ArchivedLogs:Social Responsibility

Social Responsibility
Dramatis Personae Ivan, Jennifer, Shelby
In Absentia	2013-04-25 '
Location <XS> Classroom One
Desks arranged into neat rows make up this, a fairly typical classroom. Chalkboard in front, teacher's desk in front of that. Windows along one wall look out on the grounds, providing plenty of opportunity for distraction for daydreaming students. Another day, another amalgamation of classes. Students stream in and outside of classrooms. Right now, the keyword is ethics. Specifically, the lesson about to start is Power and Social Responsibility. It is the class taught by one known as Jennifer Walters, although the white board reminds the students of her less flattering nickname. While the pupils find their seats (with a single troublesome pair predictably even having the gall to argue over one), one trickster is abusing the posession of a marker to scribble big and slightly crooked letters that spell SHE-HULK. His timeless masterpiece is soon complemented by a none-too-elaborate stick-man who is most likely supposed to be a stick-woman. It barely resembles a likeness to Jennifer, although perhaps the more bold would argue the poorly drawn face does evoke some sense of similarity. Jennifer herself is yet to arrive, as the class is yet to start, as well. Suffice to say, however, her arrival is imminent. Amateurs. Shelby is surrounded by /amateurs/. As might be expected, her seat is /assigned/ and is, of course, at the front of the room. She claims not to mind this because it gives her more leg room--necessary because of the way she slumps in the seat, rather than any actual height or length of leg. It also gives her a prime view of the board, which is being /profaned/ by ridiculous art. Fortunately, she can handle this. With a bored flick of her fingers, the stick figure...grows two melons on its chest. "Melons". The classroom erupts in laughter as the "artist"s art is hijacked. Also sitting at the front - though more likely by /choice/ - is Ivan. He was early, as usual, and already his desk is littered in different pages of finished homework and opened books gathered from the slightly ragged-looking backpack slung across the back of his chair. Occasionally he spares a glance upward at another student, and the laughter prompts him to look around in confusion. A pointed finger from a student to his left finally leads him to look toward the stick figure. Where his eyes stay, just for a moment, before his attention /flits/ down and to his homework again. Face reddening just slightly and brow furrowing. Didn't see anything, nope. NOPE. It isn't too long before the clicking sound of heels arrives behind the class. The teacher who comes into view may easily have been someone else - Jennifer Walters is an entirely different creature outside the gym. A formal brown office suit conceals the more brutish aspects of her appearance, instead highlighting the more feminine traits, such as her waist or the length of her legs. The student that is responsible for the art on the board rushed to the seat just as the teacher announced her arrival with her footwear, but alas he was not quick enough. Jennifer walks past him, tapping him on the shoulder with her middle finger. "Detention", she announces cheerfully. The board is seemingly ignored. Jennifer places a modest collection of books on top of the nearby desk. It is only then that she breathes in deeply and walks over to the whiteboard. Sigh. "Nah, they aren't /that/ big", she notes with a crooked, judging smirk. The yellow rag is picked up, and then Jennifer faces the class. "Good morning, students", her voice rings sweetly yet loudly. "To those of you confused, this is not art class-- I teach Power and Social Responsibility. Originally, you were going to be re-assigned to Mariot Gall, but apparently the Universe has a cruel sense of humor." As she turns to the whiteboard, the rag is dragged against it to erase the well-endowed stick-woman. Score! It's always a good day when Shelby gets away with shenanigans. Shelbnanigans? Of course, the good day is tempered with Jennifer arriving. The teenager carefully arranges her face in a scowl--these details are important for showing the proper level of disapproval--and slumps just that much more in her seat when Ms. Walters strolls by. If she were to go any more boneless, she'd be a puddle on the floor. While other students titter, Shelby pulls a notebook in front of her. Pencil in hand, she proceeds to ignore the front of the room while doodling. It's as if Jennifer, desk and whiteboard didn't exist! Except...those melons are trying to escape the rag. Zip. Zzzzzzzip. Zzzzip. In contrast to Shelby's threat to melt, Ivan sits up when Jennifer