Back to Culture Clash - Chapter 09
Chapter 10: Into the New Year
The celebration of the New Year in Danubia brought several changes to
Marcia Shevat's life. First came the celebration of Kivar Simonov's
birthday. The age of fifteen is of importance in the life of a Danubian
teenager. He or she then had to make the decisions that would impact the
rest of adult life. Two main choices were in front of Kivar. The choice
between trades education and university preparation education had to be
made before the next school year.
If Kivar picked a trade, he would spend three days a week in classroom
study and three days a week in an apprentice program for the trade he
picked. Kivar was very capable working with his hands, he enjoyed
helping his father redo tile and grout, or shingle the roof or do simple
woodworking tasks. Kivar was also very smart with an interest in
architecture or engineering.
Once a life path was chosen, it took a great deal of effort, or a
criminal act, to change that path. Kivar did not wish to make the wrong
choice. He had consulted his father, his mother, and the Priestess who
served in the small neighborhood chapel. Finally, he came to Ivanka and
Marcia for their views. "I could just avoid the whole process and join
the military at age sixteen. I would do my required two years of service
and have a bit more time to think about what I want from life." Kivar
offered.
His sister, Ivanka, groaned, "Kivar, soldiering is for the unskilled,
take the university preparation courses and train to be someone."
Marcia offered the other opinion, sort of, "Kivar, I have met some very
bright and very good students working at the National Military Academy.
All of them took the university track before being admitted to the
Academy. Soldiering is not for the dull or clumsy. Those types don't
last long in training or in combat. I think you would excel as a
soldier. Yet, I agree with your sister, stay in school and shoot for
higher education."
"Well, I have one more month before I need to commit to a path. I feel I
will do more research and consult you both later on this matter," Kivar
left the room at this point, leaving Marcia to ask again the question
she had started when Kivar had entered the bedroom the girls shared when
Marcia was not in the Academy barracks.
"So, what is up between you and Novotna, Ivanka?" Marcia asked. "How can
you work so closely with the woman who treated you so badly only seven
months ago?"
"Professor Novotna, having dealt with instruction of classes while nude,
has petitioned the University administration for permission to allow her
students the freedom of a clothing optional class in the Spring
semester. She asked me to help her write up a syllabus for the course,
to be given in the Sociology department, called ‘An Exploration of
Disciplines and Punishments in Danubian Culture and Society'. Students
would be required to attend classes on Monday and Friday clothing
optional with Wednesday's session always being fully clothed, except for
the professor, and with guest lecturers addressing the class that day.
Students would also be required to spend time with a sentenced criminal,
and follow his or her daily routine for a week. An interview with the
criminal's Spokesperson will be included in the reports that each
student will present on their case studies. It is hoped that guest
lecturers from the education administration, the therapeutic health care
facilitators, the government, the criminal justice system, and the
military, would present papers on their particular techniques of
discipline and punishment during the Wednesday sessions. Oh, Professor
Novotna is particularly interested in having you guest lecture." Ivanka
concluded.
Marcia chuckled, "Is this my punishment for bruising the woman's
bottom?" She asked.
"No, believe it or not, Professor Novotna has been following your
progress at the military academy with great interest. She was to have
been your faculty advisor before all of the changes occurred, and she
still needs to do the official evaluation of your progress to send to
your university." Ivanka then said, "I think she would feel safer
evaluating you after seeing you work the room as a guest lecturer."
Ivanka paused and Marcia took a deep breath. "Just tell me where and
when on a Wednesday she wishes me to be there and I'll clear my
schedule."
Marcia's training continued in the military pool on a daily basis,
several cadets now joined her swims as a voluntary part of the academy
fitness program and some, Marcia noted, might have had futures as
competitive swimmers if such a program existed in the Danubian Republic.
Well into March of her exchange year, Marcia was beginning to perceive
herself more as Danubian than American. The advisor from the American
university assigned at the university in Danubia told Marcia there were
a few other students who achieved this level of assimilation during
their student year and decided to continue on in Danubian academia.
During one of these sessions with Professor Novotna and the exchange
advisor, Marcia received word that her mother and brothers would be
arriving for a ten-day stay on the first of April. Accommodations for
them had been arranged at the Military Lodge just outside the Academy
gates and several tourist trips were arranged so that they might be
occupied while Marcia taught her classes and trained.
"We would like to have your mother and brothers follow you about on a
typical day, Instructor Shevat," the exchange advisor noted, "would that
present any problem to you?"
"It might be a shock to my brothers to see everyone nude at the pool,
including me, as that is where most of my classes are held," Marcia
noted. "After all, Tyler is fifteen and Timothy has just turned
seventeen, and neither is used to nudity as a way of life. I would
think, though, if Kivar gets to pal around with them, they might well
get over their inhibitions more quickly. My mother, though, is quite
another matter. I think she turns off the lights when she showers to
avoid seeing herself naked, let alone anyone else."
"Perhaps Vice Commandant Drakov can suggest a way to amuse your mother
while you attend to those duties, or Professor Novotna here might let
her sit in on her behavior class." The advisor offered.
Professor Novotna chuckled, "Well, if the sight of a woman of my age
teaching a class of university students nude does not change her
attitudes, perhaps nothing will."
Marcia quickly added her note of agreement, "We may as well introduce
all of them into the mores of Danubia as soon as possible. They will see
enough to know what our standard of normalcy is and realize it is not
their own, almost as soon as they get off the airplane."
Marcia was referring to the fact that most of the Danubian ticket agents
and baggage handlers were collared criminals who worked their public
jobs nude and very few noticed them except for the foreign tourists just
off the aircraft in Danubia's airport.
"Oh, something else," the advisor reached into an in basket on her
desk," this came for you from your home university."
Marcia opened it and read," Marcia Shevat, the University swimming and
diving team has been invited to the Pan European Games in Munich,
Germany. The University is requesting that you participate in these
games, in the individual medley, the relay, and the one-hundred-meter
freestyle events. Please make the necessary arrangements to meet the
team in Munich on the Twentieth of April this year."
"In all probability, Marcia," the advisor noted, "Your family will want
to stay in Danubia and go with you to the games. We will make the
necessary accommodations for them if this is what they wish to do."
"Well, I'm glad I've kept up my training. I feel ready to compete and
look forward to doing so for the honor of both my University and Danubia."
Marcia stated firmly.
