Saul Pierce
January 19, 2009 4:10 PM
Head Boy/Girl Debates by Saul Pierce
It was the Saturday after midterms, at about 2:30 in the afternoon. A moderator had been obtained. A list of debate candidates had been compiled. He'd checked with Simon to make sure there weren't any conflicts with the Cascade Hall during the time period he wanted to use it (Saul was also counting the grounds keeper's confirmation, as well as Professor Powell's agreement to moderate, as permission to hold the event in the first place). Advertisements had been posted throughout the school, for not just fifth and sixth years, but for anyone who had any questions to ask of the potential Head Boys and Girls of next year.Saul had even already arranged the chairs and tables on one side of the Cascade Hall to his own specifications for the event. An area had been cleared where Saul, Geoff, and Afton would stand in the middle, and then there were five concentric semi-circles of chairs surrounding that area, with two aisles leading into the center. Simon had been convinced to transfigure the tables that would have otherwise been in the way into four podiums - one for each of the three candidates, and one for Professor Powell.
There wasn't much left to do but wait until three o'clock, when he'd told everyone the debates would begin. Oh, and hope people came to watch and ask questions, otherwise the whole exercise wouldn't have much point.
When he spotted Afton, Geoff L, and Professor Powell, Saul directed them to their appropriate podiums, with the two boys opposite each other with Afton in between them and Professor Powell slightly off to Geoff's side so that the focal point of the candidate's semi-circle was more toward the audience than the moderator.
Had he thought about it, Saul might have realized he'd set them up something like a game show, but he didn't watch enough television to recognize the source of his own inspiration.
When three o'clock finally rolled around and Saul saw that there were, in fact, some people in attendance beyond the four main participants, Saul cleared his throat and called for everyone's attention.
"Hello, everyone. I'm glad you could all make it today," he began, once he felt he had the attention of about two thirds of them. Due to the size of the Hall, and the cascades falling down the wall behind him, he used his best stage projection voice to be clearly heard by even those in the back row. A modified sonorus spell helped, too. In lieu of microphones, all four of the podiums had been enchanted to help amplify the voice of anyone touching them.
"Today, we're here to hold a debate among the candidates for Head Boy and Head Girl. All sixth years were invited to participate, but only Geoff Layne and Afton Stokes wrote back to say they were interested in joining the debate. So let's everyone give them a hand." He lead in the round of applause for his two fellow debaters, and when that wound down, he continued, "Professor Powell has kindly agreed to moderate, so let's everyone give her a hand, too. She's awesome."
When that died down, he finished off with a grin and a wide gesture to take in the whole of the assembled audience. "And let's give yourselves a round of applause, because without you, we'd just be talking to ourselves. A big thank you for showing an interest in Sonoran politics. Go on, give yourselves a hand."
When the clapping finished for that, Saul brought them to the plan for the day's debate. "So what's going to happen here is each of us are going to give a little opening speech, no more than five minutes long, to introduce ourselves, and let you all know why we think we'd make the best Head Boy or Head Girl. After that, we'll open the floor for questions. Anyone can ask us anything related to the campaign, and we'll each have three minutes to tell you our answers. Professor, do you have anything else to add? Otherwise, you can pick one of us to start off." He took a step back and gave the floor over to their moderator.
OOC:
Okay, so Professor Powell doesn't have to write a bunch of 'You're next' posts for each of us and then even more 'okay, [Student X], you can ask the next question' posts, I'm going to put in two subdivisions: Opening Statements and Questions.
Opening Statements: Professor Powell, if you have anything further you want to add to Saul's introduction, feel free. Candidates, you can post your initial speeches here. You can assume that Saul has warned you that this was coming.
Questions: Anyone who wants to pose a question for debate, including and especially Professor Powell, can create a new subthread off of here for each question they want to submit. Candidates can then write responses, either independently of each other, or building off of one another depending on your character's preference. Reaction and follow-up question posts from the original questioner (or anybody, really) are welcome. If we seem to be getting off topic, Professor P can jump in and cut us off.
