#Specifically one of these was about tuition for university in the US and I was told that even though it's so high

[vaguely-functional-directions]

It's like when someone says something that you don't agree with but don't know specific facts to really be able to disagree (?) and also do not want to get into a debate

[anexperimentallife]

If you need to get out of the US, READ THIS:

Again, if you need to get out of the states and have a location-independent source of income (because on the easiest-to-get visa you won't be able to work here--SSDI or regular social security works, but not SSI), we can help with the logistics of getting settled in the Philippines and make local introductions in Baguio. English is one of the two official languages of the Philippines, too, so although you're encouraged to learn Filipino, Tagalog, and/or Illocano, you can get by with English.

(And I hate that this needs to be said because of today's mercenary culture, but OF COURSE WE'RE NOT CHARGING ANYTHING. I'm just sorry we're not in a position to offer financial help to others.)

It's not perfect here (especially with all China's sabre-rattling), but at least for now, it's safer and freer than the US, especially if you're queer or an ethnic minority. We've been here going on seven years, and I've helped one person get out already, so I know what to do and how to do it. Also, although marriage laws have not caught up yet, queer folks are generally more accepted here than in the states.

As far as mechanics go--As a US citizen you get an automatic 29-day tourist visa on arrival, and can keep getting extensions for up to three years, at which point you board a cheap (often less than 100 dollars) round-trip flight to Kuala Lumpur or Singapore, and start your three years over again. (You cannot work on a tourist visa, though, hence the need for location-independent income.) There may be other options depending on your specific situation, but ANYONE from the US can do the tourist visa thing.

The local immigration office here in Baguio is incredibly helpful and sympathetic, and went above and beyond the call of duty for us during our daughter's citizenship fiasco. Everyone there is friendly and helpful, but we'll be happy to introduce you to our contact there just for extra comfort.

I'll post some relocation tips in a day or so, but in general, a single person, or even a couple, can get by on 600 USD a month here with some budgeting and giving up some Western luxuries. 1K USD puts you (as a single person) firmly in lower middle class. You can have fresh produce from the wet market delivered to your door for about a third of what it would cost at the local supermarket, and as for eating out, you can find budget meals for around 2 dollars--some with unlimited rice--if you shop around a bit. Public transit is ubiquitous, and costs literally pennies to use, and taxis start at about 75 cents. (This is all for Baguio, a popular tourist destination city--things are even less expensive if you live out in a small town or in the country--and I've converted to US currency for better clarity.)

Birth control and plan B are available over the counter (birth control pills start at about a dollar for a month's supply), and if you need to terminate a pregnancy, Thailand is close--with no one threatening you upon your return.

Now, on this next part I can't make promises, but we'll also be looking into what it would take to open an English school here to sponsor work visas for folks who want to get out, but who don't have a portable income. (Although as indicated above, English is widely spoken here, it's not the same dialect as anywhere else in the anglosphere, so some schools hire a single qualified American, Brit, or Aussie, as a bragging point, and they focus on people here on spouse visas that allow them to work, so they won't generally sponsor work visas--so I imagine a school with ONLY US-raised instructors would do well.) The English schools here mostly serve foreigners (especially Koreans) attracted to the Philippines' lower cost of living, and there are enough who want to study here that another school would only be adding to the local economy, and not putting any locals out of work.

As for your own education, tuition for a semester at University of the Philippines Baguio campus was about 900 dollars last time I checked.

More later.

[mrsjellymunson]

The Biology Tutor | Extra Credits 02

Extra Credits 02: FRENCH

Series masterlist

Prev: Lesson 1: Female Anatomy | Lesson 2: Male Anatomy | Extra Credits 01: Communication Skills Next: Independent Study 01: Art | Independent Study 02: Creative Writing | Lesson 3: Human Reproduction

Pairing: virgin!Eddie Munson x fem!tutor!reader

Series summary: Eddie’s failing Biology class, so you decide to offer two different styles of tuition, textbook-based and *ahem* practical.

Chapter summary: You give Eddie a French lesson.

WC: 2.9k

CW: 🔞 18+ MDNI! This part isn't explicit, but the rest of the series is, so MDNI!! Fluff, kissing, mentions of arousal.

A/N: This takes place between Extra Credit 1 and Lesson 3. It’s an added extra to The Biology Tutor series.

My masterlist

Despite your best efforts to keep things cool, you and Eddie’s relationship at school has shifted.

Eddie will greet you with a cheery, “Heeey, Princess”, whenever you pass in the corridors, and you’ll sometimes give him a cheeky wave in the lunchroom. You both flush a little whenever your eyes lock, thinking about all the intimate stuff you’ve done together over the past days and weeks.

Thankfully, as yet none of your friends have noticed the way you’ve started to giggle a little more loudly at Eddie’s antics on the lunch tables, or the way he shoots you cheeky glances to check that you’re watching. Each of your social groups would likely have something disparaging to say, and you’d prefer to avoid that kind of attention for the time being.

You’ve become even more aware of your physical proximity in Biology class. Even though you could probably reach out and touch each other (and you would really, really like to do that…) you try not to draw too much attention to yourselves.

You’re finding it hard to keep your focus on the front, knowing that Eddie’s sitting inches away behind you. But you revel in the fact that he’s there at all (and is, in all likelihood, checking out your ass).

At the end of class, Mr Clarke calls you over.

“I wanted to thank you for your efforts regarding the private tutoring. Mr Munson’s work has certainly improved since you began, as has his class attendance, which is remarkable in and of itself. And he seems to have become more enthusiastic about the human biology aspect of the syllabus too, which is… unexpected, but really good to see.”

He looks off to one side, momentarily bemused, but recovers quickly and continues,

“Nevertheless, there is a big test coming up which, as you know, makes up a sizable proportion of your grade. I would very much like to see Mr Munson do well. I was hoping that you might help him prepare, and in the hopes that you’d agree, I’ve already booked private study room 2C in the library specifically for this purpose.”

You know the library well, and the one he’s describing is a particularly quiet one, located at the back of the rarely-used reference section. If you can get Eddie to join you, it’ll be the first time you’ve ever been alone with him at school. You experience a frisson of excitement at the thought.

You readily agree, figuring that even if that wasn’t reason enough, getting further in the good graces of Mr Clarke wouldn’t necessarily be a bad thing. However, you do think convincing Eddie to relinquish his entire lunchtime might be another matter entirely.

You approach him in the lunchroom, managing to get to him before his usual table fills up with nerds. He was initially aghast that you were anywhere near him, but once he realised nobody was really interested he listened to your proposal.

“You seriously do this shit voluntarily?” is his only response, until you mention, more quietly, how it would mean spending an entire hour in a small, isolated room. With you. Alone.

Suddenly, he’s all for it, packing up his stuff as you exit ahead of him. He extols the virtues of ‘accepting with grace the assistance the universe offers you’ to the smattering of confused Hellfire boys before hightailing it out of the hall, stuffing pretzels into his mouth as he goes.

You reach the study room first, and are already setting out books and pencils as Eddie barrels in. He practically skids to a halt, and ambles towards you, rubbing the back of his neck and trying to act nonchalant.

“Hey, Princess.”

He plops his bag onto the tabletop, and as he gestures to the empty seats next to you and across the table, he drops his voice to a lower timbre as he asks you,

“So, uh, where do you want me?”

Thanks to his mildly suggestive question, an image flashes across your mind of perching him, naked, on the edge of the table and climbing atop him, but you quickly shake it.

You tap your hand on the seat next to you, and he enthusiastically flops himself down in it. He sits up straight, clasping his hands in his lap, theatrically attentive.

As he’s already managed to fluster you, you decide to fluster him right back.

“You’re so good at doing what I tell you, Eddie. I like that.”

Eddie’s cheeks flush pink and he swallows hard. It worked.

It doesn't take long for you to go over the test questions. Eddie’s picked up more than he’d thought from the parts of your sessions where you’d actually studied, and he flies through most of it, only getting stuck on a couple of gnarly chemistry formulae. What’s more, he actually looks like he’s having fun, gaining genuine satisfaction from answering your questions correctly and beaming as you let him know,

“That’s it, Eddie! You’ve got it!”

You can’t tell whether it’s the academic achievement, or the broad smiles and encouragement that you’re giving him, that’s his biggest driver, but at this point you’ll take either as a win.

You've gradually started sitting closer as the session has gone on. You’ve scootched to the edges of your seats, and your elbows and knees are gently knocking together. You can feel Eddie’s breath on your cheek as he jabs at his test total on your pad, screwing up his face and making a fist with his other hand in triumph. You’re genuinely thrilled for him, and not just because the very idea that you could be the reason for those gorgeous dimples popping makes your tummy flip.

Checking your watch, you realise you have a few minutes left before you have to leave, and there’s another new ‘skill’ that you’ve been thinking about trying with him.

Once all your supplies are back in your bag, you check the time again before asking,

“Eddie, would you like to try another quick practical session?”

He looks around the room, eyebrows disappearing into his bangs.

“What, here? Now?”

“Yes, but not like our, um, previous sessions. Something less… involved.”

“Okay, but what is it?”

“Eddie, I hope you don’t mind me asking you this, but have you ever kissed anyone?”

He looks a little abashed as he answers,

“Umm, does kissing your relatives on the cheek count?”

You can’t help smiling at his cute admission.

“For the purposes of this discussion, I’m gonna say no.”

He looks self-conscious, maybe even a little ashamed. Staring at the edge of the table, he clears his throat before replying,

“Then, uh, no.”

Not wanting him to feel uncomfortable, you reassure him,

“That’s okay, Eddie. It’s nothing to be embarrassed about.”

After a beat, you continue,

“Would you like to try it? With me?”

“What?”

“Would you like for us to kiss, Eddie?”

His eyes become locked on your mouth. He swallows audibly, eyes shining with want.

