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<img src="http://police.psu.edu/sites/police/files/styles/1200x600/public/psu-old-main.jpg?itok=qg1UzXD8" width="1000" height="500" alt="A photo of Old Main on Penn State campus" />
<<set $hasShirt to false>>\
<<set $medialiteracy to 0>>\
<<set $generosity to 0>>\
<<set $reputation to 0>>\
<<set $politics to 0>>\
<<set $literacy to false>>\
<<set $classmates to false>>\
<<set $projects to false>>\
<<set $candidates to false>>\
<<set $info to false>>\
<<set $dem to false>>\
<<set $rep to false>>\
<<set $lookB to false>>\
<<set $lookM to false>>\
<<set $lookK to false>>\
<<set $lookS to false>>\
<<set $selfloathing to false>>\
<<set $look to 0>>\
<<set $questionR to false>>\
<<set $questionA to false>>\
<<set $conservative to false>>\
<<set $liberal to false>>\
<<set $commensal to false>>\
''WEDNESDAY.''
You are a freshman at Pennsylvania State University, where you study journalism. It's been a pretty good first year for you——there haven't been too many general eds, you and your best friend Brady have a class together, and you've joined the student publication Onward State. The food isn't bad, either.
But these are troubled times. The most recent presidential primaries have churned out two candidates, one of whom seems to violate many of the values which you believe in. Impossibly, he's been winning, and you've begun to grow concerned.
Tonight at 6:00 pm, there's going to be a rally in town at which he'll speak. As tired as you are, you figure that you ought to take some notes for your next column in Onward State. Do you:
[[Attend the rally?|Attend the rally?]]
[[Stay at home and browse Facebook?|Stay at home and browse Facebook?]]<img src="http://www.thefeministwire.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Vote-for-Change.jpg" width="1000" height="500" alt="A photo of political rally" />
<<set $rally to true>>\
You go to the rally at 6:00 that night. It's packed, but the crowd isn't as raucous as you thought they would be. In fact, they're mostly just ordinary people. You can even see some old neighbors of yours. Had you not known who they were supporting, you might not've guessed that they supported such problematic policies.
A quiet stream of applause grows to a cascading roar as their candidate steps onto the stage. It's hard to see his face from where you're at, but you know his voice well enough. //How many times have you heard it in the past few months?// you wonder. He begins to speak.
"Today, the people of this country..."
Do you:
[[Start taking videos and posting them to social media?]]
[[Buy a campaign t-shirt?]]<<set $hasShirt to true\\>>
<<set $hadShirt to true>>\
<<set $reputation to $reputation - 2>>\
Time to blend in. You walk up to the stand, and pick out a deeply navy blue t-shirt emblazoned with the slogan, "''GOVERNMENT FROM THE GROUND ^''". Dozens upon dozens of other merchandise lines the tables, but this seems the most like something you would consider wearing.
You pay for the t-shirt, then quickly put it on. But as you turn around, you see a familiar figure in the crowd. Could it be...?
Should you:
[[Text Brady a message?]]
[[Sneak up on Brady and tap him on the shoulder?]]
You shoot Brady a message, saying "Didn't expect to see you here. Don't ignore me!"
You see him reach in his pocket, and start reading the message. His shoulders stiffen, and he begins to look around. You wave. Spying you, he flashes a cheesy grin and makes his way over. "I didn't expect to see you here, either," he says. "What are you doing here?"
"I just wanted to get a load of this for my column," you reply, shrugging. "It's going to make local papers, so I figured I ought to write something. But maybe I should also be asking you the same question?"
"Oh," he says, looking a little nervous. "Actually, to show my support."
Do you:
<<if $hasShirt is true>>[[Give him the t-shirt?]]
[[Start watching the rally again?]]<</if>>
You make your way sneakily past other attendants, until finally you deliver the mother of all shoulder taps to Brady.
He starts and whirls around. Seeing you, he flashes a cheesy grin and playfully shoves you. "I didn't expect to see you here!" he says. "What are you doing?"
"I just wanted to get a load of this for my column," you reply, shrugging. "It's going to make local papers, so I figured I ought to write something. But maybe I should also be asking you the same question?"
"Oh," he says, looking a little nervous. "Actually, to show my support."
<<if $hasShirt is true>>Do you:
[[Give him the t-shirt?]]
[[Start watching the rally again?]]
<<else>>"Oh," he says, looking a little nervous. "Actually, to show my [[support.|Start watching the rally again?]]"<</if>><img src="https://tribktla.files.wordpress.com/2014/11/san-diego-5-freeway-protest.jpg?quality=85&strip=all" width="1000" height="500" alt="A photo of protest blocking traffic" />
<<set $brady to true>>\
With a satisfied groan, you plop down on your bed after dinner and curl up with your laptop. Soon, you're on Facebook. Nothing really catches your interest as you scroll through your feed, until you come to a video posted a couple of minutes ago by your friend Brady.
It's clearly one that he took himself. In it, a haggle of protestors are blocking downtown traffic. Several of them are wearing the official merchandise of the Democratic nominee, and all of them are protesting the arrival of people to attend the Republican candidate's rally tonight. "No white nationalism!" they shout. "No racism, no xenophobia, no populism!" At one point, they yell this directly through his car window.
Brady has written frustratedly that the protestors were blocking people's right to free assembly. Moreover, they were preventing people in rush hour traffic from getting home. If they have a problem with the opposition, he complains, they should take it to the voting booths.
Do you:
[[Send him a direct message about the incident?]]
[[Share his post with a little commentary of your own?]]You open your texting app and shoot Brady a message about the incident. "Hey," you write, "I heard what happened. I hope you're doing alright."
He replies quickly. "Yeah, it's just that I'm getting tired of how entitled some of these people act. If they want others to be considerate of them, they should be considerate of other people too."
//There's some truth to that//, you think. But what you write is:
[[It isn't that easy. These protestors have been marginalized and need to push back harder sometimes just to be heard.]]
[[Yeah, it really is that easy. They went too far.]]
[[Sic semper tyrannus!]]
[[Maybe, but we should also consider the way that the candidates are encouraging these sorts of behaviors.]]<img src="http://marketingland.com/wp-content/ml-loads/2014/08/facebook-share-ss-1920.jpg" width="1000" height="500" alt="A picture of sharing on facebook" />
You decide that his post is worth sharing, but you also add a critique.
Do you:
[[Condemn the populist supporters?->Condemn the populist supporters? v.2]]
[[Condemn the liberal protestors?->Condemn the liberal protestors? v.2]]
[[Analyze and criticize the actions of everyone involved?->Analyze and criticize the actions of everyone involved? v.2]]
[[Ponder the implications and consequences of what you saw?->Ponder the implications and consequences of what you saw? v.2]]<<set $generosity to $generosity + 2>>\
<<set $reputation to $reputation + 1>>\
You take off the campaign shirt you just bought, and hand it to Brady. "Here," you say, smiling. "You probably have more use for this than I do." Brady looks surprised at first, but he accepts the shirt anyway. "Thanks!" he says, putting it on. "How do I look?"
//I don't really know//, you think to yourself. Why would Brady support someone who treats immigrants so callously? You smile anyway.
Suddenly, there's some other noise to your right. There are some people protesting in the corner of the auditorium. A few of them are wearing the official t-shirts of the Democratic nominee. There's an exchange of slurs——"fascist", "brat", and other words like them begin to hurtle through the air.
"Maybe we should get out of here, Brady," you whisper to him. But before either of you can, someone pushes between the two of you. A fight's broken out!
[[Try to get out of the auditorium?]]
[[Catch it on camera?]]You nod and shift your attention back to the rally. The crowd is beginning to become riled up. You look around warily, taking in their vehemence. The speaker on the stage almost seems to be inciting his supporters...
"This is not just people gathering," he cries, shaking his fists. "This is a movement!"
Suddenly, there's some other noise to your right. There are some people protesting in the corner of the auditorium. A few of them are wearing the official t-shirts of the Democratic nominee. There's an exchange of slurs——"fascist", "brat", and other words like them begin to hurtle through the air.
"Maybe we should get out of here, Brady," you whisper to him. But before either of you can, someone pushes between the two of you. A fight's broken out!
Do you:
[[Try to get out of the auditorium?]]
[[Catch it on camera?]]You take out your phone and begin recording. The people are predominantly white, you notice, and look to be 40 or older. //Middle and low-class families?// you wonder. A lot of the area around Penn State is rural——perhaps times are tough? //It definitely might explain why people are acting so tough.//
You shift the focus of your video to the speaker. He's tall and gangly, with a voice which belies his size. Though his suit hides it, according to an article you read, he has tattoos all up his forearm. Maybe he was punk when he was younger?
"This is the same sacred alliance of the old right and left, united in their wish to remain in place at any price. They use the same tactics, the same corruption. An inspection of the whole process should be requested so the election can be cleaned..."
Suddenly, you notice someone familiar not far in front of you. Could it be...?
Do you:
[[Start filming Brady?]]
[[Sneak up on Brady and tap him on the shoulder?]]<img src="https://cdn2.img.sputniknews.com/images/104040/29/1040402983.jpg" width="1000" height="500" alt="A photo of a fight at a political rally" />
You keep your phone fixated on the proceedings.//This'll make for some column!// you think. But Brady can't contain himself. "Hey!" he shouts angrily, rushing in to break things up.
He only makes things worse. As security guards swarm in to separate the combatants, you see Brady bleeding from his mouth. Meanwhile, the speaker waves his hand dismissively. "Get them outta here!" he shouts.
You try to follow the security guards as they escort Brady and the others away, but they won't let you. Though you protest, you realize that there's nothing that you can do. You resign yourself to going back home.
That night, you share your video to Facebook and Twitter. In your post, do you:
[[Condemn the populist supporters?->Condemn the populist supporters? v.1]]
[[Condemn the liberal protestors?->Condemn the liberal protestors? v.1]]
[[Analyze and criticize the actions of everyone involved?->Analyze and criticize the actions of everyone involved? v.1]]
[[Ponder the implications and consequences of what you saw?->Ponder the implications and consequences of what you saw? v.1]]"C'mon, Brady!" you insist, tugging on his arm. You still can't figure out why he's here, and you've got a bad feeling about how things are going. But Brady can't contain himself. "Hey!" he shouts angrily, rushing in to break things up.
