2011-09-10: Welcome To The Academy

Players: Emma & The Staff and Student Body of the Xavier Academy

Emma_icon.jpg

Summary: Emma Frost addresses this year's crop of students and staff. In their minds.

Date: September 10, 2011

Log Title: Welcome To The Academy

Rating: LG


The Auditorium?

It may take several moments to realize that where-ever you were, you are now in the School Auditorium. All the other students, staff, and even some alumni of the Xavier School, now the Xavier Academy, are present. In front of all is a simple podium, to which one Emma Frost walks out and stands to address the whole…


Welcome to the new school year here at the Xavier Academy. Most of you know me at least in passing as Emma Frost, Co-chair and Headmistress of this school, and currently a member of the X-men. Most of you have probably heard more bad than good about me as well. Some of you might feel that having this assembly in all of your minds would just make this feeling even worse.

I am not here to assure you that everything will be allright. That is not my job. If it was, I have failed many times over, at least four times in the last school year. Telling you everything will be allright only perpetuates the anger that you, the student body have towards the staff here… that despite our much-vaunted abilities we do nothing to protect the student body from harm. I am sure by now you all have friends who were present in the events that was caused by the mutant hunter Ahab. Or were present when the school was taken into another dimension where horror reigned supreme. More recently, the presence of Kick back on campus in the hands of several students, and eventually the attack done by the villians Upgrade and Mindbender, using several of our own students to facilitate their plan.

In all cases, we stopped the events from becoming worse, many times with the help of your fellow students. Many times, we have curtailed the worst of what is to come, but there have always been times when one or another of you may have slipped through the proverbial cracks, or have been lost in the shuffle. But you were not. This year, we are beginning on the same week as the tenth anniversary of the most heinous attack on this country's soil in recent times, and such a somber note should remind us all, that despite the bad times we have faced… there is a point where life becomes better. It does not go back to what it was, but it moves forwards. In the same manner that you all will go from what this society considers a child and into adulthood.

Firstly, I would urge you all this weekend to spend time in New York, and take part in the activities that will be going on. Talk to the people who were there, who not only watched as the Twin Towers fell, but also helped the wounded, the heartsick, and the mourning. This event is one of the greatest lessons we all can learn. That when humanity is at it's worst, you will also see it at it's best. I do not condone what happened that day… but I will call attention to the policemen, the firefighters, and the regular citizens who for those dark days became heroes. And some of those heroes died for their reward.

At other schools, this speech would be talking about hope, and a vision of your education carrying you to great places. But this is not your ordinary school. Each of you at some point or another have faced oppression, pain, hurt, displacement, misunderstanding, and worst of all… hatred. For nothing more than what you are. People.

But the world will call you Mutant.

This is a word that means change. This is one of the core beliefs that Professor Charles Xavier espoused to four generations of students before opening this school to any beyond those he hand-picked to try and take his message… his dream forwards. And I was not one of them. But a dream is a funny thing… it can plant an idea in your mind, and that can grow into something greater than itself. You here… all of you today… are a part of that. You see, the truth of being a mutant is… you're just like everyone else. Dominant and recessive genes in our genome make each person unique and beautiful in their own way.

I said before I am not here to assure you everything will be allright, and I meant that. I am here to tell you that we here will do everything within our power to assure you the best education in not only academics, but also in how to defend yourselves in this world both physically and socially. Many of you are already familiar with discrimination. Because of where you were born, or who you love, or what you believe… this is no different, but as with any other discrimination, we believe the best way to combat this is to teach you now not to hate. Hatred is an easy thing. It can grow with little provocation, and fester in you like a disease if you do not clear it from your systems. It can even become a beast of it's own stripe, and control your every movement and attitude.

So what is the point of this little chat today? To tell you that this is your childhood… and embrace it. This might be a special school, but it is still a school, and there will still be dances, get togethers in the cafeteria, and field trips. Life will be as normal as we can provide it to you… but as different as only Xavier's can muster. If the bad times come? We will do our best to ensure that we are ready, and you are ready. And we ask for your patience, as we once more try and earn your respect.

Once this is finished, all who were held under sway of this mental illusion will be released, and only a few seconds will have passed in the real world.

Unless otherwise stated, the content of this page is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 License