Subthreads: Questions (nm) by SP with Laurie Cider
Opening Statements (nm) by SP with Saul Pierce, Pepper Jones, Geoffrey Layne
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Saul Pierce
Head Boy/Girl Debates
82
Saul Pierce
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5
SP
January 19, 2009 4:11 PM
SP
January 19, 2009 4:11 PM
Saul Pierce
January 20, 2009 3:27 PM
About me by Saul Pierce
When Professor Powell told him that it was his turn to give his opening remarks, Saul took the first moment to look over the audience and make eye contact with several different people. "Hello," he said, with a smile and nod to the random person he happened to be looking at. Over the course of his speech, he continued to look directly at the people before him. By the time he finished, Saul had met the eyes of every person in the audience."I'm Saul Pierce, as a good number of you hopefully know already." He'd written and rewritten his speech but with the first sentence, he had already gone off script. It didn't largely matter, though. He didn't need a script; not for this. "Some of you might know me from Quidditch. I'm the Captain of the Pecari team. Some of you might know me from Brett's soccer games. For those of you in Pecari, I've run the guided tour for first years to their first class every year since I was twelve. Also, for those Pecaris who skipped that, I've probably talked to you about the concert. Others may have seen me at Echo's Novelling Fury! Oh - that starts up again in February, so be sure to come by the Gardens if you're interested."
He shook his head and brought himself back on topic. "Anyways, what I'm basically trying to say here is that I get around - I like people, and I'm interested in loads of different things. I've been in a leadership position since I was made Assistant Quidditch captain in fourth year. In fifth, I was named Prefect for Pecari. This year, in sixth, I was promoted from Assistant Quidditch Captain to Quidditch Captain. Plus, us Prefects are running the House concert acts this year, so that's a lot of leadership and organization and conflict management and problem solving right there. The way I figure it, I've got the experience needed to be Head Boy down pat."
"For those of you who know me a little better than what the badges on my robes can tell you, you might hesitate to vote for me because, well, let's be honest here, I'm barely passing most of my classes and I'm not exactly known for taking anything seriously." He took a moment to pause, as much for the dramatic effect as for the sweeping look across the audience that ought to convey his earnest sincerity. "I promise you, if I get voted in, I will take my responsibilities as Head Boy very seriously, as I do my Prefect and Quidditch Captain responsibilities."
"Grades aren't important to me. People are. You are. If anyone needs me to do anything, in my capacity as Head Boy, or Prefect, or Quidditch Captain, or even just as Saul, that will be my priority, not my homework, or studying for the RATS, or anything else. Even if I don't win, you can all still count on me to fulfill any request for help to the best of my ability. I'm always available by owl and I sit right over there," he pointed to the spot in the Hall were he usually sat for meals, "three times a day, every day."
He was probably starting to run out of time, so he decided he ought to wrap it up. "I'm not running for Head Boy for the fame. I'm Quidditch Captain, I've already got fame. I'm not running for the popularity. The yearbook already assures me I'm popular. I'm not running for the rank and prestige. I'm Prefect, I've already got rank and prestige. Sure, being able to say "I'm Head Boy" would be awesome, I can't deny that, but it won't be the end of the world if I can't."
He paused again, but this time it was because he needed to breath for a moment. "I'm running because I honestly think I'm the best candidate. I'm running because I like to help people. I'm running because Sonora is a fantastic school and I'd love to be able to work for the whole of it, not just my House. I'm running because being Head Boy is not about getting Os in all your classes, but about assisting the people in this school and performing whatever duties the Headmaster assigns. And that, I think, I have more time for, experience with, and inclination to do than any of the other candidates in my year."