He only makes things worse. As security guards swarm in to separate the combatants, you see Brady bleeding from his mouth. Meanwhile, the speaker waves his hand dismissively. "Get them outta here!" he shouts.
You try to follow the security guards as they escort Brady and the others away, but they won't let you. Though you protest, you realize that there's nothing that you can do. You resign yourself to going back home.
That night, you share your video to Facebook and Twitter. In your post, you:
[[Condemn the populist supporters?|Condemn the populist supporters? v.1]]
[[Condemn the liberal protestors?|Condemn the liberal protestors? v.1]]
[[Analyze and criticize the actions of everyone involved?|Analyze and criticize the actions of everyone involved? v.1]]
[[Ponder the implications and consequences of what you just saw?|Ponder the implications and consequences of what you saw? v.1]]
You turn the camera to Brady, who remains oblivious of your presence. //What the heck is he doing here?// you wonder worriedly. Brady isn't the sort of person to support the rhetoric of this man. And as far as you know, his family voted Democrat in the last election.
The crowd is beginning to become riled up. You look around warily, taking in their vehemence. The speaker on the stage almost seems to be inciting his supporters...and Brady is standing there nodding, almost as if he's really starting to get into the rally.
"This is not just people gathering," the speaker cries, shaking his fists. "This is a movement!"
Suddenly, there's some other noise to your right. There are some people protesting in the corner of the auditorium. A few of them are wearing the official t-shirts of the Democratic nominee. There's an exchange of slurs——"fascist", "brat", and other words like them begin to hurtle through the air.
Someone suddenly pushes past you, making a beeline for the protesters. A [[fight's broken out!|Catch it on camera?]]<<set $medialiteracy to $medialiteracy - 2>>\
<<set #liberal to true>>\
<<set $reputation to $reputation - 1>>\
You share the post, close your laptop, and drift off to [[sleep.->Day 2.2/THURSDAY]]<<set $medialiteracy to $medialiteracy - 2>>\
<<set $conservative to true>>\
<<set $reputation to $reputation - 1>>\
You share the post, close your laptop, and drift off to [[sleep.->Day 2.2/THURSDAY]]<<set $medialiteracy to $medialiteracy + 2>>\
<<set $reputation to $reputation + 1>>\
You share the post, close your laptop and drift off to [[sleep.->Day 2.2/THURSDAY]]<<set $medialiteracy to $medialiteracy + 1>>\
You share the post, close your laptop, and drift off to [[sleep.->Day 2.2/THURSDAY]]<<set $generosity to $generosity to + 3>>\
<<set $politics to $politics - 2>>\
<<set $snoop to true>>\
"I think we should do something," you write. "We ought to push back some." Brady seems to like this idea. "Could you write something in your column?" he asks.
"No, but I could do some snooping," you reply.
After a few minutes, it becomes clear that Brady isn't going to answer. //He must have gone to bed//, you think. You do the [[same->Day 2.1/THURSDAY]].
<<set $medialiteracy to $medialiteracy + 1>>\
<<set $generosity to $generosity - 1>>\
<<set $liberal to true>>\
"It's not that simple," you write. "Sometimes, people don't have an effective outlet to vent their frustrations. Some people often feel that no matter what they do, they can't get to where they want to go in life.
" But Brady doesn't buy it. "They can get in line like everyone else," he replies. "I don't see why their problems should always be treated as if they're more important than everyone else's."
You realize that you aren't going to convince him in the mood that he's in now. You close your laptop and drift off to [[sleep.->Day 2.1/THURSDAY]]<<set $generosity to $generosity + 1>>\
<<set $conservative to true>>\
"I definitely agree," you write. "People do a lot of crazy things to protest, but there ought to be a limit, you know? They can't keep doing stuff like this."
Brady agrees enthusiastically. You appear to have made him feel a little better. You wish him a goodnight, close your laptop, and drift off to [[sleep.->Day 2.1/THURSDAY]]<<set $medialiteracy to $medialiteracy + 1>>\
<<set $politics to $politics + 2>>\
"Yeah, but the candidates aren't exactly helping," you write. "Doesn't it worry you how politicians are drawing battle lines?"
Brady asks what you mean. "That's just our party system," he responds.
You shake your head. //He doesn't get it//. "People are fed up with the party system, though," you write. "And both candidates are betting on that."
After a few minutes, it becomes clear that Brady isn't going to answer. //He must have gone to bed//, you think. You do the [[same->Day 2.1/THURSDAY]].''THURSDAY.''
At class the next day, you look for Brady. He doesn't show up. After class, you approach Professor Morden. You find out that he got into a fight at a rally for the Republican candidate the other night and became injured.
You're horrified, and say that you'll go visit him as soon as you can. "That's all well and good", Professor Morden says. "Just remember that you have a presentation on media literacy tomorrow."
//Shit,// you think. //Sometimes I wish Professor Morden took the title of communication "scientist" less seriously. And I still haven't written anything for my column...//
Do you:
<<if $snoop is true>>[[Head to the media lab?|Head to the media lab? v.1]]
<<else>>[[Head to the media lab?|Head to the media lab? v.1]]
[[Head to the library?|Head to the library? v.1]]
[[Try to call Brady?|Try to call Brady? v.1]]<</if>>
<<set $medialiteracy to $medialiteracy + 1>>\
You share the post, close your laptop, and drift off to [[sleep.->Day 2.1/THURSDAY]]<<set $medialiteracy to $medialiteracy + 2>>\
<<set $reputation to $reputation + 1>>\
You share the post, close your laptop, and drift off to [[sleep.->Day 2.1/THURSDAY]]<<set $medialiteracy to $medialiteracy - 2>>\
<<set $conservative to true>>\
<<set $reputation to $reputation - 1>>\
You share the post, close your laptop, and drift off to [[sleep.->Day 2.1/THURSDAY]]<<set $medialiteracy to $medialiteracy - 2>>\
<<set $liberal to true>>\
<<set $reputation to $reputation - 1>>\
You share the post, close your laptop, and drift off to [[sleep.->Day 2.1/THURSDAY]]''THURSDAY.''
At class the next day, you look for Brady. He doesn't show up. After class, you approach Professor Morden. You find out that he called in sick due to injuries from the fight at the rally.
You're puzzled, but worried. //Brady's didn't seem to be hurt that badly last night.// you think. //But I never did find out what happened to him after the rally.// "I'm going to go see him," you tell the professor. "That's all well and good", he says. "Just remember that you have a presentation on media literacy tomorrow."
//Shit,// you think. //Sometimes I wish Professor Morden took the title of communication "scientist" less seriously. And I still haven't written anything for my column...//
Do you:
[[Head to the media lab?|Head to the media lab? v.1]]
[[Head to the library?|Head to the library? v.1]]
[[Try to call Brady?|Try to call Brady? v.1]]<img src="http://behrend.psu.edu/sites/default/files/campus/Erie2014-90%2520smaller_6.jpg" width="1000" height="500" alt="A photo of Penn State library" />
<<set $sarah to true>>\
You head into the library and hide in one of the cubicles with your laptop. In a second, you're on Facebook again. //Brady hasn't posted anything today,// you notice.
Another video is circulating online about the rally, though. In it, you can see how the fight broke out. //What was he doing there in the first place?// you think. Brady isn't the sort of person to support the rhetoric of populists. Neither is his family——as far as you know, they voted Democrat in the last election.
"Hey," a voice says next to you. You turn around and see your friend Sarah, who also has Professor Morden's class with you. "I heard about Brady," she says sympathetically. <<if $liberal is true>>"These protests have shaken things up a bit around here, haven't they?"<</if>> <<if $conservative is true>>"These protests have been getting out of hand, huh?"<</if>>
Do you:
[[Ask her what she wants to do for her presentation?|Ask her what she wants to do for her presentation? v.1]]
[[Ask her what she thinks of her classmates?|Ask her what she thinks of her classmates? v.1]]
[[Ask her what she thinks of the candidates?|Ask her what she thinks of the candidates? v.1]]
[[Not talk to Sarah?|Not talk to Sarah? v.1]]<img src="http://tlt.psu.edu/files/2012/10/fullhouse.jpg" width="1000" height="500" alt="A photo of Penn State media library" />
You head into the media lab and sit at one of the desks in the far corner. You open you laptop and, in a second, you're on Facebook again. //Brady hasn't posted anything today,// you notice.
Another video is circulating online about the rally, though. In it, you can see how the fight broke out. //What was he doing there in the first place?// you think. Brady isn't the sort of person to support the rhetoric of populists. Neither is his family——as far as you know, they voted Democrat in the last election.
<<if $brady is true>>You wonder if these were the same protesters that you saw blocking traffic in Brady's video. If they were, then it's possible they represent a group.<<else>>You wonder if these protestors were the same ones that you heard were causing trouble downtown in the past week. If they were, then it's possible that they represent a group.<</if>>
Do you:
<<if $snoop is true>>[[Do some digging?|Do some digging? v.1]]
<<else>>[[Do some digging?|Do some digging? v.1]]
[[Work on your presentation?|Work on your presentation? v.1]]<</if>>
The first thing you try to do once you get out of the classroom is to try to call Brady. The phone rings, rings, rings...and gives no answer.
In his voicemail, Brady is cheery. You really hope he still sounds as cheery when you next see him.
Do you:
[[Head to the media lab?|Head to the media lab? v.1]]
[[Head to the library?|Head to the library? v.1]]<img src="http://behrend.psu.edu/sites/default/files/campus/Erie2014-90%2520smaller_6.jpg" width="1000" height="500" alt="A photo of Penn State library" />
You head into the library and hide in one of the cubicles with your laptop. In a second, you're on Facebook again. //Brady hasn't posted anything today,// you notice.
Another video is circulating online about the rally, though. In it, you can see how the fight broke out. //What was he doing there in the first place?// you think. Brady isn't the sort of person to support the rhetoric of populists. Neither is his family——as far as you know, they voted Democrat in the last election.
"Hey," a voice says next to you. You turn around and see Sarah, who also has Professor Morden's class with you. "I heard about Brady," she says sympathetically. <<if $liberal is true>>"These protests have shaken things up a bit around here, haven't they?"<<if $conservative is true>>"These protests have been getting out of hand, huh?"<<>>
Do you:
[[Ask her what she wants to do for her presentation?|Ask her what she wants to do for her presentation? v.1]]
[[Ask her what she thinks of her classmates?|Ask her what she thinks of her classmates? v.1]]
[[Ask her what she thinks of the candidates?|Ask her what she thinks of the candidates? v.1]]
[[Not talk to Sarah?|Not talk to Sarah? v.1]]<<set $medialiteracy to $medialiteracy + 1>>\
<<set $candidates to true>>\
"Yeah," you say. "And they'll probably get worse as we get closer and closer to the election. Have you been following the news closely?"