“Umm, yeah. Yes. Yes, I absolutely would, Princess.”

“Just so I know how far you want to go, would you like us to… French kiss?“

“You mean… W- with, y’know, tongue?”

“Yes, Eddie. That’s exactly what I mean.”

“Are you okay with that? I mean, you don’t have to…”

Shaking your head a little, you reassure him,

“I’m the one who suggested it, Eddie!”

He looks down at his hands, now clasped again as he rubs his thumbs together.

“Only if you’re sure. I might be awful at it.”

“Well, that’s why we practice, right? So, first of all, we need to get a little closer…”

You turn your seat so you’re facing him directly, encouraging him to do the same. You pull your seat forwards, slotting your knees between his. You see his eyes scanning your face, and his fingers fidget, suggesting he’s not really sure what to do with them.

“You can rest your hands on my legs if you’d like, Eddie.”

He does so, but not without a little trepidation, and you see him swallow again.

“Just relax. I’m not gonna bite you. Not this time, anyway.”

You give him what you hope is a cheeky smirk. He smiles shyly, not sure where to look when you’re this close to him. Nervously, he licks his lips. The sight makes your thighs clench.

“Close your eyes and relax, Eddie. I’m gonna start with a quick peck.”

“O- okaaaay.”

He does as you ask, and you spend a few moments appraising him before you lean into his space. He looks angelic, his wild curls framing his pretty face and his rosy pink lips looking soft and inviting.

You turn your head slightly so your nose will slide past his, close your eyes, and ever so slowly connect your lips with his. Pursing them a little, you press forwards, and you hear a slight intake of breath.

You said it was going to be quick, but you’re enjoying the feeling so much you relish in it for a few moments. Eddie’s lips are plump, warm, and just a little moist from where he’s licked them. A tiny amount of stubble tickles your top lip. He smells of old leather, some kind of spicy cologne and vanilla chapstick, with a hint of cigarettes and weed. It’s a heady scent you could easily get lost in.

Gathering yourself, you pull back, rolling your lips inwards to taste him.

Eddie still has his eyes closed. If you’re honest he looks like he’s about to faint. Even after all you’ve done together you’re still a little nervous, and you’re suddenly mortified that he found it repulsive.

You did remember to brush your teeth this morning, didn’t you? Did you eat garlic last night and forget? Do you have spinach in your teeth, even though you definitely haven’t eaten spinach in weeks??

“H- how was that, Eddie? Did you like it?”

Suddenly, his eyes pop open. His lips part a little and he nods his head quickly, causing his chestnut locks to bounce around his face. He stares at you for a few more moments before he manages to say in a tiny, cracking voice,

“More? Please?”

You smile widely, and lean in again.

This time you move a little, pursing and softening your lips, changing their position slightly to find out what he likes, slotting them in different places.

To your surprise, this time Eddie starts to kiss you back. His plump lips press against yours and the tiniest moan emanates from his chest. He’s tentative at first, but as he gains in confidence he presses a little harder, and moves a little more.

Your lips move in sync as you rhythmically purse and relax them.

Eddie exhales heavily, and more than a little shakily, through his nose, and you feel his warm breath dance across your face and décolletage.

You part from him with a subtle wet smack.

He swallows thickly, and the grip on your knees strengthens.

You smile at him again, and his eyes flick between yours as he mirrors your expression.

“Okay Eddie, if you’re ready, this time I’m gonna use my tongue. You don’t have to do anything, but if you want to, just do what feels good. Alright?”

Eddie gives you another tiny, fast nod, and you feel him squeeze your knees again.

“Are you ready?”

“Yeah, I’m ready…”

He surprises you again as he shifts his hands slightly and slides them up your thighs, leaning into your space a little further. They feel warm, strong, and you can’t help but imagine how they might feel elsewhere.

What would it be like to hold his hand properly? Would his hand feel warm as it cupped your face? Would you be able to feel his rings? How would his calloused fingers feel running up your back, or across your…?

You’re broken from your thoughts as he closes his eyes again, a slight curl to his lips as he lets you know he’s ready.

You lean into his space again, and connect your lips as before. This time, you part your lips slightly and allow the tip of your tongue to poke out, and ever so gently brush across his lower lip. You hear that sharp intake of breath again as he stills, unsure of what he’s supposed to do, but then he parts his lips ever so slightly, and you slide your tongue past his lips and pearly teeth and into his mouth. You move it slowly, enjoying the feeling of his lips against it, the scrape of his teeth, the softness of his tongue beneath yours.

He moans again, and just as your tongue curls up to tickle the roof of his mouth suddenly his tongue is moving against yours, slowly, reverently, experimentally, and another moan leaves his chest.

His grip on your thighs tightens as he gets bolder, eventually pushing his tongue past your lips and into your mouth.

Abruptly, he turns his head slightly and pushes in more deeply, his tongue almost filling you. He’s insistent yet gentle, and now it’s your turn to gasp - he’s good at this - and a low whine leaves you.

You feel a chill on your legs as Eddie’s hands leave them, and you’re momentarily disappointed, but this rapidly turns into delighted surprise when one comes up to cup the back of your neck, the other grabbing the edge of your chair and pulling you closer towards him. He’s moaning continually now, turning his head to try different angles, licking and curling and sucking like you’re the very air he needs to breathe.

He’s pushing hard but not too hard, and when your teeth knock it’s adorable rather than uncomfortable.

It’s wet and messy, and oh, so fucking hot.

Your hands start travelling almost of their own accord, slipping up inside his jacket, sliding around his rib cage and settling on his surprisingly muscular back.

His hand travels up to your hair, mussing it, and you’re making his shirt ride up, but you couldn’t care less, lost in the sensations of your lips melding and tongues dancing.

There’s a pulsing heat in your core, and a wetness building in your underwear. You don’t think you've ever been this turned on just from kissing.

And how on Earth is Eddie so good at it?

You eventually both pull back, needing air, breathy and inhaling deeply.

Your eyes dance around his face, wanting to take it all in. His plump, kiss-bitten lips, his blown pupils, the way he’s looking at you with a stunned half-smile.

Needing a break from the intensity, you drop your eyes. But almost wish you hadn’t when you spot the obvious bulge in the front of Eddie’s pants.

He’s clearly enjoyed this as much as you have.

Just as you’re both leaning forward for another round, lips just brushing, the harsh and loud ringing of the school bell indicates the start of afternoon classes.

You and Eddie break apart with a start, exchanging breathy smiles, both a little surprised at how well that went.

He chuckles as he lets go of your hair, tidying it as best he can, and you pull down the hem of his shirt to straighten it.

”So, uh, I think I’d consider that lesson a success. Wouldn’t you, Mr Munson?”

He huffs out a little giggle, shaking his head slowly. His brow furrows and he fixes his face into as serious an expression as he can manage, as he dips his chin and replies,

“Oh, Princess, that feels like a great start. But you know, lessons work with me. So, just to be on the safe side, I think I might need a whole lot, lot more practice...”

He’s holding your gaze and nodding, raising his eyebrows and pursing his lips for emphasis.

You nearly snort at his brazenness, constantly amazed at how he so easily flips between abject fear and bolshy confidence, and manage to squeak out,

“Well, we’ll just have to see what we can arrange, won’t we?”

He grins at you again, those dimples even deeper this time, and tidies one more strand of hair at your temple.

Reluctantly, you both gather your things and leave the study room, still with shiny lips and heat in your cheeks.

You walk leisurely, your upper arms brushing, through the racks of dusty tomes. Neither of you is in any particular hurry to get to your next class.

You glance to your side, and notice that Eddie seems bigger, taller. He’s puffing his chest and is carrying himself a little differently. You like it.

He turns to you as he asks, “D’you think we should, y’know, leave separately or whatever?”

“Yeah, that’s probably a good idea. Awkward questions, and all that.”

You see Eddie’s eyes glance to the floor, then flit to the section containing the large encyclopaedias and dictionaries, before he adds,

“You know what, you go first. There’s something I want to check out in the reference section anyway…”

He flashes you a wink as you round the door jamb, causing something to revolve in your chest as you step out into the corridor. You definitely want to offer Eddie plenty of opportunities to practice this particular new skill.

As you head off to your next class, you wonder what on earth he could be up to. But more than that, you wonder how he’ll react to what you have in mind for your next study session…

Series masterlist

Prev: Lesson 1: Female anatomy | Lesson 2: Male Anatomy | Extra Credits 01: Communication Skills

Next: Independent Study 01: Art | Independent Study 02: Creative Writing | Lesson 3: Human Reproduction

Thanks so much for reading!

Remember, writers thrive on your comments and reblogs, so if you liked this little extra please show some love 💕

A/N 2: I added this as an extra because I wanted Eddie and reader to share a special first kiss, but couldn’t work out how to fit it into the main Lessons without making them ridiculously long. I hope you like it!

The taglist for this series is open whilst it’s ongoing, and I have a general one now too - just let me know if you’d like to join either 😀 My masterlist, where you’ll find more Eddie and Steddie fics

Taglist (open whilst this series is ongoing): @airen256 @bimbobaggins69 @urlbitchin @jamdoughnutmagician @rustboxstarr @bl4ckt00thgr1n @bexreadstoomuch @cozmiccass @sadlittlesquish @yujyujj @cluz1babe @thunderg @aysheashea @paleidiot @cadence73 @eddie-munsons-wifey @siriuslysmoking @neville-is-my-husband @aestheticaltcow @jjmaybankswifes-blog @lightcommastix @ungracefularchimedes @spenciesprincess @joejoequinnquinn @freshoutthewomb2 @sunshinepeachx @tlclick73 @hellfirenacht @yourdailymemedelivery @wendyxox @madaboutmunson @80s-addict @the-unforgivenn @skrzydlak @eddiesxangel @bunny7232 @starksbabie

[the-garbanzo-annex-jr]

One of the most fascinating thing about antisemites is that even when Jews and the Jewish state do things that are unequivocally good, they frame it as bad.