enters! Reporting in to Learn with a capital L, Ms. Walters! The very image of well-behaved. Even if there may just be a tiny little twitch of worry that touches his face when Jennifer walks by him. A twitch that grows into something much, much more obvious when the 'melons' move across the board, and he /instantly/ turns his gaze to Shelby. But even he can't help but be amused, it seems, and a second later he's looking down again in an attempt to just flat-out ignore what's going on. With the tiniest of grins pulling at his mouth, hidden from the front of the class behind a hand pressed to his forehead. He's REALLY FOCUSING on his finished homework, alright. "Shelby, I know the abilities of everyone in this classroom." The tone that Jennifer dons is comprised mostly of amusement, but at the same time it is rigid enough to indeed belong to a teacher. As she turns around to face the class again, her grin is a wide one. "The class will only start when you are kind enough to hand the board over to me, Shelby. That way, if this class fails their homework, they will at least know who to blame." Her voice is the sweetest of the sweet, despite the shark-like intentions. And then she turns to the board again, pressing the rag against its surface, testing. Having already suffered one detention, Shelby is not in the mood to court others. She does sigh, just to register her reluctance to obey, and a sidelong grin is sent winging towards Ivan--even if he isn't likely to see it, with his face covered like that--but eventually she complies. After a long, tense moment of "will she?" But finally the two bodyless globes go bouncing over to sacrifice themselves to the mighty power of the cleaning rag. "Sorry," Shelby says once the ink has disappeared, "it gets away from me sometimes." Ivan's hand stays /right where it is/ to obscure his expression taking a little while to straighten out again. It does so only /after/ he's dared another glance upward to make sure the whole class isn't going to get failed today, and even then there is still a lingering look of amusement pointed in the board's direction. He bites the inside of his cheek to try and rid himself of it, straightening again while his hands search his desk for a pen buried somewhere under a small pile of pages. It is very important he finds it, apparently. Or maybe just that he does not have to look up at the teacher. For a few moments, the class was tense. It's all fun and games until all students present face potentially dire consequences. "That's why you're here, Shelby", the teacher adds sweetly. The two truly are unmatched forces of passive aggression. The whiteboard is scrubbed clean. The rag is tossed to the little shelf at the foot of the board. The class is faced once again. Although her gaze considers all, it trips over Shelby and Ivan. For a moment, her sweetness evaporates. It takes her a moment to restart her pedagogical engine. Fidgeting with her fingers in front of her as many stereotypical teachers tend to do, Jennifer begins. "After reviewing all of your homework, I have noticed a bit of a hitch regarding one of the topics, namely core ethical principles. So, we shall overview them again." Wait, isn't this one of the topics from the homework Shelby and Ivan cheated on? Jennifer picks up a market and scribbles down in her fancy cursive font, 'Four Fundamental Principles of Ethics'. Oh no. If Shelby hadn't been certain before that Jennifer might be up to something, she is /now/. Even Jax had been clear on the whole cheating bad concept. She braces her heels against the floor and shoves herself up in her chair a little more, flopping over the desk with an arm curled around the notebook. If embarrassment is coming, she wants to be ready for it! By hunkering down. Or something. Or maybe she's trying to send secret messages to Ivan, given the way she's staring at him and signaling with her eyebrows. It could be morse code? Or...she could be expressing her dismay through interpretive eyebrow dance. Communication through expression? Ivan's /favourite/. If by 'favourite' you mean 'something he has onsiderable trouble with'. Through what is perhaps a combination of coincidence and curiosity all at once, Ivan looks Shelby's way. His amusement has since been pushed to the back of his mind again, his expression largely blank. And it stays that way, his eyes scanning Shelby's face for anything he might feasibly translate into anything he can understand. He squints, head angling. The word 'what' is mouthed, as he pulls a book up to prop it open onto the desk, obscuring part of his face. Shelby you are a bad influence. "Now, even a quick Google search will turn up a conflicting number of these principles. You might