She nods. <<if $liberal is true>>"The Republican candidate is a piece of work. He's practically a nationalist. He was quoted in the New York Times as saying that 'peace is purchased from strength, not from weakness or unilateral retreats.'<<else>>"The Democratic candidate seems phony. All he seems to want to do is expand government, and he's using the suffering of other people to get that.<</if>>Neither candidate has convinced me that they're really for change."
"Will you vote?" you ask. Sarah shrugs. "Maybe. I ought to, you know? But I don't know if it will make a difference. Not this time, at least."
Do you:
<<if $projects is false>>[[Suggest helping each other with your projects?|Suggest helping each other with your projects? v.1]]<</if>>
<<if $literacy is false>>[[Ask her to explain media literacy?|Ask her to explain media literacy? v.1]]<</if>>
<<if $classmates is false>>[[Ask her what she thinks of her classmates?|Ask her what she thinks of her classmates? v.1]]<</if>>
[[Stop talking to Sarah?|Stop talking to Sarah? v.1]]
"Yeah" you say. "I'm not exactly in the mood to talk about it, though...thank you, Sarah."
As Sarah leaves, your phone begins to ring. It's Brady! "Brady?" you ask, picking up hurriedly. "How're you doing?"
"I'm not too much worse for wear," he says. "Just pretty sore and tired. I've been at my parent's house since last night. If you come over, I can tell you more."
"Sure, sure," you reply. "I'll just need to bring a lot of stuff for my media literacy project. Do you think your folks could pick me up?"
Affirmation. //[[It's a date!]]//<<set $classmates to true>>\
"What do you think of the rest of our classmates, Sarah?" you ask thoughtfully, chewing on one of your pens. She looks puzzled. "I dunno," she responds, shrugging. "We've got the usual selection of kooks, geeks, jocks, and eccentric loners. Anyone in particular on your mind?"
"Kind of," you say. "I don't know that much about Kennedy, for instance. But I hear that he's a good guy to know."
Sarah cocks an eyebrow. "That depends on why you want to know him. He's an all-around good guy, yeah. But he's crazy political. It can be a little off-putting."
You ask what she means. "Well, I've tried to make friends with him. But he's pretty far left, I think, and he sees most dimensions of his life as being political. You can't really separate anything which he does from his politics."
That seems a good enough answer. Do you:
<<if $projects is false>>[[Suggest helping each other with your projects?|Suggest helping each other with your projects? v.1]]<</if>>
<<if $literacy is false>>[[Ask her to explain media literacy?|Ask her to explain media literacy? v.1]]<</if>>
<<if $candidates is false>>[[Ask her what she thinks of the candidates?|Ask her what she thinks of the candidates? v.1]]<</if>>
[[Stop talking to Sarah?|Stop talking to Sarah? v.1]]"Yeah," you chuckle. "You could say that. But maybe Brady brought it upon himself a little. Have you seen the video of the fight?" She nods.
"By the way," you remember, "What are you doing for your presentation tomorrow, Sarah?" //This might give me an edge.// Sarah always seemed very media-savvy to you.
Sarah shrugs, laughing. "I honestly don't know," she says. "With Professor Morden, presentation matters as much as the content, which is the only part of this class that I'm really good at."
Do you:
<<if $projects is false>>[[Suggest helping each other with your projects?|Suggest helping each other with your projects? v.1]]<</if>>
<<if $literacy is false>>[[Ask her to explain media literacy?|Ask her to explain media literacy? v.1]]<</if>>
<<if $classmates is false>>[[Ask her what she thinks of her classmates?|Ask her what she thinks of her classmates? v.1]]<</if>>
<<if $candidates is false>>[[Ask her what she thinks of the candidates?|Ask her what she thinks of the candidates? v.1]]<</if>>
[[Stop talking to Sarah?|Stop talking to Sarah? v.1]]"Thanks, Professor!" you say appreciatively. "No problem!" he says, waving goodbye.
As you leave Professor Morden's office, you begin to digest what you heard...//so Kennedy might've been hurt in the fight, too//, you think. //It's still a little weird, though. I can see why Brady might've wanted to stay home after getting in a fight at a populist rally, but somehow, I can't picture Kennedy feeling the same way.//
Suddenly, your phone begins to ring. It's Brady! "Brady?" you ask, picking up hurriedly. "How're you doing?"
"I'm not too much worse for wear," he says. "Just pretty sore and tired. I've been at my parent's house since last night. If you come over, I can tell you more."
"Sure, sure," you reply. "I'll just need to bring a lot of stuff for my media literacy project. Do you think your folks could pick me up?"
Affirmation. //[[It's a date!]]//You start to research the liberal protestors. It isn't terribly hard. Most of them are very politically vocal on their social media. You've even seen a few of them around town. And one——
//One of them goes to this school//, you realize.
He's a short and athletic black sophomore named Kennedy. You realize where you've seen him before——he's actually in the same class as you and Sarah! You quickly rake through your mind for everything else that you know about him. //He's intelligent but brash//, you think. //He plays tennis, and does really well in class——wait, was he in class today?//
He wasn't. Do you:
[[Keep digging for information?]]
[[Start digging for dirt?]]
[[Try to find Professor Morden and ask about Kennedy?]]
<<set $angstyconfusion to true>>\
You realize you ought to get down and dirty, so you get settled. But when you do, you come down with a sudden case of angsty confusion. //What is media literacy?// you ask yourself. //What's the difference between being media literate and a critical consumer? Professor Morden acts as if there's an important distinction.//
You decide to call the teacher's pet, Sarah——a communications science major who wants to go into early childhood education. It doesn't take long for her to pick up.
"Sure, I'll help you," she says. "I could use some help too, honestly. Presentation matters in Professor Morden's class, and I'm perfectly lousy when it comes to that."
//Quid pro quo, eh?// The two of you decide that you'll meet up tomorrow morning to [[finish your presentations.|Stop talking to Sarah? v.2]]
<<set $reputation to $reputation + 2>>\
<<set $politics to $politics + 1>>\
<<set $projects to true>>\
"Why don't we help each other, then?" you ask. "I have a ton of experience with presentation, because I'm a student journalist. But I could use some help with the content of my presentation."
"Yeah, well, you're not going into education like me," she smiles mischievously. "But I guess if it's important for you to know, I can help this one time."
"When would you like to meet?" you ask.
"Oh," Sarah pauses for a moment. "Hmm...it'll have to be tomorrow morning, because I'm going to be slammed with other work tonight. I'll text you."
Do you:
<<if $literacy is false>>[[Ask her to explain media literacy?|Ask her to explain media literacy? v.1]]<</if>>
<<if $literacy is false>>[[Ask her what she thinks of her classmates?|Ask her what she thinks of her classmates? v.1]]<</if>>
<<if $candidates is false>>[[Ask her what she thinks of the candidates?|Ask her what she thinks of the candidates? v.1]]<</if>>
[[Stop talking to Sarah?|Stop talking to Sarah? v.1]]<img src="https://lif.blob.core.windows.net/lif/images/default-source/2016-publications/medialiteracy1200x600px.tmb-th-spot.jpg?sfvrsn=1" width="1000" height="500" alt="A picture representing media literacy" />
<<set $medialiteracy to $medialiteracy + 2>>
<<set $literacy to true>>
"Could you explain media literacy to me?" you say embarassedly. "After all this time, I'm still not sure I understand."
"Sure!" she says happily. "Although...I need to leave soon. Tell you what. These are the most important things you need to know." She starts counting down on her fingers.
"First, media literacy isn't the same kind of literacy you use when reading books. It's not just critical consumption, it's an active, participatory sort of engagement. It's kind of like being a citizen of a democracy——except that being //that// is so tied to media nowadays.
"Second, media literacy is productive. Being media literate is a matter of understanding how to use media to foster collaboration and expression. But to do this, you sort of need to understand how media is diffused, and how it has the potential to shape our lives. Does that help?"
//Wowzers.// "Y-yeah." you stammer.
Do you:
<<if $projects is false>>[[Suggest helping each other with your projects?|Suggest helping each other with your projects? v.1]]<</if>>
<<if $classmates is false>>[[Ask her what she thinks of her classmates?|Ask her what she thinks of her classmates? v.1]]<</if>>
<<if $candidates is false>>[[Ask her what she thinks of the candidates?|Ask her what she thinks of the candidates? v.1]]<</if>>
[[Stop talking to Sarah?|Stop talking to Sarah? v.1]]"Thanks, Sarah," you say. "I'll talk to you later, okay? I've got to get to work." She smiles and waves goodbye.
As you head out of the library, your phone begins to ring. It's Brady! "Brady?" you ask, picking up hurriedly. "How're you doing?"
"I'm not too much worse for wear," he says. "Just pretty sore and tired. I've been at my parent's house since last night. If you come over, I can tell you more."
"Sure, sure," you reply. "I'll just need to bring a lot of stuff for my media literacy project. Do you think your folks could pick me up?"
Affirmation. //[[It's a date!]]//You get picked up that night by Brady's dad. He crushes you in a bear hug and then takes you from Penn State out to Ramblewood, where the city's schools and stores give way to forest and farmland. This is where Brady grew up.
When you arrive, you're welcomed in with a great deal of fanfare. "It feels like it's been ages!" Brady's mother exclaims, hugging you even harder than her husband did. "Glllcckkgh," you gasp in response.
It turns out that Brady is more or less fine. Though his eye and lip are swollen, it's his pride that really stings. He gives you a sheepish grin, and then you all sit down for [[dinner.]]"Thanks, Sarah," you say. "I'll talk to you later, okay? I've got to get to work."
As you head out of the media lab, your phone begins to ring. It's Brady! "Brady?" you ask, picking up hurriedly. "How're you doing?"
"I'm not too much worse for wear," he says. "Just pretty sore and tired. I've been at my parent's house since last night. If you come over, I can tell you more."
"Sure, sure," you reply. "I'll just need to bring a lot of stuff for my media literacy project. Do you think your folks could pick me up?"