He stepped back from his podium and nodded at Professor Powell to let her know that he was done.\r\n\r\n
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Saul Pierce
About me
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Saul Pierce
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Laurie Cider
January 22, 2009 5:46 PM
Saul Pierce: the <i>Aronos</i> has questions! by Laurie Cider
Second row, third seat in: the perfect position to take notes, listen unobtrusively, take a picture or twenty, and spring to attention should she have any questions- and Laurie planned on asking questions. It was her job, after all, that day to take it all in. Afton was depending on her to deliver an unbiased and un-colored account of the debates, that way no one would call into question the leanings of the Aronos. As a third year, she couldn't help the small thrill of pleasure that being granted this assignment warranted.She took the first dozen frames of her film within the first few minutes of the gathering: the various speakers as they took their seats near the podium, Professor Powell's expression as she watched on, the chatting students as they gathered in the Hall in groups of two's and three's. It was plain where most people stood, what with the House designations and such; it was equally as plain that there were certain front runners, especially considering the amount of campaigning that had been undertaken by one particular sixth year Pecari.
Laurie had to admit that she was looking forward to his speech the most, curious at what sort of appeals he would make to the skeptics in the crowd. When Saul had finished, she found she wasn't disappointed. He certainly had charisma and charm; it was no wonder that so many people spoke well of him. There was still, though, something that bugged her. The goodie-goodie in her sparked against his easy dismissal of the importance of studying and grades.
She snapped another few frames of Saul standing back from the podium before raising her hand. Once Laurie was called upon, she stood up. "Hi," she began, somewhat nervously considering that most of the room's attention was now focused squarely on her. "While I agree that caring for people is a huge part of being Head Boy, what do you intend to do if you're approached by someone needing assistance in their academics? What about the students whose future dreams require good study habits and work ethic- how do you plan to present them with a proper role model when you-" she paused glancing down at her notes, reading over the quote. "- when you state that 'grades aren't important' to you?"
Perhaps, her questions weren't as tactful as she might have preferred- then again, she intended to be equally as tough with the other candidates, including Afton, Editor-in-Chief or not. Stumbling slightly, Laurie sat back down in her chair, pen poised to her parchment, waiting for an answer.
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Laurie Cider
Saul Pierce: the <i>Aronos</i> has questions!
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Laurie Cider
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Saul
January 23, 2009 5:53 PM
The <i>Aronos</i>: Saul Pierce has answers! by Saul
Saul looked toward Laurie - he'd picked up her name somewhere along the line and despite their difference in age, Saul knew Laurie was only three degrees of separation away from him. She was friends with the Warrens, who were cousins of Irene, and Irene was his friend. None of which was applicable to the moment. Right now, she was asking him a follow-up question about his academics."That's a good question, and I'm glad you brought it up," Saul told her. "People very well might need help with an academic problem. There's two things I'll mention for that. First of all, they probably wouldn't come to the Head Boy with it. Maybe it's just me, but when I was having trouble with Transfigurations last year, I never once considered asking Zack Dill for help. Friends, or classmates, or prefects, or even the professor are generally the first go-to people when you're having trouble with your homework. But it happens, sure. Maybe you don't want to bother the teacher or none your friends know either.
"The second thing I'll say is that I have been a prefect for a year and a half now. People have asked me about class related things. I, personally, may not be able to answer any specific question myself, but I can usually find somebody who can within a couple of hours and get back to you with the answer by the end of the day. It might not be as speedy as asking someone who gets better grades, but I haven't had anyone come back and tell me I gave them wrong information." The time he'd told Echo that a bezoar was a turd from a magical species of boar did not count. That was Echo's fault for believing something Saul had made up on the spot.
"As for being a role model . . . okay, yeah. Geoff," Saul nodded towards Geoff Layne, "makes a way better one. I'll give him that. But I'm not completely awful. Sure, I miss some homeworks and don't do great on my tests, but I go to class, I don't talk back, I'm personable and helpful, I do the class assignments, I participate in class discussions, I spent five to ten hours a week in extra-curricular tutoring in Transfigurations last year so I could pass my CATS so I could continue the class this year, and most of the teachers do like me. I even wrote a 300 foot long essay for Professor Flatt which let me keep taking History at a RATS level." Never mind that it was only supposed to be 18 feet long. The point was he'd worked hard on it and even did research and stuff.