Arabi21.com refers to a report from Philanthropy.com where, the Arab site claims, Jews are vastly overrepresented as donors to charity in the US. Check out this headline:

A third of the largest donors in the United States are Jews... "They gain wide influence"

The Arabi21 article points out that Michael Bloomberg is by far the biggest donor, with $3.7 billion in 2024, followed by Michael Dell and his wife (#3, $1.4 billion), Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg and his wife (#5, $1.1 billion), Google founder Sergey Brin (#15, $205 million)  and Sheryl Sandberg (#23,  $125 million.) 

They give the bulk of their charity to the arts, medical centers, universities and social programs. Arabi21, of course, highlights the relatively small amounts some of them gave to help Israel, noting Sandberg declared her “support for the Israeli women who were victims of sexual crimes committed by Hamas during the October 7, 2023 massacre." 

It concludes that "Many critics argue that the philanthropic influence of education and health gives them political clout and allows them to control the public narrative."

I don't remember any Arabic articles about how much Arab countries give to US universities, specifically to influence their curricula. 

The difference is that when Arab nations donate to US entities like universities, the money is specifically aligned with their political program - influence is the the major reason for the donations. When Michael Bloomberg pays the tuition for all of for Johns Hopkins University medical students, he gains nothing politically, and Jews gain nothing politically.

This is just another antisemitic conspiracy theory, assuming all Jews think the same way and have the same political goals, which is pretty crazy. But it is quickly believed by antisemites. 

And that is how Jews giving charity is spun into being just another part of our evil plot to take over the world. 

By the way, just to show that there is no daylight between Arab anti-Zionism and antisemitism, here is how the Arabi21 article on American Jewish philanthropists was illustrated.

[kyoshithewriter]

Level the Playing Field. (After, Part one).

Wc: 3.3k

Warnings: angst, mentions of smut.

A/n: So this was promised to a follower who loved the ‘Level the Playing Field’ series for a while now. Can be read as a stand alone I think but it would be better if you read the series first. I tried something different (no nasty nasty lol) but I might do another one shot from this series cause I love Sadé so much lol. Any who, enjoy?

Three years. It has been three years since she officially told Jude yes— three years of being his girlfriend. Time seems to move differently when you’re in love. In Sadé’s mind- as she’s sure it is with the average person- three years seems like a long long time. The three years she spent at Erlhedge felt like she lived different lives; freshman year was all about finding her footing, getting used to living in a different country, making friends, getting used to university life. Sophomore year, gosh, sophomore year felt the most overwhelming. It feels embarrassing to say, but that’s when she actually felt like she became a woman. Not just because she had sex for the first time either; but because she learned so many important lessons about friendships, about her relationship with her mother, about the man she considers as her soulmate and about herself. Senior year was when everything felt like it clicked into place. She doesn’t know how to explain it except she just started feeling more sure of herself. She gained a lot of confidence and started being unafraid of being seen. So yes, those three years felt like a journey. However, after that, Sadé blinked and she’s now 25 years old. She’s now 25 with a graduate degree and a much better job as a research scientist at a pharmaceutical company. Jude had flown to London to visit during a short break when she mentioned offhandedly that she wanted to get her master’s to elevate her career. He immediately told her to apply and he handled the tuition with no questions asked. Her man. Protector. Provider. Problem solver. Gosh she’s so in love with him. She loves him so much and sometimes, like now, it makes her so anxious. These past three years haven't been all smooth sailing in their relationship; of course they’d argue but it was over petty things: not calling enough, not responding to messages quickly enough— all the little things you expect with a long distance relationship. But Jude would fly to London or book her a flight to Spain when she had a few days off, take her on a nice date then fuck her deep and slow while whispering apologies to her or until apologies flew from her mouth. Then they would cuddle and Jude would make her laugh until she cried about random trivial things and all would be forgiven. But lately, their arguments haven’t been feeling as petty. Jude had expected that Sadé would’ve moved to Spain after completing her master’s. She had told him she’d think about it, but then she got a job offer from arguably the most popular pharmaceutical company in the country three months ago and she accepted. It has been a whirlwind since. She remembers the day she broke the news vividly.

“I got a job offer from Genesis. I think I’m going to take it.”

Jude’s face became tense on her phone screen the minute the words left her mouth.

“What do you mean? You said you’d be moving here.”

“No. I said I’d think about it. I just… this a huge company, Jude. Not only is it best for my career, the salary is gre-”

“Sadé… There are huge pharmaceuticals that are present in Spain too. You could’ve chosen anyone and don’t use salary as an excuse. You know that wouldn’t matter with me around.”

“Jude that’s your money! Yes you’re generous with it but it’s still yours. I want to make my own and make a lot of it, too. And you’re not being fair. I want to work at this specific one. Moving would mean taking months, maybe years to overcome language barriers-”

“Sadé, seriously?! I’ve been here for years and I didn’t speak a lick of Spanish when I just got here and I survived just fine, didn’t I?”

“Yes! But your job is playing football! Not working in a lab full of chemicals that coul-”

“You’re just making excuses!”

“No! You’re not being fair! Why don’t you sign to some club in London then, hm? There are plenty of gargantuan clubs here too. Or am I the only one expected to make that sacrifice?” Sadé swallowed around the lump forming in her throat.

“It’s different and you know it. We have contracts-”

“I know! And I know that it has always been your dream to play for that club so I’d never ask you to just… move. Why can’t you understand that?”

“So you expect this to work? You think a relationship with miles between us and seldom visits that lasts a few days to actually thrive? Because it won’t.” His tone was solemn.

Sadé immediately started crying. Tears streamed down her cheeks in rapid succession and a sob caught in her throat. “Jude, don’t say that.”

“I’m being honest, Sadé. And it’s so funny because I know the real reason you don’t want to move is because you’re scared. You have this fucked up idea that I’ll start loving you less if I have access to you all the time. I don’t know what else to do or say to prove to you that— good night, Sadé.”

Sadé immediately started heaving the second he hung up.

They haven’t broken up but the strain in their relationship is heavy and apparent. It’s in the way their messages have become almost formal; it’s in the way their FaceTime calls are now once a week instead of four or five; it’s in the way their conversations are cautious; it’s in the way he hasn’t made any effort to come see her. Jude has had a few breaks consisting of three or more days in the past three months and he hasn’t mentioned visiting once. This is definitely not like him. To make matters worse, she noticed he started going out more.

“I’m sure he’s just upset. Maybe you could try visiting him? Make it a surprise?”

Sadé eyes Mikayla’s gentle face that’s now a lot rounder because of her swollen belly. Sean and Mikayla are now engaged and she’s carrying their first child. She’s almost seven months along. Sean ended up being sold to an English club in London and their relationship is stronger than ever. Her friend has long since moved out of their shared apartment for obvious reasons, but visits so often her presence is hardly missed.

“Do you think I should? I don’t think this will ever be resolved unless I move in with him. I don’t want to lose him, Mikky. I’m scared.”

“Why don’t you want to move to Spain again?” Mikky eyes her cautiously.

“I… my job and…”

“You know, since you messaged me about what happened months ago I did some research. The pharmaceutical giants that also have a presence in Spain…” Mikky trails off with a whistle.

“Pfïzer, Novartïs… but I’m sure you know that because you would’ve done your research. I even compared the salaries too… Sadé, tell me the real reason you don’t want to move.” Mikky gently coaxes.

“I’m scared.” She swallows around the lump in her throat as she remembers Jude’s exact words months ago. ‘He’s right. I’m just a fucking coward.’

“I know this isn’t healthy but I can’t help the pessimism. What if spending more time with me makes him realize I’m a bit annoying or boring? What if it’s the distance that’s keeping it exciting? What if I can’t fall into his routines? What if I end up broken hearted miles away from what I now call home? Away from you, away from Celine… all alone and just…” She worries her lower lip between her teeth as tears trail from her eyes.

“Or… what if spending more time with you makes him notice little habits that make him feel deeper in love with you? What if the distance is actually keeping the best parts of the relationship hidden? What if you fall so seamlessly into his routines like you’ve known each other your entire lives? What if it all works out and you thrive in love together for many, many years? Stop denying yourself of beautiful possibilities because of imagined fears. Talk to him, preferably in person about how you really feel.”

Sadé takes a quivering breath and pulls her friend into a desperate hug.

“What would I do without you, Mikky?”

“Mhmm, yes I’m the best. Don’t ever forget that.”

The duo falls into a fit of watery giggles. Sniffling, Sadé pulls back to wipe the tears of her face with an open palm.

“So… what’s next?” Mikayla eyes her expectantly.

“I guess I’m going to Spain.”

*******

Jude’s villa never ceases to intimidate her no matter how many times she has seen it. The neighbourhood screams affluent and his home even more so. With floor to ceiling glass, an infinity pool, palm trees, the well manicured lawn and acres of space— the huge, modern house is every property lover’s wet dream. She almost wants to laugh at herself for wanting to stay in the bustling city of London with unpredictable weather than in this warm, sunny country in a house like this with the man she loves. Fear makes people stupid and irrational and she hates it. It’s just a little past 5, so she isn’t expecting Jude to be home but that’s no problem. She unlocks the gate with the spare remote she has and enters the code she knows by heart- the date she said yes to being his girlfriend- to unlock the door. Sadé breathes a sigh of relief at finally being out of the scorching sun and also being surrounded by his scent again. Three whole months since she has last seen him in person; smelt his scent or felt his touch. She misses him so much that her chest feels hollow. Hauling her suitcase inside, she ensures that the door is locked before walking down the hallway and into his bedroom. The bed is an unmade mess— typical Jude. The rest of the room is tidy though and his scent is much more potent here. Sadé breathes it in for a few seconds before moving to the ensuite bathroom for a well deserved shower.

