A study in Mutant Education (Cullen's, etc)

[Stern]

It's an education class. It's a MWF without the F. Two hours out of the week! How cool is that?

Stern kept thinking about what his roommate had said the semester prior. It was an introductory class on teaching, designed to initiate would-be teachers into the dark, tumultous world of teaching in the public school system.

So naturally, Stern wasn't learning anything.

Most of the time he sat in the back corner with a notebook and a pen, working on philosophy or literature. It didn't matter how he participated in the so-called "class." The teacher nearly always accepted any answer any student gave him.

GPA booster indeed.

Until one day (it was a Wednesday), the teacher managed to put a hook in his ear with their next long-term assignment.

Investigate a topic that has been difficult to address in the current school system. Write a paper and prepare to present your findings to the class.

The students were immediately buzzing about special needs children, children from broken homes, discipline in the schools.

No one seemed to take interest in the obvious topic: Mutants in the public school system.

Perhaps that one was just too controversial.

"Time to shed some light on the situation," Stern said, and wrote himself a note in the margin of the notebook.

That evening at work, Stern turned to good friend Google and got the contact information for Cullen's School for the Gifted. It wasn't too far from campus by bus or car, and he did have Fridays off. It had been hard for the sophomore to arrange all TR classes, but it had been worth it.

Once he pulled up the relevant information, he sent an e-mail to the person in charge of campus visitation, etc.

Dear Sir/Ma'am,

My name is Michael Stern. I'm a sophomore at ESU, currently with undeclared major. This semester I am taking an introductory course in Education, in which the professor has assigned the topic of researching a controversial topic that the school system has difficulty addressing.

Being a person who experienced high school as a mutant, I have first-hand experience about the difficulties involved in being a mutant in school. I wanted to spend a good bit of my time researching this project on one solution that has done a better job addressing the problem of mutant education than most: Cullen's School for the Gifted.

I think it's no secret that the school was founded specifically for mutant children to learn, and I wanted to see the school for myself.

Granted, I think most people would find an approach that integrated mutants with the rest of human kind, but at the moment, Cullen's certainly strikes me as the best solution given the current social circumstances.

I would like to see the school when it is in session. It would be more helpful to me to see how the classes are actually run. I was hoping to visit on a Friday within the next two or three weeks.

I look forward to hearing from you at your earliest convencience.

Sincerely,

Michael Stern

"Here goes nothing," He said as he clicked the SEND button. Now there was nothing left to do but wait.<o></o>

[Natalia Fedorov]

There was only a days delay in a reply arriving.

Mr. Stern,

In response to your request, the administration of Doctor Cullen's Institute would like to extend to you an open invitation to our school. Arrangements have been made for you to shadow a member of the teaching faculty, who will provide you with a tour of the schools grounds and provide you with access to a number students and staff members who you may question.

I have enclosed directions and details of transportation links to the school. We look forward to your arrival.


***


Two weeks later...

Friday morning classes were coming to much-welcomed end. Sunlight was streaming through the classroom windows and the last thing any of the students wanted to think about was how to correctly conjugate a verb. When the dinner-bell rang, they were on their feet in seconds. As they stampeded towards the door, Professor Fedorov sighed.

“Remember,” she called after them. “Monday, test. Use your weekend wisely!”

She glanced down at her watch; five minutes to go. She packed up her bag and departed for the schools entrance, where she was to meet Michael Stern. As she stepped out into the sunlight, her body shimmered, her business-like teaching attire being replaced by a summer dress and sandals.

[Stern]

Michael Stern stepped off the bus a few blocks away from the Cullen's Institute. His attire was somewhat business casual. Since his mutation, his skin seemed to change its mind on whether or not he was pale or tan.

The best he could tell was that his tan indicated a "full charge" while pale skin meant he was "running on empty." It had taken him awhile to realize that his powers were dependent on sunlight.

Today was a "full charge" day, which meant Stern was veritably bronze. Therefore he had gone with a set of khaki pants and a black button-down shirt. His belt, socks, and sneakers were all black.

