Story

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<div class="boxed"><p>{<span class="narrative">$facultyName heard their 6:45 alarm go off, and reached over to the nightstand to pick up their phone. Their partner, who had stayed up late last night working, was fast asleep beside them. $facultyName knew that they should get up and take care of the kids and let their partner sleep in, but they were also exhausted.</span>}</p><div class="choices">Does $facultyName:<br>Hit [[Snooze]]?<br>Get up with their [[Coffee]]? </div></div>

<p><div class="boxed">Establishing Connection|dot1)[.]|dot2)[.]|dot3)[.]</p><p>|introduction)[The following is a playable story that takes place during one day of the COVID-19 pandemic at the University of Virginia. The story unfolds from multiple perspectives and will ask you to make decisions related to labor, pedagogy, and public health. Occasionally, choices will lead you to text from our <a href="https://connection.scholarslab.org/manifesto" target="_blank">manifesto.</a> The perspective you'll begin with is that of a faculty member.</p><p>[[Continue->Names]]</p></div>]{(live: 1s) [ (show:?dot1) (stop:)]}{(live: 2s) [ (show:?dot2) (stop:)]}{(live: 3s) [ (show:?dot3) (stop:)]}{(live: 4s) [ (show:?introduction) (stop:)]}

<div class="boxed"><p>{<span class="thought">Worth it,</span> <span class="narrative">$facultyName thought as they drifted off.</span> <span class="thought">I know I'm gonna pay, but man, does this feel good.</span> <span class="narrative">The next thing they knew, they felt someone pulling—no, yanking—their hair out of their head.</span>}</p><p>{<span class="dialogue">"Get up!"</span> <span class="narrative">somebody was yelling.</span><span class="dialogue">"Come on! I'm hungry!"</span>}</p>[[Continue->CavDaily Bushes]]</div>

<div class="boxed"><p>{<span class="narrative">Groggily, $facultyName stumbled down the stairs and went into the kitchen to take care of breakfast. They poured three bowls of cereal—how did they run out of Apple Jacks so quickly?—and started a pot of coffee.</span>}</p>[[Continue->CavDaily Bushes]]</div>

<div class="boxed"><p>{<span class="narrative">When the machine started heating up, they wandered over to the front door and [[fished their copy of the Cavalier Daily out of the bushes...->Cav Daily]]</span>}</p></div>

<div class="boxed"><p>{<span class="narrative">$facultyName hadn't seen their daughter so happy since quarantine began. </span><span class="dialogue">"You're the best!" </span><span class="narrative">she shouted, and skipped off—presumably to tell Aisha and Emma.</span>}</p>[[Continue->Faculty Meeting - 1]]</div>

<div class="boxed"><p>{<span class="dialogue">"You're the worst!" </span><span class="narrative">$facultyName's daughter shouted. </span><span class="dialogue">"Nobody else's parents are like this!"</span>}</p><p>{<span class="dialogue">"I'm just trying to be safe—" </span><span class="narrative">$facultyName started.</span>}</p><p>{<span class="dialogue">"No, you're just scared!" </span><span class="narrative">$facultyName's daughter got up from the table and ran away—presumably to her room, where she would call up Aisha and Emma and pout.</span>}</p>[[Continue->Faculty Meeting - 1]]</div>

<div class="boxed"><p>{<span class="narrative">$facultyName had no time to reflect on whether they'd made the right decision: They heard their cat yowl, and knew their son was chasing him around the living room. By the time they'd gotten him to settle down, then washed their face and changed into something resembling a professional shirt (sweatpants on the bottom, of course), it was time for their faculty meeting. [[They turned on their laptop just as the department chair started speaking...->Laptop]]</span>}</p></div>

<div class="boxed"><p>{<span class="thought">Okay, here goes</span><span class="narrative">, $facultyName thought. They unmuted their mic.</span>}</p><p>{<span class="dialogue">"Excuse me, I'm sorry to interrupt, but I don't think any of the junior faculty members—myself included—are going to be able to make tenure if the clock isn't extended. We've all been trying our hardest, but the pandemic has tanked everyone's mental health—not to mention made working impossible. My kids' school and daycare have been shut down, and so I have to stay home and watch them, which means I don't get any research or writing done. Is there any way we can do something else—appeal one more time to the administration? Or try to collectively bargain, or something?"</span>}</p>[[Continue->Moment of silence]]</div>

<div class="boxed"><p>{<span class="thought">No, I can't.</span> <span class="narrative">$facultyName thought. It was too big of a risk. They would just have to figure out some way to…well, get twice as much work done in the next couple of years. Even as it crossed their mind, they knew how ridiculous the thought sounded. There was no way that it was actually feasible. If they were denied tenure, though, the consequences would be life-altering: they would have to find another job, which would be next to impossible with the stigma of not securing tenure, plus the abysmal job market. Even if they did find another teaching position, it would almost certainly not be in Charlottesville, meaning they'd have to uproot their entire family.</span>}</p>[[Continue->Zoom Out]]</div>

<div class="boxed"><p>{<span class="narrative">Still reeling, $facultyName zoned out for the rest of the meeting, only coming to when it was time to wave the obligatory Zoom goodbye. All they wanted to do was close their eyes on the couch—even for just a few minutes—but they still had to finalize the syllabus for one of their classes. They'd cut-and-pasted in the policy they'd had for the last few years—no extensions, under any circumstances—but, looking at it now, they wondered if they should make a change. Students would be dealing with a ton this semester: family illness, mental health crises, not to mention potentially getting COVID themselves. But $facultyName still couldn't shake what their teaching mentors back in grad school had told them: that if they allowed extensions, students would take advantage of the policy.</span>}</p>|continue)[(link-goto: "Continue", "Energy Drinks")]<div class="choices">|choice>[Should $facultyName:]<br>|choice7>[Change the syllabus and give extensions?]<br>|choice8>[Keep their no-extensions policy?](click: ?choice7)[(set: $choice7 to true)(go-to: "Energy Drinks")](click: ?choice8)[(set: $choice8 to true)(hide: ?choice)(hide: ?choice7)(hide: ?choice8)(show: ?assessment)(show: ?continue)]</div>[<div class="modal"><div class="modalContent"><span class="close">(link-repeat: "&times")[(hide: ?assessment)]</span><div id="puthere"></div></div></div><script>$("#puthere").load("manifesto.html #assessment");</script>](assessment|<br></div>

<div class="boxed"><p>{<span class="narrative">$gradName took the last sip of their energy drink, then stood to get another out of the fridge. Regular coffee just wasn't doing it for them anymore—which was a shame, because energy drinks were expensive, and they were a month behind on their rent. They'd lost their part-time bartending job at the start of the pandemic, and it had made a huge difference in their bank account. Right now, their stipend and teaching wages were the only way they were getting paid, and that was barely keeping them afloat. The good news was that the chair of their department had just written them offering a research assistant position. [[They opened their laptop to look at the email.->Grad Laptop]]</span>}</p></div>

<div class="email">Thanks so much for thinking of me. Please let Professor Banerjee know that I'd love to take the position.</div><p>{<div class="boxed"><span class="narrative">Typing it felt like a lie — </span><span class="thought">and that's because it is</span><span class="narrative">, they thought—but they tried to focus on the extra money to cheer themselves up.</span> <span class="thought">$100 will buy you a lot of energy drinks. Which is good, because you're gonna need them</span><span class="narrative">, they told themselves.</span>}</p>[[Check email->Another Survey]]</div>

<div class="email">Thanks so much for thinking of me. Please let Professor Banerjee know that, while I'd love to help him with his project, I think I have too much on my plate this semester to accept. </div> <p>{<div class="boxed"><span class="narrative">They pressed SEND and sat back from the computer, relieved. While they knew they'd regret it when their bills came due, it would be a huge weight off their shoulders not to have to do any more work, and to be able to focus what little time they had on their dissertation.</span>}</p>[[Check email->Another Survey]]</div>

<p>{<div class="boxed"><span class="narrative">They clicked on the next email in their inbox, which was also from the department chair—but instead of being sent just to them, it had been emailed out to all the grad students in the department. <span class="thought">Oh man,</span> $gradName thought. <span class="thought">It's another one of those surveys.</span> They'd filled out about a million of these since the start of the pandemic—tracking their progress on their dissertation, the interruptions in their research, their mental health—and it was never exactly clear who'd be reading the information and what it was going to be used for. $gradName was always torn about whether to tell the truth—since it might actually be taken into account, and used to change administrative policy for the better—or whether doing so would be held against them. The survey read:</span></div>}</p><div class="email">{<p>Has your ability to achieve your goals been delayed by the effects of the pandemic? If so, how? (Please mark all that apply.)</p>□ Human Subjects/IRB restrictions<br>□ On-Grounds laboratory closure<br>□ Off-Grounds research site closure<br>□ Personal circumstances/caregiving<br>□ Travel restrictions<br>□ University Library closure<br>□ Other<br>}<br>{<p>Is your ability to achieve your future goals at risk due to the effects of the pandemic? If so, how? (Please mark all that apply.)</p>□ Human Subjects/IRB restrictions<br>□ On-Grounds laboratory closure<br>□ Off-Grounds research site closure<br>□ Personal circumstances/caregiving<br>□ Travel restrictions<br>□ University Library closure<br>□ Other<br>}<br>{<p>If necessary, can you continue your academic work using University resources that can be accessed remotely (e.g., electronic library holdings, Rivanna Computing Cluster, University-owned data sources)?</p>}<br>{<p>If not, are there resources not presently available through the University that could be acquired in order to advance your academic goals?</p>}<br>{<p>Do your academic goals entail access to sites or resources outside of the University that are vulnerable to disruption due to the pandemic? If so, how will you continue to advance your work if those disruptions continue or resurface? (Please mark all that apply.)</p>□ Focus on completion of other degree requirements<br>□ Utilize alternative research methods or sources<br>□ Adjust dissertation scope<br>□ Adjust dissertation topic<br>□ Other<br><p>Please describe these alternative plans in detail.</p>}<br>{<p>What other planning or resources would be helpful for you at this time?</p>} <p>[[Continue->Fill Out Survey]]</p></div>