******

Sadé decides to make him dinner. Not only as a nice gesture for him, but also to do something to keep her occupied. He has no idea she’s here and she can’t help but feel a bit nervous of what his reaction will be. She can’t spend the entire time pacing and wringing her hands uselessly so she busies herself with an elaborate meal of braised short ribs with mashed potatoes. Thankfully, his kitchen had most of what she needed since she taught him how to make a lot of meals over the years. He was not comfortable with a stranger being in his house and neither Sadé or his mother could be here with him all the time. She moves around the kitchen with familiarity like she has been living with him since day one. Sadé spends hours making the hearty, delicious meal. When 8:15 rolls around, her legs become restless as she lounges on his couch. Usually, he’s home from training around 8:30 or just a few minutes later. So Sadé waits. She waits until her anxiety turns into melancholy. At 9:45 she spoons some cold, clumpy potatoes onto her plate with a small piece of beef and forces it down her throat. At 11 pm, the exhaustion weighing down her bones is too much to ignore so goes into his bedroom to cry quietly in the cool cotton sheets before sleep creeps up and takes her.

A loud thud pulls her from sleep some time later. Sadé blinks her bleary eyes, trying to clear the haze of sleep from her mind. She sees him then; he’s standing by his bedroom door and her eyes drift to the floor briefly to his duffle bag by his feet. He dropped it intentionally. Sadé fingers the box braids that flow past her lower back out of nervous habit. His eyes are blank as he stares at her in his bed. Her heart plummets. Usually, they’d light up like a kid in an ice cream shop and he’d run over to kiss her until she’s breathless while lifting her in his arms.

“Um, hey?”

She now fingers the hem of her black crop top that shows off her stomach. She’s wearing nothing else but a black, lacy thong. Yes, she was intentional with dressing like this because she knows it drives him wild. She’s trying to win over her man again, sue her.

“Hi. You didn’t say you were coming.” He walks further into the room, completely ignoring her on his bed. He stops in front of his dresser to pull out some shorts and a wife beater.

“I wanted to surprise you.”

He just hums. Giving her his back, he strips from his tracksuit and heads into the bathroom. Jude stays in the shower for about fifteen minutes and Sadé feels like she doesn’t breathe all throughout.

“I um, I made you dinner.” She says hurriedly as soon as he exits the bathroom.

“I already ate, but thanks.”

Sadé’s breathing grows harsher as he sits on the chair by his walk-in closet with his phone in hand. He’s ignoring her. Just like her mother used to do when she was younger and she did something that disappointed her. He knows what that does to her and he’s doing it anyway. Sadé scoots off the bed with tears blurring her vision and moves toward her suitcase. She unzips it with jerky movements and pulls out a pair of jeans and a sweater.

“What are you doing?” He asks gruffly from his seated position.

“I’m sorry for showing up unannounced. I’ll leave.” Her voice is thick with emotion.

“It’s 1 am, Sadé. Get back in bed.”

“I-it’s fine. I’ll stay at a hotel until my flight.”

Pounding footsteps sound behind and then her jeans are yanked from her hands.

“You’re not going anywhere. Go back to bed.”

“I don’t want to stay if you’re going to treat me like this! You know what being ignored does to me, Jude. I c-can’t— just let me leave.” She avoids his angry eyes with her tear filled ones.

“I’m ignoring you because I’m pissed. You think showing up here for the weekend after that argument we had will fix anything?”

“No! But I wanted to talk. I wanted to see you because I missed you.” It’s a meek whisper from her lips as tears flow freely down her face.

“Don’t cry, Sadé. That’s not fair.”

He has always hated seeing her tears and she knows it.

“‘M sorry. I’m just… I’m scared, Jude. Not just about losing you but about everything. You were right. I’m a coward. I didn’t want to move here because I- I have this feeling you’ll grow tired or bored of me. I know it’s a childish way to think but.., you’re an actual celebrity, an athlete. You have the fame, the wealth, the love and I’m… I’m just Sadé. People like you date models and influencers not people like me who're afraid of the spotlight and who cowers from the cameras during your games.” She ducks her head after the pathetic confession. There’s a beat of silence then Jude breaks it with an almost bitter chuckle. Sadé stares as he moves across the room and into his closet. She doesn’t know what he’s doing. Is he just ignoring her again? Her brain is a mess of negative thoughts wanting to all surface at once that just become jumbled. So she stands, heart in her throat and palms sweaty, watching as he roots through something inside. Jude ambles over to her again, this time there’s something clenched tightly in his fist.

“Sadé…” he takes a deep breath with a contemplative look on his face. One that she recognizes as him trying to find the right words.

“Firstly, I’m sorry for ignoring you. I know what your mother did to you and that low of me.”

“It’s oka-”

“No it isn’t. It’s not okay and that’s why I’m apologizing. But Sadé, I understand you can be insecure, I have no idea why because you’re so fucking beautiful sometimes I can’t believe you’re real. You’re beautiful and you’re so smart that I fully expect you to wake me up one day and tell me you’ve found a cure for cancer and I wouldn’t blink. Your heart is so big I sometimes wonder how it fits inside your body. I can’t believe you still can’t see that I’m the lucky one.” He gives a little shake of his head with a small, sad smile on his face.

Sadé is rendered speechless. She can only stand, gaping at him.

“I just… you don’t even know that sometimes your insecurities sound a bit insulting, do you? Insinuating that ‘people like me’ are expected to be shallow. I understand what I might’ve looked like in university but people grow and change, Sadé. I don’t want models. I don’t want influencers. I want you. I’ve spent more than three years trying to prove that to you. I don’t know how many more times I can tell you that I love you for you to actually believe me. But…”

Sadé is trembling when he opens his palm to reveal the delicate little red, suede box resting in the middle of his open palm. When he slowly pops it open to reveal the most beautiful, delicate diamond ring, she starts hyperventilating.

“J-Jude? I—”

“I’ve had it for five months now. I was waiting for the perfect time to do some big reveal. But then we had that argument and I just… Look, this is just to prove to you what my intentions are— what they have been for the past three years. I want to fucking marry you, Sadé. Is that enough? Do you finally see it now? You’re not someone I look at and think of ever getting bored of. You’re not someone I need space or time away from. When you’re not around it kills me. I need you close all the time because I love you so fucking much. Do you understand that?” His eyes burn with sincerity.

Sadé chokes and then the waterworks start. Jude opens his arms readily for her to walk into. Loud, heaving sobs wrack her entire body as she buries her face in his chest.

Jude holds her until her sobs quiet into gentle hiccups. With his thumb under her chin, he tilts her head up. Sadé’s body buzzes in anticipation for his warm, plump lips and she almost starts crying again at the tender way he kisses her. Unhurried. Slow. Gentle. She feels all the longing. She feels all the love. She loves him so much it makes her dizzy. He pulls away from her lips to pin her with his soft brown eyes.

“I need an answer, baby.” He breathes the words tentatively. Doubtful. Nervous.

“Marrying you? Yes.”

He chuckles at her eager response.

“Slow down tiger. I didn’t ask just yet. I want to do it the proper way, you deserve that. I’m talking about moving. Move in with me, Sadé.”

She hesitates only for a second. “Are you going to make the bed in the mornings?”

Jude laughs airily. His expression relaxed. Happy.

“I’ll do my best. Will you?”

“I’ve already applied for job openings in Madrid.” She feigns nonchalance with a shrug while biting her lips to hide her smile.

Jude is quick to capture her lips in another kiss. This one is a lot more sensual. Heat travels the length of her spine because she knows what’s coming next— or rather who. Multiple times across the soft sheets. First from his warm, relentless mouth; then with him so deep inside her she doesn’t know where he ends and she begins. A slow, sensual tango with their limbs tangled— and with every shared breath a whispered ‘I love you.’ And in that moment, Sadé knows she made the right decision.

[chaotic-archaeologist]

Do you have any advice for someone who has most of an archaeology degree, but following some health problems during covid foricng me to withdraw from some classes, I didn't meet pace of progress and lost my financial aid and now owe my university $13k for the semester i didn't complete. I'm a 3.8gpa student and was deans list, but I have an enrolment and transcript hold until I pay them back. I will never have $13k at my disposal to pay that off without haivng my degree to make me employable, so I'm not sure how I can ever go back and finish my degree.

Do you have any advice for how someone in my position should proceed? I thought about merit based financial aid/scholarships with my high gpa, but I've never had any success finding those.

This is a tough one, since I don't really have any direct experience with a similar situation. If anyone has specific advice, please let me know.

Education loans/debt are special legal creatures, and perhaps the most important thing you can do is educate yourself on the legalities of your particular situation and what options are available to you. Here's a page I found that talks about the legal precedents for certain types of education loans. From what little I understand, the school is not looking for you to pay the $13k back all at once. There may be payment plans or settlements available to you.

The first thing that comes to mind is to contact your school's ombudsman. This is an office whose single purpose is to help students navigate institutional bureaucracy and pursue grievances against the institution. They are probably the best bet for finding ways to mitigate this debt, set up options for payment, etc.

Similarly, I would recommend making an appointment to talk with someone in the financial aid department if you haven't already. It might be painful and embarrassing, but I can guarantee you that you aren't the first person who has had this exact issue, and you won't be the last. They might also be able to help you navigate ways to deal with this debt.

Some schools have policies that if you have to withdraw for health reasons before X point in the semester, you can get your tuition refunded. This is what my family was able to do when I had to drop out during my sophomore year. Whether that would be an option for you depends 1) on your school, and 2) on if you have to apply for that forgiveness within a certain window. Still worth a shot though—this is something you can ask the ombudsman about.

