#textbooks and school materials not included

[brooklynbornhaitian]

Books Read in 2024

Black Cake Charmaine Wilkerson

One True Loves Taylor Jenkins Reid

Thicker than Water Kerry Washington

Twisted Games Book 1 Ana Huang

Twisted Games Book 2 Ana Huang

It Ends With Us Colleen Hoover

The Secret Lives of Church Ladies Deesha Philyaw

Verity Colleen Hoover

Twisted Games Book 3 Ana Huang

After I Do Taylor Jenkins Reid

Ayiti Roxanne Gay

Twisted Games Book 4 Ana Huang

Black Girls Must Be Magic Jayne Allen

Riding In Cars With Boys Beverly (movie based on the book)

Dear Haiti, Love Alaine Maika Moulite and Maritza Moulite

Breath, Eyes, Memory Edwidge Danticat

Daisy Jones and The Six Taylor Jenkins Reid

Somebody's Daughter Ashley Ford

Black Girls Must Have It All Jayne Allen

Black Girls Must Be Magic Jayne Allen

Before I Let Go Kennedy Ryan

[soon-palestine]

In a statement that was shared with The Nation, a group of 25 HLR editors expressed their concerns about the decision. “At a time when the Law Review was facing a public intimidation and harassment campaign, the journal’s leadership intervened to stop publication,” they wrote. “The body of editors—none of whom are Palestinian—voted to sustain that decision. We are unaware of any other solicited piece that has been revoked by the Law Review in this way. “ When asked for comment, the leadership of the Harvard Law Review referred The Nation to a message posted on the journal’s website. “Like every academic journal, the Harvard Law Review has rigorous editorial processes governing how it solicits, evaluates, and determines when and whether to publish a piece…” the note began. ”Last week, the full body met and deliberated over whether to publish a particular Blog piece that had been solicited by two editors. A substantial majority voted not to proceed with publication.” Today, The Nation is sharing the piece that the Harvard Law Review refused to run. Some may claim that the invocation of genocide, especially in Gaza, is fraught. But does one have to wait for a genocide to be successfully completed to name it? This logic contributes to the politics of denial. When it comes to Gaza, there is a sense of moral hypocrisy that undergirds Western epistemological approaches, one which mutes the ability to name the violence inflicted upon Palestinians. But naming injustice is crucial to claiming justice. If the international community takes its crimes seriously, then the discussion about the unfolding genocide in Gaza is not a matter of mere semantics. The UN Genocide Convention defines the crime of genocide as certain acts “committed with the intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such.” These acts include “killing members of a protected group” or “causing serious bodily or mental harm” or “deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part.” Numerous statements made by top Israeli politicians affirm their intentions. There is a forming consensus among leading scholars in the field of genocide studies that “these statements could easily be construed as indicating a genocidal intent,” as Omer Bartov, an authority in the field, writes. More importantly, genocide is the material reality of Palestinians in Gaza: an entrapped, displaced, starved, water-deprived population of 2.3 million facing massive bombardments and a carnage in one of the most densely populated areas in the world. Over 11,000 people have already been killed. That is one person out of every 200 people in Gaza. Tens of thousands are injured, and over 45% of homes in Gaza have been destroyed. The United Nations Secretary General said that Gaza is becoming a “graveyard for children,” but a cessation of the carnage—a ceasefire—remains elusive. Israel continues to blatantly violate international law: dropping white phosphorus from the sky, dispersing death in all directions, shedding blood, shelling neighborhoods, striking schools, hospitals, and universities, bombing churches and mosques, wiping out families, and ethnically cleansing an entire region in both callous and systemic manner. What do you call this? The Center for Constitutional Rights issued a thorough, 44-page, factual and legal analysis, asserting that “there is a plausible and credible case that Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinian population in Gaza.” Raz Segal, a historian of the Holocaust and genocide studies, calls the situation in Gaza “a textbook case of Genocide unfolding in front of our eyes.”

[ms-demeanor]

*screaming*

*continued screaming*

Okay. So. My introductory Visual C# class.

The professor for that class was Alice. Alice was the person who spoke in the introductory video and the person who we were supposed to email if we had any issues.

But all of the assignments, lectures, and quizzes were written and delivered by Bob. On the youtube channel "Bob's programming academy." The quizzes included Bob's name, like "if you do X will it return the string ProfessorBob, Professor, Bob, or Professor.Bob?"

This class was really frustrating for me because it was structured in such a way that you could easily pass the class with zero knowledge of the subject - it was totally based on quizzes that you could take an unlimited number of times and we *had* weekly programming assignments but they weren't graded so there was no incentive to do them (and look, if I wanted to teach myself programming with no incentives I could fail for several years to do that on my own, I don't need to pay fifty bucks a unit for that; the reason I am in a *class* and am not self-taught is because I need external motivation. That's why I sought out a class).

Also when there *was* a problem with an instruction that was unclear in one of the videos for the assignments, or if I thought I'd done something correctly that was very much incorrect, it wasn't Alice who had created the instructions, it was Bob - in 2017 no less - and I didn't really feel like I could ask Alice for help with an ungraded assignment that she hadn't written.

So. Now. My Python class.

Today is the first day of class. Professor is Charles.

I go to the mandatory attendance quiz and it is word-for-word the same mandatory attendance quiz as the C# class, down to the final question "what is your personal email address so I can keep in contact with you after the semester?"

I look at the syllabus.

Class grade is based on quizzes. We have assignments but none of them are graded. There's no textbook, just a series of videos from Professor Bob's Programming Academy.

So I'd been toying with staying at this school and trying to take more CS classes instead of going to another school, just to try to keep my records easier to manage, but since it seems like that *ENTIRE DEPARTMENT* is five Professor Bobs in a trenchcoat, I will probably be going somewhere else (and once again trying to force myself to do projects that I already know are *good for me to do* but *useless for the class and a massive time suck*)

I should drop this class. I should drop this class and apply for the other school so that I can start taking classes there in the spring because if I take this class and then go into the object oriented programming class in the spring and it's another professor bob sock puppet and I end up taking twelve units of programming classes where all I learn is how to google answers in a short time frame (something I already know how to do thanks) I am going to fucking lose it.

Also, again: I have a Bachelor's Degree. I spent five years at a community college when I was getting that degree. I took probably a dozen online classes starting in 2005 and going until 2011 in the process of getting that degree.

THIS bullshit, this "I'm your professor but actually I'm not and all the materials were created by someone else in the department or came directly from the textbook publisher and there is no writing and there are no assignments everything is multiple choice quizzes that are automatically graded" is *dogshit.*

This is NOT how online classes worked back in my day, not even online math classes, and as much as I know adjuncts are getting fucked over by academia in general, this isn't something that these professors should be getting paid as much as they are to do. Alice checked whether or not students turned in a hello world assignment and gave a pass/fail grades for three discussion boards that were responses to youtube videos. Nothing else in the class required her input. If this is the level of instruction that students are getting then the class is already automated and the students shouldn't have to pay for it.

This is crap. This is an incredible level of crap.

[snzhrchy]

Oh my god, I thought about this at school, okok so can I request a fanfic about Ajax having a crush on the reader (She/her if u can!) and his little snakes constantly trying to be affectionate with her and sneaking outside his little hat to try and touch you???? Thank you!