find five, six-- Maybe a hundred." Gone are the colloquialisms, slang and a fiery tone of voice. Jennifer is currently a teacher, and her voice is level and measured, laced with the right measure of softness. "In this class, I am going to teach you /four/." Once her eyes catch sight of Shelby, Jennifer cocks a brow. A cursory glance is flung towards Ivan, almost as though he knew the reason behind Shelby's unique posture and was willing to share it. "Shelby, any further, you'll drop off the chair." It is a passing remark, a quick rhetoric before the lesson continues. "The first principle is the respect for autonomy." Twirling gracefully on her heels, Jennifer faces the whiteboard once more. The tip of the marker rides the surface, guided by expert penmanship. Or penwomanship, if one were to be pedantic. As she writes down the principle, Jen goes on to explain, "Autonomy is Ancient Greek for 'one who gives oneself their own law'. Therefore, this principle illustrates an obligation to respect the autonomy of other people - we have to respect their decisions. This translates to not interfering with the decisions of competent adults, but it also works the other way - we have a duty to morally empower those we are responsible for. The corollary principle for this is integrity." Tick. The marker lands a full stop. Does it help with translating if Shelby rolls her eyes? See, this is the problem--she runs her mouth /so much/ that silent communication is /impossible/. Finally, with a huff, she reaches to separate a sheet of paper from the notebook...only to freeze when her name is heard. Eyes flick towards Jennifer and, perhaps surprisingly, she adjusts herself in the chair. This is just a diversionary tactic though. By being obedient, she wins the chance for Jennifer's back to turn to the class. And then? Then Shelby begins to scribble a note. Or sketch a drawing, really, which when passed to Ivan--quickly, quickly!--proves to be a cartoon version of herself clutching her throat while she chokes. Complete with tongue sticking out and bug eyes. The choking action moves, too! Huzzah! Helpfully, below the drawing, she has drawn an arrow pointing to it with "Me" below that. Notes! Notes notes notes. Ivan manages to eventually turn to the lesson in progress when Shelby sits up, and he's already busy scribbling things down in his notebook when the decidedly un-lessony note arrives at his desk. He accepts it without question and even sort of sneakily slides it onto his desk and halfway under a book cover to make it look less suspicious - he's learning (all the wrong things)! ... More suspicious is the amused exhale that follows. Realising this, his shoulders draw forward and he slides the animated message under the book fully, glancing up let his eyes slide over the text on the board. Paying attention! Yep. Unfortunately for Shelby, he does not seem terrible interested in sending a message back. Or maybe... maybe he is, very slowly tearing a piece of paper off of his own notebook. Alas, nothing is written or passed on just yet. A cursory glance scans the classroom before Jennifer moves on to the next step. Some students are attentive, some are less so, and some are intently watching a raggedy note. Well, only one of them is - Ivan. The amused exhalation is obvious; many students graduate from school never knowing how ridiculously easy it is to spot distracted pupils. As is typical of a teacher, Jen's voice is momentarily raised, demanding attention. "Some of you might find the second principle exceptionally interesting. Some of your powers, after all, could benefit society in unique ways. It is the Principle of Beneficence - the moral obligation to evoke good with our actions, or, if I were to approach this with a famous quote spiel - all it takes for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing." A pause of consideration, then. "/Shelby/." Uh-oh. "Would you care to write down the name of the second principle?" Everyone knows what Jennifer means exactly, and it sure doesn't involve the marker. A feminine hand rises to the board to indicate where the Principle of Beneficence should go. Shelby is far superior to Ivan when it comes to behaving as if she was Up To Nothing. Check it out: she's kicked back, relaxing, not /quite/ shooting some b-ball outside of the school, but possibly considering it. All casual, check. She even pulls on a look of surprise when she's called on, hiking her eyebrows up at Jennifer like "wut?" "Sure, I guess," she says slowly. The problem being that she cannot make something from nothing--so hopefully everyone (except her) has already noted the first principle! It's getting /stoled/. 