<p>{<div class="boxed"><span class="narrative">$gradName smiled reading the last question. They would've liked to write that the only thing that would help would be for the university to pay them more money, and to give them the rest of the semester off. And not just them, either: all of the professors, as well as the UVa staff. Tell students that school was cancelled until the new year, and just allow everyone time to rest. They could write that, they thought—what would the harm be? The survey was supposedly anonymous… but then again, they weren't sure if that was actually true.</span>}</p><p>{<span class="instruction">In the box below, type what you would write if you were $gradName filling out the survey's last question: "What other planning or resources would be helpful for you at this time?"</span>}</p><p><textarea id="survey">Click here to type your response.</textarea></p><p>(Your response will not be saved, seen, or shared by anyone.)</p>[[Next Email->Extension]]<div>

<p>{<div class="boxed"><span class="narrative">With that, $gradName hit SEND on the email and sat back in their chair. By the time they'd taken another sip of their energy drink, they had another new message—this one from a student. The subject line was URGENT:</span></div>}</p><div class="email">Dear $gradName,<p>I hate to do this, but I think I'm going to have to ask for an extension on the first assignment. I know the semester just started, and I'm so, so sorry, but things have been super stressful on my end. My mom is really sick (she's waiting on a COVID test) and I'm trying to decide if I should go back to northern VA to help her. I'm not sure what I'm going to end up doing, but either way, I don't think I can do the assignment while I'm under all of this stress. I don't need much more time: in fact, it would be great if I could turn in the assignment next Monday, instead of this Friday. I would really appreciate it—thank you so much for even considering.</p>Best,<br>$workerName</div><div class="choices"><div class="boxed">{|next>[Continue](click: ?next)[ (if: $choice7 is true)[ (go-to: "Changed Policy") ] (if: $choice8 is true)[ (go-to: "Permission Denied") ]]}</div></div>

<p>{<div class="boxed"><span class="thought">Oh my God,</span> <span class="narrative">$gradName thought,</span> <span class="thought">that's awful.</span> <span class="narrative">Thank God $facultyName changed their extension policy—they had originally said no extensions, but they'd sent out an email this morning letting their TAs know about the change. $gradName wished they could do more to help the student, but they knew that even a few more days to complete the assignment would be a huge weight off their shoulders.</span></div>}</p><div class="email">I'm so sorry to hear about your mom. Extension granted—and please let me know if you need anything else. <p>-$gradName</p></div><div class="boxed">[[Continue->Thinking About Mom]]</div>

<p>{<div class="boxed"><span class="narrative">$gradName felt their stomach drop. <span class="thought">Oh no,</span> they thought. Of course they wanted to give the student an extension. If they were teaching the class themselves, they would do so in a heartbeat. But $facultyName's policy couldn't be clearer: ''"No extensions under any circumstances"'' was written in bold on the syllabus. Even so, they thought, it wasn't like they had to tell $facultyName about every decision they made with their sections. Maybe they could give the student an extension, and just not say anything to $facultyName… though of course, if they found out, they would be in huge trouble. But how could they honestly justify not giving a student a few more days to finish a paper, when their mother had a potentially life-threatening illness?</span>}</p>|noextension)[(link-goto: "Continue", "Go Home?")]<div class="choices">|choice>[Does $gradName:]<br>|choice1>[Give the student the extension, and not tell the professor?]<br>|choice2>[Decide not to give the student the extension](click: ?choice1)[(go-to: "Thinking About Mom")](click: ?choice2)[(hide: ?choice)(hide: ?choice1)(hide: ?choice2)(show: ?assessment)(show: ?noextension)][<div class="modal"><div class="modalContent"><span class="close">(link-repeat: "&times")[(hide: ?assessment)]</span><div id="puthere"></div></div></div><script>$("#puthere").load('manifesto.html #assessment');</script>](assessment|<br>

<p>{<div class="boxed"><span class="narrative">$workerName stared at their laptop. They couldn't believe it. They had been so nervous to write their TA, $gradName, asking for an extension—they'd never done so before, in any class—but $gradName had just emailed them back saying that yes, the extension was granted.</span> <span class="thought">Thank God,</span><span class="narrative"> they thought. Being able to put the assignment on the back-burner for a couple days would give them so much more time and energy to think about their mom. I'm fine, their mom had texted earlier, but $workerName knew that a 100-degree temperature, shortness of breath, and fatigue couldn't mean anything good. Since her mom didn't have a positive test yet, her dad's job was still requiring him to come in, and $workerName was worried he was exposing his coworkers to the virus. Every instinct $workerName had was telling them to come home, but if they did, they might expose themselves, too.</span>}</p>|yes)[(link-goto: "Continue", "Easy Focus")]|no)[(link-goto: "Continue", "Sinking Feeling")]<div class="choices">|choice>[Does $workerName text their mom that they want to come home tomorrow?]<br>|choice1>[Yes]<br>|choice2>[No](click: ?choice1)[(hide: ?choice)(hide: ?choice1)(hide: ?choice2)(show: ?classroomification)(show: ?yes)](click: ?choice2)[(hide: ?choice)(hide: ?choice1)(hide: ?choice2)(show: ?classroomification)(show: ?no)][<div class="modal"><div class="modalContent"><span class="close">(link-repeat: "&times")[(hide: ?classroomification)]</span><div id="puthere"></div></div></div><script>$("#puthere").load('manifesto.html #classroomification');</script></div></div>](classroomification|

(set: $extensiongranted to false)<p>{<div class="boxed"><span class="narrative">$workerName stared at their laptop. Their stomach dropped. They knew the syllabus said absolutely no extensions would be granted, but they were hoping that their professor or TA would understand that this wasn't a normal semester, and that they were in a really worrying situation. But nope—their TA, $gradName, had denied their extension. They had no idea what they were going to do: this assignment was 20% of their final grade for the course, but they could hardly focus given what was going on with their mom. Earlier, she had texted: </span></div>}</p><div class="sms">I'm fine</div><p>{<div class="boxed"><span class="narrative">but $workerName knew that a 100-degree temperature, shortness of breath, and fatigue couldn't mean anything good. Since her mom didn't have a positive test yet, her dad's job was still requiring him to come in, and $workerName was worried he was exposing his coworkers to the virus. Every instinct $workerName had was telling them to come home, but if they did, they might expose themselves too. Since their extension hadn't been granted, they'd also have to start and finish the assignment tonight if they wanted to be able to head back to northern VA for the next few days and devote all their attention to their mom. But really, did any of that matter? Their mom was sick—she could be really, really sick—and what if things got worse?</span>}</p><div class="choices">Does $workerName text their mom that they want to come home tomorrow?<br>[[Yes->Take the Chance]] <br>[[No->Sinking Feeling]] </div></div>

<p>{<div class="boxed"><span class="narrative">Their mom texted back.</span></div>}</p><div class="sms">Are you sure? I really don't want you to get sick. </div><p>{<div class="boxed"><span class="narrative">$workerName assured her that it was fine: they would take that chance, as long as they got to see her.</span>}</p>[[Continue->Fifteen Minutes Late]]</div>

(set: $goinghome to true) <p>{<div class="boxed"><span class="narrative">After texting their mom, $workerName put their phone aside, clicked out of their email, and pulled up Zoom: They had Calc I starting in a few minutes. Slowly, the professor and the rest of the students came on screen, smiling out from their tiny Zoom boxes. While $workerName still struggled to pay as much attention on Zoom as they would've in an in-person class, knowing that they didn't have to cram to write their paper now, and that they could go home and see their mom, made focusing much easier. When the class ended and they opened up their textbook to take a look at the homework, they were thrilled to realize that they actually knew how to do a few of the problems. They would start on them after they went to the library for a few hours of their [[work-study shift->Library Job]].</span></div>}</p>

<p>{<div class="boxed"><span class="narrative">They clicked out of their email and opened up a Word document: there were still a few minutes before their Calc I lecture, and they could at least get started on the assignment. They started typing—nothing great, honestly, but at least it was filling the page—and before they knew it, they were on a roll. Then they glanced over at the time. Crap! It was already fifteen minutes into the lecture, and their professor was a stickler on time: He was using software that tracked when every student logged into the Zoom call. $workerName signed in hurriedly, but it was too late. </span><span class="dialogue">"It looks like we have someone just joining us,"</span> <span class="narrative">the professor said.</span></div>}</p><div class="zoommsg">From $workerName to Everyone:<br>I'm so sorry! My last class ran over! </div><p>{<div class="boxed"><span class="narrative">$workerName wrote in the chat box. An obvious lie, but they hoped the professor would buy it. They really couldn't afford those points off their grade. Evidently, they couldn't afford missing the start of the lecture either, because what the professor was now saying made absolutely zero sense. When class was finished and they opened up their textbook to take a look at the homework, they realized they had no idea where to start solving any of the problems. You'll figure them out, they tried to assure themselves, before heading to the library to start their [[work-study shift->Library Job]].</span></div>}</p>

<p>{<div class="boxed"><span class="narrative">$workerName actually really liked their library job: Not only did it make them money, but it was also one of the only chances they had to get out of their dorm. But there were always the few students who didn't wear their masks, and that made things difficult. The university made it the student workers' responsibility to enforce mask-wearing, and $workerName hated being put in that position. The students they had to ask to pull up or put on masks were often older or much bigger, and sometimes got really angry. $workerName didn't think the person sitting with a few friends by the computers—just a few feet away from where $workerName was sorting books—looked like they would get mad, but you could never be sure. Last week, they had a guy get in their face and start screaming, and they really, really didn't want to go through that again.</span> <span class="thought">Still, people not wearing masks was the reason people like their mom were sick right now—and that,</span> <span class="narrative">$workerName thought,</span> <span class="thought">made speaking up worth it. Right?</span>}</p>|no)[(link-goto: "Continue", "Whose Responsibility?")]<div class="choices">|choice>[Does $workerName tell the student to put on a mask?]<br>|choice1>[Yes]<br>|choice2>[No](click: ?choice1)[(go-to: "Would You Mind?")](click: ?choice2)[(hide: ?choice)(hide: ?choice1)(hide: ?choice2)(show: ?power)(show: ?no)]</div>[<div class="modal"><div class="modalContent"><span class="close">(link-repeat: "&times")[(hide: ?power)]</span><div id="puthere"></div></div></div><script>$("#puthere").load('manifesto.html #power');</script>](power|<br></div>