— ☆ THE SNAKES !

ajax petropolus x fem!reader

synopsis; Gorgons are usually told to keep their distance from the rest of the outcasts but Ajax and his snakes are a little too fond of you. notes; THIS WAS SOO FUN TO WRITE AND THE CONCEPT WAS CUTE TOO OMG taglist; lmk if u wanna be on it !!

The first time you encountered Ajax's snakes acting oddly around you was when the both of you were studying for your upcoming exam. When this happened, neither of you were aware of each other's feelings towards one another and didn't think too much of it:

Usually, Nevermore's library is rather quiet with no signs of life but not today. Today, the library had been filled with dozens of students trying to cram the entire biology syllabus in less than an hour.

Exam season was upon the students of Nevermore and they were all rest-less, including you and Ajax.

You both were near the end of the library, sitting across from one another as you both were helping each other revise for your upcoming exam. Yet, none of you could get anything done since there were far too many distractions for the both of you.

'Right so, what are the adaptations of a Dionaea muscipula plant?' you asked Ajax looking up from your deck of flashcards that were strewn all over your textbook.

Ajax remained quiet as he tried to think of his answer to your question while you began to scan your textbook again, re-reading all the material in it.

After a while, you turned to Ajax, again, wanting to ask him the question again but were immediately stopped by Ajax, who cursed and shouted: 'Y/N, close your eyes!'

You quickly shut your eyes tight and for good measure, covered them both with your hands. You really didn't want to turn into stone merely hours before your final exam.

Once the gorgon informed you that it was safe to open to your eyes, you slowly obliged. You saw that he looked rather embarrassed as he had his face covered with both of his hands. 'Sorry. I'm really sorry about that, I don't know what's happening to my snakes right now. Usually, they behave quite well,' he apologised.

You shook your head and reassured him that it wasn't his fault that his snakes attempted to stone you. You didn't think too much of this interaction but little did you know that the reason for this was due to the gorgon's major crush on you.

The second time Ajax's snakes attempted to touch you was during Outreach Day at Uriah's Heep. You both had gotten that shop for volunteering and you were very glad to have been there with a friend:

Outreach Day was probably one of your least favourite days of the school year. Yes, you were going out to Jericho and finally having a change of scenery but the entire concept of volunteering was tedious to you — why were you working at a place when you weren't going to be paid?

However, it wasn't all doom and gloom since your best friend Ajax was volunteering there too!

Most of your time spent at that creepy shack involved you both just quizzically staring at the rows of shelves that were filled with the ( nicely dressed ) roadkill or with cleaning out all the dusty old shelves.

Every now and then, you both would crack jokes but would get immediately shushed by the only clerk present in the store.

While you cleaned out a shelf that was right at the back of the store, you were interrupted Ajax standing a little too close to you as he watched you clean out the shelf.

‘Want some help here? I’m done with my side so—‘ Ajax stopped talking when he noticed that a few of snakes were roaming near your small figure.

All your movements stopped when you felt the weird feeling of scales on your head and neck. Your breath hitched. You were unsure of how to proceed; any wrong movement and you’d be a stone.

‘Ajax?’ You called out. 'Yeah? Sorry, give me a minute...' he said as he began to shove the snakes back into his beanie.

The rest of your day spent with him involved you countlessly reassuring him that the snakes were no big deal while he apologised to you endlessly.

Ajax was terrified of the idea of his snakes ever turning you to stone.

The third ( and last ) time his snakes escaped his beanie to affectionately touch you was during the Rave'N - it was a night you both won't ever forget:

The Rave'N was a rather lively and remarkable evening. It started out rather wonderful as well.

Ajax had come to pick you up at your dorm at around 7. He was already dressed in a white suit - he even had a beanie to match. You'd be lying if you said he didn't look attractive.

The entirety of your evening was spent with the both of you dancing to all the songs, drinking and eating.

As it started to near midnight, the songs started to get slower - perfect for ballroom dancing.

Even though your legs were sore and you felt like you could hardly stand but when Ajax asked you to dance with him one last time, how could you say no?

You both spent the last hours of the night in each other's arms. The entire world around you both was a blur and the only thing you could focus on was Ajax's arms around your body.

When the night ended and everyone was leaving; there were barely any people present except for a few other students and you both.

Ajax and you sat at one of the round tables, doing absolutely nothing - just sitting with one another, enjoying each other's company. It was a comfortable silence, to say the least.

The raspy yet comforting voice of Ajax calling out your name, snapped you out of your thoughts as you turned all your attention to him. You hummed in response, urging him to speak - you were too tired to say a single word.

'I...' he began, 'I had a great time here, with you.' You smiled upon hearing his words, 'me too.'

You both sat in silence again until Ajax began another conversation: 'hey, listen... I don't know how to properly say this but...' he trailed off, it was as if he was trying to form the right words in his mind. 'I really like you - I like you a lot, in fact,' he bluntly said.

Your eyes widened in shock; you couldn't believe your ears - your best friend and crush, Ajax had confessed to you. It was too surreal.

You were unaware of how to properly tell him that you harbored feelings for him as well. So, on impulse, you crashed your lips onto his.

Ajax was taken a back by your action but he kissed you back nonetheless. He'd been wanting to do that for so long.

His hands cupped one of your cheeks while the other travelled down to your waist whereas both of your arms were wrapped around his neck.

Unfortunately, you both pulled apart once Ajax realised that his snakes had escaped, again. He frantically apologised to you on behalf of his snakes while you chuckled.

Atleast now the snakes would attempt to escape a little less.

[thestarstoasun]

Because the next part of this isn't where I want it to be yet due to packing and schooling, I'm going to post some (more) of my headcanons!

• The Hermes cabin treats all unclaimed demigods as their own siblings even after they get claimed (depending on how fast they get claimed).

• The year-round demigods are closer with each other, but during summer they tend to spend more time with the other campers more. The bonds they have are a bit obvious though.

• Travis and Connor Stoll have a running prank of convincing all new demigods that they're twins (at least until Travis leaves.)

• During Nico's brief stay at camp in The Titan's Curse, he made friends with the Stolls and a few other campers. (Canonically he met Will, but I did hc they met before it was confirmed.)

• The Ares campers are the best at every weapon, except bows. Some Apollo kids (Michael Yew included) take full advantage of bringing this up. When Sherman Yang brought up Will's less than proficient bow skills, Clarisse had Sherman apologize.

• Chiron teaches the year-rounders using Ancient Greek textbooks + books and myths, so they can understand the material easier.

• When Jason shows up, some people have to pay up because there were bets made on which of the Big 3 would have another secret demigod, when Hazel came more drachmas were exchanged to the Apollo cabin. (Drew: "How the Hades did you guess Hades would have another secret child!?" Will: "I mean, technically, it was Pluto?")

• After Beckendorf's death, the Hephaestus cabin seemed to dull until Leo showed up. He reminded them a lot of Beckendorf and yet was so different (starting with height).

• The Demeter kids hate the winter months and prefer spring and summer.