'Principle' is easy, the letters all bounce over in animated Pixar fashion, jostling and shoving each other to take up residence on the indicated section of board. Beneficence is...slightly harder. 'Autonomy' is yanked over so that Shelby can warp the letters to suit the second word. But. Her spelling is /atrocious/. 'Beneficence' ends up spelled Benuhfisens. Ivan's actually paying attention again now! It might be that part of the lesson is actually getting through to him, a theory his slightly thoughtful stare at the board seems to back up. He slips back into concentration easily once distractions are out of the way. But... when they return in the shape of the letters bouncing across to spell that-- that 'word'? His focus shatters like a glass vase. Getting hit by a speeding car. Again, the inside of his mouth suffers as he /bites down/ on his cheek. Any other day and he may have just frowned in idle disapproval. Today, however, Shelby seems to have infected him with ill-timed amusement instead. Fortunately for Shelby, Miss Walters is not an English teacher. In fact, Jennifer observes the fiery-haired student mangle the first ethical principle to shape the second one. The effort inevitably coaxes a couple of chuckles, so Ivan is not alone. In fact, it looks like the teacher is on the verge of one, as well. Ill-timed? Not so much! "Thank you, Shelby", she coos. Surprisingly, her gratitude actually sounds genuine. With that quirky demonstration out of the way, the yellow rag is snatched off the little shelf and corrections are made; first, Jennifer writes the first principle anew, and then moves to correct Shelby's spelling. "That was a very basic demonstration of what the principle stands for. We are not bound by law to actively commit good, but we are encouraged to do so - by our parents, by our peers, by our /friends/-- But the roots lie /here/." The harmless end of the marker is tapped against the correct spelling of Beneficence. "Moving on. Each principle has a corollary principle-- Think of it as a sub-principle, if you will. A sort of conclusion that the core ethical principle implies. The corollary principle of the first one is integrity. Here? It is to actively /prevent harm/, whether it comes from an abstract source or another human being. Can anyone tell me what relation that has with the first principle, the Principle of Autonomy? What's the catch?" Yeah, yeah, Shelby's spelling sucks. She knows it and she rolls her eyes at the snickers. "Like to see you assholes try to jimmy a lock," she mutters--/very/ softly. But there's a lack of heat in the words and when she glances again, her lips have curled in a faint smile. Jennifer's thanks gets a quick salute, two fingers tipped away from her forehead. Any time, pardner. As for the question, well...such things are better left to people who might know. Like Ivan. Ivan knows! Distractions do not prevent him from being that annoying kid who /always knows/. Though he does wait and look around for a second, only to see what he can only assumng is students pretending not to know. "Trying to prevent harm--" He starts, before lowering the book he had up before, and looking to Jennifer with his shoulders pushed back, "--does not always mean other people can be allowed to make their own decisions. Some times this freedom has to be taken away." A little rehearsed, a little mangled with his accent, but it's clear by his intonation that he hasn't just memorized it. "There is conflict." As she waits for an answer to be given, the thick marker spins between her fingers. Those keen emeralds sharply observe the class room, seeking out and challenging a student to answer the question. When Ivan's answer arrives, the marker ceases to twirl. Jennifer's attention fixates on Ivan, listening to him intently, as is the rest of class. None had the gall to answer the question, not only because of the teacher's usual demeanour, but also because of her recent endeavours. Everyone was afraid to be wrong. Everyone but Ivan. The intent gaze that Ivan is on the receiving end of might almost suggests he is wrong. But the kid's confidence is not misplaced. "Absolutely correct, Ivan." For a fleeting moment, one might have assumed a different end to that sentence. "To the last letter." Her features brighten, but she turns to the board to hide her widening grin. "Contrary to what comics might tell you, Batman is not an ethical superhero - he may not /kill/, but he is a destructive force that often leaves his victims crippled for life. Sometimes, we may have noble intentions and think we are doing the right thing, but ultimately we impose upon others." That sounds awfully suggestive of something. The next principle is jotted down as Jennifer continues. The board reads, 'The Principle of Non-Maleficence'. "Nerrrd." This