprenticed all through high school and rented his own shop after graduation. Archer now had a loyal clientele that encompassed virtually the entire Quileute reservation and a growing chunk of Forks...including Charlie and me, of course. Archer was the only child of Larry Foxchild—Charlie’s best friend since they worked together at Dairy Queen as teenagers—and the closest thing to a son my dad would ever have. I guess that made him like a brother to me, something that seemed intuitive now that I’d thought of it.

After the Accord was serviced we drove it down to La Push to walk on the beach, climb the salt-lashed rocks, toss pebbles into the roiling surf, reprise our childhood enthusiasm for poking dead washed-up marine creatures with shards of driftwood.

“Do you know anything about the Lees?” I asked Archer, investigating a deceased green shore crab.

His brow furrowed. He looked so serious like that, suddenly so much like Larry: the same tan skin, jet black hair, umbral eyes like oil wells, strong jaw overlaid with the stubbled shadow of a beard. We really aren’t kids anymore, are we? “The doctor and his kids?”

“Yeah. The foster kids. They’re really pale and strange and half of them are British.”

Archer chuckled. “I know who you mean. They’re hard to miss.”

“Are they...” Just eccentric rich people? Traumatized from abusive childhoods? Government experiments? CIA agents? Secret murderers? The image of Ben in that first Chemistry class came roaring back to me, including the adjective that had flashed red behind my eyes like an emergency exit sign: fierce. Finally, I decided: “Dangerous?”

Now Archer full-on laughed, gripping his belly, shaking his head. Drops of saltwater flew from his short hair. “Seriously?!” he exclaimed. “Come on, they’re freaks but they’re not, like...that kind of freaks.”

“Are you sure?” I was starting to feel better already. Of course they’re not actual demons, you fucking idiot. This is Washington, not The Twilight Zone or Black Mirror. Not goddamn American Horror Story.

“Yeah.” Archer skipped a grey pebble over the water, something I’d never been able to do. “I’ll be honest, I don’t know them all that well. They usually keep to themselves. But I’ve never heard anything bad about any of the kids. And everyone respects Dr. Lee and appreciates him for taking the pay cut to come to some bumblefuck town like Forks. He’s insanely highly credentialed, has degrees from Harvard or Yale or somewhere like that. Super impressive. We’re lucky to have him. I definitely sleep better at night knowing he’ll be the one to fix me up if I ever get a few fingers ripped off on the job.”

“Don’t even say that. Then who would I grossly overpay for oil changes?”

Archer smiled, then sobered as he peered out over the Pacific Ocean.

“What?” I asked, feeling a plummeting in my guts like primal fear.

“Well...okay, so there is one thing that’s always bothered me. You remember Grandpa Foxchild?”

“Yeah, of course.” He had been an impossibly ancient man with long grey braided hair, a low rumbly voice, gnarled arthritic hands, ceaseless wrinkles. I remembered Charlie calling me when he passed away last spring. Renee and I had picked out a flower arrangement to send to the funeral.

“So,” Archer said slowly, like he was still puzzling it out himself. “Grandpa used to say things like ‘That Dr. Lee has been around a long time.’ Which of course makes no sense, the Lees moved here like two years ago. And I’d tell Grandpa that, but he completely ignored me. He would just keep repeating it. ‘That Dr. Lee shouldn’t still be here.’ ‘That Dr. Lee should go on home to where he came from.’ ‘That Dr. Lee isn’t right.’ Creepy shit like that. My dad and I always assumed it was the dementia talking, but...I don’t know. It just bothered me. Because Grandpa...he wasn’t just being gossipy or suspicious. He was angry. And he was afraid. Grandpa was at Guadalcanal and Iwo Jima and he would talk about that no problem, mention landmines or flesh melting off a soldier’s face like it was nothing. He was a tough guy. Immeasurably tough, I’ll never be half the man he was. But if you mentioned the Lees, Grandpa got scared. Why the hell would he be so scared of them?”

I didn’t have an answer for him, not a single word. I just stared at Archer, my eyes growing huge, my heart sprinting, blood pounding in my ears. He knew. Grandpa Foxchild knew there was something off about them, and now I know it too. I don’t know how I know, but I do.

Archer tittered nervously. “Anyway, that was genuinely disturbing. But like I said. It was probably just the dementia.”

“What if it wasn’t?”

“It had to be,” he insisted. “There’s no other logical explanation.”

“I guess,” I agreed, scooping up the green shore crab corpse with my bare hands. I hurled it out into the waves, imagined it sinking through murky water and suspended grains of sand, the body settling into prehistoric silt, the scavengers descending upon it, the inescapable wheel of birth and death and resurrection through those who unwittingly carry our atoms with them into the next generation, into the perpetual future.

That night my dreams were full of pale skin and scorching eyes, Ben and Joe and Rami, Lucille and Scarlett, crashing waves, cold water and bleached bones; and Grandpa Foxchild’s mistrustful refrain: That Dr. Lee has been around a long time.

Benjamin

I soared down the staircase and through the dining room. Gwil was working late at the hospital, Mercy outside tending the animals, everyone else presumably scattered throughout the house. I had to get out before anyone noticed me. I had to get out without Rami or Lucy knowing.

I yanked open the door to the back porch. Rami was waiting there.

“Good evening,” he greeted me in that slow, thoughtful drawl.

“Stay the fuck out of my head.”

“You know how it works, Benny Boy. I can’t ignore the loud thoughts. And you’ve been having some very loud thoughts lately.”

I stared down at my shoes, all black Adidas. Black is good. It doesn’t show stains. For example, purely hypothetically, splatters of human blood and organs. “I can make it quick. I can make it painless.”

Rami’s aura flared maroon; not enraged, no, not quite that, but certainly revolted. I was always finding new and horrifying ways to revolt them, whether I was trying to or not. “She has a family, Ben. A father. You know Chief Swan, you’ve seen him around town. He’s a good person. She’s a good person. You really want to do this? You really want to relapse like this?”

I didn’t reply. I didn’t have to. Hearing thoughts is a tricky thing, and not a gift that I would ever want; unspoken words are rarely a steam and usually a storm, disjointed and twisting, interrupting each other, bottomless layers of whispers and screams. But I was sure Rami could catch the important parts: that I didn’t know the difference between good and bad people, that I didn’t know what to think of people at all, that for me her blood was not a desire but a compulsion. I couldn’t stop envisioning it spilling over my tongue and teeth, down my throat, hot and pulsing erratically and fading. “Why can’t you hear her? Why can’t I see what she’s feeling?”

Rami shrugged, characteristically placid and restrained. It was maddening. “There are seven and a half billion people on this planet. So maybe every once in a while you get one that lives in our blind spots, there’s something chromosomal or psychological that puts them on a different frequency. I don’t know. How the hell should I know? All I know is that you definitely shouldn’t be seriously considering...well. What you’re considering.”

“Have you ever met someone whose thoughts you couldn’t hear before?”

“No,” Rami admitted; and was that a ghost of unease that crossed his face?

“Please, Rami. Let me go. Pretend you never saw me.” My words come out strained, hushed, like a spilled secret, like a confession. I’ve never wanted anyone’s blood like I want hers.

He heard that; I could see the dismay in his eyes. Now his aura is dark grey, almost black. Disappointment. Resignation. Mourning. “I told you what Lucy saw.”

“What she saw is impossible and you know it.”

Again, Rami shrugged. That blind, mindless faith. I wished I knew what it felt like. “She’s never wrong.”

“Have you told him?”

“Who, Joe?! Of course I haven’t told Joe. He...”

“He wouldn’t believe it either?” I snapped, like it was a victory.

“No,” Rami amended carefully. “No, he would believe anything Lucy saw.” Lucy had visions: flashes of the future, the past, the present. They were rare and unpredictable, often fragmented, snapshots rather than arcs. But they were always true. Or, rather, the other Lees claimed they were. The real Lees. “I don’t know what he would do about it,” Rami said finally. “So I’m waiting it out. And killing one of the primary participants is definitely not waiting it out.”