Affirmation. [[It's a date!]]You keep looking for information on Kennedy and his friends. The search results start to form an interesting story: Kennedy joined this group of radical liberals, called @DVOCATE, after seeing the polarization of the news media during this election. //Instead of searching for a Third Way in party politics, he looked for a Third Way in media//, you muse.
You already have a good idea of the fruits of @DVOCATE's more traditional protests. But, you realize, they've been pretty successful with less traditional methods. You find examples of Google bombing, public art, and Twitter storms in their established repertoire.
You're not sure yet how this makes you feel about Kennedy, but one thing's for sure——you should find out more.
Do you:
<<if $snoop is true>>[[Start digging for dirt?]]
[[Try to find Professor Morden and ask about Kennedy?]]\
<<else>>[[Try to find Professor Morden and ask about Kennedy?]]<</if>>\<<set $politics to $politics + 1>>\
You head to Professor Morden's office and knock on his door. "Come in!" he calls gruffly. "Oh, it's you! Any luck with getting in touch with Brady?"
"No, Professor," you reply. "He didn't pick up. But I actually wanted to ask about another classmate. Was Kennedy here today?"
He frowns slightly. "No, I don't believe he was...he also called out sick. Now, I don't believe him. But that's his business. He takes a lot of work on for himself, you know." He looks vaguely puzzled for a moment. "Actually, it's funny that you came here asking about him. He was talking to me just the other day about reaching out to you for an extracurricular project."
//Really?// "Did he say what it was about?" you ask.
"I think it had something to do with Onward State, and taking a more radical stance on your column about today's thorny political issues," the professor replies, smiling drily. "But that's all I [[know.]]"//I did want to do some snooping, after all,// you tell yourself. You start looking for Kennedy's information.
You've never tried to dox anyone before, but surprisingly, the Internet has a number of helpful guides for would-be hacktivists and vigilantes. In short order, you obtain Kennedy's personal and school email, phone number, address, and IP.
Do you:
[[Make Kennedy's information public to several conservative Facebook groups?]]
[[Stop and do something else?]]<<set $medialiteracy to $medialiteracy + 2>>\
//Wait a minute!// you scold yourself suddenly. //I shouldn't be doing this. Kennedy is a classmate of mine, and what's more, he didn't do anything wrong——except annoying people like Brady.//
Disgusted with yourself, you get up to leave. You'll have to work on your presentation some other time. But as you head out of the media lab, your phone begins to ring. It's Brady! "Brady?" you ask, picking up hurriedly. "How're you doing?"
"I'm not too much worse for wear," he says. "Just pretty sore and tired. I've been at my parent's house since last night. If you come over, I can tell you more."
"Sure, sure," you reply. "I'll just need to bring a lot of stuff for my media literacy project. Do you think your folks could pick me up?"
Affirmation. //[[It's a date!]]//<img src="http://www.eraofwisdom.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/anon.png" width="1000" height="500" alt="Doxxing" />
<<set $politics to $politics - 5>>\
<<set $selfloathing to true>>\
Sending Kennedy's information to right-wing Facebook groups based in State College is easy. You join several under an alternate profile, make heated comments about the liberal protestors, and dox Kennedy.
You feel no malice or ill-will towards Kennedy as you do this. Yet it feels so right——somehow, you almost feel as if you're balancing scales. //This should help keep things from getting more polarized//, you think. Yet you still feel uneasy. After a few moments, you get out of your chair and get ready to leave. //I'll work on my presentation later tonight,//
As you head out of the media lab, your phone begins to ring. It's Brady! "Brady?" you ask, picking up hurriedly. "How're you doing?"
"I'm not too much worse for wear," he says. "Just pretty sore and tired. I've been at my parent's house since last night. If you come over, I can tell you more."
"Sure, sure," you reply. "I'll just need to bring a lot of stuff for my media literacy project. Do you think your folks could pick me up?"
Affirmation. //[[It's a date!]]//
At the table is a veritable feast. There are mashed potatoes with brown gravy, salad, cubed steaks, and corn on the cob. <<if $angstyconfusion is true>>You realize that you've worked up quite an appetite despite your angsty confusion.<<else>>You realize that you've worked up quite an appetite.<</if>>
The animated chatter gives way to Brady's mother saying grace. A peaceful calm steals gradually over the room as food begins to make its way around the table. After a few minutes of contented munching, Brady's mother speaks again.
<<if $rally is true>>"So I heard that you were at the rally with Brady. What were you doing there?"<<else>>"So did you hear about what happened to Brady?"<</if>> You nod. <<if $rally is true>>"I was there to take notes about the rally for my column. Things have been looking more and more lively ever since the primaries."<<else>>"I actually saw what happened. There's a video circulating online now of it."<</if>>
<<if $rally is true>>"That's a pretty good reason," Brady's father says thoughtfully, stroking his beard. "It's good that you two are getting involved in politics. I'm just sorry that you two had to get mixed up in all that. The Left just isn't what it used to be."<<else>>"It's totally shameful," Brady's father sighs, stroking his beard. "Even though Brady shouldn't have jumped in like that, I can understand why he did. The Left just isn't what it used to be."<</if>>
Do you:
<<if $medialiteracy gte 2>>[[Ask what he means about the Left?]]
[[Ask how the family feels about the election?]]
[[Change the subject?]]
<<else>>[[Ask how the family feels about the election?]]
[[Change the subject?]]<</if>>You start to talk at length about other subjects. //I didn't realize I had so much catching up to do!// you think pensively to yourself. Clearly, a number of things have changed——not just with you, or with Brady, but with State College, and especially with Ramblewood.
That night, as you're working on your media literacy presentation, you notice Brady look at a Facebook group called Alt-Reich Nation. You don't see why he was on there, but the fact of it alone disturbs you. //What's going on with him?// you wonder. You resolve to talk to him about it sometime soon.
Given your emotional exhaustion, it's no surprise that you get little done for your project. Brady's folks seem to notice this. When they drive you back to Penn State, they leave you with leftovers and a double bear hug for good luck. "You're welcome any time, you know," they say as they squeeze the life from you.
<<if $sarah is true>>"Glllcckkgh," you reply [[appreciatively|Day 3 v.1/FRIDAY]].
<<else>>"Glllcckkgh," you reply [[appreciatively|Day 3 v.2/FRIDAY]].<</if>>"What do you mean when you say 'the Left isn't what it used to be?'" you ask him. It seems like an odd statement to make for someone who's criticized Republicans as much as Brady's dad.
He looks at you fixedly, almost sternly. "In my day, Democrats didn't tell you how your problems had to be fixed. Nowadays, alternatives to their vision of the world are becoming so taboo that kids like Brady can't go to rallies without getting called hateful names."
"The protestors at the rally made really blatant assumptions about me," Brady adds. "When I ran in to break things up, they started calling me the same things they call so many others: racist, sexist..." he shakes his head. "Even fascist."
<<if $medialiteracy gte 4>>You frown. "How do you know about how often liberals call others these things? It sounds as if you're generalizing."
"There's a growing movement of dissent online which I'm connected to," he replies. "I can show you some of it after dinner, if you'd like."
<<else>>You frown. "But there's legitimate criticism there that you can't just ignore."
"We don't," Brady's mother pipes in. "But we care more about policy than personality."<</if>>
Do you:
[[Ask how the family feels about the Democratic candidate?]]
[[Ask how the family feels about the Republican candidate?]]
[[Change the subject?]]And with that, the discussion turns to politics. "How do you all feel about the election?" you ask through a mouthful of mashed potatoes.
"Times have gotten tough for us since you were last here," Brady's father says plainly. "We get less from government subsidies than we used to, and we have to hire out more labor. I'm sure it's all pretty boring for you," he chuckles, noting the look on your face. "But for us, it's our livelihood. The new Republican candidate is standing up for people like us more than anyone else out there right now."
<<if $medialiteracy gte 3>>"It's true, he's promised a lot," you say carefully. "But what about all the people that he isn't standing up for?" Brady's mother raises an eyebrow. "Like?" she asks.
"Like all that "locker room talk" about women which he's tried to sweep under the rug?"
To your surprise, Brady's mother waves her hand dismissively. "That's true, but his personal scandals have little to do with his policies. At the end of the day, he doesn't advocate for that sort of behavior."
<<else>>"You don't think that a lot of his rhetoric has been hurtful or unbecoming of a presidential candidate?" you ask carefully.
To your surprise, Brady's mother waves her hand dismissively. "To some extent, but his personal scandals have little to do with his policies. At the end of the day, we need him as a President, not as a debater."<</if>>
Do you:
<<if $medialiteracy gte 3>>[[Begin to argue with Brady's mother?]]
[[Ask how the family feels about the Democratic candidate?]]
[[Ask how the family feels about the Republican candidate?]]
[[Change the subject?]]
<<else>>[[Ask how the family feels about the Democratic candidate?]]
[[Ask how the family feels about the Republican candidate?]]
[[Change the subject?]]<</if>>
<<set generosity to $generosity - 2>>\
"But that isn't really true at all," you protest. "Whether he not he advocates for it explicitly, if people see him doing it, then they might feel as if they have a license too. A president is more than just some functionary——he's a symbol. When he stands for our values, he helps to set them."
Before his mother can answer, Brady jumps in. "But he's not as bad as you're making him out to be. All those comments he supposedly made, what? Women, African-Americans, Native Americans? The media's been blowing these things out of proportion."
"Okay, that's fair," you reply. "There has been a media storm over all this stuff. But look, I'm a student journalist. These things are significant because they're horrible. Journalists ought to report these things." Brady gazes at you somewhat bewilderedly. "Well, that isn't very objective of them. Doesn't the media have a duty to be objective?"
Do you say:
<<if $medialiteracy gte 4>>[[Yeah, but not at the expense of our most important values.]]
[[Yeah, I suppose that is the most important thing...]]
<<if $angstyconfusion is true>>[[Yeah, I suppose that is the most important thing...]]<</if>>
"So how do you feel about the Democratic candidate?" Everyone takes a moment to eat another morsel before answering. "Oh no, that's okay. You can answer," Brady's mother says to her husband, as both try to reply simultaneously. Brady grins.
"Personally, I think that this person has stretched themselves so wide that they've stretched themselves too thin. They're trying to be a bomber plane and a bomb shelter at the same time, you understand? Trying to smear the other guy while trying to carve out a space for everyone who has a beef with him. I don't think the Democrats will win this election."