The bright sun required Stern to wear his tinted goggles. In fact, the only time he didn't wear them was when he slept or in pitch darkness. His eyes had grown extraordinarily photo-sensitive over the years as his mutation developed.

Stern stopped in front of the school's main entrance, taking in the look of the campus from the street. It was pretty. ESU was a nice school, but the campus was big and sprawling. This smaller campus would have suited Stern much better.

In a few minutes Stern noticed a woman in a dress and sandals walking in his direction. He adjusted his backpack (where he always kept his notebook), and prepared to introduce himself.

[Natalia Fedorov]

“Michael Stern?”

When he responded, Natalia smiled politely and they shook hands. The school had given her no physical description of her charge for the day, so she was pleased that they had found one another so quickly.

“I am Natalia Fedorov. Welcome to Dr. Culllen's.”

[Stern]

"Thank you, Ma'am. I appreciate you having me. So what happens first?"

He followed her past the front entrance towards the buildings that made up the campus.

"This is a beautiful place. It's exciting to be here."

[Natalia Fedorov]

“First, we will pick up your visitor pass. You have some kind of identification, yes?”

As they entered the school proper, they saw scores of children moving through the corridors. The entrance hallway seemed to be a busy thoroughfare, with students moving in all directions. Natalia led her guest to the front desk, where he could pick up his pass for the day. The clip-on I.D. was already made and waiting. She gave Michael a moment to set himself in order before speaking once more, her Russian accent now all the more obvious.

“Lunch is for the next forty-five minutes, then I have two more classes. First, foreign languages; second, ethical studies. There is free period between classes, when I can take you to see other professors, or to interview students. I can take you now to the cafeteria if you like, to eat and discuss what you would like to learn today?”

[Stern]

Stern produced a driver's license and his student ID. Once he recieved his guest badge, he clipped it to his shirt.

"Lunch is good. I can speak to some of the faculty over lunch and then talk to the students during the free period. Or vice versa."

Stern was quick to notice the school looked like most schools in many ways. There were rooms clearly marked for certain classes and teachers, but there was a notorious absence of lockers.

"I heard the students actually all live here on the campus? And the teachers as well? How does that dynamic work out?"

[Natalia Fedorov]

“Yes, this is true. The living areas are divided into male and female wings. Staff have a separate area to stay.”

Natalia paused, side-stepping to avoid a rather large student approaching from the opposite direction. His body was made of what looked like stone and with each step he shook the ground beneath him. When he spotted Natalia, he gave what she looked to be a craggy smile.

“It's not so bad. There is a curfew for students and most of them keep to it. Of course there are some who do not appreciate rules, but that is always the case. With so many of them together, mischief is inevitable.”

[Stern]

"Naturally. Super-powered kids who are encouraged to learn and use their powers. Someone's bound to be up to shenanigans."

Stern waved at the rock kid. "Wouldn't want to square off against him in football."

Stern bumped shoulders with a young woman and felt a small static shock.

"So class happens all day like at other schools, I guess. Or is the schedule arranged more like a college campus? Do kids choose areas of study specifically, or is it more like other high school curriculums?"

[Natalia Fedorov]

“Ah...”

Again, she paused. Natalia was not exactly an expert on the American education system. She was not a teacher by profession, after all; her background lay in the military. She'd left school when she was only sixteen.

“Generally, we try to encourage students in areas that they are already strong in... sports, academics, everyone has their talent. The older the children, the more freedom they have in their studies. Some classes are compulsory, such as those designed to help them gain control of their powers.”

[Stern]

Stern nodded. "Is there any chance that I might be able to sit in on or participate in one of those classes? I think that would be the icing on the cake for this project."

The cafeteria was close. Stern could smell the food. He wondered what it would be like. Maybe it would be better than the food they served at his high school and maybe even his college. Or maybe it would be the same old stuff.

"I reckon the teachers and faculty sit together, apart from the students?"

[Natalia Fedorov]

“Sometimes... not always. In an environment like this, staff and students can become close quite easily.”