If you were registered with your school's disability services (provided that you're in the US, which is where my experience comes from) before you had to withdraw, they may also be able to help you advocate for yourself based on having a disability. If this is something that applies to you, it's possible that you have some protections based on the ADA, although this will depend on the nature of your financial aid, and whether you were registered beforehand. Accommodations are not retroactive.

Finally, I hate to say it, but working in archaeology—with or without a college degree—is going to make it difficult to pay off these loans. Entry level archaeology jobs pay notoriously poorly, and other positions generally require some sort of postgraduate degree. You are employable without a degree, but it may not be in your chosen field. That's shitty news, I know, but it's something you need to consider in order to start dealing with this.

Best of luck, -Reid

[sugaredpastille]

Salam! First of all, I love your blogs. I wanted to ask if you'll be okay sharing which country you are studying at. I'm also Muslim and wanted to know about your experience at your current place.

Short note, I'm looking to apply for scholarships at the end of this year and am incredibly intimidated with current state of events.

Feel free to not answer or delete the ask if its crossing a boundry. All the best with your internship!!

salaam!! thank you so much 🤍🤍

of course!! i live in morocco and i study english at a university which trains future teachers/professors.

to be completely honest with you it’s not a great experience if you’re looking for an exceptional place to study. there’s no tuition in public universities (Alhamdulilah) but universities here are seldom precise and often make application, scholarships, and internship processes SO much harder than they need to be.

for example, last year i used to study english lit at liberal arts college and not only did the coordinators forget to add a whole exam to the exam schedule (which i ended up failing bc i didn’t show up), but they also didn’t post my and a few other students grades at all, which resulted in me transferring to a different uni with a whole year of credits lost (which were required to be made up). when these things happen there’s usually nothing you can do unfortunately.

but,, if you can somehow ignore those frustrations there are definitely pros. the weather for one- morocco is a mediterranean country so the weather during winter/spring is phenomenal, and you will never be bored with the gorgeous natural sites, as well as beautiful spanish and andalusian architecture. all in all it can be an experience you won’t forget both ways lol.

i’m pretty sure morocco does do full-ride scholarships specifically for foreign students! i don’t really have the details on that but i’m sure it’s available somewhere online.

thank you for your ask!! i hope i helped a little, tho tbh i myself am still pretty new to everything.

best of luck to you too! 🤍🤍

[allthecanadianpolitics]

its the trans us american anon from the other night; id first of all like to thank everyone who answered my previous ask. ive been thinking about going to college in canada (more specifically toronto) for a bit but havent looked into it as much as i probably should have, but based on a lot of the answers it sounds like it would be very financially straining. that being said, would anyone happen to know if it would be easier to immigrate with a student visa?

International Student tuition is higher in Canada compared to rates for Canadians, but American university tuition is a lot higher than Canada, so depending on the university you're looking for it might actually be significantly cheaper.

The University I went to, tuition is on average around $4500 for an undergraduate degree per year, and for International students is about $8500 per year. But the average tuition in the USA seems to range from $10k to 40K depending on if its public/private. The bigger universities in Canada have higher tuition but there are many medium sized ones of good reputation that are not very expensive.

This might be worth looking into as for your 2nd point:

[pennyngram]

2/52 Flavours: Back then, everything was music

(my masterlist)

[ prev // 2 // next ]

xxx

For college, I went to a music university and majored in violin. I did not become a violinist, but that’s another story. one day I went to the room I had reserved for rehearsal and found it occupied by a soprano, who insisted she had herself reserved the room.

I would have argued with her, but I was in a hurry to master a particularly difficult piece for an exam, so I simply asked the attendant to find me another place.

The problem was that it kept happening: I kept reserving a room and finding her there, or she would show up right after I had finished to take out my things. It got to a point where I started suspecting she might be stalking me, and I’m sure she felt the same. After about a month of this, we decided to team up and get to the root of the problem.

To book a rehearsal room, every student had to use an app developed specifically for the university. We found out that, for some reason, the app would show us only one available room at a time, even when all of them were empty, and then allow both of us to book it at the same time.

We were each using our own accounts, so it wasn’t a mistake on our part. When we went to administration about it, they either thought we were crazy or trying to pull off a prank. The app developers could not give us an answer other than to turn our phones on and off. It didn’t help that none of our friends was experiencing the same type of issue, either. Our booking problems persisted.

In the process of investigating, though, the soprano and I got close, to the point that we even decided to prepare a piece together for our end-of-year recital. We had a lot of things in common, actually. We had been flirting with the idea of just calling it quits on this dumb app bug and start dating, when the results for that year’s Match My Melody came out.

Match My Melody was the matchmaking app for our university. You would input all your information and then they would find your soulmate, or at least the most compatible person with you among the other students. It had been a fun novelty for a couple of years but there were rumors that faculty was going to discontinue the contract as no one was actually meeting their soulmates and the only thing that had risen was the number of sexual harassment accidents.

That year, my soprano and I were a match. Now other students also came forward claiming that they had been encountering their match in weird happenstances and coincidences similar to ours. They would be in the same courses, same library rooms, same restaurants and cafes.

Turns out that we had all opted in to be beta testers for Match My Melody. Seeing the poor matchmaking results of the app, one day the developers had decided that the problem was with people not meeting organically. So they created a new feature and Terms and Conditions, which allowed them access to the users’ university apps in order to manipulate matches into bumping into each other again and again, in hopes that the improved number of organically-born couples would save their contract with faculty.

Dumbest idea I have ever heard. Needless to say, none of the couples ended up dating: we were too weirded out by the whole situation. But we did all come together to file a class-action lawsuit. We received a waiver on our tuition fees and a huge settlement, which allowed me not to work another day in my life. So I guess this story and the one of why I didn’t end up becoming a violinist are one and the same after all.

xxx

[ prev // 2 // next ]

(my masterlist)

[onegirllis]

So, about the new LIS trailer

It took me some time, but forgive me for the delayed response. I had to dig myself out of the fandom grave to actually look around and notice what the hell was going on. I spent another moment pondering if I still care, and with the answer "barely," I came here to write this post.

1) For whatever reason DickNein (yes, I didn't miss the scandal, who is the nazi now?) still doesn't understand what made LIS 1 so successful. It wasn't the diversity; it wasn't the same copy-paste lines; it wasn't the murder; it wasn't the superheroes from small towns with different powers. It wasn't even the lesbians (I know, shocking!). There were merely a few elements that made LIS special: - Magical Arcadia Bay with its residents - The rewind time superpower, which was one of the best mechanics in narrative games since the genre was born - Max, Chloe, and Rachel (not necessarily in that order), and you need at least two to make it work, preferably with Chloe at least somewhere there. - the specific art style and saturated colors (butchered a bit in BTS but then going full SIMS 4 for the rest of the games) - and most importantly - the soul Sure, DontNod could get away with alteration, to no fanfare and sometimes to no success, but their experiments came from the right place. This shit ain't it.

2) For whatever reason, Chloe is now a dog. I know. I know. I understand. Listen, my fellow comrades, I know how it feels when the devs pull put shit like, "Oh, they were just friends and grew apart, but now she named her squirrel after the love of her high school life".

3) Max had plastic surgery. She also decided to be entirely anonymous so that she looked like everyone else. Every model looks the same, and I hope they will have their names spelled above them as they walk around. Otherwise, I have no idea who is who. Frankly, she looks a little bit like Steph had a lot of fun with the entire cast of Sims 4 and then had a baby.

4) On top of everything, the new Max, however, probably now goes as Maxine, is teaching her Polaroid skills at a university. Now we know we are in an alternative universe all along. I hope the tuition matches the useful photography skill set you obtain there.

5) For any other reason unknown, she can dress up as Chloe, who can be dead (see the Ultimate edition). I know Max has a long tradition of dressing up as dead people, but I hoped it would go away with her Botox and other plastic corrections. But hey, we survived Chloe dressing up as Rachel and cosplaying as her dad, too, so I guess I shouldn't even be surprised. Not that it's a low-budget movie, and they have a limited wardrobe. It's a video game, but the tradition of having a mental stroke is still strong.

6) Oh no, another murder I gotta solve! I shall use my powers. Why now? Is it another girlfriend who is into printing photos? Or is it her student? Or both? Max becoming Jefferson would be a nice twist, even if not loved among the community, but I don't think it would get anywhere that dark. It just will get stupid.

7) This is supposed to be a fanservice a little too late and on the wrong foot. I know y'all missed Max. I didn't, but I understand the hype on seeing her on the screen. Although following a teenager in Arcadia Bay was interesting, simply by the shot of nostalgia with every step, here we are following a middle-aged single art teacher (or someone who looks middle-aged to the point that they decided on fixing their face). NO ONE WANTS TO FOLLOW THEIR ART TEACHERS WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK.

8) The Nazi problem (well, well, well, the turntables). I know DeckNein had to do some cleanup among their staff. I hope they did, but somehow, I doubt it was done for the right purpose. Therefore, I'm uncomfortable giving them any of my money, now or ever. I know, there are worse studios. I know it's stupid, but LIS was always special, filled with this little genuine spark. It just doesn't feel right.

9) The game has the worst UI in the history of modern gaming.

10) And to finish my rant on something even worse, LIS4 is coming just before DontNod's new game, most likely to compete with it on the market. A bit sus, don't you think?

Anyway, dick move, my friends. All of it. Actually, waving dicks around in the air all along. Despite our differences, this ain't right. And God knows how much worse it could be.

[racefortheironthrone]

Not that this is the only example, but just watched "Lady Bird" where a major part of the plot is if the protagonist will go to NYU or UC Davis. As somebody who doesn't live in the United States and there aren't any "private universities" here just wondering if state schools are so bad? Why do they have such bad reputations or maybe just I'm just thinking too much of American-made entertainment?