I seethed as I glared at him, hating him in that moment, hating myself only slightly more; and he heard that too. But then that wispy, fleeting haze around him was a pink like the last threads of sunlight sinking into the Western horizon. Forgiveness. Attachment. Love.

“Come with me, Ben,” Rami said gently, opening the door. “Come back inside. You can beat this. You’re better than this. You’re a good soul. You wouldn’t be with us if you weren’t.”

I tried to laugh. It came out like a snarl. “I haven’t had a soul in a long time.”

#joe mazzello fic #joe mazzelo x reader #borhap #borhap fic #borhap cast fic #twilight au #twilight #supernatural au

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jaspersspx040 · 4 years ago

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Exactly How We Enhanced Our Top Soccer Prediction Sites In One Week(Month, Day)

Seattle Seahawks Squeeze Past The Washington Football Team To Clinch Playoff Berth

The winners of each continental competitors contest the FIFA Club Globe Cup. As opposed to stopping play, the umpire might allow play to proceed if doing so will certainly benefit the group versus which an offense has actually been devoted. The referee might "recall" play and punish the initial offence if the anticipated benefit does not follow within "a few secs". Also if an offense is not punished due to benefit being played, the wrongdoer might still be approved for misbehavior at the next standstill of play. The umpire might punish a player's or replacement's misconduct by a care or dismissal. A 2nd yellow card in the very same video game leads to a red card, which leads to a dismissal. A player given a yellow card is said to have actually been "booked", the referee composing the gamer's name in their main note pad.

the sphere made use of in this game, a filled with air oval with a bladder consisted of in a casing usually made from natural leather. Haskins got the start, as well as threw for 295 lawns with one touchdown as well as two interceptions, because Smith was recouping from a calf injury experienced the previous week in Washington's sway the San Francisco 49ers. The final four groups vying for a championship game have actually been established. Texas A&M missed out on making the College Football Playoff despite only losing one video game during the season. Covering university sporting activities for the Early morning Information for more than a decade plus a great deal of various other things in previous lives.

Released in 2018, the Healthy and balanced Sport Index incorporates the very best available information and professional evaluation while permitting customers to tailor sport-by-sport outcomes via their own health and wellness top priorities for engagement.

It's a source to help youth sporting activities coaches develop individual development in their players.

The device aids moms and dads, kids and other stakeholders make informed decisions based on their priorities to make sporting activities a healthy and balanced as well as positive experience for youngsters.

Healthy Sporting Activity Index For the first time, the general public can determine in one area the family member advantages as well as threats of taking part in the 10 most prominent high school children as well as ladies sports.

See as.pn/ coaching to view panel conversations on the worth of trains advertising social and also emotional skills.

Oklahoma Secondary School Football: The Oklahoman's Champion, Semifinal Choices

If a player has been disregarded, no alternative can be prompted in their area as well as the gamer may not join additional play. Misbehavior might happen at any moment, and also while the offences that constitute misconduct are noted, the interpretations are wide. Particularly, the offence of "unsporting behaviour" might be used to handle the majority of events that breach the spirit of the game, even if they are not noted as specific offences.

WR DeAndre Hopkins goes in depth concerning his touchdown catch and also clarifies the value of this win for the group. LAFC eliminated the 3rd Mexican Club in the 2020 edition of the Concacaf Champions Organization as well as they will certainly attempt to finish the prominence from Liga MX groups in the competition as they head to the final to face Tigres UANL.

" We delight in that moms and dads and also loved ones will currently have the ability to see their students play in the game. QB Sam Darnold called the win "an impressive sensation." He was reliable, avoiding turnovers and also tossing the round away when under pressure. As Adam Gase said, "There was no panic." If the Jets choose to trade Darnold, this was the sort of performance that will appeal to suitors. Inquired about the Trevor Lawrence speculation, Darnold said, "It does not influence us." Russell Wilson balanced just 4.6 air backyards per effort Sunday as the Seahawks again focused on fast passes to battle Washington's strong defensive front. Per ESPN Statistics & Info, that was Wilson's cheapest standard given that the 2015 opener as well as third-lowest of his career. Wilson balanced 7.3 air backyards per attempt last week against the Jets after balancing 8.2 over the first 13 weeks, 10th-highest in the league because period.

What's the oldest football team?

The Arizona Cardinals, formed in Chicago in 1898, are the oldest team in the National Football League.

gallery Arrivals Before Giants Dec 13, 2020 Cardinals players show up to MetLife Arena prior to the Week 14 match against the Giants offered by Bose. gallery Arrivals Before Eagles Dec 20, 2020 Cardinals gamers get here to State Farm Stadium before the Week 15 match against the Eagles offered by Bose.

Much like the Big 12, I have actually improbably survived two bouts of realignment. Don't bother the 24-point blowout loss that the Combating Irish experienced in the ACC title game versus Clemson. The board offered Notre Dame approval based upon earlier sway Clemson as well as North Carolina. When the CFP option board unveiled its final rankings Sunday early morning from Grapevine, Notre Dame (10-1) got approval for the fourth and also last playoff area, simply ahead of the Aggies (8-1). Texas A&M and train Jimbo Fisher made an enthusiastic College Football Playoff instance Saturday by winning its regular season ending over Tennessee.

Several of the leading potential customers in the country have yet to introduce their destination. Saturday's scores, paired with the absence of nonconference video games this year, are mosting likely to cultivate unmatched reactions to the Playoff choices. Alabama completed 11-0 in SEC have fun with a championship win, led by Heisman candidates Najee Harris, Mac Jones and also DeVonta Smith. The University Football Playoff board showed it will never ever give Group of 5 groups like the Bearcats, Chanticleers a fair shake. Smith is attempting to become the very first WR to win the Heisman given that 1991, but he needs to beat teammates Mac Jones and Najee Harris. Military was the first team to approve a bowl quote, to the Self-reliance Dish in October, however opt-outs as well as linkups left it without an opponent. Points will remain the same for as lengthy as individuals keep imitating only the big bettingloupe.com/ leagues issue and like the kids are an adjunct.

On the 15th Sunday of the NFL's 2020 period, 33 Alabama graduates hopped on the field. As wintertime climate embed in around the country, the Chargers-Raiders competition in a dome in Las Vegas can enable unusual names such as limited end Darren Waller to bring your fantasy group to the champion round. Smith saw at least three targets in all 9 of his beginnings, yet he managed to allow under 30 yards in every one of his video games this year. Surtain might have given up a 50-yard touchdown in the 2020 SEC Championship Game, yet that was truly one of minority poor plays he had all period long. He is a physical corner that trails just Hodges-Tomlinson for the majority of forced incompletions amongst Power 5 outside corners. As you might have seen in the 2021 PFF NFL Draft Overview, Surtain's best quality is his press abilities, and also this year has actually verified that. He comes in at No. 1 among all FBS cornerbacks in press-coverage quality.

Sheriff Strategies To Proceed Search For Seekers On Xmases Day If Required.

Who is the ref who blew Saints?

These fans didn't care. Referee Bill Vinovich looks on during the NFC Championship game between the Rams and New Orleans Saints on Jan. 20.

The Rule currently express measurements with approximate metric matchings, though use royal units remains popular in English-speaking countries with a reasonably recent history of metrication, such as Britain. The ball is spherical with an area of in between 68 as well as 70 cm, a weight in the series of 410 to 450 g, as well as a stress in between 0.6 and 1.1 conventional ambiences (8.5 as well as 15.6 pounds per square inch) at sea level. In the previous the round was comprised of leather panels stitched, with a latex bladder for pressurisation but modern balls in all degrees of the game are now artificial. A game is officiated by an umpire, who has "complete authority to implement the Laws of the Game about the match to which he has actually been appointed", as well as whose decisions are final. In many high-level video games there is also a fourth authorities who helps the referee as well as might change another official must the demand arise. The fundamental equipment or kit players are needed to wear includes a t shirt, shorts, socks, shoes and sufficient shin guards.