[ahhnini]

academic!rival! rafe moodboard + hcs

a/n - setting up an enemies to lovers? anyways new au!! requests are open for academic!rival! rafe :3 hope yall enjoy! <3

ೃ༄ academic!rival! rafe who’s the top of his class, on track to graduate #1, practically lives in the school library.

ೃ༄ academic!rival! rafe who loves pumpkin spice lattes (tells everyone its cold brew).

ೃ༄ academic!rival! rafe whos wardrobe staples include in his cardigans and scarves.

ೃ༄ academic!rival! rafe who comes from a wealthy family, who had sent him off to the best university in the country.

ೃ༄ academic!rival! rafe who has a superiority complex over his classmates. he thinks they’re not intelligent enough to comprehend the material, so he doesn’t talk to them.

ೃ༄ academic!rival! rafe who feels weight on his shoulders to uphold the cameron legacy. even if he wants to live the stereotypical “college life,” those temptations are crushed by his father’s words, “our family name depends on you, son”

ೃ༄ academic!rival! rafe who bit the inside of his cheek when he checked the class rankings, and saw you about to dethrone him from his rightful place.

ೃ༄ the first time you two crossed paths was in the library, hands reaching for the same textbook. it was a cliche moment that happened in every kiss-met romcom, but to rafe, it was the start of your rivalry. you quickly snagged the book away from his hand, turning around and speed-walking to the study tables. he scoffed, browsing the shelves and settling with an older edition of the textbook.

ೃ༄ from then on, rafe would always see you on campus. and he hated that. he hated that the person who could take everything away from him was almost always right in front of his eyes.

ೃ༄ you made it seem so easy. you’d study for one hour and get top marks on the exams, while rafe would have to study for days to get the material in his head. it wasn’t fair.

ೃ༄ so he ended up doing something he’d never thought he’d do. he was going to sabotage you, in a way you or he never expected.

ೃ༄ one thursday afternoon, you find a letter someone slipped through your dorm door. opening up the envelope, the letter read; would you like to go out to dinner with me, y/n?

signed, rafe cameron.

taglist - @nemesyaaa @julie123456897 @mfdoomdickrider @grxnde-dwt

click here to be added to my taglist!

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Erum Salam at The Guardian:

The wave of book bans sweeping the US, typically reserved for works of fiction deemed controversial, has hit textbooks used in public schools, marking the next step in Republicans’ war on education. The board of trustees for the Cypress Fairbanks independent school district in Houston voted 6-1 earlier this month to redact certain chapters in science textbooks, including those about vaccines, human growth, diversity and climate change. The motion to remove the chapters was made by the board’s vice-president, Natalie Blasingame, and almost unanimously supported. Blasingame, who has served on the board since 2021, did not give a specific explanation for the decision, but said the subjects go beyond what the state requires to teach and creates “a perception that humans are bad”. Last year, the Republican-controlled state board approved textbooks for the schools’ science curriculums, rejecting several books on climate, so the local school district’s censorship of these textbooks is even more restrictive.

Education experts say the move could have far-reaching consequences, prompting similar decisions to omit information in other subjects, and by public school districts across the country. The board’s decision drew the ire of local parents and education groups. Bryan Henry, a local parent and founder of the non-partisan group Cypress Families for Public Schools, said he was concerned about the precedent this decision sets. “Will trustees at the local school board level be able to just delete chapters about civil rights because they just mentioned the history of same-sex marriage?” Henry, 37, said. “It’s really kind of alarming what this could mean for ideological influence and control over what is taught in schools.” Henry describes Cypress, a sprawling suburb of Houston with a population of nearly 200,000, as an increasingly diverse community with a loud minority of political extremists.

“A lot of Republicans in the Cy-Fair area, who are very conservative but are pro-public education, are having to now grapple with the fact that [the] governor, state representatives – they’re really not pro-public education,” he said. “And so people are struggling with how to reconcile that, because they don’t want to vote for Democrats.” Henry added this “level of oversight, micromanagement and interference” was “scary.” The Texas Freedom to Read Project, an organization that fights book bans, swiftly condemned the decision. “To ban entire chapters of textbooks and withhold that information from students is not only unconstitutional, but it is taking away their access to real-life ideas that exist in this world,” said Laney Hawes, co-founder of the group. “Access to a diverse and wide range of information is what prepares students to navigate this world successfully. When we ban books and limit students’ ability to access ideas, we are closing doors to their futures.”

[...] PEN America found 3,362 instances of individual books banned in public K–12 schools for the 2022-23 academic year – a 33% increase from last year, with Florida and Texas leading the way. These books mostly include novels with themes of race or sexuality, not core academic material.

Meehan said the censorships of textbooks is “a further escalation of this movement”. “Texas is no stranger to book bans or censoring other educational content areas or materials. The idea that we’re redacting chapters from state-approved textbooks is almost unheard of. It’s so outlandish,” Meehan said. Book bans have become a core element of platforms of well funded far-right politicians, who have tried to win a larger presence on school boards across the US. “I’m almost worried about a concerning trend where far-right Republican candidates are replacing moderate Republicans on school boards, not because citizens believe they are better suited for the job, but because rightwing billionaires and Pacs [political action committees] are starting to pour money into these local elections,” said David DeMatthews, an education professor at the University of Texas at Austin, who previously worked as a public school teacher and district administrator.

Public school textbooks are the next battleground item in the right-wing’s dangerous and censorious book-banning crusade in schools.

[sugatrapp]

「 O b s i d i a n 」

•─────────────•°•❀•°•─────────────•

Part I

Pairings: Severus Snape x Gender Neutral Reader

Summary: Professor Greeves’s infatuation with the potions master reaches a breaking point when he begins spending more time with his assistant.

Warnings: Lovesick reader ~ Jealousy ~ Angst ~ Use of “they” pronouns ~ Non-specified gender of reader

A/N: The last name Greeves is given but reader is otherwise not described.

AO3

Masterlist

Ko-Fi

•─────────────•°•❀•°•─────────────•

Fridays in Advanced Phylactery Making held a special place in Professor Greeves’s heart. Watching awe light up their students’ eyes after separating the metal from their molds never failed to light a fire of pride in them. The hollow pieces were dim and bare bones, but it was a steppingstone to material that would prove useful beyond their studies.

Sanding was next. Each student was equipped with sheets of wet sandpaper as they hunched over their tables and ran them over their soon to be amulets. Greeves had to correct a few eager ones well on the way to sanding a hole in the frames. It was understandable; they’ve been waiting since fifth year to start crafting. Two whole years of learning theory and writing papers on proper amulet usage left plenty of time to weed out bad apples and encourage those with a genuine interest. Much to their surprise, only two students dropped the course while leaving a majority of thirteen.

They couldn’t ask for better students. It was every professor’s dream to have an engaged, well-behaved class every day. They were the talk around the staff room, including from the potions master. One Monday evening while both professors were heading off to dinner in the Great Hall, he expressed his disbelief after hearing of their students’ accomplishments and quick comprehension.

“Some of the seventh years can hardly brew a Wiggenweld potion, let alone craft a talisman,” he grumbled.

It was a normal day in the Hall. The students talked among themselves while forking down their meals. Greeves noticed a little too late that the only available seats were at his usual end of the table. They struggled to contain the warmth rushing through their face and their trembling hands. Talking with the reclusive dungeon bat was rare in and of itself, but sitting near him during mealtimes was unheard of for them. Even in the three years they’d been at Hogwarts, the opportunity had presented itself only one other time, much less desired back then.