(set: $goinghome to false)<p>{<div class="boxed"><span class="narrative">Their mom texted back:</span></div>}</p><div class="sms">Good, I don't want to put you in danger. </div><p>{<div class="boxed"><span class="narrative">With a sinking feeling, $workerName opened up Zoom for their Calc I lecture. It was hard to focus over Zoom even on the best of days, but knowing that their mom was sick and that they weren't going to see her made it almost impossible. When class was finished and they opened up their textbook to take a look at the homework, they realized they had no idea where to start solving any of the problems.</span> <span class="thought">You'll figure them out,</span> <span class="narrative"> they tried to assure themselves, before heading to the library to start their [[work-study shift->Library Job]].</span></div>}</p>

<p>{<div class="boxed"><span class="dialogue">"Excuse me,"</span> <span class="narrative">$workerName said, walking up to the student and their friends. They cleared their throat awkwardly, and the student looked up.</span>}</p><p>{<span class="dialogue">"Hi, can I help you with something?"</span><span class="narrative"> the student said.</span>}</p><p>{<span class="narrative">$workerName thought,</span> <span class="thought">It's okay, just say it.</span> <span class="dialogue">I'm sorry to bother you but would you, uh, mind putting on a mask?"</span> <span class="narrative"> they managed to get out.</span>}</p><p>{<span class="narrative">Instantly, the student turned red. </span><span class="dialogue">"Oh my God, I didn't realize—oh, man. I must've forgotten to grab mine when I left my dorm. I'm so sorry. I would never—I didn't do it on purpose."</span> <span class="narrative">they said.</span>}</p><p>{<span class="narrative">"It's fine," <span class="narrative">$workerName said, trying to smile. It seemed like it was genuinely an accident, but they still had a sudden urge to mention their mom.</span>}</p><div class="choices">Does $workerName mention their mom?<br>[[Yes->Mom Is Sick]]<br>[[No->Won't Happen Again]]</div></div>

<p>{<div class="boxed"><span class="thought">Still</span><span class="narrative">, $workerName thought,</span> <span class="thought">it should really be the school's responsibility to enforce mask-wearing, not mine.</span> <span class="narrative">They were already so shaken up about their mom that the last thing they needed was to have another anti-masker scream in their face. Still, as they watched the student chatter away happily with their friends, they wondered how many people the student would infect if they actually had COVID. Tens? Hundreds? Most of them other teens and twenty-somethings, sure, but also professors and staff—and members of the Charlottesville community, too. They squeezed the wire of their mask extra tight around their nose and pulled out their phone to text their mom:</span></div>}</p> <div class="sms">I miss you. Everything's going to be okay.</div><div class="boxed"><p>[[Continue->Raven]]</p></div>

(set: $mentionmom to true)<p>{<div class="boxed"><span class="dialogue">"My mom is actually really sick,"</span> <span class="narrative">$workerName heard themselves say,</span> <span class="dialogue">"And she might have COVID. So, you know. You really have to wear a mask."</span>}</p><p>{<span class="dialogue">"Jeez, We're so sorry."</span> <span class="narrative">said one of the student's friends.</span>}</p><p>{<span class="narrative">Looking even more humiliated, the student said,</span> <span class="dialogue">"Yeah, I can't even imagine— Wow. Wow. I'm so sorry. Is there anything we can do, or—?"</span>}</p><p>{<span class="dialogue">"It's fine, Just put on a mask, okay?"</span> <span class="dialogue">$workerName said.</span>}</p><p>{<span class="narrative">The student nodded, and their friend pulled out a mask from their backpack.</span> <span class="dialogue">"Here, it's an extra."</span>}</p>[[Continue->Raven]]</div>

(set: $mentionmom to false)<p>{<div class="boxed"><span class="thought">That's too much</span><span class="narrative">, $workerName told themselves. Seriously. Instead, they said.</span>}</p>{<span class="dialogue">"It's just important to be careful. You know how fast this thing spreads."</span>}</p><p>{<span class="dialogue">"Totally,"</span> <span class="narrative">the student said. Their friend pulled an extra mask out of their bag, and the student put it on.</span><span class="dialogue">"I promise,"</span><span class="narrative">the student told $workerName. [["It won't happen again."->Raven]]</span></div>}</p>

<div class="boxed"><p>{<span class="thought">God, how humiliating</span><span class="narrative">, $undergradName thought.</span> <span class="narrative">They watched the student worker walk away and head back to their desk.</span><span class="thought"> They probably think I'm an anti-masker</span><span class="narrative">, they told themselves. Not that it's a mistake makes it any better. They had rushed out of their dorm so fast that they really had forgotten their mask. When they'd seen Allie's text about a Calc I study group, they knew they couldn't miss a second, especially since they hadn't understood anything the professor had said in today's lecture. Okay, they thought, looking down at their textbook. If this right here is cosine—</span>}</p><p>{<span class="dialogue">"Hey, $undergradName, I think your phone just lit up."</span><span class="narrative"> their friend said, [[tapping them on the shoulder->New Message]].</span>}</p></div>

<div class="boxed"><p>{<span class="narrative">They opened the message, which was from the Raven's Vice President:</span>}</p></div><div class="email"><p>Dear $undergradName,</p>{<p>We would like to congratulate you on having been accepted into the Raven Debating Society at the University of Virginia. We were very impressed with your application, as well as with your interview and with your performance at the mock debate. The Raven is one of the oldest debating societies at the University—with an almost two hundred year history—and we're thrilled to have you join us and become a part of our long tradition of excellence.</p>}{<p>To welcome our new inductees, we'll be having a get-together tonight at one of the senior members' houses on Rugby Road. Claire S., who you remember from your interview, will meet you in front of your dorm at 8 pm to walk you over. Please bring a mask and hand sanitizer, and note that, while attendance isn't mandatory, it's strongly, strongly encouraged. Remember, you've been accepted, but you haven't been initiated yet!</p>}{<p>Again, congratulations from all of us in Raven. We can't wait to get to know you better, and to welcome you into the family. [[See you tonight!]]</p>}</div>

<div class="boxed">(if: $mentionmom is true)[<p>{<span class="dialogue">"They said that thing about their mom,"</span> <span class="narrative">their other friend pointed out.</span>}</p><p>{<span class="dialogue">"Right, I don't want to actually get people sick."</span> <span class="narrative">$undergradName said.</span>}</p>]<p>{<span class="dialogue">"You're acting like it's going to be a super-spreader event. I don't think the Raven would organize anything like that,"</span> <span class="narrative">Allie said.</span>}</p><p>{<span class="dialogue">"That's a good point,"</span> <span class="narrative">$undergradName said. The Raven was pretty serious about their commitment to the UVa community: they didn't think they would put their own needs ahead of the student body's. On the other hand, it did sound a lot like a party… But if they didn't go, then would they be accepted?</span>}</p><div class="choices">Does $undergradName:<br>[[Write back thanking the Raven for accepting them, but say they can't go tonight?->Sorry I Can't]]<br>[[Tell the Raven that they're looking forward to the get-together, and that they'll be there?->I'll Be There]]</div>

<p><div class="boxed">{<span class="narrative">The original plan for the day had been simple: Their partner would watch the kids while they went into the office in the early afternoon—that way, they could have a quiet space to broadcast their Zoom class, and meet with grad students—and they would take care of the kids at night while their partner worked. But of course, everything had gone sideways. About thirty minutes after the faculty meeting, their partner had gotten an email about an emergency work conference call, and had spent the last few hours barricaded in their office. Their daughter would be fine looking after herself—she would just do her Zoom lessons—but there was no way their son could: He had to come with $facultyName to the office. The first few hours with him there had been fine—he'd flung around a few stacks of papers, but mostly he'd sat playing on his tablet—but, almost as soon as $facultyName pulled up Zoom to run their class, they knew things were going to be disastrous. "What's that?" their son asked loudly, while they were mid-sentence.</span>}</p><p>{<span class="narrative">Trying not to laugh, $facultyName said</span> <span class="dialogue">"I'm sorry, everybody, this is my son. Honey, this is me teaching. [[Remember?->Smiled and Waved]]"</span>}</p></div>

<p><div class="boxed">{<span class="dialogue">"Honey, I know. But you have the tablet."</span> <span class="narrative">$facultyName said.</span> <span class="dialogue"></span>}</p><p>{<span class="dialogue">"I don't like the tablet, I don't wanna play with it anymore."</span> <span class="narrative">their son said.</span>}</p><p>{<span class="narrative">$facultyName could feel themselves panicking. Maybe this would've been fine with a discussion class—when they could mute themselves for long periods—but this was a lecture. They had to have their mike on virtually the entire time, and it looked like their son's tantrum was only going to escalate. They still had thirty-five minutes left of class, and no idea what they were going to do. They could put students in groups and get them to start working on the homework, but they wouldn't really be able to understand it without getting the entire lesson. They could pull a Hail Mary and ask one of the grad student TAs to lecture, but that would be majorly unfair to them—or they could really do the unthinkable and end class. Or, of course, they could continue on and just hope their son didn't do anything else disruptive.</span>}</p>|groups)[(link-goto: "Continue", "Groups")]|TA)[(link-goto: "Continue", "TA")]|end)[(link-goto: "Continue", "End Class")]|continue)[(link-goto: "Continue", "Continue Lecturing")]<div class="choices">|choice>[Does $facultyName:]<br>|choice1>[Put the students in groups and ask them to start the homework]<br>|choice2>[Ask the TA to lecture]<br>|choice3>[End class early]<br>|choice4>[Continue lecturing and hope things cool down](click: ?choice1)[(hide: ?choice)(hide: ?choice1)(hide: ?choice2)(hide: ?choice3)(hide: ?choice4)(show: ?classroomification)(show: ?groups)](click: ?choice2)[(hide: ?choice)(hide: ?choice1)(hide: ?choice2)(hide: ?choice3)(hide: ?choice4)(show: ?classroomification)(show: ?TA)](click: ?choice3)[(hide: ?choice)(hide: ?choice1)(hide: ?choice2)(hide: ?choice3)(hide: ?choice4)(show: ?classroomification)(show: ?end)](click: ?choice4)[(hide: ?choice)(hide: ?choice1)(hide: ?choice2)(hide: ?choice3)(hide: ?choice4)(show: ?classroomification)(show: ?continue)][<div class="modal"><div class="modalContent"><span class="close">(link-repeat: "&times")[(hide: ?classroomification)]</span><div id="puthere"></div></div></div><script>$("#puthere").load('manifesto.html #classroomification');</script></div></div>](classroomification|