is practically inaudible, breathed as it is from Shelby to Ivan. It's good-natured ribbing though, or so she tries to convey by giving him a grin--before slapping on the bored expression again, should Jennifer's eyes turn her way. If the message being conveyed by the lecture is getting through...it does not show. She just hikes her eyebrows up at the board where their teacher is writing something she's almost /certain/ is not Real Words. The grin is caught! And, while not returned immediately, sends Ivan's attention downward again, to the note he had previously torn off. He writes quickly, his handwriting its usual mess of scratches, and it finds its way onto Shelby's desk after an /almost/ practised fake stretch of an arm. It reads... 'autonomy = you insulting ms walters - beneficence = behaving because she may crush everyone if you do'. Next to it, a green face. Like this: >8( Shelby is most definitely not the only one who doubts the validity of the written word. Jennifer is aware. "Non-Maleficence", she says, carefully enunciating the word, turning to face the class again. "I know what you might be thinking, but it /is/ an actual word. This ethical principle is most prominent in law practice, although it takes on different forms in 'legalese'. Here, it simply translates to the moral obligation to do no harm. Consequently, it branches out to multiple corollary principles - where harm cannot be avoided, we must minimise it; the risk of harm should never be willfully increased; you should strive to use your resources for good; finally, combining the principle of beneficence and non-maleficence, we arrive to the important conclusion that each action must produce more good than harm." "If you have ever found yourself wondering if you have done the right thing that led to negative consequences, you probably have also asked yourself if the cost was worth it. Here's an example. If you're riding in a car with your friend who is not wearing her seatbelt, and an absent-minded pedestrian walks out onto the road-- If you abruptly stop the car, you risk injuring your friend. If you don't, you risk injuring the pedestrian. These are the ethical quandaries we face every day; all that differs is the scale." The board is subjected to further writings. If she is aware of Ivan's note-passings, she does not show it. "Last principle, guys, we're almost there", she suggest supportively. 'Principle of Justice' is written down. Thank god for notes, because the content of the board is causing Shelby's eyes to glaze over. Ivan's confidence at least makes /some/ sense--even if it causes her to roll her eyes after she reads it. It's also a good thing that Jennifer has more to write, because Shelby is already picking up her pencil to jot a return note. La la la, nothing to see here, she looks like she's taking actual notes on the class subject... Except when the paper is underhand-passed back to Ivan, it does not contain much in the way of ethics. It says, 'big suprise im in truble agin yay this is all BS rite? reel world dusnt work lik this.' Ivan divides his attention between the board and Shelby's note equally - not that Jennifer still wouldn't be able to tell despite his straight back and obedient glances upward, but at least he's copied down what's on the board before staring on another note! Another strategic wait follows, until Jennifer turns her back, then QUICKLY-- flung onto Shelby's desk. A little too enthusiastically this time, and it nearly flies over. Ivan stiffens as he turns to face forward again, eyes wide. Whoop. Nothing to see here. The note, meanwhile, reads, 'mr. jackson wants me to try tutoring. maybe you can be practice? I would like it if you did not fail' Below that, two letters, one of which waiting to be circled or crossed through: Y/N "The Principle of Justice". The resoundingly pronounced words fill up the classroom. "No silly long words this time. This principle tells us that we are obliged to provide others only with what they are owed and/or deserve. Nothing more, nothing less. This is arguably the most difficult principle to put to practice. In every day life, it teaches us to treat everyone equally, fairly and without bias." That's odd. She's not quite /writing/ something down. Jennifer Walters is drawing. "The corollary principle here?" Her voice grows strangely sterner and louder. "Impose no unfair burdens", she announces, each word punctuated with a meaningful pause. When Jennifer steps away to face the class, she reveals a circular door with an X. Above it, the words read DANGER ROOM in capital letters. "Only three people failed their homework last week. One of them cheated. Another one /helped/ the first cheat." No guesses as to who