Now, as they piled food onto their plate while continuing to speak about their classes, Greeves was aware of their lingering gaze. It wouldn’t surprise them if he could see the hearts shining in their eyes. His deep drawl caressed their soul with feather light fingers, leaving it a purring mess. His obsidian pools drew Greeves in further into their depths each time their eyes met. They seared their skin when they weren’t looking. And his hair, sleek and majestic, aroused the urge to run their fingers through it.

To say they were smitten was an understatement.

His perfect lips were saying something, yet no words reached their ears.

They wiped the serene smile stretching across their face, attention planted firmly back in the present. Hopefully they weren’t as obvious as they were back then. After a few laps around the rows of tables, the clock hanging above the door signaled the end of class and the end of the school week.

“Great work today everyone. Please bring your projects to my desk and don’t forget to clean your workstations,” they looked pointedly at the student notorious for leaving her area in a whirlwind. She blushed before sweeping her metal shavings into a bin. The rest scrambled to collect their things and turn in their work.

“Next week we will learn how to infuse them with magic, so make sure to begin reading the section in your textbooks,” they called to their retreating forms.

Excited chatter settled over the group, continuing down the hall. While they pondered their plans for the weekend, Greeves had their own to attend to. They opened their bottom desk drawer, retrieving a small drawstring bag. They turned it over in their hand then stowed it away in their pocket with a deep breath. Very big plans indeed.

An embarrassing bounce plagued their steps on their way to the Great Hall. Their stomach growled angrily at their insolence, empty since the lackluster biscuit and jam breakfast they had. They couldn’t entirely blame waking up later than usual. No, the nerves from haunting thoughts of a certain dark-haired man are partially to blame.

Before he grew to tolerate them, Severus hadn’t made it easy to get close to him. Asking him a simple question about his day seemed like a crime. Greeves could admit they didn’t trust others easily either, but there came a time when they had to realize not everyone had bad intentions. They didn’t know why he was so cautious. All they knew was they wanted him to take a chance on them.

The usual cacophony of chatter greeted them as they entered the Great Hall. A couple of students waved at them while they walked down the aisle, which they reciprocated with a smile. It eased their mind slightly from the task at hand.

It’s not a big deal, they thought, just say you want to talk to him about something privately. But would that be too forward? Too weird? Would he want to talk to me at all? They were so lost in their head that they didn’t realize the seat beside him was already occupied. They almost choked on their next breath. There she was, Clara—his newly appointed potions assistant—munching away on grapes while talking to him. Her animated manner of speaking was hard to ignore. Some days it was infectious to a degree.

Today was not one of those days.

When Clara first joined the Hogwarts staff, Greeves didn’t mind her jovial company. It made grading and trips to Hogsmeade more interesting. The stories she told of her muggle life in America fueled their desire to visit it one day. She made an honest effort to get to know each of her colleagues. Though not everyone appreciated her chipper attitude. Severus scoffed at any mention of her. He gave her the treatment he gave every newcomer: one-word answers and avoidance like they were diseased ridden. Clara didn’t heed their warnings about his standoffishness, pacing furiously in their classroom one day with a frown that didn’t fit her face.

“I mean, he didn’t even let me finish what I was saying!”

Greeves recalled similarly their time as a newbie. They didn’t fully accept him brushing them off either, but they learned when not to push him too hard. Clara, not so much.

“Don’t be too upset,” they patted her shoulder before going back to putting up supplies. “He’s like that with everyone.”

“But I want us to be civil at least. He won’t even give me the time of day!”

Greeves smirked, vaguely remembering having the same conversation with Professor McGonagall.

“He’ll come around eventually. Just don’t bombard him so soon, okay? Ease into it.”

She paused her frantic movements to ponder their words then nodded, a determined expression replacing her frown.

“Okay. Thanks, Professor.”

They wouldn’t have bothered if they knew it would lead to that. Their heart pounded against their chest harder the closer they get to the head table. He didn’t look annoyed or even mildly disinterested. He was actually engaging with her. They rounded the table, pausing to address them.

“Hello Clara,” it came out more strained than they intended. “Professor.”

Greeves barely paid attention to her cheery response and focused their attention on him instead. He glanced over for a second and gave a polite nod.

Ouch. It felt like their every move was being ridiculed and scrutinized as they took the available seat next to Professor McGonagall further down the table. They greeted the older woman and made a bit of small talk between bites of pasta. They went into autopilot mode. They didn’t fully comprehend what they or Minerva were discussing. All they could linger on was the fact that Clara had waltzed in and wormed her way into Severus’s good graces much faster than them. Much faster than they had heard from the other professors.

A sudden giggle reached their ears, startling them from their trance. They looked in that direction, regretting it immediately. Clara was cackling at something he said. But what really left their heart heavy was the expression on his face. His fine lines were smoothed out, the corner of his lips raised in a half smile, and a glint in his eyes that reminded them of stars on a moonless night. They never saw him look so…placid.

Greeves sighed, long and defeated. They turned back to their plate where they’d been pushing and prodding at their food. Maybe it wouldn’t be such a good idea to talk to him after all.

“Are you alright, dear?” Minerva interrupted their spiraling thoughts.

They blinked, quickly forcing a smile when the question registered.

“Of course, Professor. Just thinking about the assignments I have left to grade.”

They took another bite of food to sell the lie though grimaced afterwards. It had gone cold. Minerva took one look over her shoulder at what they had been transfixed on before a knowing smirk tugged on her lips.

“This wouldn’t happen to have anything to do with a certain professor, would it?”

“No-No, not at all!”

Even they didn’t believe the lie. Their half-hearted denial fell on deaf ears.

“You should tell him how you feel.”

“And if he doesn’t feel the same?”

She placed a warm hand on their shoulder. “Then you’ll know, and you won’t be tormented by constant what-ifs.”

They were still unsure, yet groups of students heading for the exit let them know they didn’t have long to decide. From the corner of their eye, they saw Severus taking his leave, his cloak billowing behind him. Clara was nowhere to be seen.

Perhaps Minerva was right. It made sense for them to get along. It would be counterproductive if they despised one another while working together so closely. Or maybe Greeves was setting themselves up for heartbreak. Maybe they were closer than typical colleagues. Either way, they knew they had to do something.

They had to know for sure.

They thanked Minerva for the advice before heading off to their chambers to freshen up.

•─────────────•°•❀•°•─────────────•

Unfortunately for them, patrol duty didn’t wait or care about their prior plans.

The halls were calm apart from the stragglers they caught sneaking around with firecrackers. It was even worse since they now had to serve them with a lengthy detention sentence on Monday. After escorting them back to their respective common rooms, they realized they weren’t far from the potions’ classroom. Past curfew or not, Greeves could count on Severus doing some late-night grading or reading. They figured a slight deviation wouldn’t hurt.

They fished the drawstring pouch from their pocket, a faint blue glow emanating from it in the dim lighting. On they walked toward the dungeons, feeling the gradual shift of temperature to a biting chill. They gave themselves a pep talk the entire way that did nothing to slow their doubts.

