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foodie

Philosophy of Food, 3rd period

"Good afternoon," Hannibal said, nodding to the class. "Today we continue our discussion of what is and isn't food, and how our preferences are formed."

He waved toward the table behind him, which held pairs of dishes this time. "We've got an assortment of foods and beverages today, organized into pairs. You may choose only one from each pair - you cannot have both. You may choose neither, if you prefer. But in any case, you must explain your choice. Why do you prefer the option you've chosen - taste? Nostalgia? Curiosity? Feel free to debate with each other as well, and ask each other or me questions. Remember, there are no wrong answers - it's reasoning and thought we're looking for."

American National Park Tours with Sam Eagle, Thursday 5/29, period 2

Sam had awoken to find a very classy leather briefcase embossed with ‘Emotions Are For Weirdos.’ He accepted this from the island as a gift that he was due, obviously.

And now he was in front of Portalocity once again waiting for his students to arrive. He just happened to have a very snazzy briefcase with him.

“Good morning, students! Today we shall be visiting New River Gorge National Park and Preserve in West Virginia!”

“This park is the newest in our National Park System, having been redesignated in 2020! It exists to protect the New River Gorge.”

“While we were there you may participate in such activities as whitewater rafting! I recommend you not bring all your luggage with you on a raft! Or on a hike. Or on any of the tours. In fact I recommend none of you bring luggage at all. This is a field trip! There is no need for this excess!” Sam shook his head disapprovingly. He did most things disapprovingly.

“There are also guided tours and you may visit the visitor's centers! You may go on hikes! You may do anything appropriate to a National Park setting! I recommend visiting Thurmond for history, railroad history!”

“Do not,” Sam said, eyeing everyone fiercely, “miss the return portal! I will not come back for you!”

Entry tags:

ethics

Ethical Dilemmas, Thursday, (Per 1)

Liliana had reached out and informed the class that they would be meeting in the Danger Shop today several days before the island had decided to be cute. So, the giant steamer trunk that simply said THE MENDING (in all the alphabets that she could read, including Braille for maximum rudeness!) that had nearly blocked her in the room this morning hadn't only inconvenienced her--as well as proving her her previous decision both right and prescient. Had she thought that being in the Danger Shop would stop the luggage from appearing, however....well, that she was sad to discover was not to be.

( Might Get More Bags After This Class... )

"But, what is easy to decide in a solarium, surrounded by your peers and focusing only on a single child's misery, may become much harder when you are face to face with the people who will actually pay the price for your actions." She waved around the park, then pointed to various buildings. A hospital. A university. A day care. A market. "Welcome to Omelas, darlings. Today's ethical decision: decide whether or not you will be the personal architect of the city's downfall. Best of luck."

Entry tags:

summer games

Summer Shenanigans [Wednesday mid-morning]

Anakin was surrounded by rubber chickens and harmonicas. Completely normal Wednesday, right? There were also t-shirts, blindfolds, and two pool noodles.

Anakin picked up his megaphone. "We will be playing a modified version of tag! All but two of you will be wearing rubber chickens on your feet." As you do.

Anakin held up the rubber chicken. It squeaked menacingly. "Half of you will also have harmonicas in your mouths. Your goal is to remain silent so that the blindfolded swatters can not discover you and hit you with their pool noodle."

This seemed wholesome.

"Listen for your names and then come get your shirts!"

He smiled. "Kitty and Gladio, come retrieve your blindfolds and pool noodles. You're it."

And then he rattled off everyone else who was playing, and if they also got a harmonica in their mouths:

Raiden - harmonica
Flint
Isabelle - harmonica
Belle
Gray - harmonica
Ignis
Vi - harmonica
Sam Eagle
Prompto - harmonica
Steve R
Steve M - harmonica
Don
Steph - harmonica

Entry tags:

library

Fandom Library, Wednesday, May 28th

Arden hadn't been sleeping well for the past few nights. Bad dreams - not nightmares, just unpleasant and uneasy dreams. They weren't the kind of dreams that made it impossible to go back to sleep once you woke up from them, but they were the kind of dreams that kept happening every time you closed your eyes.

Normally, Arden tried to be a good worker here in the library, but it was summer, and Shenanigans. Maybe nobody would notice if she curled up and took a nap under the blanket she kept for when Gray got Sloth'd...

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The Wonderful World of Art [Tuesday, 3rd Period]

"Conceptual art," Aphra announced to the class. Almost randomly. "The most abstract of abstract art."

Not that they'd explained abstract art. Or post-modernism, or even just plain modernism. You know, the kind of things that might give the class some background here.

"At its best, it challenges ideas about culture, politics, the idea of art itself," Aphra continued without care in the world. "At its worst, it's random nonsense. And sometimes the the only difference between the two is your ability to spine a line convincing people your random nonsense has meaning." She did not sound like she thought this was an entirely bad thing.

"And how much you're able to con out of someone with too much money and too little sense of aesthetics," Isabela added. Helpfully.

"So today we'd like you to pick out a random medium, create something, then swap art with a classmate and explain your new artwork's deep and meaningful meaning."

Entry tags:

paintball

Paintball, Monday, May 27, 2025

"You don't get paintball guns today," Steve announced as the contenders arrived. "Instead, we've added buckets of paint throughout the course. You can use them to throw at each other, but if you set off one of the tripwires and get covered, you're just as out as you would be if you got shot."

Tony was positively beaming at this. "They're prototypes. Real world feedback is going to be great."

Yes, they allowed him to do this to his class. Thank the moose, everyone.

"It's going to be so great," Steve said enthusiastically.

Assuming, of course, that Thor wasn't gunning for him. Bucketing for him?

