Fandom High School

The walk to work had been.. interesting. Something was in the air. Jack didn't know what but she didn't like it and didn't trust it. She was restless and twitchy, like her whole body had gone on high alert and was spoiling for a fight. Aggressive and unable to really concentrate. She'd blown off class the week before when half the damn island were switched into random people so she didn't want to miss another.

Jack paced restlessly back and forth across the room, "So. This week, we're going to talk about finals. Most teachers have a ton of questions and bubble sheets to fill out but I hate those so we're not doing that. Instead, you're going to do a project. You can do it individually or you can team up with other students. Here's your premise:

Something's happened. Some sort of legal upheaval - and I expect you to tell what - has caused you or people close to you to find themselves on the not so sunny side of the law. Write your plan. What steps do you take to try to change the law? What are the likely consequences to those actions? How successful do you feel you'll be? If it goes south, what do you do? Where do you go, how do you get there? What resources do you have at your disposal? How do you work from wherever you are to continue the fight against this law? Or do you? If you don't, what do you do?"

Jack shrugged, "I don't care what format the project's in. Formal presentation? Sure but it don't gotta be. You want to write a story? Write a story. You want to draw a comic? Do that. You want to put on a play or make a short film or whatever? Do it. It's gotta go from start to finish. The Danger Room will be available to you if you want to sign it out for your project. Though if I catch you abusing it for some other sh..stuff, you'll really wish I hadn't. Keep in mind it records when it's in use."

Well. It would when she was the teacher signing it out.

"Go ahead and use the rest of the hour to chat about it, either among yourselves or with me or Peebee. If you already got an idea and you wanna get working on it, go ahead and skive off. Just be aware that if you don't turn in a project next Monday, you're pretty much guaranteed to fail the class. I don't know what this place does for remedials and I don't wanna find out by any of you makin' me, so come up with something. Due date, as I said, is Monday the 15th."

[Class is open, OCD is up!]

"You all did good last week," Jack acknowledged when the students filed in. "You all refused to be cuffed, you demanded lawyers, you didn't let yourselves be interrogated. That's what you were supposed to do."

On the tables in front of the class were an assortment of.. things. The more technological-minded of students might recognize signal jammers and scanners. There are also piles of random things - radios, dead cell phones, a few dead computers she'd skived from Kaidan's pile of dead computers. There's also an industrial size box of heavy-duty tinfoil she'd skived from the cafeteria.

"This week we're doing something different. The syllabus says 'tinfoil hats' - it don't mean actual tinfoil or actual hats, sorry. It's a term for paranoid types who think everyone's out to get them using spy frequencies or signals and wears tinfoil on their head to block 'em. Thing is, aluminum's a metal that actually will block certain signals and works as a Faraday cage in a pinch." She paused. "A Faraday cage is a box or pouch that's radio-frequency proof. Cell signals, radio signals, none of that sh..stuff gets through. We'll show you how to build one but first, we're gonna show you how to build some signal jammers and bug sweepers." Another pause. "Not actual bugs, radio signal spy bugs. I'll show you how to spot a bug or where to look for the places most common for people to hide 'em. We'll make squealers that'll work on a frequency only radio or cell signal will pick up so anyone tryin' to listen will get an earful of feedback."

She began going over the devices, explaining how they worked and where they were best used. Jack then pointed at the various dead tech and launched into a how-to for building these kind of devices on the fly. The students were invited to come try it out, build one for themselves. She'd be there to help. There were also packets with instructions in English and Aurebesh.

While that was going on, she explained Faraday cages and how to build those with either thick aluminum foil or many layers of thin aluminum foil, giving examples for how to hide cell phones and RFID chipped items, as well as how to signal block.

[Open and OCD is up!]
[Apologies for sort of hand-wavey. The one time I don't pre-write.. ugh.]

Jack waited while the class filed in. On her desk was a small square machine that looked like the world's wackiest printer. Because, essentially, it was. Behind it was a photographer rig with a neutral background and some umbrella-looking light diffusers.

"So the last few classes have been about gettin' out of restraints and gettin' a go-bag ready. Today's was supposed to be about dealing with the cops but the sheriff's," pause, "busy dealin' with some personal crap this week so he's punted to later. Today we're gonna talk about fake IDs. Something I am disappointed to find, every student at this school don't already have three of. Mostly kids use 'em for buyin' cigarettes or booze, which I don't condone, but it's always useful to have at least one extra identity. Even if it's one that exists solely for you to be able to burn it."