<p><div class="boxed">{<span class="narrative">Putting students in groups, they decided, would be the best option—though, when they asked them to do so, the students looked totally bewildered. They managed to get themselves in breakout rooms but, within a few minutes, they were popping back into the main room with a ton of questions.</span> <span class="thought">I was right, they can't do the homework without having heard the lecture.</span> <span class="narrative">$facultyName thought. They had to unmute themselves to explain things, with their now son wailing even louder in the background. Eventually, they brought the class back as one and told them that they would just be emailing their lecture notes out to them.</span>}</p><p>{<span class="dialogue">"That should be enough to get you through the homework,"</span> <span class="narrative">they said, knowing they sounded exhausted, and when they saw their students typing they knew they were complaining to one another in the chat. When the end of class rolled around, $facultyName ended the Zoom and then [[put their arms over their head.->Deep Breathing - 1]]</span>}</p></div>

(set: $gradlecture to true)<p><div class="boxed">{<span class="dialogue">"I'm going to throw kind of a Hail Mary here, $gradName, would you mind talking a little about the material yourself? At least until things calm down over on my end."</span> <span class="narrative">$facultyName said.</span>}</p><p>{<span class="narrative">$gradName — who, to be fair, was one of their most reliable grad students—looked shocked.</span> <span class="dialogue">"Sure"</span> <span class="narrative"> they stammered, and when they started speaking, the quality of the lecture was exactly what you'd expect from someone who'd been asked to give a talk on the spot without any notice. Still, it gave enough cover for $facultyName to mute themselves, temporarily turn off their camera, and soothe their son. I'm so sorry, they wrote to $gradName in the chat. [[We'll talk about this in our meeting.->Deep Breathing - 1]]</span>}</p><div>

<p><div class="boxed">{<span class="dialogue">"You know what? I'm going to do something I've never done before—but desperate times call for desperate measures. Since it's only the first week of class, I'm going to end class early, and send all of you my lecture notes. If you have any questions about the homework, email me."</span>}</p><p>{<span class="narrative">$facultyName said. Their students looked stunned, but their faces disappeared when $facultyName clicked END MEETING. They sent out a quick email circulating their lecture notes, then pulled their son in their lap. Of course, when all $facultyName's attention was on him, he immediately stopped crying. It only took a second, though, for all the emails from students to start pouring in—all asking a ton of questions. $facultyName [[put their head in their hands.->Deep Breathing - 1]]</span>}</p></div>

<div class="boxed">{<span class="narrative">$facultyName told the class,</span> <span class="dialogue">"I'm so sorry about all of this, but you're just gonna have to bear with me. Okay?"</span> <span class="narrative">Their students smiled, and so did they, when they saw how many students were sending them encouraging messages in the chat:}</p></div><div class="zoommsg">Mya to (text-colour:#52b5ff)[$facultyName]:<br>Hang on!</div><div class="zoommsg">Rufus to (text-colour:#52b5ff)[$facultyName]:<br>You can do it! </div><div class="zoommsg">Lev to (text-colour:#52b5ff)[$facultyName]:<br>Your son is adorable</div><div class="boxed"><p>{<span class="narrative">After a few more minutes of crying — $facultyName raising their voice to speak over him — he stopped screaming, and settled in on their lap. He started up again in the last five minutes, but by then, the most important work was over—though $facultyName was fairly sure some of the students couldn't hear their answers to [[the questions they'd asked.->Deep Breathing - 1]]</span>}</p><div>

<p><div class="boxed">{<span class="narrative">After a few seconds of deep breathing, $facultyName picked up their phone and called their partner.</span> <span class="dialogue">"Hey, Is everything okay? I'm still on my call."</span> <span class="narrative">their partner said.</span>}</p><p>{<span class="dialogue">"I can't do this, I'm serious. That was awful."</span> <span class="narrative">$facultyName said.</span>}</p><p>{<span class="dialogue">"What's wrong?"</span>}</p>[[Continue->Deep Breathing - 2]]</div>

<p><div class="boxed">{<span class="narrative">$facultyName said,</span> <span class="dialogue">"It's not stupid. I just don't think it's the right thing for us. Maybe if you want to… I don't know, take a step back at work…"</span>}</p><p>{<span class="narrative">They could hear their partner bristle even through the phone.</span> <span class="dialogue">"Take a step back at work?"</span>}</p><p>{<span class="dialogue">"I don't know. Or help out more around the house. I've been doing a lot of the cooking and cleaning, and especially the planning, since the pandemic started—"</span>}</p><p>{<span class="narrative">Now their partner sounded really frustrated.</span> <span class="dialogue">"I thought we've been splitting things pretty equally. Why don't you take a step back at work?"</span>}</p><p>{<span class="thought">Maybe I could. If they really weren't going to make tenure, then maybe that was something they should start thinking about. No use working themselves to death for zero reward.</span> <span class="narrative">$facultyName thought.</span>}</p>|maybe)[(link-goto: "Continue", "Maybe Stepping Back")]|notsteppingback)[(link-goto: "Continue", "Not Stepping Back")]<div class="choices">|choice>[Does $facultyName:]<br>|choice1>[Tell their partner they'll consider taking a step back]<br>|choice2>[Let their partner know that they're not stepping back, and that their partner really does need to contribute more around the house](click: ?choice1)[(hide: ?choice)(hide: ?choice1)(hide: ?choice2)(show: ?justice)(show: ?maybe)](click: ?choice2)[(hide: ?choice)(hide: ?choice1)(hide: ?choice2)(show: ?justice)(show: ?notsteppingback)][<div class="modal"><div class="modalContent"><span class="close">(link-repeat: "&times")[(hide: ?justice)]</span><div id="puthere"></div></div></div><script>$("#puthere").load('manifesto.html #justice');</script></div></div>](justice|

<div class="boxed"><p>First, we need some names for our characters:</p><p>What would you like the ''faculty member's'' name to be?<br><input type="text" data-varname="facultyName" value="Sascha"><script>processInputElements();</script></p><p>What would you like the ''graduate student's'' name to be?<br><input type="text" data-varname="gradName" value="Benny"><script>processInputElements();</script></p><p>What would you like the ''undergraduate worker's'' name to be?<br><input type="text" data-varname="workerName" value="Dot"><script>processInputElements();</script></p><p>What would you like the ''undergraduate student's'' name to be?<br><input type="text" data-varname="undergradName" value="Hazel"><script>processInputElements();</script></p><p>[[Start->Faculty Morning]]</p></div>(if: $facultyName is 0)[(set: $facultyName to "Sascha")](if: $gradName is 0)[(set: $gradName to "Benny")](if: $workerName is 0)[(set: $workerName to "Dot")](if: $undergradName is 0)[(set: $undergradName to "Hazel")]

<p><div class="boxed">{<span class="narrative">Their partner replied:</span> <span class="dialogue">"Like I said, I've been doing the best I can. I thought things had been pretty equal. If you really want me to step up at home and with the kids, I'm going to have to be the one taking a step back at work—and that'll mean a salary cut."</span>}</p><p>{<span class="narrative">$facultyName sighed.</span> <span class="thought">Yes, it would be great if their partner could step up—but since their partner worked in industry, their salary was much, much higher, and their job was far more secure. If their partner did step back, that would mean a serious reduction in income, which would mean they would have less money to feed their family, pay off their mortgage, and pay back their student loans.</span> <span class="narrative">Their partner said,</span> <span class="dialogue">"Maybe we should talk about downsizing. You know, selling the house, getting something smaller, but still in Charlottesville."</span>}</p><p>{<span class="narrative">$facultyName swallowed.</span> <span class="dialogue">"Okay. [[When I come home, we'll talk."->Difficult Meeting]]</span>}</p></div>

<p><div class="boxed">{<span class="narrative">Their partner sighed.</span><span class="dialogue"> "Wow, that really would be a huge help."</span>}</p><p><span class="dialogue">"Right,"</span> <span class="narrative">said $facultyName.</span> <span class="thought">They tried to ignore the sinking feeling in their stomach. They'd worked so hard—so hard—for their career: even if the possibility of tenure was up in the air, the idea of pulling back from the teaching and research they loved just felt wrong. They'd heard of so many academics with children who'd had to make the same sacrifice this past year, and they didn't want to become another one of them. But what else was there to do—especially when they considered that their partner made more with their industry salary, and that their partner's job, unlike theirs, actually had security?</span> <span class="dialogue">"I'll think about it. Definitely,"</span> <span class="narrative">[[they said.->Difficult Meeting]]</span></div>

<p><div class="boxed">{<span class="narrative">When $gradName entered $facultyName's office, they saw the little boy who'd been in the Zoom call sitting on their lap. $facultyName said:</span><span class="dialogue"> "This is my son. Though of course, you already virtually met him."</span>}</p><p>{<span class="thought">It was always a little jarring seeing people $gradName had known before the pandemic in masks,</span> they thought. <span class="thought">It brought everything home in an uncomfortable way.</span>}</p>[[Continue->Son's Screaming]]</div>

<div class="boxed">(if: $gradlecture is true)[<p>{<span class="dialogue">"I feel awful about putting you on the spot like that to lecture. I hope you know I would normally never do something like that,"</span><span class="narrative"> $facultyName said.</span>}</p><p>{<span class="dialogue">"Don't worry about it,"</span><span class="narrative"> $gradName said. Again, they had to bite their tongue. In reality, being asked to lecture with zero notice—and having barely read the text—was one of the scariest things that'd happened to them in their entire graduate student career. They'd bombed it, too—and they knew $facultyName and the students knew it. They knew $facultyName had almost no options, with their son freaking out, but there had to be something they could've thought of that would've been better than that.</span><span class="dialogue"> "I'm sorry I didn't do all that great."</span>}</p><p>{<span class="dialogue">"Oh, you did fine. Great, actually."</span><span class="narrative"> $facultyName said.</span>}</p>]<p>{<span class="dialogue">"I wanted to check in on how you're feeling about the class, in general. I know it's only the first week, and it's not like you're meeting students in person, but how are they seeming to you? Okay? [[Prepared?"</span> <span class="narrative">$facultyName said.->Extension Policy]]</span>}</p></div>