This is a great question, because it allows me to talk about a topic that I find endlessly fascinating: how the cultural politics of class intersect with higher education.

With regards to Lady Bird, I think the first thing to understand is that it's a highly autobiographical film: Greta Gerwig also grew up in Sacramento, her parents had the same jobs as Lady Bird's parents, and Greta was also a theater kid who ended up going to a prestigious private university in New York City because she wanted to have a career in the performing arts. So what we're getting is not necessarily a universal experience, but how Greta Gerwig herself felt when she was a teenager.

Second, state schools are not bad but their reputations are ...complicated. The land grant universities are generally reasonably well-resourced, they have good reputations, and they provide an extremely solid middle class credential that provides a major pathway for social and economic mobility in the United States.

However, there is usually a hierarchy within the state school systems between the flagship campus(es) which are usually nationally ranked research universities - U.C Berkeley, UCLA, Ann Arbor (UMichigan), University of Wisconsin-Madison, UMass Amherst, etc. - and the other campuses in the same system, which tend to be less selective, less nationally well-known, and more focused on teaching.

This sometimes leads to state schools having a reputation among middle-class to affluent families with college educations as being less "aspirational" compared to selective private universities. (This doesn't apply to the flagship campuses, because they are more selective and thus more similar to elite private universities in terms of their reputations.) Kids from those families still apply to (and attend) state schools in large numbers, but the term that's often used for them is "safety schools" - they're the schools you apply to in case you don't get into the highly selective private schools who take 10% or less of their applicants.

Third, NYU versus UC Davis is actually a slightly odd fit for the "state school" versus "private university" comparison. NYU is not actually that selective: it takes in 13% of applicants, which makes it about the 40th most selective college in the U.S. That's surprisingly low down the totem pole, given that the annual cost of attending NYU would be around $84,000 for Lady Bird. (NYU actually has to be less selective than other private universities, because it has a fairly small endowment compared to the selective private universities, and is thus more reliant on tuition dollars for revenue.)

However, Lady Bird's conflict isn't so much about academics generally - it's more specific than that. Remember that Lady Bird/Greta Gerwig is a theater kid who wants a career in the performing arts. If you narrow your focus from which is the best university overall to which university has the best Film Studies program, NYU is the second-best film school in the country, and because it's right in NYC there's a direct pipeline to one of the main hubs of the film and tv industry.

At the same time, Lady Bird probably should have done a bit more research about California's public university system. Because of the legacy of the California Master Plan, there is a robust transfer system within California's public universities that allows students who are really on the grind to move their way up, so that you can potentially start at the least selective community colleges and end up graduating from the most selective flagship UC campuses. So Lady Bird could have easily gone straight from UC Davis to UCLA (because while UCLA takes in only ~11% of applicants, making it more selective than NYU, it takes in about 24% of transfers), which is also one of the best film schools in the country with a direct pipeline to Hollywood, and it doesn't cost $84,000 a year.

(Ironically, Greta Gerwig herself didn't actually end up going to film school - she ended up going to Barnard which isn't particularly known for film, ended up going into English Lit because she was intending to be a playwright, before becoming a breakout actor in the indie film world, and then zig-zagging from there into directing and back into writing.)

[howdyfromantiva]

stole this from both @hightowerqueen and @lucaniseyebrowlicker which means i get to do it twice right? once for rook as i continue working to flesh them out and once for the inquisitor because i just love talking about him

GENERAL

Name: Dáire de Riva

Alias(es): Rook, assorted names from previous jobs

Gender: genderfluid nonbinary, amab

Age: early 30s during veilguard

Place of Birth: southwestern Antiva, near the borders of the Tevinter Imperium and the Free Marches

Spoken Languages: Trade, Antivan, Tevene (which isn't a fully conversational language iirc), a few useful phrases in Orlesian, some grasp of Nevarran and Marcher dialect- they're the child of a merchant family who essentially became a courtesan, big polyglot energy

Sexual Orientation: bisexual

Love Interest(s): Illario previously, Lucanis currently, lightly kicking around the idea of them meeting Imshael at some point because i enjoyed them in DAI and there's fun blood magic potential since they're actually a desire demon after all and like idk spirit of choice x someone who has only ever had the illusion of choice feels very good in my brain and also it sets the groundwork for being weird with spite and like if you take in their form switching in the DATV art book idkkkkk, TLDR they need more love interests honestly

Occupation: maleficar assassin of the honeypot variety

GENERAL

Name: Lord Fintan Lavellan of House Pavus

Alias(es): Lord Inquisitor of the Orlesian Chantry, Herald of Andraste, Prince Consort of the Tevinter Imperium

Gender: cis man

Age: 41 during Veilguard

Place of Birth: an aravel traveling through southern Thedas

Spoken Languages: Trade, knows bits and pieces of Elvish and Tevene

Sexual Orientation: homosexual, fun fact i'm pretty sure he's the only non-bisexual oc in this household

Love Interest(s): Dorian, dated and slept with other men previously though including Hawke

Occupation: he's literally just a guy

the rest is color coded under the cut!

FAVORITE

Color: pink 🩷

Entertainment:

Pastime: painting, cards, and they picked up sailing while living in Salle

Food: affogato al caffè, which is also kind of a drink but mostly a dessert

Drink: dry red wine

Books: magical textbooks, not that they'd ever admit it

HAVE THEY

Passed university: not technically, it's not like the Crows went and paid their tuition to learn magic at one of the Imperial circles, but they have some kind of an equivalent of a formal education

Had sex: all in a day's work (yes)

Had sex in public: see above

Gotten tattoos: nope

Gotten piercings: their nipples!

Gotten scarred: so many times, a little blood magic and a little incident with the antaam

Had a broken heart:

ARE THEY

A cuddler: no, but they are working on their intimacy issues

Scared easily: no, their fears are fairly specific and intangible like the siren's song of blood magic or the rite of tranquility. they are admittedly afraid of the inquisitor though that just a guy act is sus.

Jealous easily: nope

Trustworthy: no, though not necessarily intentionally. they're so used to masking and playing some kind of role that they have a hard time not.

FAMILY

Siblings: 6 or 7 last they knew, they were one of the older (though not the oldest) siblings so they were parentified at a young age

Parents: small time merchants in southwestern Antiva, Dáire hasn't spoken to them since they joined the Crows, there's no love lost there

Children: nope and honestly having to have children would be a dealbreaker for them

Pets: Lucanis has a pet snake, does that count?

FAVORITE

Color: green 💚

Entertainment: the shittiest bars in Minrathous

Pastime: annoying his husband, bar fights, hiking, archery, cheating at games

Food: spiced jerky and halla cheese and those little chocolate covered orange peels from tevinter (basically just charcuterie boards always and forever lmao)

Drink: ale, the cheaper the better

Books: while he's been accused of not being able to read he definitely can but he doesn't read for pleasure, so whatever Dorian is reading out loud to him

HAVE THEY

Passed university: not a chance (i joke that he's stupid a lot but he's actually very intelligent just not in the traditional academic sense)

Had sex: yes

Had sex in public: also yes

Gotten tattoos: yeah had a whole ceremony about it and everything (literally just his vallaslin)

Gotten piercings: nope

Gotten scarred: yeah, nothing special just normal cost of living stuff, well, other than the whole left arm thing

Had a broken heart: who hasn't?

ARE THEY

A cuddler: annoyingly so sometimes

Scared easily: easily no, but he is afraid a lot more than he ever lets on

Jealous easily: he survived being in a long distance relationship for a decade, no

Trustworthy: as long as you're not playing a game of cards, yes

FAMILY

Siblings: only child here

Parents: had him out of societal obligation rather than actually wanting or being fit to raise a child, he really just doesn't feel anything toward them, genuinely his father-in-law whom he met once before he died had more of an impact on him

Children: no thank you

Pets: nope

[anotherpapercut]

College Resources

hey y'all so I have a degree in math, and have been tutoring college level math, stats, physics, and study skills for a few years now and I have several certifications as a college level tutor and in my years tutoring I've picked up a lot of absolutely essential things you NEED to know to pass math classes (and others!) if you have a hard time in math class, which unfortunately most schools will not teach you

so if you're in college (or high school, but some of these will be college specific) and you would like to hear my Professional Tips for how to survive math in college I have compiled a list of things I think you should know below the read more! I'm going to put a couple general tips at the top though for people who aren't taking a math class

alright, welcome to the read more! let's start with some general things

ok I'm starting with a kind of tip before the tips: if you are disabled, talk to disability support services at your school. a lot of times they provide services to attain a diagnosis if you don't have one, but if you do it's typically pretty easy to get accommodations and if your teachers try not to follow them, they will get in A LOT of trouble (I'm in the us so idk how disability laws are in other countries but here this is a big deal for universities bc public funding etc and if you make a complaint they will be FORCED to comply). I'm not saying bad experiences never happen, I've not been to every school in the us and I'm sure there are places that suck abt this, but I literally would not have been able to get a degree in math without accommodations (I'm autistic and have dyscalculia + memory issues) so it was worth every annoyed sigh by a dumbass teacher (which honestly rarely happened. most of them were cool). some possible accommodations include, extra time on tests, separate testing locations, formula cards, ability to use notes etc etc

I work in a free tutoring center at my local community college. while I won't say these are definitely universal, every college I have encountered (in the US, where I live) has one of these. Google the name of your school with tutoring. there is a very high chance you have free tutors available in a variety of subjects who are ready to help you. you should utilize the fuck out of this bc ur already probably paying for it in ur tuition

my favorite resource ever is one you may have heard of but I'm reminding you of it anyway. the Crash Course YouTube channel! it has free comprehensive videos about various subjects (including anatomy, physics, biology, economics, statistics and lots lots more). the videos are about 10 minutes each and they're incredibly easy to understand. they're an amazing way to study for finals. trust me on this one. they actually now have real introductory college courses that you can take for credit (tho I think you have to pay for that?) through YouTube so check into that!