The Pitt side protector racked up 20 total stress in his video games against Notre Dame, Clemson, Virginia Technology and also Boston College, the 4 ideal collections of deals with in the ACC this year. McNeil played 87% of his complete snaps at heads-up nose tackle this year, making his manufacturing nothing except incredible. Only one player considering that 2014 has actually produced a greater PFF grade at 0-technique than McNeil's 90.5 this period. Kinnard preserved his status as one of the leading takes on in the run game this year, raising his run-block grade from 89.1 in 2019 to 92.3 this period.

Who hasn't won a Superbowl?

There are now 12 NFL franchises that have not won a Super Bowl after the Eagles earned their first title in 2018. The Bengals, Bills, Browns, Cardinals, Chargers, Falcons, Jaguars, Lions, Panthers, Texans, Titans and Vikings have not won a Super Bowl in their history.

The Crimson Tide and Battling Irish will certainly meet for the 8th time in the background of the collection that dates back to 1973. Alabama trails, 2-5, in the previous pairings but came away with a victory in the most recent matchup between both teams at the 2013 BCS National Championship in Miami, Fla . Discover resources and possibilities to get included as well as play football. There's no Michigan-Ohio State to highlight the normal period's final complete weekend, yet high risks and negative blood aren't difficult to locate. Sun Belt commissioner Keith Gill is being a lot more proactive regarding making cases for his teams, with Coastal Carolina and Louisiana both ranked. A previous college quarterback, Coen concerns the Wildcats after 3 season with the Los Angeles Rams.

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jennymanrique · 5 years ago

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Census 2020: Coronavirus increases the risk of Latinos not being counted

Coronavirus is contributing to the undercount of communities that have been historically marginalized in Texas. What are community-based organizations doing to promote the Census?

The Coronavirus pandemic has left community organizers without one of its most valued tools for promoting the Census among Latinos: the door to door campaign.

That is why they have been developing strategies, beyond the digital ones, so that minorities will take the Census 2020 questionnaire, a vital step in receiving resources from the state of Texas in the next 10 years.

“We’ve installed loudspeakers on our cars and large plastic signboards to go through the neighborhoods and tell people to take the Census”, said Juanita Valdez, executive director of La Union del Pueblo Entero (LUPE) during a press conference via Zoom, organized by Ethnic Media Services on the state of the Census in Texas.

LUPE is an organization headquartered in the Rio Grande Valley that works in four counties on the border with Mexico where 2,000 immigrant families live. The majority are field workers, considered essential in this pandemic. “We have lived with the consequences of the underestimation of this demographic group since the last census (2010) … if it continues to be undercounted, our resources will continue to be reduced, the schools will continue without funding and the roads will continue to be deteriorated,” said Valdez.

This area also has the highest number of neighborhoods with unincorporated communities, that is, those that occupy land where there is no local town government. Many of these neighborhoods lack a public street lighting system, its own sewage system infrastructure and access to Internet. “We use Facebook, WhatsApp and Messenger but only among the organizers, who, at the same time, are training the neighborhood leaders to count at least 10 families in their neighborhoods,” added Valdez.

The original strategy of filling out Census questionnaires after religious services or after bazaars or concerts, has been replaced by an intense campaign in ethnic media, telephone marathons, text messages, virtual trips through communities, and even contests.

“We held a contest with two schools in the El Paso Independent School District, with a $1,000 prize for the school that filled out the most questionnaires and we got 130,” said Paulina Lopez of the El Paso YWCA.

That strategy aims to overcome barriers of distrust about the Census that the Latino communities have when it comes to giving information to the government. “There still is fear in the populations that are in the shadows due to the pandemic, but they were also there before the pandemic,” added Sylvia Acosta, executive director of that organization. “A fact that we always highlight is that a child who is born now and is not taken into account by the Census, will not receive resources during its first 10 years,” she added.

In southern Texas, where more than 60% of the population does not have access to Internet, organizations like Laredo AHEC (Area Health Education Center) distribute flyers about the Census in places like food banks and school districts that continue providing lunch to the children.

“We are reaching 35 counties in the area by means of all the available platforms,” said Julie Bazan, executive director of that organization. “Some churches have allowed us to include messages on their congregation Facebook pages… and we’ve encouraged college students who are at home to create video “selfies” promoting the importance of the count.”

The Census Bureau has delayed its online, telephone, or mail-in self-response phase, from July 31 to October 31, and foresees Census workers being able to return to the neighborhoods in August, depending on the evolution of COVID-19.

Redistricting

According to a study by the George Washington Institute of Public Policy, Texas receives a little more than $400 billion in federal funds per year, thanks to the numbers obtained in the 2010 census. This money finances a total of 16 federal programs: from Medicaid to CHIP, to educational scholarships and foster care programs and housing. In addition, it defines the number of congressional seats, electoral votes and information for redistricting.

“The more people we count on the ground, the higher the probability that there will be a representative for that region elected by that community who will sit down to speak about its issues,” said Nina Perales, vice-president of litigations for the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund (MALDEF), when explaining what is at stake in terms of redrawing the states’ political maps with the information from Census 2020.

Redistricting is done every 10 years to define the seats in the House of Representatives or the state board of education, to give a local example. But the deadlines for the final data versus the dates of the Texas legislative session are more complicated during the pandemic.

“There’s always a very short time period for adopting a redistricting plan (the data arrive in December and the legislature starts in January), the courts have found that this contributes to the discrimination against Latino voters,” said Perales. “If the Census convinces Congress to extend these deadlines due to the pandemic, it will be even more chaotic… we might press for a summer session.”

The discriminatory result is also based on the lower response rates to the Census, which are always lower in populations of color. According to data shared by Lila Valencia, senior demographer of the Texas Demographic Center in Houston, since 2010 Hispanics have accounted for 53% of the total population growth. Of all the Texas residents under age 18, only 30% of that population are non-Hispanic white. But that presence in numbers does not necessarily mean greater political representation.

“Latinos have the highest unemployment rates, the largest income gap when compared to their white counterparts, the greatest poverty and the greatest lack of social security,” said Valencia.

So far, 54.3% of Texas households have completed the Census online – an encouraging number in terms of self–response – but the communities that are traditionally difficult to count are underrepresented in that statistic. According to Katie Martin Lightfoot, Census Community Engagement Coordinator for the Center for Public Policy Priorities in Austin, in the diverse districts in south and west Texas, where 25% of Texans live, undercounting is rampant.

“If in the state of Texas we fail to count just 1% of the population, we will lose $300 million per year in the next decade,” said Lightfoot. Even during the time of Coronavirus, employment assistance programs, services for the disabled and stimulus checks driven by the federal government reach working families based on Census data. “It’s very important to make sure everyone counts”, she concluded.

Originally published here

Want to read this article in Spanish? Click here

#English #Coronavirus #Census2020 #Latinos #covid-19 #Texas #redistricting #hispanics

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nsula · 5 years ago

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The Best Sounding Band in the Land: Spirit of Northwestern is Louisiana’s largest band

NATCHITOCHES – There was an unexpected highlight of Northwestern State University’s gridiron matchup versus Top 10-ranked Louisiana State University that occurred during the fourth quarter -- off the football field.

As the clock wound down and the LSU Tigers widened the score, NSU’s Spirit of Northwestern Demon Marching Band cranked up what remained of the dwindling crowd by playing “Neck,” a stadium favorite blasted across Death Valley by the visiting band’s powerful brass section.

That grabbed the attention of the remaining Tiger fans. Video went viral. This following a memorable halftime show in which the Spirt of Northwestern combined with the Golden Band from Tigerland for a joint performance of “You Are My Sunshine,” Louisiana’s state song.

With that, the Spirit of Northwestern gained a whole new fan base.