"Oh, we added hoods for the suits for this," Tony said. "Because paint buckets."

"And helmets because we've met you," Steve added a little wryly.

Norse Life, Tuesday, Period 2

Today, upon entering the Danger Shop, the students would find themselves back on the same stretch of beach as last week, this time with a boat.

"Today, I thought we could go sailing!" Thor greeted his students. "Behold the longship, used by the Vikings for many an exploit!" He began to expound on the ship's many fine qualities, such as its light weight and design, which made it possible to reverse direction without turning the ship around, before handwavily explaining the basics of how to row and maneuver such a ship. "Now, quickly, all aboard and we shall set out upon the sea! Fear not that you shall have to row overmuch; we are guaranteed a fine wind for our sail." By programming, not his powers. That was why they were doing this here instead of on the real beach with a real boat (well, that and the reduced risk of anyone drowning): nothing could get away from him and turn into a summer storm.

Finding New Hobbies, Tuesday 5/27, Period 1

Class this week was back in a classroom and not in the library. The library aides wouldn’t have enjoyed the mess that might result from today’s activity being done in the library.

A table at the front contained potting soil, varied pots, and a selection of both seeds and plant starts.

“I thought this week we could try gardening,” Stark said. “Although there’s no garden here, just pots for plants. Not everyone has space for outdoor plants but some of you do and all of you ought to have space for at least a little pot.”

Not that kind of pot, Stewart, although you could grow that if you wanted. Stark just hadn’t brought any of those plants with him.

“Taking care of plants can be very…calming,” Stark said. “Meditative. For some people. Some hate it. Some people find it frustrating or just aren’t good at plants. Some plants are easier than others. I have sunflower seeds, because those grow very easily. And I have a few other flowers that grow quickly and easily. Dirt goes into the pots, seeds go into the dirt, and then you add water and you wait. The little plants also go into a pot with some dirt and then get watered but they require less waiting. Since they’ve already started.”

He nodded at the assortment of baby plants. “Some are vegetables.” No zucchini though, it might take over the island. “Some are different flowers, as you can see, and then some are succulents. There’s special dirt for those and they need much less water than the others do. I have…here.” He picked up a pile of papers. “Some pointers on various plants. Especially the succulents. Wouldn’t want to drown them.”

“Oh, I have gloves here if anyone wants to use them. You can choose your plants and your pots. Some of the plants will grow well together in a larger container, but not all of them will work well like that. So…plant some things. Maybe learn a bit about the ones you choose.”

Stark looked at the assembled students. “It’s a good way to keep busy, plants. The planting, tending to them, removing dead leaves and flowers, and sometimes they’re just nice to look at. So, let’s get started.”

Teamwork- Monday, 1st period

While they could mock up something in the Danger Shop, there was a perfectly good flight shed ready and available for use, and so class was taking place there today.

"Both of us are pilots," Jag greeted them. "When Jaina and I met, we were working from two usually opposing fronts against the same enemy, which meant a lot of egos had to be put aside to work together for a common goal."

"Easier said than done," added Jaina, who was well known for playing with others. "During the span of this war, squadrons were combined, disbanded, reconfigured as people joined and left, decimated, cobbled together from spare parts, and it was an amazing lesson on learning to work together and keeping yourself flexible."

"That's your exercise today," Jag told them.

The other reason there was no Danger Shop was because there had been a bit of a debate over what kind of ships to fly, and Jag finally won by pointing out that with all the Skywalkers that kept showing up, people even besides Anakin might have more of a familiarity with X-wings when they wanted a more level playing field.

"We have a simulation wherein you will be piloting clawcrafts in a smaller squadron." You will be under attack, and you will have to fight off the enemy ships between you and the Star Destroyer ahead of you. Your objective is to get your entire team to safety. We'll have a short demonstration on how to use the controls of the clawcraft, and what to watch for against TIE fighters."

(Jaina had won the fight on the enemy ships. Sorry not sorry.)

Entry tags:

problem solving

Creative Problem Solving, May 26, 2025 [2nd period]

The classroom smelled delicious today. This possibly had something to do the large table set off to one side with a drop sheet covering a large stack of...something.

"Good morning," Anakin said with a slightly evil smile. "Welcome back to class. I am already looking forward to your egg photos."

No, you couldn't hear the Imperial March playing softly, that would be silly.

Once judgement had been passed on the photos and all the rules lawyering had wound up, Ahsoka pulled the drop cloth off the table with the Force, revealing several dozen pizza boxes.

More worrisomely, the pizza boxes had oven mitts with chopsticks attached to them stacked neatly next to them. There were enough chairs for everyone to sit and...deal with whatever problem this was.

Ahsoka cleared her throat and started reading off her clipboard. "Your task is to de-pineapple the pizzas while wearing your chopstick gloves, placing the pineapple in the bowls. At the end of the task your pineapple will be juiced and most juice wins. You may politely ask for a new pizza. In Italian." You all knew Italian, right? "You have three minutes from when I blow my whistle."

Entry tags:

speech

The Art of Conversation, 3rd period

"Right. So." Going great so far, Jon. "One of the tips to practicing conversation is to never assume you understand the other person." He was great at that; he rarely understood anyone. "So we're going to practice that today. Let's have a conversation about anything, but assume you know nothing about what the other person is saying, and ask them to explain everything. Politely. And we also have to not get upset with the person asking for explanations; the idea is to think about what you're saying and explain it clearly."

That...probably was not what this tip meant. But look, you gave a scholar bad at interpersonal interactions this class, and you got what you got, moose.

"I have a few cards of things to talk about if you can't think of anything." Because he certainly couldn't.