take notes!!!!!!!! for real. seriously. even if you've never had to before. trust me. and don't just copy exactly what the board says, write what your teacher says out loud as well, that is often the most important stuff. I highly recommend investing in a few colored pens and/or highlighters. anytime the teacher says something important (such as formulas in a math class or a grammar rule in an English class) either write it in another color, or highlight it. color coding your notes even the tiniest bit will help you tremendously when you're studying and doing homework later. this doesn't mean having a color code so elaborate and strict that you're spending more time and energy figuring out the right color than listening and writing. I usually do the bulk of my notes in black then things like formulas or whatever in one bright color and extra bits of info from the teacher in another, this way it's easier to find the important stuff later on

if you've got a couple extra bucks, invest in a mini stapler. you'll be shocked how often those lil bitches come in handy

DO NOT EVER purchase your text books before the classes start (unless you get like an email before class starts telling you you need the book, but this is pretty rare tbh). half of your teachers are going to tell you on day 1 that they don't use the book at all. and honestly almost all of your books can be found by googling the name + pdf. just triple check that you have the correct edition!

speaking of emails, CHECK YOUR FUCKING SCHOOL EMAIL. I am so dead serious about this one. set up notifications on your phone. if you do not check your email you are going to show up for cancelled classes, miss assignment corrections, and generally not do nearly as well in your classes. I know this sounds fake but holy fucking shit please for the love of all that is good and holy check your fucking email. seriously.

the best way to study for your finals is to look at past tests and homework! if your teacher isn't a total dick they'll give you back your tests and homework. when studying for your final, go through and redo any that you got wrong, and look over the ones you got right. teachers usually take final questions from old tests and homework so if you do this it's very possible you'll study your exact finals questions. if they won't give you these back, reread your notes (in a way I'll describe in a moment)

reread your notes the same day you take them or very soon after so the lecture is still fresh in your mind! when you do this, grab a colored pen and take notes on your notes. I know this sounds ridiculous but it's actually a very important study tool. if you come across something you wrote that is confusing, write out an explanation. write down extra things that will help you understand the material. if there's something that you don't understand or don't remember PLEASE ask your teacher. some of them won't answer email so catch them in office hours or after class if you can. at the end of the semester when you're studying for finals, do this all over again but through your whole notebook for the semester (not all at once. pls take breaks lmfao)

if your teacher doesn't offer it up at the end of the semester, ask "can you please tell us some of the topics we should emphasize when studying for our finals?" (you can also say this in a far less pretentious way but I've found that professors are more likely to give you a real answer if you talk like this ¯\_(ツ)_/¯) I'm ngl, some of em will be assholes about this. they may laugh at the idea and snarkily say "look at your homework" or some shit equivalent. roll your eyes at these old bitches and move on. but many if not most will at least give y'all some idea of what to expect. and crucially: write down what they say and use it as a study guide

okey dokey!! that concludes the general section. now I'm gonna talk about some math specific stuff that will help you a lot if you struggle with math!

starting with an easy one: get a good calculator. please for the love of GOD do not get the TI-30X IIS unless you love it and are EXTREMELY familiar with all of the different operations. I'm sorry but this calculator sucks ass and it will hold you back. for about the same price you can get my personal favorite the Casio FX-115ES Plus (1st edition only, I haven't tried the 2nd edition bc I don't like change) or an FX-991 EX. if you're a Texas instruments guy get a TI 30XS or if ur doing calc and shit I'd get a 36X pro. I just prefer Casio personally lmao. in all likelihood your math teacher will be a calculator nerd who can teach you how to use any of these but there are also lots of videos made by calculator nerds on YouTube as well

so next I just want to emphasize how important your notes are. you cannot pass a math class without good notes unless it's a class you've already taken or something, and honestly even then I'd recommend you write some stuff down because the thing about math is there are a lot of different ways to do the same thing. which brings me to my next point

pay attention to the process your teacher uses to solve problems (I'll give an example in a sec) and especially to how they write the process down. if you're like me and you have trouble with the whole "show your work" thing this will help a lot, because you can use what your teacher writes down as a guideline for what you should write down. for instance, you may have learned about a math concept like permutations and combinations in high school one way, and then be taught a completely different way of performing the calculation in college. if this happens, ask your teacher about your way. sometimes their way is better for a specific reason and it's really important that you learn it. sometimes they'll say it doesn't matter just do what makes the most sense to you. sometimes you will also not get full credit if you do things a different way too so be careful and pay attention to what your teacher says abt it. you may have also been taught to show some steps in an operation but not others and your new teacher may want all of them. or none. or different ones. unfortunately math has a lot of variations

similarly, if there's a concept you don't understand, start by asking your teacher about it first bc they may want you doing a specific thing. if they're not helpful and you don't have access to a tutor turn to the internet. here are my recommendations for resources: Khan Academy has videos and examples explaining concepts in pretty much all types of math. usually really helpful because they'll show you several different methods and use different explanations, MathWay for classes that come before trig/calc. you can use it for those but it's a little more annoying lol specifically in regards to graphing and solving integrals and shit. this tool has A LOT of stuff in it but is best as a calculator to check your work on stuff and for showing you graphs that have transformations and shit like that from college algebra. it's got settings for different math types and even chemistry tho!, for more complicated graphing I'd use Desmos. you can use this in all classes but it's just a bit more complicated imo and it's more made for complex operations so I prefer to use MathWay as much as possible bc it's just more user friendly., there's also Symbolab which a lot of my fellow tutors really like but I personally tend to use the others more, Wolfram Alpha is a pretty well known one. tbh I find it kind of hard to use sometimes so i usually use it as a last resort lmfao but it is really good!, this last one is calculus specific (including things like calc based physics ofc) but derivative calculator and integral calculator are everything to me. could not have gotten through calc 2 and 3 w/o these mfs

OK THIS PART IS REALLY IMPORTANT!! we're going to talk about how you can make your math tests WAY easier on you and massively improve your chances of passing. here's what you're going to do for every test

1. when studying for your test, go through and find ALL formulas that you used in the unit(s) your test is over (this includes formulas you learned previously but used in this unit as well!!)

2. commit them to memory. easiest way to do this (besides practicing using them!!) is to rewrite them a few times including what you use them for and what all of the symbols and letters stand for

3. when you go in to take your test, spend like 5-10 minutes beforehand, right up until they make you put everything away, studying and rewriting these

4. the SECOND the test hits your desk, flip it over and write down every single formula immediately (including as much extra info like when to use and variable definitions as possible). now you won't have to try to remember them 30 minutes in when your brain is frying!!

5. go through the test and read each question carefully. if you can't remember how to solve it within 30 seconds skip it. you might only do 4 or 5 questions (maybe less depending on the length of your test) after the first pass, but just go back to the beginning and do it again, giving urself a little more time w each pass. this will ensure that you're not spending 45 minutes on problem 4 and having no time to get to the rest of the test. additionally with math it is extremely common to basically find the answer to how to do one problem while you're doing another problem. doing the ones you know first will also boost your confidence and help prevent anxiety from wiping ur brain. this is a really really important part of math tests

6. before you hand your test in, make sure you've written SOMETHING down on EVERY SINGLE QUESTION. even if you have absolutely 0 idea whatsoever what to do, there is always a chance for partial credit. a lot of times, you also know more than you think you do. so even if you can only do half a step of the whole process, half a point is better than 0!! if you really have no clue what to do, make something up. I know this probably sounds ridiculous but I'm so deadass. once I was taking a physics test and could not for the life of me remember what formula to use so I just made one up based on my vague idea of how it worked lmao. I wrote off to the side "I know this isn't how physics works, but I can't remember that so just pretend I'm god for a second" and I got like 75% of the points bc the teacher appreciated the effort!! there were fucking countless times when I was taking a test and I got to a point where I knew the steps of what I was supposed to do but could not figure out HOW to actually DO the math. so I wrote in words my understanding of what the next steps were. even though I didn't finish answering the question, I always got points for trying. this is what teachers are wanting from you. effort. so PLEASE write literally anything even if you're just making that shit up (just explain your reasoning in words to the side, as long as you're using logic you're really getting the essence of math anyway). you would not BELIEVE how fast your grades will improve by doing this. I tutored a girl who went from Ds to Bs within literally 2 weeks of starting tutoring just because she stopped leaving any questions blank and started getting partial credit

that's all the important stuff I can think of for now though I'm sure there's much more so I may update this in the future!

of course everyone is going to have a different experience and relationship with math. so adjust all of these tips to fit how you learn best. please try to remember that learning math is a very important part of developing your critical reasoning and logistical analysis skills. these are essential to understanding and interacting with the world and math is just a way of exercising those muscles. trust me when I say I know how infuriating math can be. I have dyscalculia and a math degree. I've spent so many hours crying over math you probably wouldn't even believe me. but it's worth it! and frankly, if you're in college, you're paying a lot of money for this class. you deserve to get everything you possibly can out of it

above all, if you're having trouble ASK FOR HELP. ask your teacher, ask your classmates, ask the head of the department, ask student services, ask Google!! and if you need help you can always ask me! :) I love helping people with this stuff and even if I don't know the answer to your question I'm pretty good at knowing where to look for them!

[oliyte]

Hello I have a few questions about Shin if that's alright? How did Shin meet Shuu Tsukiyama? What's Shin relationship like with Kaneki? How does Shin feel about CCG?

YES absolutely i saw your tags and I was like OOO another excuse to talk about shin.

