It all started with ‘Humanities: Benchmarks and Status Quo’, which, per curriculum update 26 of 2014, all humanities students at Magnus Universal College had to take within the first two semesters of their studies in order to be able to register for further courses. Professor Archer was infamous for fixating on dates, making students study endless tables of dry facts by heart and asking trick questions during the much-feared final exam. (“When was Leibniz’s Ars Combinatoria first published? A) 1666 B) 1667 C) 1767 D) 1776”) The wheat was obviously supposed to be sorted from the chaff, and an abundance of chaff did actually fail and drop out - if they dared to attend the exam. There was no way you could let this happen to you. You had to be wheat.

It started with a Humanities: BASQ study group. Every Thursday, right after class. You would spend some hours mulling over dates and names, sometimes drifting off into discussions of less pressing matters such as ideas, trends and synergies, trying to understand the various epochs’ oeuvres and notions, which was clearly not the focus of the class. After much hard work, you would treat yourself with a round of drinks at Si tacuisses. Sometimes before much hard work. Sometimes instead. Sometimes two rounds. Sometimes eight. You’d simply have to wing it through any Friday classes or shifts at work before you could collapse into your bed and sleep it off.

Si tacuisses was a cosy little pub sat smack in the middle between the humanities and engineering sections of campus, in a little street that, bedsides connecting the two alien worlds, housed a create-your-own-pizza-place, a bookstore, a Chinese fusion take-away, a little corner shop, a second hand store and two hipstery cafés. Of course, the humanities students claimed it as theirs and would defend their rights against any engineers against that dared to stray from their very own Edison two streets further. On the other hand, these adventurous engineers would tend to feebly argue the name meant humanities students were supposed to keep their mouths shut on the premises - clearly an indication that Si tacuisses was theirs as well. But even they knew they were just bullshitting. Depending on your mood and alcohol level, you would ignore them, fraternise with them (possibly against law and med students), try to embarrass them or drive them away.

Right before the dreaded final exam, Professor Archer got sick. Of course, no one knew what happened to him. What you did know, however - and appreciated! - was that his replacement, young Professor Wiley, asked essay questions in her exam. (‘Discuss the main ideas Kant introduces in his Critique of Practical Reason. How can they be applied to your major?’) Professor Archer returned before long to torment yet several generations of students before he finally retired. But you had managed to slip through - on your first attempt.

The study group had proven so successful that you decided to take one course together each semester to study for it every Thursday afternoon before making your way to the pub to indulge in the student life, become famous or infamous and add to your list of minor or major misdeeds. And even once you graduated, you still religiously found your way back to Si tacuisses as The Regular Suspects. Of course, in the meantime, each individual suspect has accumulated a number of deeds or misdeeds of their own. But the memories made here are too strong to stay away: the number of times you fell asleep on a table or on the shoulder of the person next to you, the victories over the engineers, the heartaches and bad grades you helped one another withstand. The secrets you have been keeping, that may tie you even closer to a specific person in the group. You can’t stay away, even if the people populating your adult life cannot understand.

Hosted and narrated by: Avalonika

Started 01/17/23. Scenes played: 2

License: Community License