Dresden Academy

Who: Professors Morse, Rosenthal, Olivier, Montgomery, Walsh, and Dr. Dawkins and Mother Criss
What: Morse and Criss hatch an idea for a summer program for university students. They rope the other uni profs along and stumble onto the idea that maybe they need to have a school wide assembly addressing certain, recent batshit behavior.
Where/When: A boardroom in Dresden Hall. Friday March 16th.
Rating: SFWish (FREE PRESS)


Pete Rosenthal had no idea what he was doing sitting in this stuffy boardroom, assembled with the university professors as if he was one of them. He had in fact started the whole thing, but for the most part since Pepper's graduation he had nothing to do with it. "Technically," Morse argued over the phone earlier in the afternoon, "you are one of us."

He missed his initiation, but it happened right about the time that Hawthorne Nikitin had stumbled out of favor with Gerard Best and became his TA. He supposed that technically that included him in the program, but he only reported to Morse about Thorn's capacity to assist in his classes. He didn't really have an opinion on how their peculiar university program was run or why or how the budget cuts might start affecting their ideas.

Budget cuts were always a big deal and Jillian Hulett never seemed to stop breathing down their necks about it. That was the main concern of Templeton Morse as he sat at the very end of the table, palms flat on its surface. How was he going to convince Jillian to shift some funds or work harder for donations from parents to help fund his little pet project.

He looked across the table and then beyond that to an aged leather chair holding his partner in crime. Mother Criss frowned at him as if she already knew the outcome of this ludicrous meeting. She had a way of getting her way and this summer program idea was going to happen, for Bernadine Ford's sake more than anyone else. Mother Criss would give up next year's salary to help that girl; though she'd never tell another soul.

Dawkins was present, also mildly perplexed. He thought perhaps they were here to discuss the current state of their student body population. The bullying was at an all time high and the weekly breakups seemed twice as melodramatic as they'd been last year. Their students were spiralling out of control and there was little the professors could do to wheel them back in.

The meeting being called at all had been some surprise to Walsh, but he was game to attend. There had been quite a few shake-ups and turn-arounds in the university program over the past year, and it was probably for the best that they meet up and discuss the program as a whole and make sure they were all on the same page with regards to keeping it functioning, and in a capacity that would best benefit the students.

He had made sure to force Clive Montgomery into attending as well-- after all, as of the start of March he was now also one of the university professors, even if only to the value of a single class per week. The surly, humorless teacher agreed to join them in the meeting, but only if it didn't take too much time away from his afternoon-- there was a meeting of the honor society later, and those students deserved his time far more than any wayward subject-hopping university student.

Professor Olivier joined the others somewhat later than expected. She and Maria Morgendorfer had been discussing the sudden and drama-filled turn that the latest cheer practice had wrought and what might be done about it, and she'd lost track of the time. She was the last to arrive to the meeting, and she flew into the room with as much grace as she could manage, taking the last available seat.

Morse looked around and jumped in. The university program had never had a clear leader, perhaps because it was born in the free wheeling mind of Pete Rosenthal who looked entirely uncomfortable and out of place at the table, though he had the most right to be here. "I've asked you all here to discuss the direction of the university program. I've had an idea and it just happens that Mother Criss stumbled upon a similar thought. We'd like to open up an advanced summer session for some of our more... demanding students."

Rosenthal frowned, not knowing what Morse actually meant. "Like university summer camp?"

Dawkins leaned forward in interest; this was a turn of events. "And you think our headmistress will agree to this?"

Walsh snorted inelegantly. "Only if it can be done for free, off-campus, without using any school resources, sure." The cuts made to the school's sporting programs were still fresh in the minds of many. "Were you hoping to rush them through, Templeton? Squeeze in a summer semester and see if we can't inflict them all upon the world a little earlier?" Though the option of accelerated learning was interesting, he didn't quite feel that very many of the university students at Dresden were emotionally mature enough to be let out into general society just yet.

"Money is nothing to concern yourselves with," Mother Criss spoke from the corner. You could hear a pin drop as the others suddenly remembered that she was even in the room. It seemed impossible that anyone would forget her presence, the spectacular printed turban riding her ancient head, the subdued, magenta velvet wizarding robes gracing her deceptively frail looking frame, the polished and peculiarly shaped cane that she leaned on as she pushed herself forward in the chair. This woman was not a forgettable one unless she wanted to be. In that same vein, her words were not to be questioned. "There are students in need. We will find a way."

Morse nodded gratefully to his unexpected compatriot. "Just so," he agreed. "Quite the opposite," he said addressing Walsh's concerns. "As you all know Hawthorne has been no shortage of surprises and challenges this year." He didn't need to rehash it all, and he was certain Hawthorne would trip up again. Morse had a better chance of protecting the boy if he was under his direct supervision at all times. "If he were to study with me this summer he could assist me in the fall and I believe this sort of study would do him a tremendous amount of good."

"Boy needs a good kick to the head," Montgomery interrupted gruffly.

"It's not just about him," Morse rushed on before anyone else could speak. "Mother Criss has a student in mind for summer work."

"That's still only two students. Can we really talk Jillian into keeping the school open over the summer for that?" Dawkins asked sagely. Of course, the less students to contend with would lower the cost of this experiment, but two didn't seem to tip the scales of cost effectiveness over value.

Walsh sighed. Adelaide had expressed interest in leaving school sooner rather than later, and this might prove a useful method of doing so, were she inclined to participate. "Adelaide might be interested," he offered with no small measure of doubt. He was fairly well certain that said desire to finish quickly didn't necessarily equate to sacrificing a summer vacation for it.