<div class="boxed">(if: $choice7 is true)[<span class="dialogue">"Actually,</span> <span class="narrative">$gradName said,</span><span class="dialogue"> I think they'll be doing a lot better now that you changed the extension policy. I already had a student contact me with a mom who probably has COVID, and I think getting an extension took a lot of weight off their shoulders."</span><span class="dialogue">"That's awesome. God, I'm so glad to hear that. You don't think there are some students who'll take advantage of the policy, do you?""I really don't think so. It's such a hard time for everybody—I think that, even if a student asks for an extension, and they don't have like, a family crisis, it's still not taking advantage of anything. It's just them taking time for their mental health.""Hm," $facultyName said. $gradName couldn't tell if they were agreeing. "And do you think there are any other changes I should make?"$gradName paused. Actually, they had a ton of ideas about how $facultyName could make the course better, especially since they'd been doing a lot of reading on inclusive pedagogy. But they weren't sure if $facultyName would be receptive to the suggestions.<br>Does $gradName tell $facultyName what they're thinking?<br>[[Yes->Voice Opinion]]<br>[[No->Keep Quiet]]](if: $choice8 is true)["You know," $gradName said, "I have had students ask about getting extensions. I know it's your policy to say no, but one of the students has a mother who might have COVID—"{<p>"No extensions. I know it sounds harsh, but it's my policy. Especially with all the extra work these days, I need to be able to know when I'm getting back all my written assignments."</p>}[[$gradName hesitated.->Extension Dilemma]]]</div>

<p>{<div class="boxed">"Well," $gradName said. "I've been reading a lot about how it helps students' mental health—and improves their performance in the class, too—if you don't set specific deadlines when assignments are due, and if you grade them on a pass/fail basis instead of giving letter grades."}</p.<p>{"Alright. I don't know if that's something I agree with doing for all my classes going forward—"}</p><p>{"But with COVID? This semester?"}</p><p>{$facultyName cocked their head. "It's definitely something I'll think about. Especially having the course just be pass/fail. [[I think that would take a lot of pressure off students."->How are you feeling?]]}</p></div>

<div class="boxed"><p>{$gradName decided that $facultyName opting for extensions was probably the best they were going to get. $facultyName didn't seem like the type who was open to teaching ideas that were even a little out of the mainstream—which was a shame, because $gradName thought getting rid of deadlines all together, and [[making the course pass/fail only, would do wonders for students' mental health.->How are you feeling?]]}</p></div>

<div class="boxed">(if: $extensiongranted is true)[Yes, they'd given the one student the extension, but if they could press $facultyName and get them to change their policy, then it could help so many more students.](if: $extensiongranted is false)[They felt awful about not being able to give the student who'd asked the extension, and they knew there would be many more students in the future who would need help.]<br>|dontpush)[(link-goto: "Continue", "Don't Push for Extension Policy")]<div class="choices">|choice>[Does $gradName press $facultyName about changing the extension policy?]<br>|choice1>[Yes]<br>|choice2>[No](click: ?choice1)[(go-to: "Push for Extension Policy")](click: ?choice2)[(hide: ?choice)(hide: ?choice1)(hide: ?choice2)(show: ?assessment)(show: ?dontpush)]</div>[<div class="modal"><div class="modalContent"><span class="close">(link-repeat: "&times")[(hide: ?assessment)]</span><div id="puthere"></div></div></div><script>$("#puthere").load('manifesto.html #assessment');</script>](assessment|<br></div>

<div class="boxed"><p>{"I hate to do this," $gradName said, "but I really, really think you should consider changing the policy. Not for every semester—just this one. There are so many students going through so many awful things right now: they're losing their loved ones, they're going through mental health crises. And…I don't know. Isn't making sure they're okay a little more important than getting their paper in by our original deadline?"}</p><p>{$facultyName paused. For a second, $gradName was sure they were going to say no—and then tell $gradName to get right out of their office. But then $facultyName's expression changed, and they sighed. "Fine. I'll change the policy. No extensions—unless they come to me with a very, very good reason. Not just that they're stressed. Not just that they're not feeling well. I need a documented health problem—either from them, or from a relative."}</p><p>{$gradName nodded. It's still ableist, they thought. And it still gatekeeps a ton of students. But it's a start. And they weren't finished. They'd keep working on $facultyName all semester—and, in the meantime, even a change like this would help students.}</p>[["I'll send out an email to the class about the policy change tonight."->How are you feeling?]]</div>

<div class="boxed">It's better to just be quiet, $gradName told themselves. Maybe you can work on them later in the semester. Right now, though, they couldn't afford to get on $facultyName's bad side: if $facultyName decided they didn't like them right from the outset, [[they could make their life a living hell for half of the year.->How are you feeling?]]</div>

<p>{<div class="boxed">"How about you?" $facultyName asked. "How are you feeling?"}</p><p>{$gradName hesitated. Again, just like with the survey—they wanted to be honest. But they were also conscious of the institutional power structures at work. They didn't doubt $facultyName genuinely wanted to know how they were doing, but they were also aware that there were certain unspoken rules that prevented them from being honest: that is, railing against the huge amount of work they were expected to do during the pandemic, and how little they were paid. If $facultyName shared what they said, too, they could get a reputation around the department for being ungrateful—and that could affect their future funding for departmental fellowships and grants.}</p>Does $gradName:<br>[[Tell $facultyName how they really feel?->Be Honest]]<br>[[Lie, and say things are going well?->Things are Fine]]</div>

<div class="boxed"><p>{"Honestly," $gradName said, "things could be better. Actually, they could be a lot better. I'm really stressed with all the pressure on me to wrap up my dissertation, especially since the department isn't giving grad students any extra funding or time to finish. I'm really grateful for the opportunity to TA with you, but having four sections to teach really cuts into the time I'm supposed to be doing that dissertation work. And I don't make any money—I'm seriously, seriously underpaid. I have student loans, and I'm one month behind on my rent."}</p><p>{There was a second of stunned silence while $facultyName took it all in, and then they leaned forward. "Oh my God. That's awful."}</p><p>{$gradName laughed nervously. "I mean—"}</p><p>{"No, seriously. It's really, really awful. I hate to say this, because I know we're at very different points in our careers—and you're in a much more precarious position—but I'm going through a lot of the same things."}</p><p>{"Really?"}</p><p>{"I am, yeah. Obviously, I'm paid better—I think it's important to be honest about that—but I'm trying to make tenure, and I'm struggling. At the beginning of the pandemic, the administration gave all the young faculty an extra year on their tenure clocks, but now they're refusing to give us any more additional time. Of course, I can't put in any of the actual work I'd need to do to get tenure on that timeline because my kids' schools are closed, and my partner and I—and me especially—have to watch them 24/7. And obviously, if I don't get tenure, my career is basically over."}</p><p>{"That's horrible." Before they knew it, an hour had gone by: they'd spent the entire time talking about their frustrations with the department and the administration, and the need to reform the university. When $gradName left $facultyName's office, they felt lighter. Actually, they thought, they felt a sense of solidarity. $facultyName was right when they said they were paid very differently, and there was a huge power gap between them—but even still, there was something about being able to be open with one another about their actual struggles, and dispensing with the normal politesse of academia, [[that felt like progress.->Update on Mom]]}</p></div>

<div class="boxed">"I'm so glad to hear that," $facultyName said. "Things are going… they're going well for me, too. You know, as well as things can be going right now." They smiled awkwardly at $gradName, and $gradName gave the same sort of awkward smile back. We both want to tell each other what's really going on, $gradName thought, but we can't. They knew that the power structures of the university relied on people not being honest with one another—not talking about their salaries, their frustrations, what they'd been denied and given access to—but $gradName didn't know how to start breaking that down. Maybe I'll talk to other grad students first, they thought, leaving $facultyName's office. [[We'll build solidarity on that level.->Update on Mom]]</div>

<div class="boxed"><p>{$workerName answered on the first ring. "Hello?"}</p><p>{"Hey," their dad said. "It's me. I just wanted to give you an update on mom. Her fever's down, and her breathing is getting better."}</p><p>{$workerName sank back in their dorm room bed. "Thank God."}</p><p>{"I know. She's not out of the woods yet—we're still going to watch her really closely—but her doctor says it's a really good sign."}</p><p>{"Can I talk to her?"}</p><p>{"Not yet. Is that okay? We want to let her rest."}</p><p>{"Oh, yeah. Of course." $workerName exhaled.}</p><p>(if: $goinghome is true)["I'll see her tomorrow."</p><p>{"Actually—" Their dad paused. "I don't know if that's a good idea."}</p><p>{"What?"}</p><p>{"I don't know. I just don't want her to get you sick."}</p><p>{"But you said she's doing better! What if it's not COVID?"}</p><p>{"I just don't want to take any chances."}</p><p>{$workerName didn't answer for a long time. "I get it," they said finally. "I'll see her when she feels better. And we can talk tomorrow over FaceTime."}</p>[["Definitely," their dad said.->Tell Her I Love Her]]]<p>(if: $goinghome is false)["I wish I could see her."</p><p>{"I know," their dad said. "But it's better that you don't come home. We don't want her getting you sick, or spreading this anywhere."}</p><p>{"Is your job letting you stay home?"}</p><p>{"Not yet. But I hope so."}</p>[["Me too."->Tell Her I Love Her]]]</div>

<div class="boxed"><p>{"Tell her I love her," $workerName said.}</p><p>{"Will do," their dad told them, and ended the call. $workerName sat on the bed, unmoving. On the one hand, this was good news—right? Their mom was doing much, much better. But it was awful not to be able to be there with her. In any other circumstances, in any other semester, $workerName would be rushing home. The isolation, that was the worst part—not just being apart from your friends and having to do Zoom calls, but not being able to be with the ones you loved when something awful was going on. Maybe, $workerName thought, if mom feels better by tomorrow night, I'll call and ask again if I can come home. That way, $workerName would be there to help her recover from….whatever this was—and, if it really was COVID, they could stay and self-isolate at their parents' house.}</p>Does $workerName decide to call their mom tomorrow and ask again to come home?<br>[[Yes->Student2]]<br>[[No->Student2]]</div>