To Demon fans, no surprise. It’s what they are used to, those who have been in Turpin Stadium on a Saturday for consistently outstanding SON performances, from pre-game to half-time to the swaying post-game a capella alma mater serenade with the football team. They’ve played some memorable shows, paying tribute to America, the Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Broadway, 80s music, soul, James Bond…. The list goes on.

As Northwestern State’s largest and loudest spirit group, the Spirit of Northwestern is as steeped in tradition as any college coterie or Greek organization and this year boasts its largest numbers in history. The 2019 SON has 340 members, which includes three veteran drum majors, 226 wind musicians, 27 percussionists on the field and 13 in the front ensemble, 55 performers in Demon Heat Color Guard and 16 Demon Dazzlers.

As such, it is the largest band in Louisiana and its members and directors enjoyed the televised stage on which it performed in Baton Rouge.

“Our students were talking for days after the event about the experience of playing for such a large crowd in Tiger Stadium,” said Director of Bands Dr. Jeff Mathews. “Many of them are from the area and their parents were able to get tickets and see their student perform in their own backyard.”

Mathews is only a little bit hesitant to toot the band’s horn.

“There was lots of buzz on social media and the band staff received many texts of congratulations,” he said. “People don’t expect a school our size to have as big a band as we do. Anytime we take the band to an FBS school there are a lot of surprised people.”

With the Demons playing away the weekend following the LSU game, Mathews was headed out on a recruiting trip through the Baton Rouge area. Earlier in September, he and his staff hosted Young Performers Day, a recruiting initiative that drew about 265 middle and high school students who joined the band on the field for the On the Road Again show. The staff is also preparing for another big annual event, the Classic on the Cane marching contest, set for Nov. 2. Last year, more than 2,500 high school students representing about 30 bands from Louisiana and Texas participated.

The Spirit of Northwestern begins preseason practice 10 days before the first day of class when they rehearse from 7 a.m.-8:30 p.m. in the sweltering August heat. During the school year, they rehearse six hours per week with the full band. Color Guard and drum line rehearse 10 hours per week. Directors put in about 100 hours of preparation prior to the band having their first rehearsal, fine tuning drill design, show concept, music preparation, music arranging and logistics. It takes about three weeks of rehearsal to have a show in shape for performance. The On the Road Again show was conceived last fall.

“Generally, we try to begin the design concepts right after the last football game each year,” Mathews said. “The concept of the show is usually done in March with the drill design and music arranging being completed during the summer. Professor or Music Theory, Dr. Adam Hudlow is our music arranger.”

“It’s a labor of love!” said Mathews, who performed with the band as an undergraduate from 1985-1990 and returned as an assistant director in 1998. He has been director of bands since 2013.

“The thing I think is most special about the SON is the camaraderie and collegiality in the group,” Mathews said. “Any large organization can experience factionalism and cliquishness. This group just has never had that problem. They are extremely supportive of their bandmates, the School of Creative and Performing Arts and the University.”

What does Mathews consider a trademark of the SON?

“BIG SOUND!!! Our number one priority is making sure we sound great and that people are impressed with both the quality and quantity of that sound.”

Hunter Horton, PA announcer for NSU Athletics, had the honor of introducing the Spirit of Northwestern for the game in Tiger Stadium.

“The SON family that has embraced me as a member with far less talent than any of their performers, is one of my proudest accomplishments,” Horton said. “They deliver flawless performances each and every time they march onto the field and my role is very simple. As Dr. Mathews told me before the LSU game, ‘Go up there and tell them who we are. We are the 342-member strong Spirit of Northwestern and let them know we’re here.’”

Mathews said it would not be possible to develop a band the size of the Spirit of Northwestern without the support of NSU President Dr. Chris Maggio and a dedicated group of band instructors.

“Dr. Maggio and his team as well as leaders across campus make a meaningful contribution to the success of the SON,” Mathews said. “We also have an incredible team of teacher leaders involved with the band. Dan McDonald, SON director; Oliver Molina, percussion; Jena Elfer and Estelle Murr with the Color Guard, Renee Oates with the Dazzlers, Adam Hudlow, our music arranger, and I myself as director of bands and drill designer, have really found a synergy in preparing the band for performance. It takes this team many hours of preparation and perspiration for us to have the kind of performances we have had in the last few years. I am truly proud to say that the SON has never been better than it is right now. In the SON you see an outstanding combination of quality and quantity.”

Membership in the Spirit of Northwestern is open to all students, regardless of major and about 60 percent of its members will pursue careers not related to music. The band performs at parades and university functions throughout the year.

“We love doing what we do,” Mathews said. Following the On the Road Again show, the band’s upcoming performances will feature Marvel movie music.

“We were incredibly proud of our students after the [LSU] performance,” Mathews said. “Their work ethic and commitment to excellence is second to none. My number one takeaway was that we must have the best band students in all of college football.”

Information on the Spirit of Northwestern is available at https://capa.nsula.edu/music/spirit-of-northwestern.

SON in Tiger Stadium:

The Spirit of Northwestern entertained the crowd during the Northwestern State’s Sept. 14 appearance at Louisiana State University’s Tiger Stadium.

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miracleofdespair · 7 years ago

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A Few Words✈︎Aidan✈︎Re: campaign stuff with no discernible temporal connection to the scissors thing

While quite a few of his classmates seemed to be plastering posters around the place, Aidan hadn't felt that necessary. Surely everyone already knew he was the best candidate, right? Apparently the other ones running didn't, though, and if that many didn't, then any number more may have been just as misguided.

So at an appropriate time, he addressed the crowd.

"Surely I'm being considered as a candidate as well, yes? I'm afraid I don't have experience 'running' for things, as it were, so I do not have tastefully penned posters! I do not have a prepared resume with every formal leadership position I've taken! I've never been a 'class president' or anything of that sort! Frankly, those are more popularity contests than anything else where I'm from, anyway."

"That's not to say such positions are meaningless!! Of course they aren't! I congratulate all of you on your achievements and the leadership you have demonstrated where you have been able!"

"...But it feels as though this campaigning is all but overlooking the gravity of the situation. You may be an excellent leaders at your schools, and I don't doubt your ability! But this is not a school field trip."

"We have been kidnapped. We have been told to kill each other. And while I believe we, wonderful and talented as we are, are perfectly capable of maintaining the peace together, we must be willing to acknowledge the possibility of someone cracking under the pressure and attempting what ought not to be done! It will take more than good interpersonal skills and good leadership to handle such situations, whether they spiral out of control as per our captor's wishes or not!"

His gaze wandered through the crowd, focusing on those who had put themselves up for the candidacy.

"Have you held the lives and deaths of others in your hands? Are you prepared to?"

He paused, but not for long.

"What I excel at, my very talent—the superb talent that Hope's Peak has seen in me and chosen to acknowledge when so many other talented students were available to choose around the world—is watching over and directing people so that I can prevent death, injury, and all kinds of other misfortune. I think it's very clear who among us is best qualified for this!"

"I will take care of you, no matter what happens. All I ask is that you willingly allow me to."

Unfortunately the only mic present is attached to his headset so he won't be dropping it, but he's done now.

#miracle of despair #aidan #submission

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architectnews · 4 years ago

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Museum of Design Oslo Competition by Switch

Museum of Design Oslo Competition by Switch, Norwegian Architecture Contest 2020

Museum of Design Oslo Competition

29 Sep 2020

Museum of Design Oslo Contest Winners

Winners for the Museum of Design Oslo Competition

Switch state, “We are proud to tell you that this competition generated 120 registrations and an enthralling and spellbinding set of proposals.”

MOD RESULTS

1st winner – Enrique S Gallardo, Vasiliki Christakou (Spain)

2nd winner – Marcin WIECZOREK, Isabelle MENU, Luc SAISON (France)

3rd winner – kritika saini (India)

Text by 1st prize winner – Enrique S Gallardo, Vasiliki Christakou, Spain:

TALLERKEN

Seeking to accentuate the most beautiful elements of the surrounding landscape: the forests and the water, while achieving minimum intrusion and maximum accordance with the topography and the magic of the place, a unique space is generated. A deep watery plate translucent and reflective is gently placed on the natural upper plateau of the topography, capturing and bringing in the changing landscape to feel embraced.

