Log: Crystal & Dani

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After cooking class today, Dani takes an informal poll from one of her cooking students. Opinions on the food aren't given, but Dani tries to spark some interest.



"Don't let the frybread ruin your dinners!" Dani called after her beginning cooking class as they headed out. They'd spent the class learning about the history of frybread and trying several different recipes from different tribes around the country. "Hey Crystal, got a minute?" she asked as the blonde girl headed out.

Crystal turned around to face Dani, wondering what Dani wanted to talk to her about. "I do not need to be anywhere else soon," Crystal told the beginning cooking teacher, walking over to her.

"Great. I was wondering what you wanted to learn in here? Anything you like to eat you want to make or whatever?" Dani had been asking different students randomly to set her curriculum. For the moment she was mostly going off of Lorna's, but she wanted to edit things with input from the students.

Crystal wanted to learn why she had been forced to take this class, how the knowledge of cooking various types of dishes was going to be beneficial to her at any point in her life. "I am not the best person to answer questions regarding matters of cooking," Crystal said, wanting to laugh. Hadn't Lorna pointed that out to the entire school months ago? "I am sure that you have a much better idea what the students in your class should learn."

"I don't care about what you should learn," Dani paused, considering her words, "Well, not much anyways. Cooking should be fun and a good way to impress a date. There are no right or wrong answers, just good or not so good food. Duck ala banana thankfully will never be repeated."

"I know that some people enjoy cooking," Crystal told Dani, "but I am not one of them. I do not think that I will ever need to impress a date with my cooking skills." Duck ala banana was not going to receive a dignified response, therefore it received no response.

"And there's nothing about cooking that interests you? Chocolate making? Sushi? Anything?" Dani was grasping at straws, but she wanted her students to at least be interested in something about the class, whether they would need to use it or not. "I'm not expecting you to be a gourmet chef or to even like cooking, but I'd like to try to find something interesting to the students. Make this class not be total torture."

"I like the frybread," Crystal offered. "I enjoyed learning about its history, too."

"Okay, cool," Dani made a quick note of that in her binder before tucking an errant lock of hair behind her shoulder, "This class isn't supposed to be torture, Crystal. I'm trying to make it as fun and pain-free as I can, but I can't switch you out," Dani stopped Crystal before she could reply, "I know you didn't ask to switch out. And I appreciate your determination, I just...I want you to learn something other than the patience to wait out a bad situation. Even if it is a useless skill."

Just being at the school was a form of torture, but of course Crystal wouldn't actually say that to Dani or to anyone else. Everyone else seemed to like being here so much. "I am learning a lot of things here," Crystal told Dani. "Thank you for wanting the class to be fun. I give forth my best effort in all of my classes, even if they are not fun, but it is nice when they are."

Obviously Crystal wanted to be any place other than right there, "OKay, well, if you think of anything you'd like to learn, let me know, okay? Your classmates have made some suggestions too, so far we're going to have a breakfast class and a Mexican fiesta and I think we might see what we can do with sushi or Japanese food too one day. Depends on how much time we get before finals."

Crystal nodded, smiling at Dani. "Yes, I will let you know, but those sound like excellent suggestions and those types of food should definitely be covered in class."

"See you tomorrow, then," Dani said, smiling. It wasn't progress, per se, but maybe it would give the girl something to think about. And hopefully show that not everyone on staff hated her. Dani was still annoyed with herself for not doing anything, but she hadn't known the extent of the problem. Regardless, it was in the past. Nothing she could do to change it.