The door came into view, left cracked open which he only did when he expected them to drop by. Did he notice their not-so-subtle staring at dinner? Had he been aware of their affection for him the whole time?

They bit their lip as they approached the door, raising their fist to knock when a voice that wasn’t his slashed their resolve.

“It’s refreshing to know someone who’s into the same things as I am. You wouldn’t believe how much I was teased for being a teacher’s pet.”

Clara, Greeves frowned. What was she doing here? They willed their heart to quiet for fear of anyone hearing, leaning closer to hear his response.

“It’s nothing against you personally. Others only fear and envy what they don’t understand.”

“Sounds like you’re speaking from experience.”

“My early days were no walk in the park either, but you can’t dwell on the past lest you prove them right. You have a brilliant mind and potions are a viable medium, personal bias aside of course.”

“That means a lot, Severus.”

Heels clicked further away before a pin drop silence settled in. With feathered steps, they inched the door open enough to see what was happening. The moment their eyes focused, they gasped and covered their mouth with both hands. The pouch hit the ground with a muffled clack. They��

A hellscape realized was the only thing close to describing the scene. Their blurry forms pulled away from each other as they questioned the noise, one of them starting towards Greeves. They forced their legs to work, casting the disillusionment spell then taking off running. Patrol forgotten, they didn’t stop until they reached their chambers. Only when the door was closed and securely locked behind them did they allow the building sob to escape. They slid down the doors length until they were on the floor, hiding their face behind their knees.

At least they finally got an answer.

•─────────────•°•❀•°•─────────────•

TAGLIST

@liv2post

@cold-blooded-girls

@bobobomao

@h0n3y-l3m0n05

@reivelmin

@evans23

@dracolilhoe

✨Leave a comment below if you would like to be added to this series' tag list! ✨

[ros3ybabe]

Current Japanese Study Routine + Resources 🎀

As you all may know, I am currently self studying Japanese and Spanish, though I am putting Spanish on the back burner for now so I can focus more on Japanese as that is where my passion lies at the moment. Lucky for me, there is a Japanese language and culture club on my university campus that I am (hopefully) going to join next week or the week after, given how busy my schedule ends up being. I thought I’d make a little post about my current routine that I use to study and what resources I am currently using and am planning on purchasing to use in order to build my proficiency in this beautiful language!

Current Resources 🩷

Apps - I am currently playing around with several apps to see which ones work for me, so here is all the apps I currently have downloaded to my iPad/phone

Duolingo - this has been a go to for all language I’ve ever tried to learn, it’s useful for me as a basic introduction to vocabulary, sentence structure, some grammar, and I just like how it involves typing, speaking, listening, and reading.

Drops - this one is just a fun little 5 minutes gamified way to learn vocabulary for me, it’s definitely a go to on my lazier language learning days

Bunpo - I like this for learning the kana but I didn’t realize it costs money to use fully so I am debating purchasing a subscription to the paid version

Write Japanese - this one I’m using to learn the correct stroke order for the kana and I like it for the most part

Renshuu - I just signed in to use this one last night and it looks interesting. I’ve seen it recommended by several blogs and even when google searching language learning and watching YouTube videos so I’m excited to try it out!

NHK for School - I saw someone recommend this on their blog and I remember using the website version in the past so I know this will be helpful when it comes to reading

Jisho - this is a dictionary app that I’ve seen recommended on so many platforms and I’m always open to a good dictionary!

Japanese - this one was recommended on a blog post and it allows you to add vocabulary and interesting phrases so I thought it’d be useful once I start on learning sentence structure and grammar

Italki - this one is the one I’m most excited to use. It connects you to people who speak and teach your target language for a set timed lesson, and it does cost money but you pay by lesson, not on a subscription basis. So if you do one lesson the first week and then another lesson in three weeks or something, you only pay for those two lessons. I’m really looking forward to trying this one out in the future once I get more comfortable with speaking.

Anki - a flash card app I am using to currently learn hiragana and will soon use for katakana and eventually kanji and phrases. I was gonna use Quizlet but I ended up liking this one better for my current needs.

LingoDeer, Memrise, Babbel, HiNative, HelloTalk, Hey Japan, Busuu, Kanji, Kana, Sensei - apps that I have and have not tried yet. I really like the ones I’ve already tried so I’m not sure if I’m going to use these ones soon but if I get bored of current apps than I at least have alternatives to turn to to continue learning

Textbooks/Workbooks/Materials - I currently own two workbooks but will include the resource I am planning on buying, as well as any stationery material I am also using!

Japanese for Busy People I - This was the workbook we had for the Japanese class I took at my university while in high school. My dad ended up buying it for me if I promised not to take Japanese classes once I went to college. (My parents don’t believe it is useful to know and they are helping pay for my education so I didn’t have a choice.) I haven’t started reusing it yet but once I am comfortable with the kana then I will resume using it.

Let’s Learn Katakana - this is a katakana writing book my older brother bought for me (he is supportive of everything I have an interest in even if he doesn’t understand it himself) and it is really useful for learning and practicing writing katakana. However I am still focusing on relearning hiragana so I will return to this workbook after I solidify my hiragana knowledge.

Genki I and Genki II textbook/workbook + answer key bundle - I am planning to buy this off of Amazon as I have heard from most people who are learning Japanese on their own that this set is really useful for self studying so of course I am going to invest in it once I get paid next week.

I am also looking for a hiragana, katakana, and kanji writing workbook to practice those skills.

Free Online Resources -

YouTube!

Anime!

Music

Manga

Anything free I can find online when google searching resources

Stationary Supplies -

Kokuyo Campus Smart Ring Binder in pink

Tombow Fudenosuke Brush Pens in black

Index cards

Pilot g-2 fashion pens

Zebra mild liner highlighter/markers

Papermate Mechanical Pencils

Mini notebook to carry around for vocabulary

My iPad + Apple Pencil + Goodnotes 5

My Chromebook

A lot of resources but I am trying to stick with this for the long term. A few years ago, I self studied Japanese everyday for about 2 years and gained a good understanding but fell off from studying Japanese when I went to university.

My Current Study Routine* 🎀

*when I have more than 30 minutes to study, if I only have 30 minutes or less I just mess around on my language apps

I currently do not use any workbooks or textbooks as I am trying to re familiarize myself with the language. Here’s my current study routine!

Practice Anki flashcards 3 times or until I get 85-90% correct

Practice hiragana writing in Write Japanese app (~10min)

Duolingo lessons for 10 minutes

1 Japanese language Drops lesson

Use Renshuu until I get bored (~10-15min)

Watch an episode of anime as a reward (Japanese audio with English subtitles)

I will switch this up to a more structured way of studying once I start using my textbooks and workbooks, but for now this relaxed style of learning is working for me time wise and attention wise (ADHD brain right here).

I also listen to Japanese music throughout the day and try to recall hiragana characters correctly in my head when I have the time. I also sneak in some practice when at work on my apps and whatnot. I mentioned in my last daily check in some of my favorite Japanese artists, and I also love Japanese versions of K-pop songs too! I’m currently watching Bungou Stray Dogs on crunchyroll right now, and I’m open to any recommendations for what to watch next!

