Serious Play Lab Wiki - User contributions [en]

Student

2022-12-01T13:54:56Z

Rahman:

[[File:Downtown house.jpg|thumb|Taylor's house in Rosedale zone 1]]
Student: Taylor Baldwin

Dear Dairy,

How can this be happening? How could I go against my family's wishes? I’m in grade 9 and I’ve lived plenty to know better than this. I feel like I did something wrong, because well, I know I did something wrong, but what a magical experience it was. Yesterday afternoon I lied to my parents and told them that I had a computer science club after school, but I just used that as a cover. Instead of going to the computer science club, I snuck over to the other side of town with my friend Tom to see an underground improv club.

When Tom told me about it a few weeks ago I didn't believe him. He of course didn't have any sort of poster or photos to prove its existence and at the time I thought, why would it exist? Our Zone 1 society is solely focused on STEM and keeping everything moving forward, why would we need anything else? I had read about the arts in some books, but I never heard about anyone actually engaging with them in today's world. Tom did his very best to convince me and I agreed. On the 4th week of school we would tell our parents we were joining the computer science club and sneak out to the improv club instead.

In the meantime, I wanted to learn more about the arts, but more specifically improv. I had no idea there were people in Zone 1 interested in anything other than STEM. I started reading different books. I took them out from the school library. None of the books talked about the arts directly, but some mentioned it in different ways. One book I read, a nonfiction book, is from the perspective of a high school student in the times before the virus. They are applying to university to study biochemistry, but during their journey they talk about their high school dance class, drama class, and their piano lessons they take outside of school. The times before the virus were so different from what I’m experiencing, I find it really interesting.

Then yesterday came. During the school day I had a terrible time focusing in class because I was so anxious about breaking the rules. I have never broken rules before. I met Tom after Calculus in the North Hallway by my locker. After grabbing my stuff we snuck out the northeast door of the school, the one that leads to the dumpsters. We knew no one would be there because the buses all come at the south side of the school. Both of our bikes were locked behind the dumpster, we grabbed them and rode off. I’m really glad that this hidden club is still in Zone 1 because we don’t need to have Zone passes, which would have made things so much more complicated. Not only would we not have had passes, we would have no way to get there since we only have our bikes.

It took us about an hour to bike to the hidden club from school, but after experiencing it, the long ride was worth it. When we arrived at the address there was a narrow alleyway next to the building. We chained our bikes up on some pipes at the side of the building and found the dark entrance with the purple door, the one with the orange light overhead, just like Tom said it would be. We needed to put a code into the door, 1763, there was a buzz and the door unlocked. Once Tom and I stepped inside there was so much colour I could not believe my eyes. The walls, the furniture, the people were all bright and bubbly and I was just standing there staring at it all with my mouth wide open.

When we arrived at the improv club, we were welcomed immediately. Everyone was so excited to see young people in Zone 1 interested in the arts. Throughout the night I met so many people. Everyone engaged in improv activities and chatted. I had so many questions and so many curiosities about this world that I am experiencing for the first time. There were even some people from Zones 2 and 3. I had never met people from a different Zone before. One of the people I met, his name is Sawyer, had a pass to go between all 3 Zones, that's crazy! The amount of freedom. He seems to help a lot of people, whether that means breaking the rules or operating within them.

I’m absolutely head over heels in love with this new world I have experienced. I have no idea why the people of Zone 1 would not want the arts in their lives. There is so much passion and light that they bring to the hearts of people, and I cannot wait to go back to the improv club again. I’m going to have to tell my parents that it looks like I'm gonna be in the computer science club for the rest of the school year. I can’t wait to go again next week!

Goodnight diary, I can only imagine the dreams I am going to have.