( Class. )

"If you need some time to do your face or whatever, go do it now. When you come back, be ready to have your picture taken. If you strongly object to having a fake ID, sit and.. I dunno.. read about the Constitution or whatever. It won't affect your grade."

She hopped off the desk and went to set up the camera.

[OCD incoming..]

She'd woken and wheedled Kaidan to play pack mule to help her get all the supplies to class. She was a week off-syllabus but this was what she felt like doing today and Jack thought the students might enjoy this more the first class after Spring break.

Jack had borrowed tables from other nearby classrooms. It wasn't stealing, she had 4th period class and would put them back afterward. On the table were piles of stuff.

CamelBak backpacks in black and tan. Next to them were strips of name tape with the student's names embroidered on one side and velcro on the other to attach to the pack. Some extremely nasty-looking black pocket knives. Folded and laminated maps of the US. A pile of new flour sack towels. Small but comprehensive first-aid kits. Tubular silver metal whistles. Leatherman multi-tools in leather sheaths. Small black LED flashlights. Folded and compact mylar space blankets. Small bottles of water-safe tablets. Little metal tubes with a grit side for the wooden matches contained within. Plain shiny chrome Zippo-style butane lighters. Small metal mess kits - they contained a small alcohol stove and tripod, a mug that could be used as a small pot, a lid that could be used as a tiny frying pan or plate, and a set of silverware. Biffy bags, essentially drybags with a squashed roll of toilet paper, a bunch of single-serve wetnaps, and a pack of what looked like dog poo clean-up bags was inside. There was also a very large pile of both locking and non-locking swing-gate carabiners.

"Welcome back," Jack drawled. "Today we're going to do something low key." She held up a backpack, "You're going to put together what's called a 'go bag'. This is a bag you leave packed and ready somewhere close at hand so you can, as the name suggests, grab it and go. The piles here are things you might need. You only get one of each, except the carabiners." She held one up as an example. "Take as many of those as you think you might need, as long as everyone in class gets some. Oh, and the cotton fabric. There's enough you can each have several of those, too."

Jack held up the knife and flicked it open with a metallic snick. "Yes, I'm giving you knives. No, you are not allowed to cut, stab, slash, poke, or in any way use these to harm your classmates in this class. What you do outside class is your business but I wouldn't suggest doing it then either. These are tactical knives and I'll show you how to use all the bits and bobs on it. Likewise with the Leatherman." She put the knife down and picked up the multi-tool, opening all the little bits for it. She made a face at it. "These things annoy me but I can't deny they're an effective tool."

She went on to explain what all the items were and how they could be used. You might be surprised just how many uses those tea-towels had. Jack spent a few minutes demonstrating how to open canned goods both with the little can-opener widget on the Leatherman but also just with the tactical knife.

"If you want some practice, the Danger Room's been set up for you. The scenario is a survival style - it goes from forest to urban wreckage. You can practice opening cans, building fires, whatever. The packs you build will be replicated in the room for you.

This isn't all you'll put in the bags. You'll also want clothing, food, probably a bedroll or sleeping bag. Spare pare of shoes or boots. Tent or some sort of shelter. That stuff, you're on your own for. The bags and stuff in this room is yours to keep. We'll be getting to the IDs and papers you'll need soon.

If you have questions, I'm here."

She waved an idle hand at the piles.

[ooc is now up.]

The class had been handwavey given notice to meet in the Danger Room. She'd taken some time with the program and searched up images of police officers at various levels from obnoxious mall cops to FBI agents. The simulacrums were standing quietly and blankly against a wall. She'd stuck with Earth law enforcement officers and she'd resisted the urge to make one of Liam or Diaz. Because she was a mature, responsible adult.

The room was scheduled to shift through different scenarios through the class. On a sidewalk, in a mall, at a party, at a protest rally. Twelve minutes each.

When the class filed in, Jack was leaning against a wall with her arms crossed over her chest. She announced lazily, "For the record, what's on your syllabus is the pretty phrasing so administration didn't get twitchy. What you'll be learning today is how to resist arrest. Sort of. You'll be learning what rights you have and what rights the cops have if you ever find yourself questioned by one. The main f..freaking thing to know is: On Earth, you don't have to answer everything law enforcement asks you and you shouldn't. The best thing you can do for yourself is to shut the hell up. The police are not your friends. They're not friendly. They're not there to be your advocate or help you. Not ever; even if you're the one who called them. Even if you think you got nothing to hide."