The magnitude of the plate consists of a horizontal bold element that, instead of imposing itself on the site, captures its liquid and green atmosphere and generates an aqueous haven of silence and serenity, sheltered from the city, yet open to the world. All spaces are designed as a refuge inside the landscape, a hidden world to be discovered, surrounded by lush vegetation and a liquid atmosphere of lights, colours, and reflections.

Two key programmatic strategies to activate the city are used, offering a destination to go and go again: a) the Dome: the immensity of this space allows to accommodate every kind of design exhibition and future museum typology, b) the Hub: flexible spaces of encounter and creativity that promote dialogue and sociability.

Key words: flexible, encounter, aqueous, haven, reflection

Text by 2nd prize winner – Marcin WIECZOREK, Isabelle MENU, Luc SAISON, France

FJORDISM / Fjord Design Museum of Oslo Discovering design through the journey of soil, culture and nature.

Simplicity

Topography

Biomimicry

Wandering

Openness

A landmark visible from afar, the museum is settled in an iconic piece that follows the contours of the topography, opening out towards the fjord; approaching, the visitor discovers a more intimate scale, close to the archetypal Norwegian habitat.

Free access to the park and large bay windows give a view of the interior of the building and play the attractive and stimulating role of a destination and meeting place for all audiences.

The diversity of interior volumes, modular and scalable, opens the museum to all exhibition opportunities, all sizes of objects, all types of events (training, conference, workshop, etc.).

Crossing volumes that are very open to the landscape or on the contrary in a black box, the inside pathway offers the conditions for a sensory experience highlighting the sound, olfactory or light design.

The program is enriched with furnished accommodation allowing an intimate experience of design during a stay.

Text by 3rd prize winner – kritika saini, India

Möbiuseum

The metallisk hvit Möbius, meaning “metallic white” in Norwegian, resonates with the glowing white snow on top of the mountains and lake. Our proposal is conceived as a continuous never ending infinite Möbius loop, representing the concept of time where the visitor gets a feeling of “floating” in space. Together, the museum structure, urban forest and connecting waterfront plazas form an ensemble, a new landmark and let you immerse into the futuristic world of Bygdøy island.

Keywords

Minimal Parametric design Futuristic Möbius loop floating façade

HONORABLES

MOD161V- Arthur Rundstadler, Manon Darde, Thomas Lagourgue (France)

MOD303H- Yehiel Tsubery (Israel)

MOD335K- Camila Eum, Sophia Viño (Brazil)

MOD615W- Ugo Ribeiro, Manon Tardieu (Norway)

MOD640Y- Huster Huster (Germany)

MOD2037- Bang Dang, Rizi Faruqui (United States)

MOD4159- Marcioa MORAES VALENÇA, Nilberto Gomes de Sousa, Lorena Petrovich Pereira de Carvalho (Brazil)

MOD8561- Ratik Verma, Shardul Awasthi (India)

MOD845H- Alex Pirks, Steven Pirks (United States)

MOD961B- Nathan Waisath (United States)

TOP 25

M0D594B- Marcin WIECZOREK, Isabelle MENU, Luc SAISON (France) MOD021W- Enrique S Gallardo, Vasiliki Christakou (Spain) MOD033F- Miriam Confetto (Italy) MOD094K- Connie Yan (Australia) MOD161V- Arthur Rundstadler, Manon Darde, Thomas Lagourgue (France) MOD183P- Youmn Abdelsalam, Rokaya Abdelrehim, Mostafa Zohdy (Egypt) MOD303H- Yehiel Tsubery (Israel) MOD335K- Camila Eum, Sophia Viño (Brazil) MOD420K- Matteo Sambugaro, Giacomo Bregolato (Italy) MOD510J- Ryuta Inaba (Japan) MOD615W- Ugo Ribeiro, Manon Tardieu (Norway) MOD640Y- Huster Huster (Germany) MOD845H- Alex Pirks, Steven Pirks (United States) MOD961B- Nathan Waisath (United States) MOD1268- Abhay Singh, Disha Garg, Tanya Sahdev (India) MOD2037- Bang Dang, Rizi Faruqui (United States) MOD4159- Marcioa MORAES VALENÇA, Nilberto Gomes de Sousa, Lorena Petrovich Pereira de Carvalho (Brazil) MOD4341- Vishakha Tiwari, Anubha Agrawal, Mohit Godha (India) MOD4380- Rachita Ranjit, Taisuke Wakabayashi (India) MOD6199- kritika saini (India) MOD7307- Ariz Qureshi, Osama Khan, Sunny Chopda (India) MOD7504- Aleksandra Bator, Kornelia Mikulska, Zuzanna Matuszna (Poland) MOD8273- Adithya David Premraj (India) MOD8561- Ratik Verma, Shardul Awasthi (India) MOD9533- Devika S Rajesh, Jasir Jamal, Ramzy Hussain T K (India)

2 June 2020

Museum of Design Oslo Contest by Switch

“Evolution of mankind is a result of his ability to design.”

The field of Design is defined by the areas where design process can be applied: architecture, urban space, clothing, furniture, consumer products, printed materials, digital interfaces, social structures, websites etc. But design encompasses much more than form and function. Design is not a being, but an event, it is not a thing but an impact.

Design is born out of our desire to elevate our experiences, both practically and emotionally. Design encourages us to explore and experiment, and thus transcend into an improved world. Human ability to use design as an expressive system and a process to develop solutions is evident all the way from primitive times. Despite its diversity w.r.t to different areas of intervention, design is omnipresent and invisible.

Whether we’re aware of it or not, design surrounds us, and can be found in the tiniest of places and forms. It’s three-pronged impact: experiential, aesthetic and social has created various styles and movements throughout history which has had a profound impact on the growth of men and society in general.

The aim of this competition is to create an iconic ‘Museum of Design’ in Oslo that would celebrate the domain of design and become a fitting tribute to the field as a whole. Design has been largely neglected as a museological domain worldwide, apart from some certain sections in major art museums dedicated to individual designers. Entering into a new decade, the ‘Museum of Design’ must generate awareness and reflect upon the journey of design through time. The Museum of Design must become an archive and a hub for development of future design movements and innovations.

Museum of Design should encompass all the major design areas under a single envelope and make a powerful statement. The Museum of Design should narrate the process and effort behind design in a powerful manner so that people can observe and appreciate its profound impact. The museum should create a timeline w.r.t specific design fields where people can experience its impact on society. The spatial and architectural manifestation of the journey/story should be an immersive experience for people so that they can absorb the information easily.

Design Museum must be a place where people who love design can meet. It should become an architectural icon for the city of Oslo where people can converge and talk about design. The museum should also insert learning centers and convention areas for biennale etc. apart from its usual archival programs so that it can give back to the people of the city

PRIZES

Prizes worth EUR 2500 are up for claim with the distribution as follows:

FIRST PRIZE: EUR 1200

SECOND PRIZE: EUR 800

THIRD PRIZE: EUR 500

Apart from the winners, the jury will select ’10 Editors’ Choices’ who will be featured on our website and several other international magazines and websites across the world. The winners and Editors’ Choices will be provided with an honorary certificate.

REGISTRATION &TIMELINE

The competition is open to everyone in the world (architects, students, engineers etc.). You can participate individually or in a team. A team can have a maximum of three members only.

Early registration: – 1st June 2020- 31st July 2020

For foreign nationals: 60 EUR + taxes (PER TEAM)

For Indian nationals: 1800 INR + taxes (PER TEAM)

Standard registration: – 1st August 2020- 30th August 2020

For foreign nationals: 80 EUR + taxes (PER TEAM)

For Indian nationals: 2100 INR + taxes (PER TEAM)

Submission deadline: 31st August 2020

Result: 25th September 2020

*All deadlines are 11:59 PM- 00:00 IST (India)

Participants may register by filling the registration form and submitting it with appropriate payment through our secure payment gateways at https://ift.tt/2jlIMgs

The participants will receive their teamcode within 48 hours of completing the payment successfully.

