The ENTOURAGE

2. c o n s o r t i u m

"Live a little," Edith had told me before we hung up the phone. "Take a risk! For once in your life you're free to do whatever you want, now is not the time to monitor yourself just because dad can't."

She was right of course, but I didn't know where to take the bloody risk to begin with. Nothing was interesting, or piquing my interest to make me think I had anything to take a chance and risk. I was trying to live a little more, but life was offering less than a little opportunity.

Until class on Thursday. Ferg was in an even more vivacious mood than usual, which was evident in his choice of clothing, I thought. A maroon blazer, his shirt untucked over flapping corduroy trousers, and a bright red ribbon keeping his salt-and-pepper hair in a bun behind his head - it was the most colour I had seen him wear. Advanced Arts Consortium graced the board in Ferg's near-illegible script.

"This is the first year we are running the program," Ferg was explaining the class. "The Advanced Arts Consortium will comprise of six first year students, who will receive assignments and guidance from me in a group study. I will be holding interviews in four weeks to choose to whom those six places will go to."

"Internationally recognised, if you apply it means you are definitely prepared to commit to the program should you be successful. Yes, if you do the AAC then you automatically will be changing subjects - I won't be giving preference to people already doing the required subjects, but you will be required to do them should you be successful. The include a performance elective as well as Philosophy, Psychology and Society & Culture Studies, so you'd best get over your stage fright if you want in."

"The successful six will live in the restored Heike Dormitories, with each your own study spaces and dorms as well as the group space, because these six people will be working together on long term creative projects - regardless of your electives, your subjects will cross at some point."

There was a stir amongst the room; the idea of this elite Ferg had been describing seemed appealing to most. Even I thought it sounded cool.

Ferg continued over it, "This means you will leave this distinguished arts college with not one but two degrees - an Advanced Bachelor of Arts, and a Bachelor in whatever field you, in your last year, specialise in."

The chatter really started up then.

"Questions?" Ferg looked around, "You... uh, Amber, isn't it? Yes? Shoot."

Amber, with a bun atop her head sat even taller in her seat, "So, with the specialising, right - what can we specialise in?"

"You will have to choose between your two electives, but you won't start the specialising until second year. First year will allow you to get a feel for your two electives, and you could still change them in your second year - third year locks them in.

"Hey, Ferg," a guy called out behind our heads, at which Ferg rolled his eyes but still his ever-cheery demeanour held. "What electives can we choose from?"

"Hey, Oliver," everyone laughed at that, "you can choose from Performance - which includes Jazz or Classical instrument, theatre, or dance, there's also Visual Art, which branches into whatever mediums you can learn to use, Psychology, Law, Criminology, Creative Writing, Gender Studies, and Media." Ferg grinned, then took to the board and answered more questions as more hands flew into the air.