<div class="boxed">(if: $going is false)[$undergradName stretched out on the grass and sighed. It was such a nice night—a perfect one for celebrating, actually—and yet, here they were. Not only were they alone, but they weren't even sure that they were going to be a Raven anymore. The VP hadn't written back since $undergradName had let her know they couldn't come to the party, and while it could mean nothing, it probably wasn't a good sign. <span class="thought">Oh well. Say goodbye to connections and prestige. So much for getting rewarded for doing the right thing.</span><br><br><p>{They were just about to close their eyes when their phone buzzed. It was their friend Bailey from last year's Bio class. [["Check Twitter," she'd written.->Check Twitter]]}</p>](if: $going is true)["Are you sure this is the right place?" $undergradName asked nervously.<br><br><p>{"Of course," Claire said. "Where else would it be?"}</p><p>{$undergradName hesitated. The music coming out of the Rugby house was loud—really loud. It was obvious that this wasn't a gathering, or a get-together: it was a real party. From what they could see through the windows, they wouldn't be surprised if there were at least a hundred people inside. "Seriously. Are you sure this is safe?}</p><p>{Claire laughed. "Look. It's going to be fine. Everybody's gonna be wearing masks, and we're all gonna be socially distanced."}</p><p>{"Really."}</p><p>{"Uh-huh."}</p><p>{<span class="thought">You should leave,</span> $undergradName thought, but, just as quickly, they remembered what being a Raven would mean. Internships. Connections. Job opportunities no one else at UVa would dream of getting. <span class="thought">All you have to do,</span> they told themselves, <span class="thought">is make an appearance. Get in, get out, get inducted.</span>}</p>Does $undergradName leave?<br>[[Yes->Leaving]]<br>[[No->Staying]]]</div>

(set: $going to false)<div class="boxed"><p>{$undergradName sighed. They knew they were probably going to regret it, but they just couldn't stomach going to a party that might become a super-spreader event. They hit REPLY and typed out an email to the Vice President:}</div></p><div class="email"><p>Thank you so much for accepting me! I can't tell you how honored I am to have been admitted to Raven. Unfortunately, I don't think I'll be able to make the get-together tonight, though please let me know if there are any alternate events (maybe on Zoom?) that I can attend. Once again, thank you so much—I'm really looking forward to getting to know you and [[everyone else in Raven!->Zoom Class]]</p></div>

(set: $going to true)<div class="boxed"><p>{$undergradName sighed. <span class="thought">You know what?</span> they thought. <span class="thought">Let's do it. You know how much you're going to regret it if you don't go.</span> They'd spent so much time wanting to get into Raven, and put so much effort into the application process. They couldn't throw all that away just because going to a party made them a little nervous. They hit REPLY and typed out an email to the Vice President:}</p></div><div class="email"><p>{Thank you so much for accepting me! I can't tell you how honored I am to have been admitted to Raven. I can't wait for the event tonight—I'll definitely be there, and I'm really looking forward to getting to know you and the rest of the Ravens better. Once again, thank you so much, and [[see you soon!->Zoom Class]]}</p></div>

<div class="boxed"><p>{Curious, $undergradName opened the app, wondering if it had something to do with Raven. Bailey knew they'd applied – and, sure enough, the first tweets they saw from the UVa student accounts they followed were about the party:}</p></div><div class="tweet">(text-colour:#52b5ff)[@cavalier3] there's like 75 people at the house next to my building………………………….</div><div class="tweet">(text-colour:#52b5ff)[@wahoo22] lmaooooooo no not the raven party</div><div class="tweet">(text-colour:#52b5ff)[@uvadoodle04] no joke my roommate was talking about going and i said if she did she shouldnt come home ahahahahaha</div><div class="sms">75 people?</div><div class="boxed"><p>{$undergradName texted back. They looked down at the time. It was only 7:30. If there were that many people when the party was just starting, who knew how many would show by the time it ended? Or, more likely was shut down. Admittedly, if Raven really wasn't going to let them in, $undergradName didn't feel too bad about the possibility of the campus police getting involved.}</p>Bailey texted back:</div><div class="sms">Oh yeah, if not more than that.</div><div class="boxed">[[Continue->Incredulous]]</div>

<div class="boxed">"Wait," Claire asked. "What?"<br>"I'm sorry. I really think I should go back to the dorms."<br>Claire raised her eyebrows. "So you're not coming in?"<br>"I mean—"<br>"You don't want to be a Raven?"<br>"Of course I do! Like, more than anything. I just – I don't know, I'm not feeling well, and I don't think I should be at a party. Maybe I should go home and lie down."<br>"You don't feel well. Right. Okay. I mean… that's fine. I'll let Michael know."<br>Michael was Raven's president. $undergradName felt their heart sink. "Oh. Well… tell him I really wanted to come, okay? And if there's any chance I can make it up to you guys—like, volunteer opportunities—"<br>"We'll let you know. I'll see you, okay?"<br>$undergradName watched Claire turn and head for the Raven house. <span class="thought">Well,</span> $undergradName told themselves. <span class="thought">You screwed it up. Kiss Raven goodbye. Au revoir to connections, internships, Hill jobs… And COVID, probably. They weren't an epidemiologist, but they knew there was no way at least twenty people at that party weren't sick. It would be a long night back at their dorm—finishing Calc I homework, eating junk food – but at least they hadn't been part of a super-spreader event. It wasn't much, but it was something – and [[that, in this time, was enough.->Tweets and Headlines]]</span></div>

<div class="boxed"><p>{"Alright," they said. "Let's go."}</p><p>{Claire smiled. The two of them walked through the front door, where a girl immediately handed both of them drinks. "Welcome to Raven!"}</p><p>{"Thanks." The drink was uncovered, and, by the looks of it, had been siphoned out of an open punchbowl. When Claire wasn't looking, $undergradName put theirs down. Another girl grabbed their arm and introduced herself. Then another, and another—until they had made their way around what felt like the entire party. All of the Ravens were wearing masks, and were incredibly kind and enthusiastic – the kind of people, $undergradName thought, I want to be around – but none of them were standing six feet apart, and all of them were drinking from open cups. Some even had their arms around one another. There was a dance floor, too, at the middle of the party, and people there were much, much closer than six feet.}</p><p>{<span class="thought">I should leave,</span> $undergradName thought again – but, in the same moment, they saw Michael, Raven's president, heading towards them. "$undergradName!" Michael shouted, pulling them in for a hug. "I'm so glad you're here. I'm so glad you're gonna be a Raven!"}</p><p>{"Thanks. Uh, how are you?"}</p><p>{"I'm good! I'm really–" But before he could finish, there was a noise from outside. <span class="thought">No, </span>$undergradName thought. <span class="thought">Not a noise. More like a chant or something. It sounded like…</span>}</p><p>{"Is somebody screaming at us?" $undergradName heard themselves asking. "Are they saying… what? ‘Get out?'"}</p><p>{Some of the Ravens were already at the windows. "There's like, twenty people out there," one of them called. "And they're… heckling us?"}</p><p>{"What?" Michael ran over to the windows. "No way," he said.}</p> <p>{"Is it the cops?" someone else asked.}</p><p>{"No, it's just a bunch of random assholes." Michael turned from the window and shook his head. "I swear to God," he said. "Whatever. Turn the music up."}</p><p>{"You sure?"}</p>"You think I'm kidding? Come on. [[Turn it up."->Hecklers]]</div>

<div class="boxed">$undergradName shook their head. They pulled up Twitter again and stared at the conversation on their timeline. They hit REPLY to the conversation @cavalier3, @wahoo22, and @uvadoodle04 were having.<p>In the box below, type your reply:</p><p><textarea id="tweet">Click here to type your reply.</textarea></p><p>(Your response will not be saved, seen, or shared by anyone.)</p>[[Send Tweet->Decide to Go]]</div>

<div class="boxed"><p>{Before long, all three accounts had favorited $undergradName's tweet, and $undergradName got a notification: they had a new DM. It was with @cavalier3, @wahoo22, and @uvadoodle04.}</p></div><div class="tweet"><p>{(text-colour:#52b5ff)[@wahoo22]: you know what i heard. there's a couple people going over there to the raven house.</div><div class="tweet">(text-colour:#52b5ff)[@cavalier3]: ??</div><div class="tweet">(text-colour:#52b5ff)[@wahoo22]: idk. to tell them off or something.</div><div class="tweet">(text-colour:#52b5ff)[@uvadoodle04]: LMAOOOOOOOO</div><div class="tweet">(text-colour:#52b5ff)[@uvadoodle04]: wait</div><div class="tweet">(text-colour:#52b5ff)[@uvadoodle04]: what if we went</div>}</p> <div class="boxed"><p>{<span class="thought">That's wild,</span> $undergradName thought. <span class="thought">I can't imagine doing that. At the same time, though… there was kind of something tempting about the idea. Not tempting enough to actually do it, of course, but still… hey, it wasn't like Raven was going to go through with letting them in now that they'd skipped the party. And honestly, Raven shouldn't be able to get away with having what was apparently an all-out banger without any repercussions. It wasn't like the campus police would do anything, but that didn't mean they couldn't go over themselves and let them know what the rest of the school thought about the party, right?</span>}</p></div><p>{<div class="tweet">(text-colour:#52b5ff)[@wahoo22]: honestly, i think im gonna go.</div><div class="tweet">(text-colour:#52b5ff)[@uvadoodle04]: for real?!</div><div class="tweet">(text-colour:#52b5ff)[@uvadoodle04]: wait actually</div><div class="tweet">(text-colour:#52b5ff)[@uvadoodle04]: okay yeah</div><div class="tweet">(text-colour:#52b5ff)[@uvadoodle04]: ill come with}</p></div><div class="boxed"><p>{$undergradName stared at their screen for a second. Before they could talk themselves out of it, they'd typed a response in the DM. "me too. lets meet in front of the dorms. [[im in."->Party's Over]]}</p></div>