"No, I'm not in the top picks for student of the month, I'll be the first to admit that, but I'm not a complete lout who doesn't even try. Grades aren't important to me, but I don't like to fail any more than anybody else."
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Saul
The <i>Aronos</i>: Saul Pierce has answers!
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Saul
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Pepper Jones
January 25, 2009 3:43 PM
About this... Why did I think it was a good idea? by Pepper Jones
(OOC - have consulted with Saul and he said it was ok for me to pitch in too).IC
Having spent Midterm with her family, Pepper hadn’t picked up Saul’s owl about the head boy/girl debates until she’d returned to Sonora at the end of the holidays. To be specific, in fact, she hadn’t picked it up until she had returned, fallen straight into bed, got up, attended her day’s classes and come back to the dorm after dinner, finally finding that she had some time to herself to sit down and notice the letter that had been placed on her bedside table. She’d scribbled off a hasty reply, hoping that she wasn’t too late to join in the debate.
Now, the named Saturday had rolled around and Pepper was feeling somewhat nervous as she made her way to the Cascade Hall. Her stomach turned further knots as she saw that only three other students were taking part in this. Of course, it would be really nerve-wracking if she went up against everyone, but there being so few people was much, much worse - or, as that was the situation she was in, certainly seemed it. She’d signed up for the debate because she really cared about being head girl and had thought that most of the other candidates would be there to prove themselves - she’d thought it was something she needed to do. Something it was worth the nerve-wracking process of getting up on stage to do. But it looked like she could have saved herself the embarrassment.
She found herself cringing inwardly as Saul gave his speech. Everyone who had signed up for this was going to like him - brilliant at being outgoing and addressing a crowd. She was far better on a one to one basis. At this rate, she was actually going to end up damaging her chances by having been keen enough to sign up for this. She was visibly shaking by the time she stood up for her introduction. Gripping the podium for support, rather than because she’d remembered Saul’s instructions that doing so would make it her “microphone” she began.
“Hi.”
It came out as a small, lonely sounding squeak and echoed impressively into the silence. She felt her cheeks tingling and could tell she was beginning the rapid process of turning totally scarlet.
“I’m Pepper and I would like to be your head girl,” she said, addressing herself to a waterfall behind the heads of the back row. “I always try my best to help others, particularly those who might end up being left out otherwise. I-I think that’s important. And it’s important for being head girl too because that’s about being someone who’s for the whole school. It’s not like being a house prefect, who well… who represents their house. Or being a Quidditch Captain, who has to look out for the best players. A- A head girl is meant to be about the whole school and that means being able to include anyone. That’s something I’ve always tried to do.” The sentences that had seemed so fluid and elegant on the paper were getting broken up into choppy little pieces. Pieces that simultaneously, somehow, managed the incredible feat of sounding both repetitive and like they were totally disconnected. “Even when I don’t agree with someone or how they think, I keep an open mind and I’d never let it stop me from trying to help them,” she took a deep breath, feeling she was forming a slightly circular argument. I’m nice, she thought to herself, Why can’t I just say that and have it be enough? The reason she found this so cringe-worthingly embarrassing was because it involved blowing her own trumpet, something she’d never been any good at. She’d wished she’d known about the debate during Midterm, then she could have got her mum to read over her speech. Her mum would have listed all the things that were so great about her that she was too shy to feel she was allowed to draw people’s attention to.
“I-I come from a big family, so I’m used to having to give everyone a fair share and to being a good listener and a good shoulder to cry on. I-I just want to be able to help other people. It’s what makes me happy…”
She retook her seat, swallowing hard even though her mouth had gone totally dry and staring fixedly at a point on the other side of the floor. If she felt this rattled by doing a pre-prepared speech, she dreaded to think how she’d cope when people started throwing questions at her.