- '''Taylor'''

President Issa Sabmud

2022-11-27T17:49:48Z

Rahman:

Growing up in the 80s, Sabmud had big dreams of following in the footsteps of his father Notta Sabmud and venturing into politics. Notta was never elected and he became disillusioned with the corruption within politics following the pandemic. He instead went into teaching and found a new love in engaging learners to help them circumnavigate this brave new world. He warned his students (and his son Issa) about the horrors of the world and the corruption of politics.

With his dashing good looks and charisma, Issa sought to be a leader for the people - sympathetic to their plight and unmoved by corruption. Elected in the early 2010s (and re-elected several times after), Sabmud initially accomplished a lot of positive political objectives such as creating greenspace and affordable housing within the city, facilitating trade and zones equally, and sponsoring the arts.

However, controversy arose as the city fell into disrepair and Sabmud began to rest on his laurels. A video that Sabmud made as a teenager was drudged up by one of the leaders of a corporate conglomerate that sought to operate in the newly opened northern land outside of the GTA. Sabmud initially opposed this expansion by these corporations harnessing mass pieces of the artefact for profit. After the infamous Djibouti tribal dance video of 2018 was used to blackmail Sabmud, he relented and allowed this to happen. He finally broke down and told his supporters - given all the context and how old Sabmud was, he was actually applauded for being transparent and honest (as a politician should) while his opponents ridiculed him. However, it was too late - the contracts were signed, the expansion was granted, and the artefact was on its way to being depleted.

==== Letter from President Sabmud ====

Dear Diary,

Oh god, what have I become? I cannot even stand to look at myself in the mirror. I was elected with the full trust of the people and now what have I become? Although I look like an adonis on the outside (women say I have BDE, I don’t even know what that means and all I know is that their husbands roll their eyes when they say it) I am a small, weak man on the inside. Like the old song by Stealers Wheel (“clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right, here I am stuck in the middle”) I have been bought out and corrupted by a company whose mascot is a clown (McDonald’s) and another one who used to be the biggest joke in the room (formerly bankrupt Enron). I even have my heavies bursting into schools and shaking down teachers for teaching STEM? What has my life become?

We worked on replicating a vaccine, to help people, now I have been behind a plan to keep people docile, advertised to and living in unsafe and cramped living conditions. To hurt people. How have I strayed so far from the light?

As I kiss my artefact piece that hangs around my neck next to my chain with the Mother Mary on it, I realize that at least - no matter what - my family and I will be safe. I don’t know if that will be the case for others - unless they start shipping the lower class population to the McFactories.

Until we meet again,

'''President Issa Sabmud'''

President

2022-11-25T03:03:00Z

Rahman: Created page with "TBD"

TBD

Teacher

2022-11-25T02:59:42Z

Rahman:

Dear Diary,

It’s been a rough couple of months, that's why I haven’t written in a while, with school starting up and trying to teach my students the curriculum that the government has mandated, it's been extremely busy. It breaks my heart that I am forced to only teach drama, art, and music (not that there's anything wrong with teaching these subjects) because they are just as important. However, I know that they are capable of so much more, it’s so unfair. There is one student in particular, Thor, who has so much potential, and I know he can do great things if I could teach him STEM on a regular basis rather than secretly.

Thor is very intelligent, he can solve problems in Math, and I am almost certain he has figured out the scientific theory of what is really going on with our zones. Sawyer, who lives in zone 2 has been granted special access to enter and exit between zones and has been secretly bringing Thor over to my place so that I can teach him privately and teach him more than what I can teach from my classroom. Even though he is only in grade 9, he has the intelligence of a university student. He could do wonders for all the other zones outside of zone 1 and be their ticket to a more fruitful life.

I am almost afraid to write here. What if they find out what will become of me, will the government exile me for what I am doing? I just want to do my job. I want to do what I love and help our future generation to become the best doctor, teachers, scientists, or whatever their hearts desire. I went into teaching because I want to make a difference, but if I am being held back, what’s the point? Most days I am secretly teaching the other students in the classroom the basics of STEM, but I must be very careful because what if they (the government) show up? They can pop into my classroom unannounced at any given time to see what I am teaching.