<div class="boxed">$undergradName first heard the music when they were still three blocks away. By the time their group actually turned onto the street where the Raven party was being held, they could hardly make out what each other were saying over the thudding bass line. "HOLY CRAP," Erin—aka @uvadoodle04—yelled. "THIS IS WILD!"<br>"SO MUCH FOR THEM TRYING TO STAY UNDER THE RADAR!" $undergradName yelled back. Clearly, that wasn't what Raven was doing. In fact, if they didn't know any better, they would think that the people at the party were trying to drown someone else out—and, as their group drew closer to the party, it looked like they might actually be right. There was a small crowd of about twenty or twenty-five people gathered around the front of the Raven house, all of whom were chanting. "GET OUT," they called. "PARTY'S OVER."<br>"What's going on?"<br>One of the guys in the crowd turned. "We're trying to get them out of there. If we make them miserable enough, they'll leave."<br>That's not a bad idea. "GET OUT," $undergradName started chanting with the rest of the crowd. "GET OUT. PARTY'S OVER!"<br>Someone turned the music up in the Raven house, and a few people in the crowd covered their ears. "Keep going!" one of the girls at the front of the crowd yelled through her mask. "GET OUT. PARTY'S OVER. GO HOME! [[GO HOME!"->Keep Going]]</div>

<div class="boxed">Someone turned the music up in the Raven house, and a few people in the crowd covered their ears. "Keep going!" one of the girls at the front of the crowd yelled through her mask. "GET OUT. PARTY'S OVER. GO HOME! GO HOME!"<br>The crowd followed her lead, and kept at the new, longer chant. "GET OUT. PARTY'S OVER. GO HOME! GO HOME!" Once again, the Ravens turned up their music, but the crowd didn't stop. There were more people joining, now – even some who were clearly too old to be undergrads, and looked to be part of the Charlottesville community. "GET OUT. PARTY'S OVER. GO HOME! GO HOME!"<br>Maybe the Ravens' speakers didn't go any louder, or maybe they'd just opted not to further escalate the sound war. Either way, the volume didn't go up. The crowd, though, continued their chanting – and, ten minutes later, just as $undergradName's voice started getting hoarse, the music suddenly stopped. "No way," someone said. "What's going on?"<br>"I think it's finished." There was a pause. [["I think we actually won."->Back to Grounds]]</div>

<div class="boxed"><p>{Incredibly, they were right. There was the sound of a door opening around the back, and the crowd watched as a stream of Ravens—most of them with their heads down, and with their masks over their faces—ducked out of the house and into the night. "Assholes!" one of them yelled, and the crowd booed. The rest, obviously chastened, were quiet—and, before long, the line of people leaving had slowed to a trickle, and then to nothing at all.}</p><p>{"Unreal," Erin said. "I can't believe it worked."}</p><p>{"Me either." There was a pause: the crowd was starting to disperse, and their little group looked around. "So... do we just go home?"}</p><p>{"We could," Erin said. Then she smiled. "Or we could go back to Grounds and... I don't know, sit in one of the pavilions or something. And just kinda talk."}</p><p>{"That doesn't sound too bad," said @wahoo22, whose real name was Yasmin. "Not as cool as getting a party shut down or anything, but hey, that's probably only gonna happen once tonight."}</p><p>{$undergradName laughed as they turned around and headed back to Grounds. They still couldn't believe the crowd's stunt had actually worked. Everyone in Raven was going to be furious, sure—and there was no doubt some of the Ravens had seen them out there. But honestly, $undergradName couldn't bring themselves to really care. They'd done something really cool tonight, and that was worth more than any internships or connections. It was something to remember, too. <span class="thought">The time I helped stop a super-spreader event,</span> they thought. <span class="thought">Now that's a story. [[And probably one I'll be telling for a long, long time.->Tweets and Headlines]]</span>}</p></div>

<div class="boxed"><p>{The chants coming from outside the house were louder now. "GET OUT," the people out there were yelling. "PARTY'S OVER." Suddenly, the music jumped from loud to absolutely blasting. $undergradName put their fingers in their ears.}</p><p>{"You alright?" Michael asked, coming back over. "I'm sorry about that. God, I don't know what their problem is."}</p><p>{"It's fine." $undergradName looked around awkwardly. <span class="thought">This is wrong,</span> they thought. <span class="thought">And people know it's wrong. People are like, protesting us. If a whole crowd cared enough to show up at your house party and scream at you to shut it down, then they probably meant business.</span> "Uh," they said. "I think I might, um, head out–"}</p><p>{"Head out?" Michael frowned. "Why, because of those jerks? Come on. Don't let them get to you. They're not gonna do anything, and I know the school's not gonna care."}</p><p>{"No, it's not that. I, uh… I just have a ton of homework to do…"}</p><p>{"Let me tell you something. There's never gonna be a time here when you're not gonna have a ton of homework. You've gotta stop letting it run your life. Now, come on. Can I get you a drink?"}</p>|drink)[(link-goto: "Continue", "Drink")]<div class="choices">|choice>[Does $undergradName tell Michael:]<br>|choice1>[Alright, that sounds good.]<br>|choice2>[Actually, I really do think I'm gonna get going.](click: ?choice1)[(hide: ?choice)(hide: ?choice1)(hide: ?choice2)(show: ?power)(show: ?drink)](click: ?choice2)[(go-to: "No Drink")]</div>[<div class="modal"><div class="modalContent"><span class="close">(link-repeat: "&times")[(hide: ?power)]</span><div id="puthere"></div></div></div><script>$("#puthere").load('manifesto.html #power');</script>](power|<br></div>

<div class="boxed">Michael smiled. "I knew we made the right call in letting you in." He guided $undergradName into the kitchen. "You know, there were like, a ridiculous amount of people we accepted who didn't show up tonight. Can you believe it? <span class="thought">Yeah,</span> $undergradName thought. <span class="thought">I can.</span> They took the drink Michael handed to them, and tried not to cringe when the music turned up again. "A little louder, boys!" Michael shouted. Indeed, they could still hear the chants. The volume went up, and the chants continued. "Jesus," Michael said. "I can't believe them. Pong?"$undergradName felt their eyes widen. Michael laughed. "Yeah, that would probably be too much. Hey, let me ask you. Tell me a little about yourself. Like, where'd you go to high school?"$undergradName managed to get out an answer, but all they could focus on was the chants. They were even louder, now – and longer, too. "GET OUT," the people outside were yelling. "GET OUT. GO HOME. PARTY'S OVER!" "You good?" $undergradName flinched. "Sorry," they said. "It's just a little hard to…""Concentrate? Yeah, no shit." Michael laughed, but he was clearly angry. "You know what? You stay here, and—""MICHAEL!" someone inside the house yelled. "There's like, a ton of them out there!""Then turn the music up!" Michael shouted back. "It doesn't go up any more!""Just let them tire themselves out, then! [[They're gonna leave!"->Everybody Out]]</div>

<div class="boxed">"Hm. Okay." Michael said. He was still smiling, but his eyes had narrowed. "You know what? No problem. I'll see you around." <p>{<span class="thought">You blew it,</span> $undergradName thought. They tried to push the idea out of their head as they walked out of the house. They were fine – they had to be fine. After all, they'd made an appearance at the party. That was all Raven really wanted from them right now, surely. And, judging by the crowd, they'd made the right choice in getting out now: the students gathered there did not look happy. As $undergradName walked by, they waved awkwardly, and one of the girls in the crowd booed.}</p><p>{Embarrassed, $undergradName picked up the pace, and didn't look up until they'd reached the end of the block. Put it out of your mind, they told themselves. Forget about those people – and forget about Michael too. What mattered was that they'd managed to get the best of both worlds: They hadn't stayed that long – probably not long enough to get infected – but they'd shown up nonetheless, and now they would get to be a Raven. That, more than anything, was worth it. <span class="thought">After all,</span> they thought, trying to think back to how much they'd hoped for an acceptance back during tryouts, [[<span class="thought">who wouldn't want to be one of them?</span>->Tweets and Headlines]]}</p></div>

<div class="boxed">"I don't think they're going anywhere!" the person yelled back, but Michael was clearly done talking: He'd folded his arms over his chest. For the next ten minutes or so, $undergradName stood next to him as they, and the rest of the party, listened to the chants get louder and more forceful. Almost no one in the party was talking anymore: they were all waiting. Finally, Michael slammed his cup on the counter. "FINE!" he shouted. "Fine! You know what? Cut the music. Cut the music! Party's over.""Cut the music?""Cut it! It's done. Everybody out!" He walked over to, and yanked open, the back door. "All of you, through there. So they don't try to mess with you. Go on—go on!" There was a pause, and then all at once, the Ravens started scrambling en masse towards the back door. As they left the house, $undergradName couldn't resist looking up and over at the crowd. There were at least forty people there, and all of them looked furious. You know what? $undergradName thought. I can't blame them. We deserve it. Everyone who came. "Keep your head up," one of the Ravens behind $undergradName whispered. "I know this sucks, but you're still gonna get to be one of us." "Yeah," $undergradName said. They looked out at the crowd again. "You're right," they said. [["At least there's that."->Tweets and Headlines]]</div>

<div class="boxed"><p>{<span class="thought">Thank God</span><span class="narrative">, $facultyName thought. They knew that yes, to some extent it was HR-speak, but it was still nice to hear everyone's stress and exhaustion at least being acknowledged. They'd heard horror stories about the past year from their friends at other schools, and they knew they were really lucky to be in a department, and at a university, that really cared about—</span>}</p><p>{<span class="dialogue">"But before I say anything else, I do have a bit of bad news. As you know, at the beginning of the pandemic, the administration was kind enough to extend everyone's tenure clocks by one year. While I know that was a huge weight off of young faculty members' shoulders, several of them also came to me asking if there was any way those clocks could be extended further—maybe by another semester, or even another full year. I've been in contact with the administration about it, and I just got word this morning that our final appeal has been denied. It looks like we're not going to get anything more than a one year extension out of them,"</span> <span class="narrative">the chair said.</span>}</p>[[Continue->Blood Drain]]</div>