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Pepper Jones
About this... Why did I think it was a good idea?
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Pepper Jones
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Laurie Cider
January 27, 2009 4:04 PM
Pepper Jones: questions for you, too! by Laurie Cider
"No, I'm not in the top picks for student of the month, I'll be the first to admit that, but I'm not a complete lout who doesn't even try. Grades aren't important to me, but I don't like to fail any more than anybody else."Laurie hid her smile behind a curved palm, pretending an intense interest in reviewing her notes. She very much liked the answers Saul had given her. He managed to overcome her objections regarding his academic work ethic, as well as the sort of advice he'd be able to provide should someone come to him for assistance in one of his weaker fields. It was exactly the sort of response she would want from a potential Head Boy.
In her opinion, at least. Unfortunately, her article was not an opinion piece; it was to be a cursory description of the debates with brief summaries about each of the participants.
Pepper Jones was the next to speak, a sixth year Teppenpaw that Laurie knew of only through the scantest of means. She vaguely remembered seeing the older girl during the Opening Feasts, assisting with the first years. She listened to the speech, the occasional quote making its way onto her paper. While Pepper wasn't nearly as fluid or as magnetic as Saul, the Teppenpaw candidate had an unique appeal: Pepper came across as completely genuine. There was no sense of manipulation or strategy behind her words. It was an endearing sincerity.
Still, though, Laurie's purpose was to ask questions, so ask she did.
"Hi," she began when the moment allowed it, her earlier nervousness sitting far more restfully in her stomach. "Pepper, you said that you believed that being able to include everyone is an important ability to being Head Girl. If you wouldn't mind the hypothetical, how would you handle a student-led group existing in the school whose inherent message is the exclusion of others?"
While she didn't name any names, the group in question was rather obvious. Laurie only hoped Cecily wouldn't be too upset about her question. The last thing she needed was her dorm room engaged in a not so cold war.
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Laurie Cider
Pepper Jones: questions for you, too!
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Laurie Cider
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Pepper Jones
January 31, 2009 7:20 AM
An answer! I have a real answer! by Pepper Jones
It wasn't so much that Pepper felt her face turn red as she was called on my Laurie, but that she felt it maintain the impressive carmine glow that it has been effusing since she had made her opening statement. She was so busy concentrating on what and how she would reply that she almost didn't hear what she was being asked. But when she did compute it (surely only microseconds later, but it seemed like her brain had frozen for an age to her) she found a warmth other than embarrassment spreading through her. She didn't feel tripped up or caught out or scared. She knew how to answer the question! It being something that directly affected her, it was an argument she'd been over many times when the topic had come up for discussion.“Well,” she began, her voice still shaking with nerves (knowing the answer was one thing, finding the words to spit it out quite another) “the school has very firm and clear guidelines when it comes both to bullying and to what clubs are and are not allowed. Showing contempt for one's schoolfellows or forming clubs whose basis is hate or discrimination isn't allowed. Of course, attempting to stamp out such a club simply on that basis is problematic. Firstly, there is nothing to stop students joining an outside organisation with such values, which falls outside the school's jurisdiction. Secondly, it doesn't attack the root of the problem. Telling people they cannot have a hateful or discrimination-discriminatory club isn't going to stop them thinking hateful or discriminatory thoughts, and- and so your school environment would still be one where people wanted to exclude other people,” she added clumsily, suddenly worried that she wasn't relating her usual answer back to Laurie's question well enough. “What I would like to do, what I would like to see done about it, um if that situation were to arise,” she fumbled, remembering Laurie's suggestion that this was 'hypothetical', “is- would be to meet with students from both sides of the divide – those who wish to exclude others and the ones they wish to exclude. It's harder to tar everyone with the same brush and indiscriminately hate all... erm.... for example... people who wear odd socks,” sticking to a ridiculous example was probably safer, “if you actually met some odd-socked individuals and can see they're people too, maybe people with more in common with you than you'd supposed. Getting discussion going as to why people have a problem with others and trying to make them find some middle ground that doesn't hurt anybody is the best way to go, in my opinion,” she tried to summerise, as she'd begun to feel that she was rambling a little.