He adds, "It's going to be the support of the younger voters which will matter most this time around, you know. And the Republican candidate has him beat in that respect, too."
"Says what polls?" you ask. "A ton on Fox News and National Review, a couple on C-Span..." he replies. "That's no good," you protest. "I can send you some polls from the New York Times, CNN, WSJ, and others which paint an entirely different picture."
He doesn't respond to that. Do you:
<<if $rep is false>>[[Ask how the family feels about the Republican candidate?]]
[[Change the subject?]]
<<else>>[[Change the subject?]]<</if>><<set $medialiteracy to $medialiteracy + 3>>\
<<set $politics to $politics + 1>>\
<<set $reputation to $reputation + 1>>\
"Yeah, but not at the expense of our most important values," you argue. "And what are those, in your opinon?" Brady's father asks, somewhat irritably. You begin to sense that the time for politics is drawing to a close. //I have to put this concisely or not at all//, you think.
"The ones which provide us with common ground to stand on. For //everyone// to stand on," you add, looking pointedly at Brady. "I'm not saying I agree with everything which liberals around here do, but that doesn't mean that people ought to bet their cards on someone potentially worse."
Brady nods slowly, as if chewing over your words. Seeing an opportune moment, his mother [[changes the subject.|Change the subject? v.2]]<<set $medialiteracy to $medialiteracy - 1>>\
"Yeah...I guess you're right." You lean back in your chair, making clear your decision to concede the argument. "Can we talk about something less passionate now?" you joke. "I still haven't had enough of that corn on the cob."
Brady's mother grins. "Nah. It's our corn, not yours," she says warmly, passing it to you anyway. And thus, the [[subject was changed.|Change the subject?]]<<set $dem to true>>\
"So how do you feel about the Republican candidate?" you ask. You're hoping that Brady's mother will answer this.
She does. "I like him," she states, shrugging. "I think this country actually needs someone like him a lot right now. Someone who stands up for his country, who doesn't back down. And I really agree that there's something wrong with the Left nowadays," she adds. "I mean, consider how the mainstream media paints people like us, who want to vote 'populist'."
You give her a questioning look. "Well here, there's a great quote that I have from this so-called populist which explains what I'm talking about." She pulls out her phone, and then starts scrolling through her apps. "Here we go. '“The men and women who paid the ultimate price so that we may live in freedom only had the nasty reward of being called extremists when the war was over.'" All of these people who are down on their luck——veterans, farmers like us, a disappearing middle class——we're all "extremists" now, according to them."
<<if $medialiteracy gte 4>>"But extremism doesn't erase extremism," you counter. "Just look at that rally. Things escalate and then people's sons get punched in the face."
"People are already taking a beating," Brady says irritably. "Isn't it worth taking a few more shots if it means winning?"
"That depends on how many other people end up losing," you say flatly. They have no response to that.
<<else>>"But extremism doesn't erase extremism," you counter. "Just look at that rally. Things escalate and then people's sons get punched in the face."
"I like another quote of his," Brady's father says self-satisfiedly. "'I’m a proud member of the rabble.'" It is 'us vs. them', whether we like it or not."<</if>>\
Do you:
<<if $dem is false>>[[Ask how the family feels about the Democratic candidate?]]
[[Change the subject?]]
<<else>>[[Change the subject?]]<</if>>''FRIDAY.''
You don't sleep well, but somehow manage to get up bright and early. //Gotta get to work//, you tell yourself repeatedly over your daily dose of cereal.
Maybe it's just because you have no classes this morning, but today turns out to be a bad day for your willpower. Instead of working on your media literacy presentation, you find yourself scrolling Facebook again. You check Brady's timeline——//still nothing//. Then you look at Kennedy's.
Unlike the others, Kennedy's apparently been pretty active since the rally. He's shared an article apiece from Jacobin Mag and The Establishment, and has shared the video of the fight at the rally.
Though there's a debate about who actually started the fight, you can see a lot of support for what the protestors did in the comments under his post. //Kennedy isn't just part of a group//, you think. //He's part of a community.//
Do you:
<<if $medialiteracy gte 3>>[[Create a community of your own?]]
[[Get to work on your media project?|Get to work on your media project? v.2]]
[[Look for Kennedy?]]
<<else>>[[Get to work on your media project?|Get to work on your media project? v.2]]
[[Look for Kennedy?]]<</if>>''FRIDAY.''
You don't sleep well, but somehow manage to get up bright and early. //Gotta get to work//, you tell yourself repeatedly over your daily dose of cold cereal and banana.
Maybe it's just because you have no classes this morning, but today is a bad day for your willpower. Instead of working on your media literacy presentation, you find yourself scrolling Facebook again. You check Brady's timeline——//still nothing//. Then Sarah's——//surprisingly vapid//, you think. Then you look at Kennedy's.
Unlike the others, Kennedy's apparently been pretty active since the rally. He's shared an article apiece from Jacobin Mag and The Establishment, and has shared the video of the fight at the rally.
Though there's a debate about who actually started the fight, you can see a lot of support for what the protestors did in the comments under his post. //Kennedy isn't just part of a group//, you think. //He's part of a community.//
Involuntarily, you start to wonder whether Brady is part of his own group now, too. //But I really do need to get to work//, you think [[glumly.|Get to work on your media project? v.1]]You clean up and start to get ready. Right after you finish showering, you hear your phone buzz. "Hey!" Sarah texts excitedly. "Ready to work on our media literacy? Let's meet in the library in 30 min."
Sarah is such a dork that it's hard not to be cheered up by her. Reinvigorated, you quickly get your things together and head downstairs.
"So," she says as she sees the mess of materials you've brought. "What exactly are you doing for your presentation?" You look around. You have an half-finished poster board, markers, sticky notes, your laptop, and a tube of glitter that you last used in the 8th grade. //Umm...//
"I was thinking of using this board as a visual aid to a PowerPoint slideshow," you lie. Sarah gives you a funny look. "Why something physical next to something digital?" she asks. "Because..." you say. "Because...I wanted to contrast the different forms of presentation. So that I could highlight the different opportunities presented by digital media."
"Oh, that's clever!" she exclaims. "But explain it to me a little more. What sort of possibilities do you want to contrast, exactly?"
Do you say:
[[Something about the nature of civic engagement?]]
[[Something about creative outlets for expression?]]
[[Something about access to information?]]<img src="https://blog.malwarebytes.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/socialmediagroup.jpg" width="1000" height="500" alt="map of the Internet" \>
<<set $medialiteracy to $medialiteracy + 2>>
<<set $politics to $politics + 1>>
<<set $community to true>>
//That's it!// you think suddenly. //One reason people might become so politically polarized over social media is because they tend to form groups.// You think back to your readings in introductory psychology——all that stuff about ingroups and outgroups, groupthinking and ostracization——and have another idea.
You begin to create a Facebook group. You decide to tentatively name it "Mediacs for Political Change". Now you just need to find people to join it. //But I should probably look for Kennedy last//, you think.
Do you:
[[Look for your friend Sarah?]]
[[Look for Brady?]]
[[Look for Professor Morden?]]
[[Get to work on your media project?|Get to work on your media project? v.2]]<<if $look gte 3>>//I've spent too much time looking for potential group members//, you think. You don't have a lot of time now to put together a good presentation on media literacy.
//What would Sarah do?// you wonder. But soon you realize that you don't have much time to think about that either. You get all your materials together——an half-finished poster board, markers, sticky notes, your laptop, and a tube of glitter that you last used in the 8th grade——and knuckle down. //Here goes nothing//, you [[think.|Look for Kennedy?]]
<<else>>You decide that it's time to finally get to work. You get all your materials together——an half-finished poster board, markers, sticky notes, your laptop, and a tube of glitter that you last used in the 8th grade——and knuckle down. //Here goes nothing//, you [[think.|Look for Kennedy?]]<</if>><<set $medialiteracy to $medialiteracy + 1>>
"Something about creative outlets," you say. "With the Internet, I think there are more mediums for expression than ever before. In addition to books, radio, and television, now we have streaming, podcasts, video games..." You pause. "But a lot of people I know use these pretty passively, just for entertainment. I feel like that might be problematic."
Sarah nods slowly. "I think I understand," she says, standing up and walking over to the pile of materials. "So I think I have an idea," she declares, pointing at the poster board. "This thing has three folds, right? And when we were kids, we'd always use them for science fair projects. We both know that the medium is the message——so what's different about what this board conveys?"
Do you say:
[[It's more boring?]]
[[It's more limited?]]
[[It's more sustainable?]]<img src="http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2015-06-17-1434575031-8938832-landingpage_panel2_phoneinhand.jpg" width="1000" height="500" alt="map of the Internet" \>
<<set $medialiteracy to $medialiteracy +1>>\
"Something about the nature of civic engagement," you say. "My mom and dad still go to town hall meetings, but most people my age just go to Twitter. And instead of watching television to get their news, they just read articles and op-eds online. I think digital media has done a lot to change what it means to be an active citizen."
Sarah nods appreciatively. "I totally agree," she says, standing up and walking over to the pile of materials. "I'm actually not sure that you need any of this, in that case. But maybe instead of doing a PowerPoint, you could make everyone participate in a couple of activities. For instance, what do you feel are the most important differences between civic engagement in your parents' day, and civic engagement nowadays?"
Do you say:
[[Civic engagement has become more everyday?]]
[[Civic engagement has become more independent?]]
[[Civic engagement has become more personal?]]<img src="http://www.techweez.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Access-to-information.jpg" width="1000" height="500" alt="map of the Internet" \>
<<set $medialiteracy to $medialiteracy + 1>>\
"The different possibilities for information access," you say. "With social media, for instance, it's difficult to separate anything that you put online from other things you put online."
Sarah nods. "I think I see what you're saying. Most accounts become linked through the same personal information. Paper trails become way easier to follow. That sort of thing?"
"Yeah," you reply. "Only, I don't want to put it so negatively. Sure, this is exactly why doxing happens, but it's also why institutions and authorities are more transparent than ever." You gesture to the incomplete poster board. "So now I just need to figure out how to use this and my laptop to illustrate that."
Sarah stands up, and walks over to the pile of materials. "I have an idea," she says. "This thing has three folds, right? And when we were kids, we'd always use them for science fair projects. We'd divide it up into all these little sections for the different parts of our experiment. But nothing's that neat and organized online. What would our project boards have looked like if they were organized more like our online accounts?"