<div class="boxed"><p>{<span class="narrative">$gradName had been thrilled when they'd first gotten the email. An extra $100 a week would be a huge help—but then, of course, they'd remembered that, while they really needed the money, they were already incredibly swamped with work. They were TAing four sections, plus working on their dissertation. If they took the RA position, they would effectively be consigning themselves to making almost no progress on their dissertation this semester. That would mean further delaying going on the academic job market or interviewing for alt-ac jobs—which, in turn, meant they'd be stuck in grad school, making almost nothing, for at least another year.</span>}</p>|accept)[(link-goto: "Continue", "Accept Position")]|decline)[(link-goto: "Continue", "Decline Position")]<div class="choices">|choice>[Does $gradName:]<br>|choice1>[Take the research assistant position]<br>|choice2>[Thank their department chair for the offer, but let her know that unfortunately, they can't accept](click: ?choice1)[(hide: ?choice)(hide: ?choice1)(hide: ?choice2)(show: ?gradlabor)(show: ?accept)](click: ?choice2)[(hide: ?choice)(hide: ?choice1)(hide: ?choice2)(show: ?gradlabor)(show: ?decline)][<div class="modal"><div class="modalContent"><span class="close">(link-repeat: "&times")[(hide: ?gradlabor)]</span><div id="puthere"></div></div></div><script>$("#puthere").load('manifesto.html #gradlabor');</script></div></div>](gradlabor|

<div class="boxed"><p>{<span class="narrative">$facultyName felt the blood drain from their face, even as they tried not to let their expression betray how they felt. Yes, the one year extension had been, and would be, enormously helpful. But there was no denying that they still needed much more time. They'd written fewer than twenty pages of their book since March, and had done virtually no research, while an article they'd gotten a revise-and-resubmit on was sitting around unedited.</span>}</p><p>{<span class="narrative">In other words, even factoring in the one-year extension, they were way off their expected tenure timeline, and they'd been counting on the possibility of an even longer grace period. Without it, there was no way that they could make tenure—and, from what they'd heard from the other young faculty, the same was true of everyone else. They had to say something—but if they did, the more established faculty might take it as a sign that they were lazy and unproductive, and a target would be put on their back.</span>}</p><div class="choices">Does $facultyName:<br>[[Say something?->Say something]]<br>[[Stay quiet?->Stay quiet]]</div></div>

<div class="boxed"><p>{<span class="thought">If this keeps up any longer, nobody's going to want to come back to UVa</span><span class="narrative">, $facultyName thought. Not that things were any better with Charlottesville schools: Their son's daycare had been shut down since mid-March, which left $facultyName with no choice but to spend most of their free time (and quite a bit of their work time, too) wrangling him. Their daughter's middle school was all online, and she was struggling with the lack of socialization: indeed, when $facultyName came back into the kitchen, their daughter—who was now awake, and digging into her bowl—hit them with the question she'd been asking nonstop for the past several weeks. </span><span class="dialogue">"Could we maybe try doing a bubble with Aisha and Emma? Aisha's mom finally said yes,"</span> <span class="narrative">she asked.</span>}</p>[[Continue->Sigh]]</div>

<div class="boxed"><p>{<span class="narrative">A few students smiled and waved, and $facultyName's son waved back.</span> <span class="dialogue">"I wanna go home,"</span> <span class="narrative">he said.</span>}</p><p>{<span class="dialogue">"We're going to go home. Just a few minutes, okay? I have to teach, and then meet with somebody really quick, and then we'll go,"</span> <span class="narrative">$facultyName said, trying to keep their voice calm.</span>}</p><p>{<span class="dialogue">"Okay,"</span> <span class="narrative">their son said, sulking. It's going to be fine, $facultyName told themselves. For a blessed ten minutes, it was—and then, out of nowhere, their son started to cry.</span> <span class="dialogue">"I wanna go home," he repeated.</span> <span class="dialogue">[["I'm bored. I wanna go outside."->Negotiation]]</span>}</p><div>

<p><div class="boxed">{<span class="narrative">$facultyName relayed the whole thing to their partner, and there was a minute of silence.</span> <span class="dialogue">"I'm so sorry, And you're right. This isn't working."</span> <span class="narrative">their partner said.</span>}<p><p>{<span class="narrative">$facultyName asked.</span> <span class="dialogue">"Well, what do we do?"</span>}</p><p>{<span class="dialogue">"I have no idea,"</span> <span class="narrative">their partner said. There was another moment of silence, and then their partner spoke up again.</span> <span class="dialogue">"One of the guys at the office did mention that his mother-in-law is… I don't know. Watching kids under the table?"</span>}</p><p>{<span class="dialogue">"You mean like, an illegal day-care?"</span> <span class="narrative">$facultyName laughed.</span> <span class="dialogue">"No way."</span>}</p>[[Continue->Deep Breathing - 3]]</div>

<p><div class="boxed">{<span class="dialogue">"I'm serious. She doesn't watch that many kids. I know some of my coworkers send theirs there."</span>}</p><p>{<span class="dialogue">"Yeah, but what happens if we get caught? She gets in huge trouble, and what—does CPS come investigate us?"</span>}</p><p>{<span class="narrative">Their partner sighed.</span><span class="dialogue">"I don't know. It was stupid, anyway."</span>}</p><p>{<span class="dialogue">"No, it's not stupid. It's just—"</span> <span class="narrative">$facultyName didn't finish.</span> <span class="thought">It would be so good—so good—to have somewhere to send their son. Ugh.</span>They couldn't even think about how much easier teaching would be if they didn't have to watch him, not to mention how much more research and writing they could get done. And wouldn't actually having time to do their work give them a chance to make tenure? But, on the other hand, it would be a huge risk to send him to the illegal daycare, or whatever it was. He could bring home an infection and get all of them sick. Not to mention, they could get others sick: they could be part of a super-spreader event that would make the whole city a hotspot! Besides, they weren't people, like that—people who broke rules and hurt others just for their own benefit. But God… it would take so much weight off their shoulders if they had someone to watch him…}</p>|nodaycare)[(link-goto: "Continue", "No to Daycare")]<div class="choices">|choice>[Should $facultyName:]<br>|choice1>[Send their son to the illegal daycare?]<br>|choice2>[Tell their partner they have to figure out another solution?](click: ?choice1)[(hide: ?choice)(hide: ?choice1)(hide: ?choice2)(show: ?faclabor)(show: ?nodaycare)](click: ?choice2)[(go-to: "No to Daycare")]</div>[<div class="modal"><div class="modalContent"><span class="close">(link-repeat: "&times")[(hide: ?faclabor)]</span><div id="puthere"></div></div></div><script>$("#puthere").load('manifesto.html #faclabor');</script>](faclabor|<br></div>

<p><div class="boxed">{<span class="dialogue">"Hi," </span><span class="narrative">$gradName said, and the boy waved.</span><span class="dialogue"> "He's really cute."</span>}</p><p>{<span class="dialogue">"He was awful on the call. I'm so sorry."</span> <span class="narrative">$facultyName said.</span>}</p><p>{<span class="dialogue">"It's really no problem,"</span><span class="narrative"> said $gradName. In reality, they'd hardly been able to hear anything $facultyName had been saying over their son's screaming, [[but it wasn't like they were going to say that out loud.->Check-in]]</span>}</p></div>

<div class="boxed"><p>{<span class="narrative">$facultyName sighed. They had been thrilled when their daughter had made friends with Aisha and Emma last year—they were great girls—but they also knew Aisha's family took care of her grandmother, who was an elderly cancer survivor. $facultyName had said no to the bubble thus far because they knew it would be putting her at risk. But if Aisha's mom had agreed, then they could say yes too, right?</span>}</p><div class="choices">Does $facultyName:<br>Tell her daughter she can [[do the bubble->Bubble]]?<br>Let her daughter know the bubble still [[isn't an option->No Bubble]]? </div></div>

<p><div class="boxed">{<span class="narrative">$undergradName looked over and saw that she was right. They had a new message. And not just any new message, either. It was from the Raven Society: one of the most prestigious debating clubs at UVa, which $undergradName had wanted to be in since they'd heard about it their first year. They'd tried out for it a few days ago, but they'd left their mock debate thinking they'd totally bombed any chances they had of getting in. And yet, if they were reading the subject line right—they brought their phone up to their face just to make sure—they were pretty sure it said "Congratulations!"</span>}</p><p>{<span class="dialogue">"Oh my gosh, I did it!"</span> <span class="narrative">they said.</span>}</p><p>{<span class="narrative">"No way! You made Raven?"</span> <span class="dialogue">Allie said.</span>}</p><p>{<span class="narrative">$undergradName nodded.</span> <span class="dialogue">"I think so! [[Wait, let me read the email."->Raven Email]]</span>}</p></div>

[[Continue->You couldn't pay me]]

[[Continue->Faculty Meeting - Intro]]

<div class="boxed"><p>{<span class="dialogue">"Good morning. I'd like to welcome you—well, virtually welcome you—to a new year," said their department chair. "We know this summer's been a difficult one, and I wanted to start off with a reminder: We're well aware of how stressed and tired everyone is. We know these aren't normal times, and that's okay. The most important thing is that you take care of yourself—and remember, we're all just figuring things out as we go along."</span>}</p>[[Continue->Faculty Meeting - 2]]</div>

[[Continue->Research Assistant Email]]

<div class="email">Dear $gradName,<br><br>Happy first week of the semester! I'm writing to let you know that Professor Banerjee, who I believe you took a class with in your second year, has asked me if I know any graduate students who might want to want to help him with research for his book project. I recommended you, since I have such confidence in your abilities. It would be a paid position, of course: $10 an hour, and an expected 10 hours of work a week. Let me know if this is something you'd be interested in.<br><br>Best wishes!<br>M.G.<br></div><div class="boxed">[[Continue->Extra $100 a week]]</div>

<div class="boxed"><p>There was a moment of silence, and then the chair cleared their throat. "Well, I—"</p><p>"You know what?" another junior faculty member cut in, unmuting their mic. "Honestly, $facultyName, I'm so glad you spoke up. I'm facing pretty much the same things at home, and there's no way I'm going to be able to make tenure without the clock being extended even further, either."</p><p>"Same," chimed in another junior faculty member. "I know the administration said no, but I think if a few of us junior faculty banded together and presented them with a document of our experiences—you know, first-person testimonials—I think it might really be effective. Would any of you be down for working on that with me?"</p><p>The other junior faculty member raised their hand, as did $facultyName. "You know there's no guarantee it's going to work," said the chair. "But if you want to go forward with this, we can meet sometime this week—Wednesday, maybe?—to discuss how you might try to make all of it happen."</p><p>[[Continue->Zoom Out]]</p></div>