Teamcode will be sent primarily to the email address provided to PAYUMONEY/PAYPAL.

DISCOUNT

Group discounts apply for a minimum of 5 teams from one particular architecture school/university as our initiative to promote more participation from students. Send us the following details at [email protected] to avail the offer.

Names of all the participating team members and their respective team leaders.

Name of the university.

School ID proofs of the team leaders.

Note:

It will not be possible to amend or update any information relating to your registration including the names of team members once validated.

REGULATIONS

Switch reserves the right to modify the competition schedule if deemed necessary.

Participant teams will be disqualified if any of the competition rules or submission requirements are not considered. Participation assumes acceptance of the regulations.

Team code is the only means of identification of a team as it is an anonymous competition.

The official language of the competition is English.

The registration fee is non-refundable.

Contacting the Jury is prohibited.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Please see the terms and conditions section on https://ift.tt/2jlIMgs

DISCLAIMER

This is an open international competition hosted by Switch to generate progressive design ideas. There are no plans for any proposal to be built. The competition is organized for education purpose only.

OTHER DETAILS

Website: https://ift.tt/2jlIMgs

Facebook: https://ift.tt/2FuLOb7

Instagram: https://ift.tt/2QJWjiU

Museum of Design Oslo Competition by Switch information / images received 020620

Location: Oslo, Norway

Norwegian Architecture

Contemporary Norwegian Buildings

Norwegian Building Designs – chronological list

Architecture Tours in Oslo by e-architect

Norwegian Architecture

Holmen Industrial Area, Vesterålen, Nordland county, Northern Norway Architects: Snøhetta photograph © Stephen Citrone Holmen Industrial Area in North Norway

Hadar’s House in Stokkøya, Trøndelag County Design: Frida Öster, Asante Architecture & Design photograph : Marius Rua Stokkøya House

Snøhetta architects Oslo

Deg 42 Building, Barcode, Oslo, Norway Design: A_Lab photo : Ivan Brodey Deg 42 Building

Switch Competition

Latest Switch competition on e-architect

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Winter Pavilion London Architecture Competition

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UnSchool Copenhagen Architecture Competition Winners News

UnSchool Copenhagen Design Competition by switch

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RETHINK: 2025 Design Competition

Call For Submissions: Sustainable Revolution

WAF / PechaKucha ‘Isolation Transformed’ Design Competition

Isolation Transformed Design Competition

Kaizhou New City International Young Designer Competition, Sichuan, China

Kaizhou New City International Young Designer Competition

Comments / photos for the Museum of Design Oslo Competition by Switch page welcome

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junker-town · 5 years ago

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How Covid-19 is affecting March Madness

Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

College basketball’s response to coronavirus is just beginning.

As fear over Covid-19, the illness caused by the novel coronavirus, grows across the world, the universities and local governments preparing to host college basketball games for March Madness are taking their own precautions. Conference tournament season is already in full swing in gyms across the country, while the NCAA tournament kicks off March 17-18 in Dayton, Ohio.

This is what we know so far about how college basketball is responding to Covid-19.

The Ivy League has canceled its conference tournament

The Ivy League has decided to cancel the League's upcoming Basketball Tournaments and implement highly-restrictive, in-venue spectator limitations for all other upcoming campus athletics events. » https://t.co/Y4nEjbsh0N pic.twitter.com/8zsrweXVXo

— The Ivy League (@IvyLeague) March 10, 2020

The Ivy League has decided to send its regular season championship, Yale, to the NCAA tournament rather than play a conference tournament. This is the way the Ivy League used to always determine its champion, with the regular season winner going to the NCAAs until the league adopted a conference tournament format in 2017.

Harvard, which was set to host the tournament, was going to be the No. 2 seed in the field even after beating Yale twice during the regular season. The Crimson also won the Ivy League regular season the last two years but failed to make the NCAA tournament after losing in the conference tournament.

The ACC tournament will go on as scheduled

The ACC Tournament will go on as scheduled, per a release from the ACC. pic.twitter.com/GMeAQzIZ1q

— Bennett Conlin (@BennettConlin) March 10, 2020

The 2020 ACC tournament will go on as planned in Greensboro, with fans in the stands and games happening on the court. The only thing changing for the ACC tournament will be media availability, which will take place in a different building or in designated other areas.

Stony Brook suspends ticket sales for the America East tournament

TO ALL FANS: Ticket sales to tonight's contest have been suspended. If you already bought one, your admission will be honored. If you have not, you can view the game on ESPN+.@stonybrooku students: your admission is still free with a valid student ID. pic.twitter.com/yVu5SrroL4

— Stony Brook MBB (@StonyBrookMBB) March 10, 2020

As Stony Brook faces Hartford in the America East tournament, the school as suspended ticket sales for fans who have not already purchased them. Previously purchased ticket will be honored. The school has already released information on a precautionary quarantine initiative.

Ohio governor recommends no fans at March Madness games

Just in: Ohio Governor Mike DeWine has recommended there be NO spectators allowed for indoor sports activities, including high school, college and professional teams

— Matt Wright Fox 8 (@mattwrighttv) March 10, 2020

The First Four is hosted in Dayton, Ohio every year. Cleveland is also hosting a regional this year. Will fans be allowed at games?

We’ll keep you updated.

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mdhsnews · 7 years ago

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MD wins Big at the Halton Spoken Word Competition 2017

By I. Qaiser

Pictured left to right: Poets Iman, Kyera, Michael, Cady, and Jessika display their winnings at the Halton Spoken Word Championship

Remember that spoken word workshop MD had a few weeks ago? The one with Dwayne Morgan? Oh yeah. MD’s fling with spoken word poetry didn’t end there.

At the end of the session, our English teachers and Mr. Morgan announced that there would be a Halton Spoken Word competition upcoming in December, and invited students who wanted to participate to sign up for meetings and auditions. After the workshop that involved over 50 people, 15 signed up to audition for the MD team.

Students met every Friday after the workshop to write and brainstorm with their fellow poets, all vying for a chance at victory by passing the auditions and competing in the school board’s secondary competition.

The field of 15 narrowed to eight who auditioned on December 1st. Four were selected, as well as an extra student to serve as an alternate. Chosen by the other competing students present at the audition, purely out of talent, the competitors were truly worthy of performing in MD’s name. However, due to extenuating circumstances one of the team members was unable to compete and the alternate competed in her place.

The night of the competition arrived. The team members made their way to The Milton Staff Learning Centre December 7th. A few of the senior members were concerned about the fact that MD’s Senior Semi was the same night, and therefore requested to perform first; however, the contest only lasted an hour and a half, so the seniors stuck through to see who would be the winner of the contest.

Pictured left to right: Cady and Jessika display a strong team performance together.

The contest worked like this: There were four rounds. Each school took a turn and sent up one performance per round. After a poet completed their piece, three judges each gave it a mark out of 10.0, for a complete score out of 30. Once all the schools had sent up all four of their acts, the points for each school’s performer were totaled to give a score out of 120. The school with the highest total wins.

For the first round, MD set off the competition with its headstrong duo performance, Jessika Johnson and Cady Bishop, both seniors, who performed a bold piece #MeToo on body standards and harassment against women.

The second round took a softer but nonetheless significant approach, as Michael Abes, a sophomore, performed his insightful poem on self-love.

The third round gave Iman Umair-Qaiser, a freshman who also performed with P. L. Robertson last year at the school board’s elementary competition, with a menacing piece on the struggles between Islam and North American culture, titled “Piety and Society”.

For the fourth and final round, MD ended strong with Kyera Bedard, a freshman who also performed with Anne J. MacArthur at the elementary competition and placed first out of the six schools; Kyera performed a powerful piece on the struggles of growing up as a mixed-race person in a single parent household.