Do you say:
[[Like a spider's web.]]
[[Like a rubber band ball.]]
[[Like a layered cake.]]<img src="http://www2.technologyreview.com/player/07/06/19Rowe/images/1.jpg" width="1000" height="500" alt="map of the Internet" \>
<<set $medialiteracy to $medialiteracy + 1>>
<<set $optionAR to true>>
"Kind of like a rubber band ball," you say. "Like a big wad of entangled parts."
"That seems about right," Sarah laughs. "News coverage seems a lot like that. So does Google Scholar when I need to explore it for research papers. And that's not saying anything about all the connections we form online with others." She picks up the poster board. "I think we need to get you some yarn," she [[says.|Look for Kennedy?]]<<set $medialiteracy to $medialiteracy - 2>>
<<set $optionAC to true>>
"Kind of like a layered cake," you say. "Like many levels of something which contribute different things to a larger whole?"
Sarah looks thoughtful. "In some ways, yeah, I guess. But that's not necessarily different from what existed before the Internet. I mean, when you put it that way, you might as well be describing society, right?"
She picks up the poster board. "But you are onto something, I think. So you may be able to have your cake and eat it too."
//Gross//, you think. You hadn't known that Sarah liked [[puns.|Look for Kennedy?]]<<set $medialiteracy to $medialiteracy - 2>>
"Kind of like a spider's web," you say. "Like a network stretching out systematically from a center."
"I like that analogy a lot," Sarah says. "That's why it's called 'the Web', yeah? But are you seriously trying to tell me that the Internet is structured as thoughtfully as a spider's web? Or that there's something like a spider at the center of it?"
//Good point.// "Okay, you've got me," you say, scowling. "So maybe it's more like..."
[[a layered cake|Like a layered cake.]]
[[a rubber band ball|Like a rubber band ball.]]<<set $lookK to true>>\
<<set $look to $look + 1>>\
<<if $sarah is true>>As you leave the library, your thoughts turn back to Kennedy. You send a friend request to him on Facebook. Fortunately for you, he accepts almost immediately. You send him a message.
"Hey!" you write. "I heard you wanted to meet with me? Can we meet up today?" He responds in the affirmative. "The new Arboretum would be nice. See you in half an [[hour.|Meet with Kennedy.]]"
<<else>>As you leave your dorm, your thoughts turn back to Kennedy. You send a friend request to him on Facebook. Fortunately for you, he accepts almost immediately. You send him a message.
"Hey!" you write. "I heard you wanted to meet with me? Can we meet up today?" He responds in the affirmative. "The new Arboretum would be nice. See you in half an [[hour.|Meet with Kennedy.]]"<</if>><<set $lookM to true>>
<<set $look to $look + 1>>
You head to Professor Morden's office again, and find it empty. //Strange//, you think, checking his office hours. //He ought to be here at this point in time.// You suppose that you might be able to talk to him later, after presenting your project.
Nevertheless, you write him a note on a sheet of paper, and leave it on his desk. You also send him an invitation to join Mediacs for Social Change over Facebook.
Do you:
<<if $lookB is false>>[[Look for Brady?]]
<<if $lookK is false>>[[Look for Kennedy?]]
<<if $lookS is false>>[[Look for your friend Sarah?]]
[[Get to work on your media project?|Get to work on your media project? v.2]]<<set $lookB to true>>\
<<set $look to $look + 1>>\
You start by trying to find Brady——less because you're sure that he'll be interested in joining and more so because you want him to be a part of something he needs to learn about.
You look all over the school, and from what you can tell, he's not anywhere. //I might find him later//, you think. So you send him an invite over Facebook and decide to wait.
Do you:
<<If $lookS is false>>[Look for your friend Sarah?]]
<<If $lookK is false>>[[Look for Kennedy?]]
<<If lookM is false>>[[Look for Professor Morden?]]
[[Get to work on your media project?|Get to work on your media project? v.2]]<<set $lookS to true>>\
<<set $look to $look + 1>>\
<<set $politics to $politics + 1>>
You decide to start by looking for the most obvious choice, your friend Sarah. Sarah is more or less the teacher's pet——a communications science major who wants to go into early childhood education.
You find her in the library, working on her own media presentation. "Hey Sarah. How's your project going?" you say. "Not too bad," she says, brushing her hair out of her face. She looks a tad exhausted. "I just feel like I haven't covered everything I wanted to in this project."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, there's just so much that you can say on this subject," she replies with a slight sigh. "And though I don't think a lot of people know it, I'm really passionate about media and media literacy."
"Everyone knows that, Sarah," you laugh. "But if you really feel that way, maybe you should join my Facebook group." You show her Mediacs for Social Change. Sarah grins. "Yeah, why not?" she says. "I'm sure you'll need me if you want to go anywhere with it, anyway."
//One down//, you think. Do you:
<<if $lookB is false>>[[Look for Brady?]]
<<if $lookK is false>>[[Look for Kennedy?]]
<<if $lookM is false>>[[Look for Professor Morden?]]
[[Get to work on your media project?|Get to work on your media project? v.2]]"Well," you state bluntly, "it's a lot more boring."
"Absolutely!" Sarah grins. "But be more specific."
Do you say:
[[It's more limited?]]
[[It's more traditional?]]
[[It can't change as easily?]]<<set $medialiteracy to $medialiteracy + 1>>
<<set $optionCTL to true>>
"It's more limited," you say. "There are usually only so many ways that you can say something using one of these boards. There are less materials to draw from and less space to use them."
"Bingo," Sarah says. "But there's a bit more, right? One reason why there are fewer ways to express something on one of these is because their use has become so institutionalized. When you use this, people think back to a very limited set of experiences. And so you're not really given much room to think outside the box."
"Yeah," you murmur thoughtfully, picking up the board. "I think I have an [[idea.|Look for Kennedy?]]""I dunno. It's probably more sustainable," you joke.
"Be serious," she says.
Do you say:
[[It's more limited?]]
[[It's more traditional?]]
[[It can't change as easily?]]<<set $medialiteracy to $medialiteracy + 1>>
<<set $optionNP to true>>
"I think that civic engagement has become more personal for people," you say. "On social media, it really blends together. People aren't just representing their interests anymore. Awareness of civic and political issues on the Web easily gives way to action about those issues, and people's stories tend to shift seamlessly towards calls for change."
Sarah rubs her hands together excitedly. "I'm so glad you brought that up. I've got quite a few ideas about what you could do [[now.|Look for Kennedy?]]"<<set $medialiteracy to $medialiteracy + 1>>
<<set $optionNI to true>>
"I think that civic engagement has become more independent," you say. "People tend to work around institutions now when they feel that institutions aren't serving their interests. People have started movements with Twitter, right? But I think there's a bit of a dark side to that. It might have something to do with why people who support the Republican candidate listen to him more than they listen to the press."
"Yeah..." Sarah says thoughtfully. "I've thought about that too. It's interesting how he's been using Twitter and other social media outlets to build his platform. So maybe there are more positive and less positive ways to use digital media civically, right?" She stands up and picks up the poster board. "I think we should start by identifying what those [[are.|Look for Kennedy?]]"<<set $medialiteracy to $medialiteracy + 1>>
<<set $optionNE to true>>
"I think that civic engagement has become more of a part of our everyday lives," you say. "Because there are more ways now to engage civically with your community, it's easier for people to integrate these into their lives."
"I'm not sure I understand what you mean," Sarah says. "Could you give some examples?" You think for a moment. "Well, there are so many jobs now that aim to produce social benefit more than monetary benefit," you explain. "Ethics is marketable, you know? When I go to Starbucks like this, I see signs about their interactions with local farmers. Civic values circulate very freely."
"Yeah, I think I could list 5 other examples right now off the top of my head," Sarah says. "So if you're still interesting in using an activity-based approach, I think I have some good [[ideas...|Look for Kennedy?]]""It can't change as easily," you realize. "With traditional media, the medium is usually more fixed, and change usually comes from those with professional expertise. But digital media is open to rapid changes from many sources, including amateurs. Like with Wikipedia!"
Lauren actually looks surprised. "I hadn't thought of that," she says. "I was actually thinking about all the ways that digital media is less limited. Bo if you want to go with that angle...I guess that you could talk about media literacy in terms of that sort of openness to change. I just don't know that using the board might be best, then."
You're not even paying attention to the pile of materials on the floor any more. "No worries. I think I've already got what I want to do figured [[out.|Look for Kennedy?]]"<<set $medialiteracy to $medialiteracy + 1>>
"It's more traditional," you say. "In some ways, almost cliché. When you use these, people expect you to use it in particualr ways."
"Bingo," Sarah says. "But there's a bit more, right? I mean, it's true that these have become really institutionalized. But there is actually less that you can express on one of these than on digital media. And so you're not really given much room to think outside the box." She picks up the board.
"Yeah," you murmur thoughtfully, picking up the board. "I think I have an [[idea.|Look for Kennedy?]]"<img src="https://arboretum.psu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Magnolia-sieboldii-Chinese-magnolia.jpg" width="1000" height="500" alt="map of the Internet" \>
The Arboretum is a new part of Penn State, and you haven't been there before. When you walk into it, your breath is snatched from your chest. //I'll have to come back to this place later//, you tell yourself. //I could really use a break.//
You find Kennedy in a corner, close to some Chinese magnolias. He waves as you approach. "Thanks for meeting with me," he says, shaking your hand. "I know you've got to present today. How's that going, by the way?" You shrug. "To be honest, I don't have that much to say. I'm still not entirely sure I understand media literacy. That's kind of what I wanted to talk to you about."
"Yeah, sure," Kennedy says. He claps his hands together and rubs them excitedly. "So, I'm a part of a group of political activists called @DVOCATE, with an 'at' symbol. Though we do a lot of traditional activism, we also focus a lot on trying to use media creatively to disrupt, to educate, and to protest. And I like to think that all that is a huge part of what it means to be media literate. I can tell you more about us, if you'd like."
Do you:
<<if $questionA is false>>[[Ask more about @DVOCATE?]]<</if>>
<<if $questionR is false>>[[Ask him about the rally?]]<</if>>
[[Tell him what Professor Morden told you?]]"Professor Morden told me that you wanted to talk to me about an extracurricular project," you say. "He said it had something to do with my column?"