"I could see if Carly would like to stay over break," Olivier offered. "But my concern is that providing an optional summer session could disadvantage the students who choose not to participate. It would have to be set up and operated in such a way that it doesn't negatively impact studies for the students who then return after break."

"It might not be a terrible idea to try and rope in some of the incoming university students as well," Walsh mused aloud. "Perhaps offer them some guidelines; a little training on what to expect on their duties as assistants. They're still students, of course, but we're expecting a lot more of them and it might help to outline that and set some boundaries. After all, their extracurricular interactions with friends can impact their shared classes." He was sure that he didn't have to explain that one in detail.

Morse was practically beside himself that other teachers were interested and other students might consider it. "It would put the summer students a semester ahead, or give them that time to work on a subject that's not their intended core focus. Muggle universities do it to allow students to graduate early. It's not as if our university students study in groups. We wouldn't be expanding this program and offering it to the younger students, if that's your concern. It would be for university only."

Then he turned to address Walsh's idea. "That is a spectacular suggestion." It didn't even need to be the whole summer. "We could offer a two week, mandatory boot camp just before school opens in the fall." It would certainly do some good toward the credibility of their program. "We shouldn't need more than that to set out some basic guidelines for behavior and expectations."

"You forget we'd be giving up our summer vacation," Pete interrupted. He got a lot of his own work done during those hot, hazy months.

Dawkins leaned forward. "We could arrange a week long break in the middle. Or whenever, really; whatever you and your student agreed upon. We have the liberty to be more flexible with the way we've set our university up." It had never occurred to him before that such flexibility could be a good thing. Dresden had always been the odd man out when compared with other schools; for once he could see it as an advantage. "It would only interfere with your summer when you had a student who was interested and willing."

Walsh leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms thoughtfully. "I can see Hulett giving thought to the boot camp. The summer study is going to take a great deal of convincing, though. Funding will be a serious issue."

"Ughhhh." Olivier slumped over the table and hit her forehead against the wood gently. "At this point in time, I'd happily tell her to take the funds from cheerleading and cut the entire program. Those girls are out of control."

Professor Montgomery pursed his lips so hard he thought his entire face might cave in. He was trying very hard not to agree with Pilar, because he'd been fighting to take funds from cheer for the honor students for so long anyway. Now was not the time to get into a debate over which programs were entirely unnecessary.

Dawkins didn't want to segue entirely away from the university discussion, but he had seen a general decline in the student population's morale as of late. "Do any of you know what's gotten into them lately? Not just the cheerleaders," he added quickly, realizing he hadn't quite articulated his thoughts. "This seems worse than the usual end of winter slump. It's beyond stir-crazy."

Morse didn't want to get away from the university idea either, but they seemed to settle most of the concerns, enough that he could bring them to Hulett. "I was thinking it was the time of year for it, but they seem particularly vicious toward one another at the moment. I was going to suggest to Professor Setzer that he cut the gossip column for the time being."

"Free Press," Rosenthal said with a hearty laugh. "He'd never go for it."

"Free fuckin' press," Walsh shook his head. "If he keeps that gossip column going, the other students are going to start exercising their right to sue for libel."

Olivier disagreed. "That would take too long. Ripping each other to pieces in the hallways is a much swifter way to exact satisfaction. It's only going to end with someone getting seriously hurt."

"No, then they'll just gossip about that."

Dawkins didn't want to hold an assembly in the grand hall about bullying. He also didn't want the school denigrating into further chaos. "Perhaps I should have all the professors make a list of the most troubled students and pull them aside to speak with them."

"All of the fucking children will be on that list. Some of the professors too, I imagine," Montgomery chortled. "Might as well lock them up in stocks for an afternoon."

Mother Criss cleared her throat. This wasn't the right group to solve this problem, but they'd have to do something about the student body in crisis. "I think an assembly will do the trick. Veer away from bullying," she said looking pointedly at Dawkins. "Perhaps have an open discussion about how out of control they've become. Threaten to take away all of their extracurriculars if it continues." A substantial threat might do it, though she doubted that would resolve the current course of chaos enough. Hulett's head was going to roll before long.

"That's not a viable solution though. Without the out-of-class activities, they'll have more free time to act out and more inclination to do so." It was out of Walsh's mouth before he realized that he'd just started arguing with Mother Criss.

Rosenthal clapped his hands over his mouth so comically that he was grateful all eyes were on Mother Criss for her reaction.

"We would never have to take them away," she pointed out simply. Only the truly gifted hooligans would see through the bluff and they could be handled with a suspension or two. "Perhaps it's about time we start doling out our punishments a bit more generously and stop handing out second, third, and fourth chances."

Morse frowned, considering who his university student was; Hawthorne Nikitin was on his very last of very many extra chances. "When I bring up the summer program idea I'll speak with Jillian about an assembly. I'm sure she's just as worried about our students." For the most part that had the meeting wrapped up. He ushered the rest of the professors out and was about to leave himself when the sound of a singular throat clearing caught his attention.

"You can sell your assembly and if you're very careful you can swing this summer program proposal past her without much of a fight," Mother Criss said quietly. "I'll convince her of the rest, but you have to know there are sharks in the water and it's already getting bloody." She rose with the aid of her cane and moved from the room so effortlessly he didn't think she actually needed the thing.

He was left alone for a moment feeling entirely out of his depth and suddenly aware that there was much more going on behind the scenes than he could ever guess at.