The Geeks Shall Inherit the Earth - Alexandra Robbins [116]
“I guess so!” Actually he was somewhat disappointed that the questions hadn’t been more probing.
She leaned back. The air lightened. “What do you want to major in?” she asked.
“Futurology.”
She nodded. “Well, bring this to the front desk and they’ll give you the rest of the forms.”
“Okay, thank you,” Blue said. The woman behind the front desk looked at the papers Blue handed her. “Congratulations!” she said. Other applicants fidgeted as they waited their turn.
Blue left the building, still underwhelmed. The impact of the interview didn’t hit him until his mother came to pick him up. As he got into the car, he realized that UAP was his ticket to a new, inspiring life—and he was only one interview away from getting in.
DANIELLE, ILLINOIS | THE LONER
Danielle sat in the librarians’ office for the first meeting of the book-selection subgroup of Stone Mill’s Summer Reading Committee. The staff and three students were tasked with compiling the list of books that students would choose from to read over the summer and discuss at school in the fall. At first Danielle was hesitant to speak up, but as the deliberations went on, she grew increasingly disturbed.
Danielle had joined the committee determined to get some good books onto the list so that her school didn’t end up with the inanities that comprised the previous summer’s list. She thought it was pathetic how few Stone Mill students liked reading for pleasure.
“We have to pick books that students would be interested in,” one teacher pushed.
“All of my students keep talking about Twilight,” said another teacher.
Danielle watched incredulously as the librarians added Twilight and another YA book to the list. Danielle didn’t understand why every summer book had to be “targeted to idiots.” Shows a lot about how Stone Mill views its students, she thought. These books are as stupid and as shallow as a puddle. She tried to counter some of the books the teachers recommended with classier fare, but the librarian in charge said, “No, we need something more interesting and less literary.” Most of the books Danielle suggested drew reactions such as, “That’s an adult book.”
When an English teacher suggested 1984, Danielle was relieved. Finally a decent literary book for the list. “Or Animal Farm!” she suggested.
“I don’t think 1984 is a good idea because it’s too much of a school book,” said the teacher who headed the committee. Danielle bristled. Stone Mill didn’t even teach Orwell.
When the discussion moved on to books that would appeal to Hispanic students, Danielle piped up again. “What about Blindness? It’s by José Saramago,” she said. Despite a teacher’s protest that the books for Hispanic students had to be more relatable to Hispanics, a librarian tentatively added Blindness to the list.
Another teacher suggested a book that she said “glorifies gangs.” Danielle rolled her eyes as the librarians brought up similar titles. The idea that Hispanics could relate only to books about gang life was both ridiculously stereotypical and insulting. Because you’re Hispanic, you’re Mexican, Danielle thought. Because you’re Mexican, you’re in a gang and have a really low IQ and reading level.
“What about Gabriel García Márquez?” Danielle asked a librarian. Danielle loved One Hundred Years of Solitude.
The librarian looked at her condescendingly. She thinks all of my suggestions suck, Danielle thought. “We’re trying to get books for lower-level students, so we need books that are less literary,” she said.
Danielle was speechless. What’s the point of having a summer reading program if the students are just going to read crap? she thought. She didn’t make any other suggestions for the rest of the meeting; instead, she kept fighting for Blindness.
After the meeting, Danielle lent a teacher her copy of Blindness to prove how good it was. She