Kennedy nods, smiling. "Yeah, yeah. It's kind of hard to generalize, but the thing about @DVOCATE is that some of the things that we believe in are pretty far left. And there's been some problems in the past few months where some people have embraced more radical methods and views.
"So for example, you probably heard about the protests a couple of nights ago where people were blocking streets, fighting at that rally, yeah? That was us. Except that some of the people who were involved in that feel like they need to go further." He looks at you intently. "Now, I'm not ever going to apologize for my beliefs. But I do think a line needs to be drawn somewhere, and that it needs to be drawn soon. And I'd like your column in Onward State to be the starting point for that."
//Well, this definitely isn't what I expected//, you think. <<if $selfloathing is true>>//I can't believe I doxxed this guy...//<</if>>
Do you say:
<<if $community is true>>[[Where do I come in?]]
[[I'll help you, but only if you join my Facebook group.]]
[[I don't think that I can do anything for you.]]
[[Your friends hurt my friend!]]
<<else>>[[Where do I come in?]]
[[I don't think that I can do anything for you.]]
[[Your friends hurt my friend!]]<</if>><<set $questionR to true>>\
"Do you mind telling me something, before we go any further?" you ask, analyzing his face. "Yeah, no problem," he says.
<<if $hadShirt is true>>"What exactly happened at that rally? I was there, taking notes for my column, but I didn't see why that fight broke out." Kennedy's eyes narrow. "What happened was that some assholes started calling us racial slurs. Though, I feel like I should be asking you a similar question. I saw you there at the rally, but you were wearing the speaker's merchandise. Do you want to tell me what that was about?"
You feel color rising to your face. "I wanted to blend in," you say defensively. "I would've looked a little weird otherwise."
<<else>>"What exactly happened at that rally? I saw the video of it, but I don't know why that fight broke out." Kennedy's eyes narrow. "What happened was that some assholes started calling us racial slurs."<</if>>
Do you:
<<if $questionA is false>>[[Ask more about @DVOCATE?|Ask more about @DVOCATE?]]<</if>>
[[Tell him what Professor Morden told you?]]<<set $questionA to true>>\
"I'd like to hear a little more about @DVOCATE," you say.
"It's a really neat group, with all sorts of people in it. Again, some of us are pretty far left, but we've always welcomed a lot of views. That's only started to change recently.
I think that that's partly because of social media. Believe it or not, before I joined, they weren't using media the way we do now. They had some other name, and some old-fashioned manifesto...like they were playing at being a bunch of little Marxists. But then we started to notice the networking potential of sites like Twitter and Facebook.
"At first, we were really excited, because all of a sudden there were so many new ways to make change, and they were accessible to almost everyone. But at the same time, I think were changed too, you know? We've gotten so wrapped up in our own points of view."
Do you:
<<if $questionR is false>>[[Ask him about the rally?]]<</if>>
[[Tell him what Professor Morden told you?]]<<if $medialiteracy gte 6>>You present your media literacy project, and it's a clear success. You're quite creative with your presentation, too——you cleverly use your mediums to contrast the differences between digital and more traditional media. Professor Morden is quite taken with some of your metaphors, and asks for permission to use a couple of them in subsequent classes.<</if>>
<<if $medialiteracy lte 5>>You present your media literacy project, and things don't go poorly. You make a good case for why digital media is different, and why it's important to be educated about how to view and produce it. However, you don't do a great job of making the concepts feel less academic, and of using media to make your project stand out. Professor Morden finds everything passable, but little else.<</if>>
<<if $commensal is true>>After all the presentations are over, you see Brady approaching you. "Not bad, not bad, he says. "I give it a MySpace out of Facebook."
"Whatever that means," you snort. "At the very least, I think mine was better than yours."
"Maybe," Brady admits. "You are smarter than me when it comes to these things. Thanks for coming to dinner the other night, by the way. My folks make great food all the time, but it isn't often that they have stimulating conversation." You nod. //Maybe he learned something from all that?// you wonder. "Any time," you [[say.|Day 4./SATURDAY.]]
<<else>>After all the presentations are over, you see Brady approaching you. "Not bad, not bad, he says. "I give it a MySpace out of Facebook."
"Whatever that means," you snort. "At the very least, I think mine was better than yours." He claps you on the shoulder. "It means you're behind the times," he murmurs cheerfully. He sounds as if he's only [[half-joking.|Day 4./SATURDAY.]]<</if>><<set $politics to $politics + 1>>\
<<set $angstyconfusion to false>>\
<<set $kennedy to true>>\
"Alright, it's a deal," you tell him, smiling slightly. "But since you're so involved in all of this, I'd like for you to help me with a little something first."
"What's that?" he asks.
"I've noticed the networking power of social media, too, and I also want to use media to take a stronger stance against extremism and polarization. So I'm trying to get together like-minded people for a group I've named 'Mediacs for Social Change'." You pull out your phone. "I've already got a Facebook page, see?"
Kennedy grins widely. "Yeah, I see. You drive a hard bargain, you know that?" He sighs with mock gravity. "So I guess you win. You give my agenda space in your column, and I'll help bring yours to fruition. Deal?"
"Deal!" you [[laugh.|Present your media literacy project?]]"Your friends hurt one of my friends, you know," you say quietly.
He looks at you hard. "Are you talking about Brady? Yeah, and he hurt one of mine. Maybe he didn't start off with the intention of doing that, but neither did my friends, and look what happened." You don't say anything.
"Look," he says. "This is part of why I've come to you for help. But if you want to hold a grudge, then I won't bother. So tell me what it's going to be."
Do you say:
<<if $community is true>>[[Yes?|Where do I come in?]]
[[No?|I don't think I can do anything for you. v.2]]
[[Yes, but on one condition?|I'll help you, but only if you join my Facebook group.]]
<<else>>[[Yes?|Where do I come in?]]
[[No?|I don't think I can do anything for you. v.2]]<</if>><<set $medialiteracy to $medialiteracy - 3>>\
"I'm sorry. Really, I am. But I just don't think it would be that appropriate to take such a clear stand about some of the issues you're talking about."
Kennedy scrutinizes you for a moment. "Not to seem rude, but why do you feel that way?"
//Does he really not know?// you think. "I'm a journalist," you answer. "I have to be fair to all views, and as objective as I can try to be." He nods slowly, but somehow you don't think that he's satisfied with your answer. "I see," he says after a moment. "Well, thanks for talking with me [[anyway.|Present your media literacy project?]]"
<<set $medialiteracy to $medialiteracy + 2>>\
<<set $politics to $politics + 1>>\
<<set $angstyconfusion to false>>\
<<set $kennedy to true>>\
"I'm on board," you say, smiling slightly. "I think it's becoming a very important issue to confront, and I'm happy to find someone else who feels as strongly about it as I do."
Kennedy laughs. "Yeah, I know that feeling. It's the same feeling I had when I first joined @DVOCATE. Thanks for letting me ramble about that stuff, by the way. I guess we'll talk more about all this later, huh?"
"Yeah!" you say brightly. "Honestly, I'm pretty behind in my work, but I expect that I'll get to writing in earnest after my presentation today. How about we talk tomorrow?"
"Sure," he replies, beginning to turn around and walk away. "I can't wait to see your presentation!" You wave goodbye, feeling a little bit more confident about what you're about to do [[next.|Present your media literacy project?]]<<set $questionR to true>>\
"Do you mind telling me something, before we go any further?" you ask, analyzing his face. "Yeah, no problem," he says.
<<if $hadShirt is true>>"What exactly happened at that rally? I was there, taking notes for my column, but I didn't see why that fight broke out." Kennedy's eyes narrow. "What happened was that some assholes started calling us racial slurs. Though, I feel like I should be asking you a similar question. I saw you there at the rally, but you were wearing the speaker's merchandise. Do you want to tell me what that was about?"
You feel color rising to your face. "I wanted to blend in," you say defensively. "I would've looked a little weird otherwise."
<<else>>"What exactly happened at that rally? I saw the video of it, but I don't know why that fight broke out." Kennedy's eyes narrow. "What happened was that some assholes started calling us racial slurs."<</if>>
Do you:
<<if $questionA is false>>[[Ask more about @DVOCATE?|Ask more about @DVOCATE? v.2]]<</if>>
[[Tell him what Professor Morden told you?]]<<set $questionA to true>>
"I'd like to hear a little more about @DVOCATE," you say.
"It's a really neat group, with all sorts of people in it. Again, some of us are pretty far left, but we've always welcomed a lot of views. That's only started to change recently.
I think that that's partly because of social media. Believe it or not, before I joined, they weren't using media the way we do now. They had some other name, and some old-fashioned manifesto...like they were playing at being a bunch of little Marxists. But then we started to notice the networking potential of sites like Twitter and Facebook.
"At first, we were really excited, because all of a sudden there were so many new ways to make change, and they were accessible to almost everyone. But at the same time, I think were changed too, you know? We've gotten so wrapped up in our own points of view."
Do you:
<<if $questionR is false>>[[Ask him about the rally?]]
[[Tell him what Professor Morden told you?]]<<set $medialiteracy to $medialiteracy - 3>>\
<<set $politics to $politics - 3>>\
<<set $reputation to $reputation - 2>>\
<<if $answerN is true>>"I'm sorry. Really, I am. But I just don't think it would be that appropriate to take such a clear stand about some of the issues you're talking about."
Kennedy scrutinizes you for a moment. "You do you, I suppose. Good luck."
He turns and walks away, leaving you to consider what side you're really on, [[if any.|Present your media literacy project?]]<<set $commensal to true>>
You start to talk at length about other subjects. //I didn't realize I had so much catching up to do!// you think pensively to yourself. Clearly, a number of things have changed——not just with you, or with Brady, but with State College, and especially with Ramblewood.
That night, as you're working on your media literacy presentation, you notice Brady look at a Facebook group called Alt-Reich Nation. You don't see why he's on there, but the fact of it alone disturbs you. //What's going on with him?// you wonder. You resolve to talk to him about it sometime soon.
Given your emotional exhaustion, it's no surprise that you get little done for your project. Brady's folks seem to notice this. When they drive you back to Penn State, they leave you with leftovers and a double bear hug for good luck. "You're welcome any time, you know," they say as they squeeze the life from you.
<<if $sarah is true>>"Glllcckkgh," you reply [[appreciatively|Day 3 v.1/FRIDAY]].