We had a scare last week. Thankfully the secretary in the office is a very close friend and she quickly advised me when the government had shown up unannounced. I was in the middle of a math lesson. The students were so engaged and they were finally understanding the concept of Algebra. We had to quickly flip over all the posters, erase the boards, and hide anything that would show that I was teaching STEM in the classroom. The students quickly pulled out their handmade instruments because that is all they can afford since the board won’t provide the school with any funding so we can purchase them proper instruments. We started to play in the nick of time when the door busted open and there, they were just standing there looking at the children as if they were peasants. At first, I thought that they knew something, but once I saw the smirk on their face it was almost like they were happy to see that nothing was really happening, as if they thought these students were worthless.

I hope for the sake of these children that changes will happen soon, but I really don’t foresee anything happening for a very long time.

'''Ms. Humblebee'''

Scientist

2022-11-25T02:39:38Z

Rahman: Created page with "Wednesday, November 16th, 2022 Dear Diary, I can’t believe that it has been a couple of years since I last wrote in my diary. I have been extremely busy to say the least. But I wanted to write down my thoughts and reflections because there has been so much going on and I need an outlet to vent. My job requires me to always be professional, and unfortunately, I have no one to share my inner thoughts with. So here it goes: After years of dedication and hard work,..."

Wednesday, November 16th, 2022

Dear Diary,

I can’t believe that it has been a couple of years since I last wrote in my diary. I have been extremely busy to say the least. But I wanted to write down my thoughts and reflections because there has been so much going on and I need an outlet to vent. My job requires me to always be professional, and unfortunately, I have no one to share my inner thoughts with. So here it goes:

After years of dedication and hard work, I have been promoted to the top scientist position in the GTA. I have hundreds of scientists working under me in the secret research lab beneath the CN tower. But with great power comes great responsibility. I have the huge responsibility of trying to replicate the Alien Vaccine 1 (AV1). I am under a tremendous amount of stress and pressure. The entire world was wiped out in a matter of two weeks from the deadly virus in the 1970s. It’s surreal how something as small as a virus killed most humans and living things on Earth so incredibly fast. The only people who survived are the residents of the GTA who are depending on the vaccine to allow them to finally leave the GTA. The residents of most of the GTA are suffering, since they do not have adequate food, resources, and education to survive. The poor residents of most of the GTA are disadvantaged in comparison to the wealthy in zone 1. I want to be able to help everyone in the GTA, especially those outside zone 1.

It is fascinating to me how people in zone 1 who were closest to the alien crash site have superior intergenerational intelligence than the rest of the GTA. After years of intensive research, me and the hundreds of scientists working under me have understood the science behind this remarkable vaccine. Brain function is improved by increased neuronal connectivity in the prefrontal cortex. More specifically, one massive myelin sheath covers each axon, allowing for more electrical signals and incredibly fast electrical signal propagation. This discovery is mind-blowing!

As an experienced scientist, I highly encourage the study of STEM. STEM is an amazing field that is incredibly valuable today. Most importantly, STEM is necessary to solve the vaccine crisis. I can’t believe that the government is only allowing students from GTA zone 1 to study STEM. The government is depriving students from the rest of the GTA from learning STEM, and they are being taught other basic skills instead. However, I heard rumours that teachers from outside GTA zone 1 are secretly teaching students STEM. If that is true, I applaud those teachers for risking their lives and going against government orders to do what is right for the future generation.

It is time for me to get back to work on replicating the AV1 vaccine. I hope that the vaccine can be replicated quickly so that life can start to become more “normal” again. I take my job very seriously. Everyone is counting on me. Hundreds of scientists, the government, and all GTA residents are depending on me. I will work tirelessly until the job is done.

That is all for now. Hopefully the next time I write in my diary, I will have solved the vaccine crisis and successfully replicated AV1!

'''Dr. Liam Jeffreys'''