Kalico 2: Hypnotized & Naked in Hope Springs

Jamie J. Bird: Wallflower

Jamie J. Bird, a.k.a. The Wallflower, (submitted Wednesday)

Wallflower's Journal

Tuesday

About an hour before volleyball practice was supposed to start, my new friend Yolanda Blackwell and I were sort of hanging, cruising, or just ambling, for want of a better term, past the front of Eternal High School when Mr. Watson, the principal, came out the front door and called us over to him.

If we have time, he said, could we please meet with our new Academic Committees for a few minutes?

Sure, whatever, we replied. Actually we only shrugged our shoulders, but that's the meaning we intended. He asked us to sit in the line of chairs in the office outside the principal's inner sanctum while he made sure the committee was ready.

You know that row of chairs. Every school office has a row near the principal's or headmaster's door. During a regular school term the chairs are called "Sinners' Row" because students unfortunate enough to find themselves there are usually in very deep trouble. They've been sent to the office for some offense. This is one zone where praying in school is allowed.

No stigma was attached to us for sitting in Sinners Row today, however, because we are still in summer vacation. We have a week before school starts.

The Academic Committee, whoever they might be, were in the principal's office. After a couple of minutes, they called us in. Mr. Watson explained that normally they plan to meet with each "student client" singularly, and we can do so today if we wish, but since this is only a get-acquainted meeting, it shouldn't hurt either of us to have the other one present.

We both said fine with us. Well, truthfully, we did that shoulder-shrug again, and hoped they understood it to mean yes, fine, whatever, et cetera.

Next, they turned their attention to me saying, since I'm new in town, they especially want me to feel welcome.

"Thank you," I told them, "it's been fun so far."

From it's name, I thought the Academic Committee would be something like a board of regents for the school, which decides on curriculum and textbook issues. Much to my surprise, the academic committee is more like a faculty advisory panel with a member of the community thrown in to serve as the student-client's Mentor.

Mr. Watson introduced us to the committee members, I got some of their names and some of their positions, but didn't get them all put together in my head. If the committee turns out to be the big deal they're saying it is, I'll have to make a list and learn all that.

Off the top of my head, right now, here's who I remember: Mr. Watson, as principal, will be on every "student-client's" individual committee but plans to do his best to stay out of the way unless he's needed; Mrs. Decker, the English teacher, Miss Richards, I'm not sure what she teaches, and an algebra teacher, I'm not sure of his name. The two other women there, Mrs. Cox and Mrs. Jackson, were introduced as "mentors." Mrs. Jackson to be my assigned mentor, and Mrs. Cox for Yolanda.

Two other committee members weren't present, Mr. Watson explained. Mr. Coltwright, as guidance counselor, also serves on every committee. Coach Ainsworth is also assigned to Yolanda and me because of our interest in sports, but he is busy with something in the girls' gym at the moment and can't be here.

Mr. Watson said the committee knew that Yolanda and I are interested in the volleyball team, so they arranged their meeting this afternoon hoping to catch us on the way to practice. This will only take a few minutes, if we don't mind.