<<else>>"Glllcckkgh," you reply [[appreciatively|Day 3 v.2/FRIDAY]].<</if>>[[Beginning/WEDNESDAY.]]
<<set $health = 10>><<display 'Outer 3'>>
<<print $health>><<if $health gt 0>><<display 'Inner 3'>><</if>>
|<<set $health = $health - 1>><<if $health gt 0>><<display 'Inner 3'>><<endif>><img src="http://news.psu.edu/sites/default/files/styles/threshold-992/public/800-px-PoliceCar-68527987.jpg?itok=fHehQCTg" width="1000" height="500" alt="A photo of Old Main on Penn State campus" />
''SATURDAY.''
You get woken by a notification in the early hours on Saturday morning. It’s a campus alert ...there’s been a stabbing on campus! Almost immediately, the editor of Onward State calls you to pick up the story.
Feeling slightly outside your body, you go to the campus police department and talk to the officers stationed there. The men you talk are able to tell you three things: that two students were involved, that the victim was taken to the hospital in critical condition, and that the suspect is in custody. Though you're able to get no more from them, you hear the name of the victim being spoken over the phone as you make your way out of the station.
It was [[Kennedy.|Finale Part 2]]Racing back to your dorm with your laptop, you log onto Facebook and see if there's been any news about Kennedy. The search bar brings up one devastated response from his mother, but there've been no other updates. You click on it.
"I cannot be quiet about this," the post begins. "I cannot be civil. My son was STABBED by some drunken student tonight. He is in the hospital now, in critical condition. And now I find out that this kid was part of some group on Facebook called "Alt-Reich Nation"? What the HELL is the school doing about this?"
<<if $selfloathing is false>>You lean back in your seat, your hands over your mouth. //I know that name//, you think. //That's the group that Brady...//<<else>>You lean back in your seat, your hands over your mouth. //I know that name. That's the group that Brady...wait//, you think. //When I doxxed Kennedy, did I...?//<</if>>
You can't restrain yourself. You type the group's name into the search bar, hoping for the best, expecting the worst.
<<if $generosity gte 2>>You're rewarded with relief. Brady's name is not listed as a friend of yours who's joined [[the Alt-Reich Nation.|Finale Part 3 v.1]]
<<else>>You're rewarded with horror. You see Brady's name listed as a friend of yours who's joined [[the Alt-Reich Nation.|Finale Part 3 v.2]]<</if>>Kennedy dies in the hospital the next morning.
The campus proceeds through the next few days in a surreal state of shock, grief, incredulity, numbness, and rage. No one dares to say that this was a hate crime, but it is on everyone's minds. When it is revealed that the murderer had very right-wing, nationalist politics, tensions begin to simmer.
Your editor calls you in on Monday to talk about your column. When you walk into her office, you find Professor Morden there with her. They ask you to devote your next column to Kennedy, but in a special way. "This cannot be politicized," your editor says. "It's unacceptable for students to construe Kennedy as some sort of martyr for their politics. And yet, that's what already beginning to happen."
"Now, the Dean intends to give a speech on this later this week," she says, leaning forward over her desk. "But we know that you and Kennedy had a class together, and we'd like your help. Do you think you could write an editorial about Kennedy's death, but do so in way that advocates for non-partisan dialogue?"
<<if $kennedy is true>>//Is this what Kennedy would've wanted?// you ask [[yourself.|Finale Part 4 v.1]]
<<else>>//Is this what Kennedy would've wanted?// you ask [[yourself.|Finale Part 4 v.2]]<</if>>Perhaps. You realize that, with the exception of your shared passions for media and politics, all you really knew of Kennedy was his wish for you to do much the same thing. //It's the least I can do//, you think. //And besides, this is why I tried to create Mediacs for Social Change, too.//
"Thanks for letting me know about all of this," you tell them. "[[I'll do it.|Finale Part 5 v.1]]"Perhaps. You realize that, with the exception of your shared passions for media and politics, all you really knew of Kennedy was his wish for you to do much the same thing. //It's the least I can do//, you think.
"Thanks for letting me know about all of this," you tell them. "[[I'll do it.|Finale Part 5 v.2]]"You get to work on your article, and publish it a few days later in Onward State. Its publication date deliberately coincides with the date of the Dean's address, who delivers an impassioned speech in favor of tolerance, rapprochement, and dialogue.
<<if $medialiteracy gte 8>>You add to several of his statements, calling for a renewed hope in what you call "uncertain times". "The election is right around the corner," you write, "and many of us will be carrying Kennedy's memory with us right into the voting booths. It's important that we think, then, about how Kennedy would've voted if he were there with us. And I believe, from the very bottom of my heart, that he would not have approved of the way that some are choosing to use his memory.
"It is not for us to twist the future in our image for the sake of the pains of our pasts," you conclude. "Penn State must remain an [[Onward State.|Finale Part 6 v.1]]"
<<else>>You add to several of his statements, calling for a renewed hope in what you call "uncertain times". "The election is right around the corner," you write, "and many of us are under the impression that radicalism is the answer. But it was extremism which killed Kennedy and it is extremism which will kill many others.
"We must stand fast against the demagogy which inspired it," you conclude. "We must stand fast against [[populism and extremism.|Finale Part 6 v.2]]"<</if>>You get to work on your article, and publish it a few days later in Onward State. Its publication date deliberately coincides with the date of the Dean's address, who delivers an impassioned speech in favor of tolerance, rapprochement, and dialogue.
<<if $medialiteracy gte 8>> You add to several of his statements, calling for a renewed hope in what you call "uncertain times". "The election is right around the corner," you write, "and many of us will be carrying Kennedy's memory with us right into the voting booths. It's important that we think, then, about how Kennedy would've voted if he were there with us. And I believe, from the very bottom of my heart, that he would not have approved of the way that some are choosing to use his memory.
"It is not for us to twist the future in our image for the sake of the pains of our pasts," you conclude. "Penn State must remain an [[Onward State.|Finale Part 6 v.1]]"
<<else>>You add to several of his statements, calling for a renewed hope in what you call "uncertain times". "The election is right around the corner," you write, "and many of us are under the impression that radicalism is the answer. But it was extremism which killed Kennedy and it is extremism which will kill many others.
"We must stand fast against the demagogy which inspired it," you conclude. "We must stand fast against [[populism and extremism.|Finale Part 6 v.2]]"<</if>><<if $reputation gte 5>>Your speech moves many, and even helps to bring people together. Though a great deal of tension still simmers beneath the surface, there are a significant number of people who come forth to talk about it. The number of members of Mediacs for Social Change explodes.
<<else>>Your speech moves many, but it does little to help the healing process. Though some people join Mediacs for Social Change, you and other staff at the school notice an uptick in the membership of far-right and far-left Facebook groups around State College. @DVOCATE's methods start to escalate.<</if>>
<<if $politics gte 3>>One day, Brady comes to talk to you about having joined Alt-Reich nation. He claims that he had nothing to do with Kennedy's death, that he had personally talked with the person who did several times online. "I'm no longer a part of it," he says with a pained expression. "I just hope that this doesn't get in the way of our friendship."
"It doesn't," you tell him, hugging him [[tightly.|Credits]]
<<else>>One day, you see Brady and Sarah arguing heatedly about something in the hallway. Sarah appears to be accusing him of something, which Brady is vehemently denying. As you approach, they see you and break off their conversation. "What's going on, guys?" you ask uncertainly.
Brady doesn't answer, and heads off in a huff. When he's out of earshot, Sarah whispers to you, "Did you know that he's also part of the Alt-Reich Nation?" You want to tell her yes, but you can't seem to [[bring yourself to.|Credits]]<</if>><<if $reputation gte 5>>Your speech moves many, and even helps to bring people together. Though a great deal of tension still simmers beneath the surface, there are a significant number of people who come forth to talk about it. The number of members of Mediacs for Social Change explodes.
<<else>>Your speech moves many, but it does little to help the healing process. Though some people join Mediacs for Social Change, you and other staff at the school notice an uptick in the membership of far-right and far-left Facebook groups around State College. @DVOCATE's methods start to escalate.<</if>>
And life goes on, one day at a time.<<if $politics gte 3>>You have faith that as it does, things will get better.<<else>>But as it does, you find it harder and harder to have [[faith.|Credits]]<</if>>Kennedy dies in the hospital the next morning.
The campus proceeds through the next few days in a surreal state of shock, grief, incredulity, numbness, and rage. No one dares to say that this was a hate crime, but it is on everyone's minds. When it is revealed that the murderer had very right-wing, nationalist politics, tensions begin to simmer.
Your editor calls you in on Monday to talk about your column. When you walk into her office, you find Professor Morden there with her. They ask you to devote your next column to Kennedy, but in a special way. "This cannot be politicized," your editor says. "It's unacceptable for students to construe Kennedy as some sort of martyr for their politics. And yet, that's what already beginning to happen."
"Now, the Dean intends to give a speech on this later this week," she says, leaning forward over her desk. "But we know that you and Kennedy had a class together, and we'd like your help. Do you think you could write an editorial about Kennedy's death, but do so in way that advocates for non-partisan dialogue?"
<<if $kennedy is true>>//Is this what Kennedy would've wanted?// you ask [[yourself.|Finale Part 4 v.1]]
<<else>>//Is this what Kennedy would've wanted?// you ask [[yourself.|Finale Part 4 v.2]]<</if>>''ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS'':
We'd like to thank Harrison Cann, Joshua Coase, Tómas Belottini, Lauren Kett, Tom Olang'-Okeyo, Sophie Larkin-Tannetta for contributing their personal experiences to the creation of this story.
We would also like to thank the following politicians for providing, in a round-about fashion, an impetus to produce media for social change. Here are some of the quotes which have been attributed to them:
''REFERENCES'':
__Donald Trump__: “This is not just people gathering, this is a movement!”
__Benjamin Netanyahu__: “Peace is purchased from strength. It’s not purchased from weakness or unilateral retreats.”
__Benjamin Netanyahu__: "I'm a proud member of the rabble."
__Marine le Pen__: "This is the sacred alliance of the old right and left, united in their wish to remain in place at any price."
__Andres Manuel López Obrador__: “They use the same tactics, the same corruption."
__Raila Odinga__: “The men and women who paid the ultimate price so that we may live in freedom only had the nasty reward of being called bandits and terrorists when the war was [[over.|Finish!]]"''THANK YOU FOR PLAYING OUR GAME!!''