OKOK so at one point i'll post the full fic but I'm still tweaking things but the lore of shin/shuu is pretty simple (at least originally)

SHUU/SHIN

Shin's always been artistically adept and uses his art to process a lot of emotions. In high school he was known for winning competitions. which ended up getting him a scholarship to Shuu's high school. He mostly kept to himself, minus a few people, and took up photography briefly because he was acquainted with chie. So Shuu met him in passing a few times in high school. They never spoke until university when Shuu was fully "the Gourmet." Their reintroduction was totally not orchestrated (read: shuu totally decided on a whim that the broody art student's hands were a perfect appetizer). The only issue is Shin is NOT interested in whatever shuu's got going on and constantly dodges him where possible. (even if he thinks he's really pretty). also hilarious note since Shin typically wears a glove over his prosthetic... there's a fair chance Shuu doesn't realize Shin has a prosthetic.

The fun part of their relationship is that they're also seeing each other as their alter egos. Since Shin acts so different as Canary Shuu doesn't suspect that the flamboyant, flirty Canary, is the emotionally detached artist that he's been trying to claim pieces of.

SHIN & KANEKI

Shin's relationship with kaneki is interesting to say the least, I haven't written too far into his canon yet regarding his relationship with kaneki, but he's aware of kaneki before they ever meet, Shin likes to know what's going on at all times (trauma response). So when the binge eater dies, he's aware. he's even heard of the college student who was with her during the time. Has he talked to Kaneki yet, no.

They don't actually meet until post aogiri (for kaneki). Shin is hesitant to trust kaneki because shuu is part of kaneki's group and by that time their situationship had kind of fizzled into a "this man is going to kill me if I give him the chance"

But Shin and Kaneki are similar people, even if Shin claims not to be. Shin hides constantly behind a mask of indifference because it's the easiest way to keep himself safe, but internally Shin is a mess of emotions and has that same "I'll die to protect the people I care about" thought process, though not nearly as bad as Kaneki.

Shin feels a bit of resentment towards Kaneki because they're so similar. There's also respect there because Shin's aware of how hard it is to adapt after trauma, and he respects kaneki for still holding onto that portion of himself that's still "human"

Shin is also just generally interested in kaneki because he never realized hybrids could exist, even if kaneki was surgically altered it kind of kicks shin into considering there might be something more to his own biology than just "weird human."

Overall, it's a mix of feelings. shin doesn't hate him, far from it, but Shin also goes out of his way to avoid talking too deep with Kaneki. he'd rather not see his own feelings and thoughts echoed out loud.

CCG & SHIN

Again complex feelings because he's aware that the CCG can help with dismantling certain problematic organizations in the ghoul community. The CCG are also targeting a population that is almost always lower class, lower education, and most of the time just trying to live their life.

Shin originally just disliked the CCG due to the fact that it seemed like an organization preyed on the lower class specifically. The junior academy is quite literally the cheapest tuition to attend. If not for shin's scholarship he might have had to attend there since his mother is a single parent working her ass off to support him.

His feelings change as he discovers more on both the ghoul community and on the CCG, he's intuitive by nature, so when he gets information that challenges what the CCG actually is, he's sickened by it.

Long story short he's anti-CCG and will spray paint a mural about their corruption right on the side of one of their buildings if given the chance.

[mjohnso]

The Work of Auditions

S.E.S Bada’s recruitment story is the stuff of SM legend. Personally scouted in 1996 by Lee Soo-man after he saw her perform at her school’s annual festival, she did not then dream of debuting as a pop singer, let alone being in a girl group. By most accounts, she wanted to be a musical theater actor. But she agreed to Lee’s offer because it literally paid the bills. In exchange for joining the company, Lee paid her full university tuition and expenses, where she studied theater.

I begin with Bada’s origin story, not only because it is unique among SM audition stories but because of what it says about SM. Specifically, it demonstrates the company’s recognition early on that acquiring the best performers, regardless of cost, was integral to their survival and success. They would need talent to grow their stable of new acts and replace any new acts that disbanded. Furthermore, maintaining a pool of potential replacement talent was an insurance policy. Their mere existence would apply downward pressure on their already debuted idols, discouraging them from agitating for more (or any) money or better contract terms or material conditions lest they be replaced.

But first, SM had to find trainees, which they did so using a multi-pronged strategy. Street-casting, like the kind that found Bada, was part of their approach, as was their affiliation with the for-profit training academy Starlight Academy beginning in 2003. There was also their more formalized Audition process, which they started advertising on their official website in 2000. In the early aughts, versions of this Audition section of their website listed three language options (“Korean” “English” and “Chinese”), with different options for each. In particular, the Korean version listed six options:

Mail: An applicant could send via snail mail a letter or postcard listing their name, school grade, and contact information, along with two photos, to the attention of the Entertainment Audition Manager at a Gangnam PO Box.

Email: An applicant could send an email to the casting director with all the information they would include in a letter to the casting director if they were mailing their application and two scanned photos.

Franchise Store: Instead of mailing or emailing their information and photos, an applicant could drop off a letter with their information and two photos at one of the various music or record stores around Korea that SM listed on their site. If an applicant who utilized this method was selected for an in-person audition but lived outside of Seoul, SM would pay 100% of their transportation costs.

Recommend a friend: A person could send all of the same information of a friend or family member they believe is talented in a letter or email. If that friend or family member signed a contract with SM, the person who referred them would receive a scholarship of 1 million won.

Live Auditions: Every Saturday at 3pm, SM Entertainment held in-person auditions at their headquarters.

Live Auditions: Applicants could apply for an audition via directions obtained by calling a phone number. If an applicant passed the first round of screening, they would be invited to attend the in-person auditions held on Sunday at 3pm.

Today, SM has not radically changed these options other than revamping them to reflect technological changes and expanding their in-person auditions. They eliminated the snail mail and franchise store options in favor of digital options, including applying via the SM website or direct message. In-person auditions are still held weekly at the SM Entertainment building but are supplemented by audition tours. Earlier this year, they announced their 2024 Global Audition, which consists of stops in Daegu, Busan, Daejeon, Wonju, Gwangju, and Jeju, as well as Thailand, Japan, the United States, and Canada.

Much as their audition methods have not drastically changed, only expanded, the same could be said for the motivation behind their auditions. The need for new trainees, especially as the industry has become increasingly competitive, and the necessity of maintaining that power dynamic that I discussed above all still applies, but I would also add a third reason. That is much as trainees function as a way to apply pressure to acts on an agency’s roster, so does the audition, with all its spectacle, do for trainees. Between the multiple dates and increasing amount of locations, often announced with much fanfare, there is a dual impression. The auditions are extremely competitive, with participants going up against not only those at that audition but also highly desirable and affirming, as evidenced by the turnout.

Yet even though a trainee may have made it through the gauntlet of auditions and been selected as a member of an elite club, they cannot rest. On the contrary, as a trainee, they will have to work harder than other trainees whom they are competing with to maintain their spot and for one of the scant opportunities to debut. Moreover, they cannot complain about their training or the conditions of it or even negotiate for better contract terms, lest they get replaced by any one of those other people auditioning and vying for their spot.

It is no wonder SM Entertainment has not developed a more efficient way to audition potential new trainees. The current system is the perfect tool, conveniently downplaying their role outside the selection process. If a group of trainees encourages existing acts to stay silent even in the face of poor working conditions, that is not because SM has explicitly pushed them to but as a consequence of the system. Similarly, if trainees who acutely feel the precariousness of their situation overwork themselves, that is their decision. No matter that these are the results of a system created by SM's choices, and thus are not immutable. As far as the industry cares it works, so why would they fix it?

[ceasarslegion]

Pls tell me more about ur news experience while protesting the Ford gov and their shitty choices?

I was going to UofT at the time when the ford government gutted OSAP, the ontario student aid program for those out of the know. They converted all grants into loans and no longer gave money to cover living expenses, and they struck down the 6 month grace period ontario students had after graduation to find well-paying jobs before their repayment started.

For the americans here, i should contextualize that student loans in canada do not at all work like they do in the US. We take out loans from a combination of the federal government (known as NSLSC loans) and our provinces of residence specifically. When we apply, we fill out our financial info including our income and if we are considered an "independent" student or not, the legal definition of which differs depending on your province of residence. The main difference being that independent students dont include their parents' incomes when they first apply, theyre considered their sole and only breadwinner. Depending on that income and a few other personal points, you get a combination of loans and grants that cover both tuition and partial living expenses, and when you graduate, the federal government takes all your loan and income info and doles you out a personalized regular payment plan so you have it completely paid off after 10 years if you follow it. And you have 6 months after you graduate uni to find a job and get settled where you don't pay anything. Theres also other options if you still cant pay like the repayment assistance program that freezes your payments entirely if you prove youre below a certain wealth bracket, but thats the gist of it.

Now that everyone knows the context i can tell the story. The ford government of ontario circa 2019 decided that ontario university students dont need living expense coverage, that it would universally be loans regardless of any low income status, and that the post-grad grace period wasnt necessary. And being in one of the most expensive cities in the country, that was not going to fly with my peers.

I personally took out my provincial loans from alberta student aid that has all those benefits, so the OSAP gut didnt actually affect me at all, but injustice is still injustice even if it doesnt affect me, so i joined the student protests against the ford government that people were bussing in from the other side of the province to attend. At some point along the line, other folks noticed that i was comfortable around the news cameras and my main strengths were in public speaking, so when cameras were around asking for interviews i was pushed in front of them a lot to be trusted to explain our grievances and goals without getting noticeably hotheaded, so i did a lot of live interviews for CTV and citynews toronto during those few months.

And they were kinda right to do that. Im really good at interviews and public speaking and arguing points in general, and not the best at more hands-on things when it comes to activism. And like, you do need PR people to get support for a cause, contrary to what a lot of tumblr users seem to think. Like you need people whose jobs are to present your grievances and reasons for marching in a way that presents you as respectful and worth listening to and considering the points of. So that was mainly my role in those protests. I dont know if you can still easily find those interviews buried in their broadcast archives but if you want to look for me be my guest