If anyone has any language learning tips or resources they’d want to share, feel free to comment! It would be greatly appreciated!

Til next time my lovelies 🩷🤍

[doumadono]

GRATULACJE Z OKAZJI 3K, ZASŁUŻYŁAŚ

I'd love to request: comforting you when you’re anxious with Bakugo and f reader, blurb nor headcanons, whatever you find more accurate

An explosive shoulder to lean on - Bakugo x Reader

Synopsis: in times of anxiety, Bakugo extends his unique form of comfort to soothe your worries A/N: thank you so much, my dear friend! Your support is truly priceless. I hope you'll delight in this brief blurb I've crafted ♥

MASTERLIST

One gloomy afternoon, as rain tapped against the windows, you found yourself hunched over your desk in a class, anxiety gnawing at your insides. The weight of upcoming exams and the pressure to excel in a world of heroes was suffocating. Your fingers tapped nervously on your textbook as you tried to focus on the material before you, silent tears streaming down your cheeks.

Suddenly, the door to the classroom swung open with a bang, and Bakugo stormed in, his expression a mix of irritation and frustration. Katsuki had to make a swift return to the school when he realized he had left his phone behind in the classroom. He had a fierce scowl on his face, the telltale sign that something was amiss. His crimson eyes narrowed as they scanned the room, and it was then that he spotted you, sitting at your desk with tear-streaked cheeks.

Bakugo's initial instinct was to scoff, to retreat from the unexpected vulnerability he had stumbled upon. But something held him back, a small flicker of empathy buried beneath his layers of brashness. He cleared his throat, drawing your attention, and his voice, surprisingly gentle, cut through the silence. "What the hell are you doing here, crying like an idiot?"

Panic surged through you, but his gaze held a peculiar softness that contradicted his words. He looked uncomfortable, as if grappling with an unfamiliar emotion. It was a side of him you had rarely seen.

Swallowing hard, you struggled to find your voice. "I-I'm just… having a tough time, I guess."

He snorted, his arms crossed over his chest. "Tch. That's no excuse to blubber like a damn baby."

For a moment, his harshness threatened to push you further into your shell. But then, to your surprise, he pulled out a chair and sat down next to you, his movements awkward and uncharacteristically unsure.

"Look," he began, his voice gruff but with an underlying gentleness. "I ain't good at this kind of crap, but if you're gonna sit here being all mopey, you might as well tell me what's eating at you."

You hesitated, the words caught in your throat. But the way he had defied his own nature to sit beside you, to offer even the slightest semblance of comfort, gave you the courage to open up. "I'm just… overwhelmed, Katsuki… It feels like I can never catch up, like no matter how hard I try, I'm always falling short. I'm scared of failing, of disappointing everyone – including myself."

"Listen, idiot," he grumbled, his words surprisingly gentle. "I get it. We're all dealing with our own crap, and sometimes it feels like the weight of the world is gonna crush us. But the only way to deal with it is to keep pushing forward, to keep fighting. So, stop crying and start kicking that anxiety's ass."

You couldn't help but chuckle at his blunt, yet oddly inspiring, pep talk. Bakugo was offering comfort in his own unique way, a blend of tough love and unwavering support. It wasn't a traditional display of kindness, but it was genuine and heartfelt in its own right.

The tears that had threatened to consume you began to recede, replaced by a newfound determination. With Bakugo by your side, even if he was more likely to explode than offer a hug, you felt a renewed sense of strength. You wiped your eyes, managing a small smile.

"Thanks, Kacchan. I needed that."

He grunted, his cheeks tinted with a faint blush that he tried to hide. "Yeah, yeah. Just don't make it a habit, got it?"

With that, he stood up abruptly, as if eager to escape the vulnerable moment he had created. But as he walked away, you couldn't help but feel a warm glow of gratitude. Katsuki Bakugo, the explosive hero-in-training, had shown you a side of himself that few ever witnessed – a side that, despite his rough edges, was capable of providing comfort in its own uniquely fiery way.

[asaka-lucy-dr-rc]

I saw on the news that Nobuyo Oyama, the first voice actor of Monokuma, had passed away. (If you want to see more details, click here). Monokuma is one of my favourite characters and I like the character design so much that I even bought a Monokuma T-shirt (see attached photo) that was sold at the Danganronpa THE STAGE merchandising about 10 years ago.

To be honest, when I first heard that Nobuyo Oyama was going to voice the character who is the facilitator of a death game in a game called Danganronpa, I was quite shocked and uncomfortable with the idea. It might not be so obvious to people who don't live in Japan, but Nobuyo Oyama is more than just a voice actress — she is a legend. In fact, there is a story in elementary school textbooks about how her mother took her to many hospitals when she was a child because she had such an unusual voice, how she felt insecure because of it, but how her life changed after she started voicing Doraemon. (I’m not sure if it's still in the current textbooks, but at least at one time, her life story was so significant that it was included in educational materials.) For various reasons, I became interested in Danganronpa a little before DR2 was released, and I was impressed by how well it was done. I eventually grew very fond of Monokuma as a character.

Even after playing the game, I still felt uncertain about how she viewed the character, but I was happy to hear her response in an interview on Dangan Radio when asked, “What do you think of Monokuma?” She simply replied, “I think he’s cute.”

I feel sad that she is gone, but I’m also grateful for her long life and the joy she brought to so many people. I thank her and wish her peace.

[eretzyisrael]

by Bassam Tawil

According to the textbooks used in UNRWA schools, Jews have no rights whatsoever or any legitimate status in Israel. A Jewish presence in the country is denied historically, geographically and religiously. No reference is made in the books to the history of the Jews throughout the region, either in Biblical or Roman times. Any connection is also denied of the Jews to their ancient capital, Jerusalem, which is presented as an Arab city since its establishment thousands of years ago. The Jews' presence in Jerusalem today is bewilderingly presented in the books as an aggression against the city's Arab character.

Beyond the textbooks, both UNRWA administrators and teachers have proudly displayed their approval of terrorism and hatred on countless occasions, including Hamas's recent October 7 massacre, according to a report published by UN Watch, an independent non-governmental human rights organization, as well as IMPACT-se.

UNRWA math teacher Adnan Shteiwi, for instance, glorified Diaa Hamarsheh, the perpetrator of the March 2022 Bnei Brak shooting attack -- in which he murdered four Israeli civilians and one policeman -- as a "martyr" whose name should "forever remain in letters of fire, might, and magnificence."

UNRWA's Asma Middle School for Girls B encouraged schoolgirls to " liberate the homeland by sacrificing 'their Blood' and pursuing jihad."

Roni Krivoi, one of the Israeli hostages recently freed from Hamas captivity, reported that he had been kept prisoner in an attic for more than a month and a half, mostly starved and medically untreated. His jailer was an UNRWA teacher.

In Gaza -- as with Ahmad Kahalot, Director of the Kamal Adwan Hospital, who admitted that he was the equivalent of a brigadier general for Hamas and that 16 of the hospital's staff were also "terror operatives for Hamas" -- the mesh of Hamas and UNRWA is also illustrated in the high-profile case of Dr. Suhail al-Hindi.