Pictured above: Kyera passionately recites her poem

After an invigorating fourth and final round, breaths were held and time stopped as the final scores were announced. At 109.3 points out of 120, the MD team members received medals and trophies to commemorate their victory, and there were countless photos and handshakes given to the winning team members, as well as the other teams.

As a person who hates talking to and in front of people, taking pictures, and sharing poetry out loud, I can honestly say it was one of the best nights of my life.

Congratulations to our Spoken Word team- Jessika, Cady, Michael, Iman, and Kyera- and to all who came out to audition as well. Last but most certainly not least, we would like to thank our wonderful teachers, Ms. Gleeson and Mrs. Compton-Morgan, and our guest spoken word poet, Dwayne Morgan, for giving us students a chance for our voices to be heard.

Pictured above, from left to right: Michael stands with special guest star Dwayne Morgan after the contest

Here’s to all the words we’ve said, to all the words we want to say, and all the words we are yet to say.

#featured #talent #writing

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bryanllamado · 7 years ago

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PAFTE

PAFTE or Philippine Association for Teachers and Educators held a seminar and a quiz bee last 22nd of September at Sta. Rosa Coliseum Complex. Since it’s a collegiate activity outside of the campus, all 3rd year and 4th year students were required to join the activity. The event landed on a Friday which is also the 3rdday of the institutional prelim exam week. Since we are all excused from school related activities, I missed 3 things: 1. Field Study duty (haven’t tallied a single hour so far); 2. Music class with Sir Frank; and 3. BAP class, which is also called off because it’s still exam week.

22nd of September – Friday

Since it’s an activity outside the premises of the school, we had buses as our means of transportation–parang field trip lang. The sad thing is that among all blocks from our college, ours were the one divided and distributed to different bus numbers. Wait, what? Yes, all other blocks were dispersed as a whole to different buses and our block, BSE31, was divided to fill in the vacant seats in each bus. The worse thing is that some of our friends were separated from us and that they were seated with our other classmates who are not in our circle of friends.

Lucky for me, I was placed together with my set of friends and that we are the most numerous BSE31 students among the divided groups. The uneven (and unfair) distribution of our block prompted violent reactions from some of my friends. *laughs* But on a serious note, why is our block the one divided? I mean, there are other blocks out there and we don’t deserve the treatment. Kidding aside, we had no chance of invalidating the decision unless we get our own bus. The day of the seminar came and we all arrived at the venue right on time.

A week before the seminar, my friends decided to stay overnight at Alpha’s place in Biñan which is proximate to the venue. The plan was abrupt so I had a short time to decide if I will join or not. Apparently, majority of our friends weren’t able to join as well. Also, a plethora of deadlines were slated the following week and I would like to take the weekend as a time finish requirements. I also have to accomplish a drop off letter signed by my parents if I will join the overnight. Due to some circumstances, I wasn’t able to make it.

Back to the ball game, we arrived at the venue and we were greeted by participants and attendees from different universities and colleges within the province. It’s startling to see different Practice Teaching uniforms and the thought that everyone in the venue will be an educator in the future gave me chills. The inside part of the complex is like a smaller version of Araneta Coliseum. We were seated at the bleachers while our professors were seated in the ‘VIP Section.’ The program started with a variety show featuring selected students from different schools. Yes, there were a lot of singing and twerking. *sighs*

We bumped into Ma’am Bethel–our professor in two major subjects last semester. She’s representing another school though but she showed genuine support to our candidates particularly during the quiz bee. The seminar occupied the morning gap but I wasn’t able to listen well to the speaker. The sound system is not in good condition and since were in the rafters, the speaker’s words barely reached our ears. We did our best not to bore ourselves to we went aboard with the mandatory photoshoot and bought some foods outside the complex. Then came lunch time; we had take outs from Jollibee.

The afternoon part saw the light for more song numbers from participants and the major part of the event–the quiz bee. Rica (our block’s consistent dean’s lister), one of our friends, is a quizzer. There are around 60 participating schools composed of 3 quizzers per team. Of course, we had a good time cheering for our participants. MJ, Cyra and I decided to leave the bleachers to watch the quiz bee. The questions were flashed on the screen so we also decided to answer on our own. It’s humbling that I can still remember and classify as to which ProfEd (Profession Education) subject the questions are from.

Luckily, our school made it to the 2nd place but the thing is, both 1st and 2ndplaces had a triple tie after the 30 questions. Only the top 4 schools will qualify for the title so automatically, only 1 from the three 2nd placers will make it to the 4th place. Unfortunately, another school got the 4th place win. Nonetheless, it’s still a great fright and a humbling experience for our contestants. I can still recall my blockmates cheering from the bleachers after every correct answer. I was also able to unlock some knowledge regarding my previous subjects including Facilitating Learning, Educational Technology and Social Dimensions of Education.

We might not have brought home the bacon but the whole college is proud of our quizzers. We had 23 correct answers out of the 30 questions. It’s also hilarious to see other schools with choreographed claps and practiced cheers. It’s overwhelming to see that a good number of our population will invest in education and will travel the path of learning. This event made me realize how sincere my desire is to be a teacher in the near future. I wish more students will be interested in taking this path soon after the 1st batch of K to 12 finishers formally enter the collegiate level.

If there is one realization that I reaped after this event, it’s that teaching is not easy. It is an art but it comes with systematic procedures, guidelines and processes. Some people perceive Education as an ‘easy course’ because they don’t know how the whole program works. Teaching is not just merely standing in front of the classroom, facing your students and accomplishing your lesson plan. Those who say that Educ is an easy course are not aware that without teachers and educators, all other professions will be next to impossible. We don’t just teach minds, we also touch hearts and transform lives.

Bry. x 100817

#pafte #uncat #uncategorized #article #blogging #blogger #journal #life #personal #writing #writer #blog

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rickhorrow · 6 years ago

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10 To Watch : Mayors Edition 6319

RICK HORROW’S TOP 10 SPORTS/BIZ/TECH/PHILANTHROPY ISSUES FOR THE WEEK OF JUNE 3 : Mayor’s Edition

with Jacob Aere

Chipotle integrates Twitter and text for free burritos during the NBA Finals. According to Mobile Marketer, Chipotle is giving away up to $1 million in free burritos as part of a mobile promotion running around the NBA Championship. The catch is that every time any announcer – including sideline reporters – says "free" on-air during the first half of official league game coverage, the restaurant chain will offer up to 500 burritos. For the second half of games, mentions of "free" will result in 1,000 burritos up for grabs. The key to success is staying on Chipotle’s Twitter channel where the company will put out unique codes to be texted for code redemption. The giveaway is capped to the first 20 on-air mentions of "free" per game, meaning that there is potential for 20,000 burrito giveaways per game! The "Freeting" campaign also waives delivery fees for orders of $10 or more placed through Chipotle's app, website, and DoorDash. Although Chipotle is not an official NBA sponsor, the guerilla campaign is drawing hundreds of thousands of hungry basketball fans through the power of social media and “second screen viewing.”

Stanley Cup Finals seeing strong viewership. According to NBC Sports, the Boston Bruins and St. Louis Blues Game 1 matchup was the most-watched Stanley Cup game in four years. The matchup on NBC saw the network reel in an average Total Audience Delivery of 5.380 million viewers. It was third-most watched Game 1 since NBC began broadcasting the Stanley Cup Final in 2006 and even beat out the ever-popular “The Bachelorette.” Comparatively, Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals was up 2% compared to last year and a whopping 9% compared to 2017. On NBC alone, the game delivered a 2.87 HH rating and 5.264 million TV-only viewers. The title-hungry city of St. Louis led all markets with a 29.0 local rating, NBC Sports’ highest NHL rating on record in the market, while Boston scored a 25.2 rating. The series should draw consistently high numbers considering the Cinderella story Blues are taking on the behemoth Bruins, who posted 49 regular season wins and are the favorite for most bettors to take the Cup.