The dining hall was vast, though by no means full yet. There were groups of students sat together and, apart from them, there were lone diners who appeared older than the others, most likely teachers. They joined the line with the others, each picking up a dinner tray.

“I think it should be okay for you to join one of the mutation development classes later this afternoon,” she added.

A factoid that John Rhee had shared with her sprung to mind, and she decided to share it.

“They can be a little... volatile, but the school gymnasium has been adapted to accommodate for any mishaps.”

[Stern]

Stern shrugged. "Volatile comes with the territory. Learning limits is always dangerous."

Stern turned the tray over in his hands a few times while waiting in line. "So what's your special ability?"

[Natalia Fedorov]

Natalia smiled a little; the question was inevitable. She turned back to face Stern, and as she did so, it was as if her body rippled like water disturbed by a pebble. In an instant, he entire appearance had changed, so that she looked absolutely identical to Michael. When she spoke, her voice was his, right down to the American accent.

“It's not as dangerous as some – and what about you, Mr. Stern?” she asked, her appearance reverting once more to its normal state. “What is it you do?”

[Stern]

Stern shook his head and blinked a few times. He even pulled up his goggles and rubbed at his eyes before putting the protective lenses back on.

"I generate light. You can't tell during the day or in a brightly lit room, but I actually glow a little in the dark. I can also project beams of light from my hands like a flash light, and if I cup my hand I can focus the beam a bit to burn things, like some kids do with a magnifying glass."

Stern tapped at his goggles. "My eyes are also very photo-receptive to the point where I can't take these off unless I'm in near total dark. If I shine bright enough, I can blind myself, so that's a problem."

Stern chuckled. "My hair is clear, and I grow paler the less energy I have. I think my skin actually turns translucent when I project beams of light, but I can never tell."

Stern pulled some silverware from their respective containers and grabbed a small stack of napkins. "The hair and the eyes happened a year or two ago. My pupils kept getting bigger and bigger and my hair looked like a poor dye job until suddently it was no longer brown. I found out it was clear when I was experimenting with the color spectrum. Apparently I can manipulate light that way too."

At last, it was time to get food. "It's hard for me to test if I can handle the invisible spectrum of light. You know, UV rays and such. Kind of makes me wish I had been able to come here as a student. Maybe I'd know these things."

[Natalia Fedorov]

It was a unique power, one which Natalia had never encountered before. From his description of what he was capable of, Stern was fortunate to have survived it seemingly unscathed.

“There is always time to learn more about yourself. You're never too old for that.”

Natalia picked out a green salad, some bread rolls and a bottle of water. She glanced at Michael as they made their way to the dinner tables.

“Some of the faculty arrived here without understanding their abilities. Everyone is offered help, as long as they are willing to ask for it.”

[Freight Train]

"I hear some kids came here without asking for it," chimed in a voice from behind. Freight Train had been listening in from behind Stern in line, and caught up to the pair now to throw in her two cents, whether they were needed or not. "There's this one red-headed girl who won't shut up about it. Then there's the kids who came here because they felt like they didn't have a choice."

[Stern]

"Yeah?" Stern asked the girl. "What do you mean, they felt like they didn't have a choice? I'm Stern, by the way."

Stern looked down at his tray as he took a seat at an empty table. It turned out he hadn't been paying terribly close attention to what he was taking for himself and wound up with steak and gravy, orange slices, spinach, and some sort of dessert that he guessed was a pudding.

"How do you feel about the school?" he asked.

[Freight Train]

"Freight Train," she responded. "Uh...they came here because they felt like they wouldn't be accepted anywhere else? Like, they didn't have any other option?" She cracked open her little milk carton and cut off a piece of her own steak and gravy with a fork. "School is school. It's boring like normal school, has class and gym and crap like normal school, but I live here, so I get to be bored of school all the time." She shrugged.

[Natalia Fedorov]

Natalia sat quietly, listening to the two of them chatting. What the 'Freight Train' girl had said was very true. Everyone had their reasons for being at the institute, some more willingly than others.

“Some of the children do not embrace their identities as mutants, they carry with them the prejudices of society... but with time here, most overcome these misconceptions.”