Al-Hindi served as both the principal of an UNRWA elementary school and as the chairman of the UNRWA employee's union in Gaza. In 2017, UNRWA suspended al-Hindi after it received information that he had just been elected to the Hamas political bureau. UNRWA announced that al-Hindi no longer worked for the agency, but did not say whether he had resigned or been fired. Al-Hindi first said he "resigned" from UNRWA, but later clarified that he was taking early retirement.

The case of al-Hindi and other UNRWA employees suspected of supporting terrorism makes the point that UNRWA is "the money," while thug terror-groups such as Hamas are "the muscle."

UNRWA tries to keep up public pretense that its hands are clean, and has taken a belligerently defensive stance against these and other accusations, as it publicly claims that it has a "zero-tolerance policy for hatred."

The Israeli news site Ynet , however, wrote recently about a UN Watch report:

"In it, some 47 documented cases of school staff promoting antisemitic material are recorded, as school staff openly violates the official UNRWA policy... "It was only two years ago that UNRWA apologized for similar instances, claiming they were done erroneously and will not occur in the future, but with this latest report, that promise rings hollow."

One UNRWA employee portrayed Adolf Hitler in a favorable light: "Wake up Hitler, there are people left to burn."

[beardedmrbean]

So I recently heard about a law in Oklahoma being passed that required the Bible being taught in school? And that it had to have the US constitution in it to be acceptable at schools. And the only bibles out there that fit the requirement is Bible's Trump is selling. Is there any truth to that?

This is the first I'm hearing of it so I had to poke round and find something that didn't look biased, which is not easy when it comes to something like this.

This one is from July so nothing about the Bibles in there, other than can it be taught, which yes it can under certain circumstances.

I don't know this publication but they've linked everything for their fact check to other sources and it's not all the same one, they seem to be pretty even handed on everything.

TL:DR; is it's complicated, but the one bit I'm going to post from the check is going to be the thing that most other outlets will likely leave out.

We researched state and federal laws and court rulings to fact-check claims Walters has made about what state law allows him to do and who has the legal authority to make decisions on classroom curriculum. 

Claim: The Oklahoma state superintendent has the authority to require specific content be taught in public schools.  Source: Walters told NBC News he has the legal authority to require the Bible in classroom instruction and that teachers who don’t comply could lose their teaching licenses.  Fact check: Mostly false

The Oklahoma Attorney General’s office has said that Walters has no legal authority to require certain content be taught by sending a memo to school districts. 

State law gives local school districts the exclusive power to determine “the instruction, curriculum, reading lists and instructional materials and textbooks.” 

The Oklahoma Board of Education, which Walters chairs, is responsible for adopting academic standards. The standards set a basic framework for what students should know by the end of each school year, according to state law. The Board of Education also has the power to revoke teaching certifications for willful violations of state or federal rules.

The Oklahoma State Department of Education did not respond to The Frontier’s questions about the legal grounds for Walters’ authority to require schools to include the Bible in classroom lessons. -Brianna Bailey ____________________

State Superintendent can't force compliance, school districts get to make that choice.

I would like to point out this is a good thing and one more reason why the federal department of education needs to be shut down, they shouldn't be determining curriculum either, keep that local.

I hope this answers your questions though

[cloudy-caspirations]

Hey cas!! I wanted to ask you how to make the most out of notions (cuz its kinda complex app) + how to make notes omg im struggling w this YELPP😭😭

Hi !! I started using notion last year to try and organize my school life and still haven’t completely figured it all out, so I get what you mean with it being a little confusing 😭. I’ve been mostly using it as a planner, but just started writing notes on it over this summer break and am kind of loving it. I’ll include screenshots and stuff under the cut, but if you need more specific details or a tutorial for a database or something feel free to send another ask or dm!

My Notion Setup ⬇️⬇️

(Sorry if the formatting for pictures is weird, I’m still trying to figure out how to use this app 😵‍💫)

For Planning:

Here is my notion dashboard! It’s a little barebones compared to others that I’ve seen on Pinterest, but it works for me because if I include anything else my ADHD brain will get overwhelmed and won’t keep up with actually using and updating it.

I have two databases: one being used as an assignment tracker that sorts my assignments into To-Do, Overdue, and Done sections based on dates and the other has pages for my classes for the semester. (I just realized that I forgot the change the heading from Spring 2024 to Fall 2024, so please don’t mind that 😭) Along with the databases I have a simple to do list for things that I need to get done that aren’t assignment related.

You could also add a calendar view to the assignment database if you prefer seeing it in that format, I just choose not to because I use Google Calendar to see it in relation to my other plans for the day.

I don’t use the class pages for much because I preferred writing my notes in either Goodnotes or a physical notebook last semester, but I’ll probably start using them more because I like using notion to keep track of all of my code snippets and stuff along those lines that are easier to type than write out. It was also pretty helpful last semester for creating drafts and outlines for essays.

For Note-taking:

Here are two examples of pages that could go in the classes database if you prefer to take notes digitally. I like to use databases to create pages to take notes in for each chapter/section of the textbook or material for the class.

My favorite way of viewing it is the board view because I like having my progress visualized (and clicking and dragging chapters to the “Done” section is satisfying), but the table view is also nice if you want to include more details such as quiz scores or dates.

Here are some photos of my notes for a single chapter. I use section headers to separate the actual notes from other stuff like chapter-specific exercises or links, and use toggle headers for sub-section notes to make it less cluttered. Other than the formatting it’s nothing too fancy, my typed notes are similar to how you would take notes in any other software like GoogleDocs or Word.

[manias-wordcount]

Please grace us (me) with some P5R Maruki fluff. Please I'm begging on my hands and knees. I just want to give him little smooches. Maybe one where he's back in college? Meeting him in a Psychology class? Honestly go wild, your writing is amazing and I just want to see my man happy.

Not that Bad (Takuto Maruki x Reader)

𝗔/𝗡: 𝗼𝗺𝗴 𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘂𝗸𝗶 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗯𝗲 𝘀𝗼 𝗰𝘂𝘁𝗲. 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗴𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗵𝗶𝗺 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗱𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗴𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗱𝗼𝗿𝗺 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝘂𝗱𝗱𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻 𝗲𝘅𝗮𝗺 𝗵𝗲𝗳𝗯𝘄𝗵𝗳𝘂𝗲𝘄𝗯𝗳𝘂𝘂𝗾𝘄 𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝘀𝗵𝗶𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗼𝗻 𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝘀𝗵𝗶𝘁

𝙒𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚? ⇒ 𝙈𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙩

𝙟𝙤𝙞𝙣 𝙢𝙮 𝙙𝙞𝙨𝙘𝙤𝙧𝙙 𝙨𝙚𝙧𝙫𝙚𝙧?

𝙗𝙪𝙮 𝙢𝙚 𝙖 𝙘𝙤𝙛𝙛𝙚𝙚?

If someone were to tell you eight weeks ago that you’d still be a psychology major after almost dropping Aoki-sensei’s physiology and psychology 101 combined course, you swear you’d laugh in their face. You struggled so hard on the preliminary knowledge test during syllabus week of school, so you were more than convinced that this class and this major weren’t worth your time by the end of the third class. So convinced.