USGA increases purses for both men and women at respective U.S. Opens. According to Golf Channel, last year’s men’s winner Brooks Koepka took home $2.16 million from a $12 million purse at Shinnecock Hills. This year at Pebble Beach, the winner will look to bring home roughly $2.25 million. Meanwhile, the total purse was increased to $5.5 million for the U.S. Women's Open at Country Club of Charleston. Last year, Ariya Jutanugarn took home $900,000 for her first place finish while this year’s winner Jeongeun Lee6 will take home a seven figure number for the first time. Out of this year’s $5 million purse for the revamped, season-ending LPGA CME Group Tour Championship, the first place finisher will receive $1 million, or roughly 20% of the purse, compared to the men’s winner, who cashes in a larger number but a smaller share of total prize money at 18%. The LPGA is clearly making strides to put its athletes on a closer pay scale to that of their male counterparts.

VISA invests in women’s soccer on the eve of the FIFA Women’s World Cup. According to Forbes, VISA revealed it would partner with both the Women’s and Men’s U.S. National Teams eight days before the Women’s World Cup begins in France. The terms of the deal ensured “at least 50%” of the investment would fund the U.S. Women’s National Team and women’s soccer programs and surrounding marketing efforts, meaning the deal will provide a much-needed spotlight on the stellar U.S. women's team. The deal will see VISA become the presenting sponsor of the SheBelieves Cup, an annual four-team international invitational tournament in the U.S. Additionally, a new U.S. marketing campaign from VISA will feature World Cup squad members Adrianna Franch, Jessica Mcdonald, Rose Lavelle, Abby Dahlkemper, and Becky Sauerbrunn. USWNT co-captain Megan Rapinoe will join VISA’s roster of athletes and the financial services brand will be the first brand partner of the Player of the Match award at the FIFA Women’s World Cup. After U.S. women’s soccer players sued U.S. Soccer over gender inequality in pay this March, VISA is providing a helping hand for the three-time world champion USWNT.

The Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation unveiled a multisport, synthetic turf Youth Development Park on May 28 in Chicago’s Dunning neighborhood. Read-Dunning Park is lined for youth baseball/softball and soccer play and is now complete with a digital scoreboard, backstop, dugouts, and fencing. Chicago Parks District will manage and maintain the field and work closely with the Ripken Foundation to create programs to engage at-risk young people. The programs will address a variety of youth development needs, including character development, health, physical education, culture, and history. Read-Dunning Park was made in part by a generous $5 million donation to the Ripken Foundation from Group1001 and its CEO Dan Towriss, used to build a total of 10 Youth Development Parks over five years in 10 cities across the country. It is also supported by Chicago Cubs Charities and other local donors. To date, the Ripken Foundation has completed 84 multipurpose synthetic turf facilities in 22 states and Washington D.C. Read-Dunning Park is the second Ripken Foundation Youth Development Park, joining Freedom Field at Marquette Park located near Chicago’s South Side. The facility will be featured on a future episode of our monthly “Power of Sports” program, which explores Detroit in June.

Publisher Meredith Corp. sells Sports Illustrated to Authentic Brands Group for $110 million. Authentic Brands Group is the brand-development company that manages Juicy Couture, Nautica, and elements of the Muhammad Ali and Elvis Presley estates. Meredith took on Sports Illustrated as part of its purchase of Time Inc. in January, 2018 for $1.85 billion plus debt. According to Variety, Authentic Brands now owns the rights to market, develop, and license Sports Illustrated and its kids edition, swimsuit edition, “Sportsperson of the Year,” and the magazine's sports archive. In a wide-ranging discussion, CEO of Authentic Brands Jamie Salter said that he envisioned possibilities ranging from SI medical clinics and sports-skills training classes to a gambling business and better use of the magazine’s vast photo library. The sale moves Meredith close to the end of its effort to sell various Time Inc. assets and allows SI to reinvent itself for the digital age to compete with companies like The Ringer, Bleacher Report, and Barstool Sports.

NBC and Indianapolis 500 see TV viewership gains in their first year. NBC drew a total audience delivery of 5.446 million viewers for Simon Pagenaud's win in the Indianapolis 500, the first time the net had broadcast rights to the race. According to SportsBusiness Journal, last year’s race was a record low on ABC TV which averaged 4.913 million viewers. The 2019 audience peaked at 6.7 million viewers in the final quarter hour of the race, and drew a TV-only number of 5.414 million viewers and marks the most-watched Sunday afternoon sporting event on NBC since the Eagles-Bears NFC Wild Card game on January 6. NBC is in the first year of a multiyear broadcasting contract with Indy and significantly increased advertising efforts for the Indy 500 compared to ABC’s handling of the race in recent years. These are the baby steps for NBC and Indy, which are looking to attract younger audiences in a sport that has seen heavy viewership regression in recent years.

Las Vegas Raiders tickets selling well enough to add $40 million to stadium. Las Vegas Stadium COO Don Webb said that about $40 million more will be put into the stadium as the team has sold many personal seat licenses, stadium suites, club seats, and sponsorships. The additional money will help finance more suites, exterior restrooms, increased plaza security, and press areas and an enhanced stadium communications system. One of the enhanced areas will be a 26,000-square-foot "south end zone club space that would hold around 800 fans,” according to Las Vegas Stadium COO Don Webb. SportsBusiness Journal reports that the Raiders are in the final stages of completing a comprehensive transportation plan that will boost available parking significantly as the team has been acquiring nearby real estate to turn into more parking availability for fans. The Vegas Raiders will play in a $1.8 billion dome that sports a transparent roof, black glass exterior, and retractable doors to frame an 80-foot-tall and 215-foot wide view of the casinos on the strip, making it one of the most visually stunning North American stadiums to date.

“Jeopardy!” champion and pro sports bettor starts donating his wins to charity. With 31 wins in his column so far, “Jeopardy!” champion and pro sports bettor James Holzhauer has started donating his winnings to charity. According to CNN, the 35-year-old professional gambler from Las Vegas recently became the second Jeopardy contestant ever to hit $2 million in winnings. With his total of $2,382,580 earned in 31 days, he's closing in on Ken Jennings' record haul of $2,520,700 won in 74 games. Earlier this month, Holzhauer and his wife gave $10,000 to Project 150, which is a charity that helps homeless students in Las Vegas by distributing school supplies, meals, and clothes. The Holzhauers also donated $10,000 to the Las Vegas Natural History Museum, and the couple’s most recent donation is $10,000 towards an educational charity called Communities in Schools of Nevada, a state branch of a national organization that works to prevent students from dropping out of school. Through all of his “Jeopardy!” success, Holzhauer has become one of Las Vegas' most celebrated citizens, receiving a key to the Las Vegas Strip and having Clark County officials declare May 2 "James Holzhauer Day.”

The second annual AO1 Charity Softball Game raised $500,000 in Philadelphia. Carson Wentz’ charity softball game and its overwhelming fundraising may hint at a new golden age for Philadelphia sports. After the Eagles’ quarterback led his team to a Super Bowl title this past February and Bryce Harper joined the Phillies, sports in Philly are looking up. Although he did not play in the softball game, Wentz was working in his food truck, Thy Kingdom Crumb, to distribute free shrimp po’ boys and pulled pork sandwiches to ticket holders – something it does normally as the charitable food truck has delivered more than 8,000 free meals to those in need. According to Billy Penn, more than 15,000 fans came out to watch football players hit softballs, all in support of Wentz’s AO1 Foundation’s mission of “uplifting individuals and communities around the world by demonstrating God’s love for His people.” Playing at Citizens Bank Park, the quarterback also announced Camp Conquerors, an outdoor ministry program that introduces hunting and fishing to in-need children. Between Carson Wentz and the now-retired Chris Long, the Eagles have one of the most charitable presences among all American sports teams.

#10 #10towatch

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