Although the ending had been a bit rag-tag and uncontrollable and although, after all her well-thought out politics on the topic, it had all boiled down to the possibly rather lame and ineffectual solution of 'I think we should all just talk about it' she didn't feel that that had gone at all badly. Certainly, she could very easily have been reduced to either extreme of the scale of babbling idiotism or terrified mutism and she felt she had reached a happy medium, managing even to answer the question along the way. And possibly, just possibly, that her face was no longer doing a brilliant impression of a tomato.
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Pepper Jones
An answer! I have a real answer!
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Pepper Jones
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Geoffrey Layne
February 05, 2009 2:48 PM
Giving it my best shot. by Geoffrey Layne
It was, as Geoff had discovered, entirely possible to brew simple potions extracurricularly without getting caught. A secret passage wasn't an ideal place for an impromptu lab, but a decent anti-nausea draught only took, if the potion-maker knew what he was doing, about thirty minutes to make and Geoff had been desperate. His choices had been between taking the risk and vomiting on Saul's shoes in public.As a result, he was nervous the morning of the debates, but he was in relatively little danger of disgracing himself in front of whoever turned up. Since Anne and Helena had both, possibly from a misguided idea that it would be supportive, taken front-row seats and he was trying to impress the room at large, this was a good thing. His current reputation was for, as far as he knew, brilliance. He did not want that to be overshadowed by the image of him as someone who couldn't stand on his own two feet.
To keep his mind off having to speak, he actually listened to what Saul was saying. He wasn't sure it was appropriate for one of the debaters to make the opening comments, but, as a mere participant, he could only make notes of what he should advise his sister toward and against when she tried to supplant Elly Eriksson as her year's auto-Head Girl.
Listening to the two speeches that preceded his, however, was a mistake. Saul made a good case for himself, and the mess Pepper made of things reminded him that there was still a chance of complete humiliation even after he had taken precautions against getting sick.
It was too late to turn back, though, so he rested one hand on the podium and assumed the almost-relaxed posture Helena had recommended when Professor Powell indicated he ought to start. His father's contribution to the cause had been some decent robes, so he looked vaguely like a serious candidate for the position, if one without a tie. Ties were annoying, and it didn't help their cause that they made him look like a particularly self-important bureaucrat. Not quite what he was going for.
"A school," he began, "is like a potion." He looked around the audience, a trick Anne had recommended. "They all have many different components, and if you take away any of the components, you get a completely different solution - or a disaster, but let's look on the bright side, shall we?" He chose to overlook the way Helena glared at him; she'd been pretty sure he shouldn't throw in any jokes. "Even if that doesn't happen, though, it still requires a steady hand to keep the components working together well. I'm here today, speaking to you all, because I believe that, as your next Head Boy, I will be that steady hand for Sonora Academy."
Great Merlin, did real politicians feel so silly when they made that sort of statement? He was sure he had maintained the intonation he'd practiced in front of Anne, Lena, and, this morning, the mirror, but it didn't feel the same. "As most of you probably know, I'm Geoffrey Layne, but you can call me Geoff. Since the beginning of this year, I've been the Assistant Captain to the Aladren Quidditch team.
"There's sometimes a perception that we Aladrens spend all of our time completely absorbed in our studies, that we're out of touch with the real world and the needs and desires of the people in it. For most of us, I don't think that is an accurate perception, and it's certainly not true of me. I take care and pride in my academic work, but it's a long way from being the center of my life. My family, friends - " he nodded to Anne and Helena - "and school - " he opened his hands to indicate the entire audience before returning them to their previous positions to take advantage of the micro-podium - "are far more important."