those are. With all the attention on Shelby and Ivan - including Jennifer's - note-swapping might become more difficult at this point. "The third person went so far as to misunderstand what Social Responsibility is. That person is not among you. It was me." Gasp! Jennifer walks closer to where Shelby and Ivan are seated. "You two cheated. /And/ you're more interested in exchanging notes than class. But that pales in comparison to what I did. I owe you an apology." Shelby is caught in the very /act/ of circling one of those letters. Which one? There's no way to tell because the instant Jennifer turns around, she slides her hand over that section of paper! Nooo, a mystery inside a mystery! The woman giving the lecture is observed with a mingled sense of resentment and wariness, neither of which are very charitable, nor just. But she studies her all the same beneath beetled brows. And when the revelation is made that Jennifer done fucked up? When she claims to owe an apology? Well then. The ginger teen rests back in her chair and hooks her elbow over the back of the seat, watching (and listening) expectantly. Nnooo, obscured note! When Jennifer comes to what appears to be the /meat/ of the lesson, Ivan's attention seems to have trouble settling on any one thing for a moment-- Shelby, the note, or the teacher. But then said teacher continues speaking, and... he just smiles, staring at both of them in turn. It's a meek little smile that he doesn't seem quite sure he should be smiling, but it's there. "See?" He promptly exclaims, continuing with what might prove utter nonsense for anyone but Shelby, "/Real world/." "I am deeply sorry for what I put you through, you two. While I firmly stand by the belief that you two did better than most are willing to give you credit for--" Jennifer's gaze rises away from both Shelby and Ivan. "In fact, I believe I've overheard a student or two calling you - what was it again? /Badass/?" A few whispers rise up in class, but it's a bit difficult to make out the words. Turning sideways, Jennifer gestures towards the whiteboard. "Despite that, the principle of non-maleficence is here to remind us that we are not only /not allowed/ to do harm, but should harm manifest itself, good should outweigh it. In your case, it most definitely did not. I have broken whatever measure of trust you had placed in me, and it is now my obligation to restore it." Pause. "With your permission, of course. Wouldn't want to impede the /first/ principle." A smirk pierces through Jennifer's formerly serious demeanour. Wait, what? People have /heard/ about what happened in the session? Shelby's face almost immediately goes blood red. It isn't often that she does blush but when it happens, it's /vivid/. In short, she is not really buying the label of badass. Which makes it likewise difficult to tell if she's actually accepted the apology. Instead she stares at Jennifer for a long, long moment, wearing her blandest possible teenager face...and then deliberately slides the note back over towards Ivan. This...is why she has such a reputation as a tough nut to crack. But hey, check it out, she circled Y. "Thank you, Ms. Walters." It is not often Ivan speaks for someone-- in fact, this may be the first time. He does, however, cast a quick glance to Shelby as though just to make sure it's not out line, however. But then there's a note. And he's quick to accept it, perking up a little when he sees the answer, leaving it plain as day on his desk. He even looks to Jennifer afterward, smile growing. ALMOST as if challenging her to take a peek at this last, shining example of /misbehaving/ that is the note. A heavy sigh does little to break the looming silence. Still, at least her apology was not rejected. Jackson's words ring in her head. That's on her, he said. Apologies are not meaningless, he said. The conflict brewing inside of her is understandably difficult to pick up by teenage students; she is, after all, a creature of the court. The teacher moves away from the students, off towards the desk. Surprisingly enough, she has decided to look past this particular round of note-passing, even if it is followed by, "Okay, enough with the notes, you two. Theatrics are over, time to stress your noggins, everyone. We will practice some thought experiments. Open your books, page 43." Wait, that's it? Seems like it. No reprimanding, no threats of further detention or, God forbid, another session in the Danger Room. The students seem to have calmed down entirely, by now. There is an odd sense of serenity that envelops class. There are no whispers that discuss what happened in the Danger Room. The rustling of book pages and the soft voice of Jennifer Walters is all that can be heard.