She pushed off the wall and walked forward. "There's a saying," in criminal circles, "'If no-one talks, everyone walks.' The police gotta prove that there was a crime and then they gotta prove you had something to do with it. Never make it easy for them. Even if you're guilty as hell you but especially if you're innocent. Law enforcement can stop you for any reason or no reason. They can ask questions. There's not that many you gotta answer. You gotta give 'em your name and address if they ask for it or provide your ID if they ask for it. Most of you won't have one." Jack looked over them, "You will by the time this semester's over. We'll get into making them or getting 'em made later. Other than that, there's only a few things you should ever say to law enforcement without your very own lawyer present."

( Class under the cut )

"We're gonna go through various modded or handwaved scenarios for the next 40 minutes. Let you get a chance to test this out before it ever happens for real. You need to jump into at least one but you can do more if you want."

[ocd is..now up.]

The students had been handwaved sent notice to meet at the parking lot on the far side of the causeway. They'd been told to dress for the weather and to wear shoes comfortable for walking in. There was a bus waiting for them. Jack checked them in and then hopped into the driver's seat. She explained about the trip while she drove.

( On the bus, talking about the class today )

She let them think about it until they got to Sandy Springs and the Woodlawn Manor. As she checked them off the bus, she continued.

"For some of you, this class is way too real. I get it. Others of you, this is nothing you've ever had to think about before and it's heavy and I get that too. These last few classes have been to give you a foundation of how laws work. Next week I'm going to run you through how civil disobedience can help change a law. Then? We get into how to resist unjust laws and how to break them when they need to be broken. There's consequences to everything and we're gonna work on how to minimize them and what to do if you can't.

In this country, today's a holiday. It celebrates the life and achievements of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. He was a black man during the era of segregation. He was spearhead for a lot of those non-violent protests and marches we talked about. He insisted that his people stay calm and non-violent and for the most part they did but the violence was done to 'em and it was done bad every time. He gave a famous speech and part of it, the most famous part, goes: "I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: 'We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.'"

Jack was quiet for a moment. "He gave that speech in 1963. In 1968 while organizing another rally, he was assassinated. His dream sounds like a fantasy. For all people to be decent to one another? Pfft. Right. People generally suck. But that's also kind of the great thing about people and a society - they can suck, but they can change. They can be changed. His dream? It's a good dream to have."

Another moment of silence.

"Go on. Get your hike on. If you get cold, come back here to the manor to warm up. There's snacks and hot drinks and stuff. If you need me, I'll be here. Don't worry about the time. It's 4th period, nobody's going to care if we're a little late getting back."

[OCD is up.]

[Link to last class here. Syllabus here.]

[CW TW OMG: Revolutionary War, Civil War, Slavery, Suffragist movement, Civil Rights movement, American Indian movement, Vietnam War and Stonewall riots all under the cut. Language for Stonewall terminology incredibly dumbed down and NOT meant to be reductive but may sound like that, please be kind to yourself before reading. Very long class.]

"Welcome back. Last class, I gave you a brief rundown on laws, justice, and social justice. Today, we're going to talk about what happens when they come in conflict. This planet has some doozies. I'm going to try to stick to the ones that happened in just this country because this country's laws are the ones that'll apply while you're here. It's a good idea for you to know how they came about. Most people here use Wikipedia as their primary information source. Here's what Wiki has to say about Civil Disobedience."

She clicked on the projector and then said, "Again, at the end of class, you'll get a packet with the slides so you can take home and review." Vette's copy was in Aurebesh. The slide clicked on.

Civil disobedience is the active, professed refusal of a citizen to obey certain laws, demands, orders or commands of a government or occupying international power. Civil disobedience is sometimes defined as having to be nonviolent to be called civil disobedience. Civil disobedience is sometimes, therefore, equated with nonviolent resistance.

Jack gave them a minute or two to read it. She pulled out a laser pointer and highlighted the last two sentences. Her expression was grave and possibly a little annoyed. "That part right there? That's utter bullshit." She didn't even fine herself for that one. "While the protesters may start out nonviolent, no effective act of civil disobedience in this country has ever been nonviolent. Either the protesters became violent or violence was done on them but to whitewash it this way and make it sound like the only way a protest is valid is if it's not violent is utter crap written by mealy-mouthed tut-tutters who want people who protest to be ignorable."

She looked at the class, "If you feel strongly enough to protest something, you prepare for violence. History has shown that it's gonna happen on one side or the other. History has also shown that laws about social reform almost never change without violence and the ensuing outcry. Let me give you examples."

( Class )

"The takeaway from all of these is: Quiet, polite protests don't make history. If you want to change the future, you need to make history and that usually involves making an awful lot of noise. Sometimes it even involves breaking the law to change the law."