Just a little further to go, now. "Sonora Academy is more than Houses, or Quidditch teams, or academics. Sonora is a community. Sonora is people. Sonora is you. Your next Head Boy, whoever he ultimately turns out to be, will be one of the two individuals entrusted with representing you to the staff and to the world outside this institution. When the time comes for you to choose who you want doing that, I hope you'll allow me the honor of leading you into the new year responsibly and dependably." He paused to let that sink in, then finished, "Thank you for your time and attention."
Stepping back, he began listing the steps for the Draught of Living Death in his head. He did not like the potion - its premise was disturbing - but it was among those brews that took fussy devotion to pull off, and going through a complicated sequence of procedures helped steady him. The whole thing could have gone better - he was sure Anne and Helena, who'd written most of it, had put in a few really good points he'd forgotten about - but it could have gone much, much worse. As it was, Geoff thought he'd done well enough.
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Geoffrey Layne
Giving it my best shot.
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Geoffrey Layne
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Laurie Cider
February 09, 2009 11:25 AM
Geoffrey Layne: the <i>Aronos</i> calls! by Laurie Cider
Compared to the blue-collar earnestness Saul provided and the endearing, but slightly unfocused delivery by Pepper, Geoffrey Layne was pure politics. He oozed preparation and polish; it was hard not to be intimidated. Laurie found herself fidgeting once the speech ended, somewhat unsure of how to word her necessary questions. There hadn't been anything in particular that stood out as questionable; really, outside of the overly extended metaphor, Geoffrey had stayed very generalized, never once committing to any specifics in intention or design.Standing, once the floor had been returned to the audience, Laurie ignored her notebook and addressed the sixth year directly. "Hi Geoffrey, er, Geoff that is." She stumbled briefly, her composure lost on the name mix-up. "I was hoping that perhaps you could share with us one or two specific plans or ideas you have to improve student life at Sonora should you be elected Head Boy."
Her notebook received its due attention the moment she re-claimed her seat. She bent her wrist, pen to parchment, and waited for the answer.
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Laurie Cider
Geoffrey Layne: the <i>Aronos</i> calls!
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Laurie Cider
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Geoffrey Layne
February 12, 2009 8:59 PM
Answering the call by Geoffrey Layne
As much of a relief as it had been to step back once he was finished with his speech, Geoff had known the ordeal of the day wasn't quite over. He still had to field questions from the audience, which Helena had grimly - and, unfortunately, accurately - predicted would contain at least one Aronos reporter. Next to the Concert, this would be the event of the year, and the school paper would all but fail in its duties if it didn't make the debates a real political event by showing up.After a lifetime of being lectured on how and why the media was mostly evil, he was wary of Laurel Cider, but felt like he would be able to come out of her interrogation without a chances-ruining crisis. If she asked him about his personal life, he'd lie, and he thought he had everything that dealt with Sonora covered. He was - hoped he was - ready for what Laurie threw at him.
"I'm glad you asked that, Miss Cider," he said once Laurie threw her first question at him, though it wasn't true. It did, however, seem to be the standard to say it when asked questions at a thing like this. "One thing I'd really like to see started is organized CATS preparation. Students who did well in given subjects could head smaller study groups for those who need and want help preparing to sit the exam in their weaker subjects. I certainly could have done with some help in Transfiguration last year, as - " he smiled a little ruefully - "most of my yearmates can probably tell you."
He hated admitting to an academic weakness, but he thought it was important in relating a little to the audience. For some reason, it didn't seem...effective to act larger than life, good at everything. Saul had called it politics, and in some ways it was, but it was much more personal sort of politics than he was used to from years of listening in on his parents talk and hearing speeches on the wireless.
"I'd also like to extend the program to RATS prep and even standard exams, but I admit I haven't quite worked out the details of that yet." Mostly because he'd made it up right that second; the original idea had been his sister's, only mentioned to him in passing. "Hope that was a satisfactory answer to your question, Miss Cider," he added politely.
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Geoffrey Layne
Answering the call
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Geoffrey Layne
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5