  Yet here you are, sitting in a reserved library private room. Old pieces of homework, revised tests and quizzes, notebooks full of scribbled notes, and two of the required textbooks sprawled across the table. Just because there’s a pretty boy brunette with a pleasant laugh and friendly smile sitting with you- like he does twice a week- teaching you the material of a class he went through over a year ago. And somehow…he’s real. But how do you know this? Simple.

  “That’s correct! Nice job!”

  Your fingers just brushed against his as he handed you a piece of candy to reward you for all your hard work.

  There’s a light smile on Takuto’s face. A warm look being reflected from his glasses. And a soft chuckle passing through his lips. It mirrors your own expression. Just a little bit. While his gaze is sweet, encouraging, and kind…yours hold an untapped amount of excitement. Growing and growing and growing with every single answer you’ve gotten right. But what can you say? 

  Pretty boys make the work worth your time. 

  “You’ve been doing really well this time,” He praises you once more. You can sense the small amount of relief dancing behind his words, but you don’t blame him or his worries. Not one bit. “All this time, you were so nervous about passing this exam. But I think you’ll be just fine with a little more studying, okay?”

  You nod your head animatedly, trying to fight the smile that threatens to overtake your face. You have to remind yourself that there’s already a piece of candy in your mouth. His candy. Just a little piece from one of the many bags he likes to bring to his tutoring sessions with you. His excuse is that rewards work! Especially when you’re being rewarded with a favorite flavor or two. But your excuse for working so hard? Your excuse for putting in the hours of trying to pass your university’s biggest psychology weed-out class?

  Well…let’s just say it has a lot to do with the good-natured senpai sitting right in front of you. 

  “Let’s keep practicing. I know you have a lot of this stuff down, but a little more review couldn’t help, right?” He prompts you with a choice- something he does often. Something that gives you no doubt in your mind that this is the right field for him. He’s always been good at doing little things like that for you. Sure, he’s told you that he’s not interested in being a teacher but it’s all those little psychology tips and tricks you know that he has spinning around in his brain that makes him such a good tutor. “You still have some more candy left~”

  Including rewarding you with all your favorite sweets.

  You chew the last bit of the snack in your mouth and swallow the rest down easily. He watches you in amusement as your eyes slip from his face to the notecards in his hands, to the bag of candy sitting in between the two of you. It’s almost finished- a sure sign of his and your combined success this session. But the thought of finishing the bag fills you with even more excitement. Because it shows him just how hard you’ve been working for him. Because it shows to you just how hard he’s been working to help you too.

  “Ready, Takuto-san!” You say once your mouth is free from the delicious treat. “Ask away!”

   It prompts him to give a short nod in acknowledgment as he shifts around his notecards for you to find a question that will really challenge you. In the meantime, you take the chance to look around and soak in these couple of seconds of downtime. A quick glance at a nearby clock tells you that it’s much later than you thought it would be. Another glance at the same clock tells you that he’s been tutoring you much longer than you asked him to. It’s too common of an occurrence at this point for it to surprise you. Though part of you still couldn’t help but feel bad that you’re taking up so much of his time. Maybe you should ask him to join you for dinner after this. He did say he knew a place nearby that sold one of your favorites…

  “Found one!” He calls out, capturing your attention once more. You turn your head back to face him, and you brace yourself knowing that the only reason he took so long carefully searching for the right question was to ensure that he was really testing you on something you needed help with. And as much as you appreciate the help, you were hoping to be cut a little slack after having such a good session. But once you saw the expression on his face and the subtle way he had now maneuvered his arms to cover a large chunk of one of your last homework assignments, you knew you were in for a doozy. But then… “Ready?”

  He gives you a kind smile. 

  The same smile he gave you when he first introduced himself to you as a friend of Aoki-sensei’s teaching assistant. The same smile as he worked around your defeatist attitude after you were still struggling to understand your own notes. And it’s the very same smile he gave you the first time you cried in front of him because you pulled an all-nighter a week after he started tutoring you just to end up failing your exam big time. But now, that smile is more than just something you see in your worst moments.

  “Yep!” You tell him with the bravest look you can muster. “Ready.”

  It’s a smile that you see in your best moments too…

  “Explain what Glutamate, GABA, Dopamine, Serotonin, Acetylcholine, and Endorphins.”

  …and this doesn’t seem like it's going to be one of them.

  You toss up an eyebrow at the ridiculous question, knowing that he knows how often you mix up your neurotransmitters. But he just shakes his head and lets that easygoing smile of his grow a bit wider. And you want to frown at him. You do, you do, you do. You want to let the pout on your face grow and at that little sliver of annoyance at such a difficult question show because he’s literally just about to break your winning streak. But then you stop for a moment. And you sigh. And you close your eyes, and you try to remember a rhyme that the two of you came up with when you first started working on this topic. 

  It’s hard work. But you put all your effort into trying to remember and remember and remember while trying not to listen to the soft chuckles coming from his mouth at the sight of your focused expression. And yes, it’s hard. And yes, you’d rather be answering any other question right now. At least one that you didn’t have to put so much effort into recalling the answer. But deep down, you don’t think you truly would have it any other way. You know why? It’s simple.

  It’s because pretty boys make the work worth your time. 

  “Well…I know Dopamine is related to pleasure…”

  Always have. Always will. 

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Judd Legum at Popular Information:

In May 2023, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) signed Florida House Bill 1069, a law that requires sex education classes in the state to conform to right-wing ideology. Specifically, the law requires all sex education classes to teach students that sex is binary, "either male or female," even though that is inaccurate. It also mandates that students are instructed that sex is defined exclusively by "internal and external genitalia present at birth," and these sex roles are "binary, stable, and unchangeable." This requirement erases the existence of trans and nonbinary people. Schools also must "teach abstinence from sexual activity outside of marriage as the expected standard for all school-age students" and "the benefits of monogamous heterosexual marriage."

To enforce these new rules and other aspects of the DeSantis administration's political agenda, HB 1069 also requires "all materials used to teach reproductive health" to be approved in advance by the Florida Department of Education (FDE) or use textbooks pre-approved by the state. Previously, sex education curricula were approved by district school boards. Florida parents can opt-out of sex education lessons on behalf of their children. 

The FDE instructed school districts to submit their materials for sex education by September 30, 2023. The school districts met the deadline, but the FDE never responded. Florida counties were placed in a no-win situation as not teaching sex education, a mandatory course, at all is a violation of state law.  Several Florida school districts — including Hillsborough, Orange and Polk Counties, three of Florida's largest — decided not to teach sex education at all during the 2023-24 school year, the Orlando Sentinel reported. Other counties, including Broward and Seminole Counties, taught sex education classes without getting the legally required approval. 

The FDE has ignored requests for comment and public records requests seeking an explanation for the delay.  Now, a new school year is underway in Florida, and the FDE still has not approved any of the submitted sex education materials — or provided any response at all. Orange County hoped to make up for last school year's missed lessons when school started this August, "but now those plans are on hold."  Schools are reluctant to use the state's pre-approved texts because they are glaringly incomplete. For example, one textbook "preaches abstinence as the only effective way to prevent STDs and pregnancy and does not mention contraception." To avoid issues, the textbook advises students to "go on group dates rather than spend one-on-one time with a partner."

Popular Information takes a deep dive into why Florida students at several school districts aren’t being taught sex ed at all, even though it is a a mandatory course.