West Hills Academy of the Gifted and Talented
By Corey AlambarThe New World Order in California's Bay Area
Author's note: Yet more in the Northern California by Night series. This time, a small school set in the pleasant foothills above Stanford. But who knows what the real goal is behind those decorative walls? The New World Order is alive and well, even in this seemingly free-wheeling region — and they want your children.
As intellectual centers go, there are few places that can rival the Bay Area of California, in the United States or even in the world. Top class research organizations, three very prestigious universities, a number of high-class community and public colleges and some of the best private academies money can buy make this place the ultimate for those who are shopping for the best and brightest for their children.
For those with the cash, if you child is old enough and not graduated from high school, there is the West Hills Academy for the Gifted and Talented. If your child can pass the rigorous entrance testing, they get access to the best private education shy of college. All in the pastoral setting of the hills near Portola, just up the ridge from Stanford itself.
Description
The West Hills Academy, or just The Academy as it is called by those "in the know", lies on a 20 acre preserve in the hills outside of Portola. The grounds are edged in a beautiful wrought iron fence, with only the main road leading inside and out. Once inside the compound, there are three clusters of buildings, the three Quads. The architecture is simple, utilitarian, yet remarkable in its own way. It meets all the requirements of form and function, yet blends in well with the highly manicured lawns and topiaries that carpet the center of campus.
The three Quads are devoted to different functions, namely Residence, Academy and Administration. There are subtle differences between the three quads, mostly having to do with the amount and layout of parking, and the student traffic, but all in all they seem very similar.
Behind the Academy quad there lies a rather large barn and associated stables. There are several trails off into the woods, where students can ride or go to get some peace and tranquility in the pastoral environs the Academy provides.
Lifestyle
"More than 95% of the student body lives on campus. This allows them to take advantage of our around-the-clock counselling services, as well as associate with their peers. Parents are always welcome to visit, though they are accommodated off-campus. We do not wish to distract students from their studies."
"The campus environment is well kept and orderly. This is conducive to the academic environment we wish to foster here at the Academy. A strict 9 pm curfew is in place, and no loud music is allowed at any time. None of the usual distractions associated with dormitory life will hinder your child: no advertisements, no raucous music or video games. And most importantly, no drugs or alcohol. Our students are in control of their own faculties at all times, or they are summarily dismissed. Necessary medications are dispensed in the campus Infirmary, in the Administration Quad."
"Classes are orderly, with maximum student-instructor interaction. We pride ourselves on keeping class sizes small, so your child will get the most of his or her education. Unlike most other schools, we feel that each student is a special case, deserving individual attention."
From the pamphlet "Getting to know the West Hills Academy for the Gifted and Talented"
The reality is exactly that. The lifestyle here is restrictive, with a soothing, soft overtone. Light music, designed to nullify emotional excess, is played constantly, monotonous enough to not be noticed, yet not repetitive. Clothing is a school-provided uniform, which is washed in the campus laundry at the end of the day.
Were the surroundings less aesthetically pleasing, this place would be considered strongly militaristic. Rooms are inspected without warning and strict rules of presentation are held at all times. Beds are always made properly, hair is always combed and well-kept, all bookshelves and desk spaces are kept clean. It is a paradise for those who would be called "anal retentive" outside.
The Curriculum
"Here academic excellence is not based solely upon IQ or examination scores. Students are constantly evaluated by a number of criteria, including problem solving, observational skills, reasoning and communication. No student need fear expulsion because of bad scores or an inability to comprehend an instructor. Sometimes they need to be exposed to the material by different means in order to understand it and succeed."
"In the eyes of our administration, education is not memorization of facts, nor is it simple obedience to the "three R's". Here we focus on the more important goals of communication, ethics, deductive reasoning and observation. The creative impulse is carefully encouraged from an ember to a flame, and tempered by the strong, quick minds the students possess."
"Education is not simply academics. A proper approach incorporates the whole student and extensive physical training facilities are available. Students must meet certain physical requirements. Unlike some other private schools, this is not a PT test reminiscent of boot camp. Indeed, this is a way to encourage a breadth of educational experience in the student body. With such offerings as horseback riding, hiking, scuba diving, marksmanship and martial arts, we think that every student will find what he or she needs to become fit in every aspect of life."
"We also offer student body counselling, preparing them for the world of higher education and the workplace. All our older students are involved with local corporations or government, getting first-hand knowledge and experience that is not provided by most other learning institutions."
From the pamphlet "Getting to know the West Hills Academy for the Gifted and Talented"
Indeed, the curriculum is very well-rounded. Students spend up to 14 hours a day in classes, with only small breaks for snacks and study groups. They are trained to think along certain lines. Some of them benefit from this kind of training, becoming positively brilliant.
The "focusing" of the creative impulse actually deadens the Avatar to all but Technocratic influences, and several promising children have been lost after spending a year or two in the Academy. In the Academy's entire history, only one student has gone Marauder, and the few that have Awakened and accepted the Traditions have eventually become quite good spies and informants.
The physical regimen, as well, helps train potential operatives. For those who show aptitude, the training is as good as that provided at other NWO centers. The graduates of the Academy are often placed into positions as important operatives, assassins or spies.
Admissions
Any student (whose parents aren't scared off by the tuition) is welcome to take the test for admission into the Academy. Remarkable individuals who take the entrance examination may even be offered financial aid or scholarships to attend the Academy. After all, excellence in education should not be the sole right of the wealthy.
In fact, any student that shows potential as a New World Order operative is welcome and even pursued. Those that show potential to be Awakened will be brought into the Academy at any cost, even through kidnapping. Given the prestigious nature of the Academy, however, this last has not yet been necessary.
Special Education
The most remarkable students are trained to become operatives for the New World Order at a young age. They go through rigorous training, including physical and mental regimes, and eventually some of them are even Awakened, to become an elite corps of operatives. They are taught psychological operations and infiltration techniques, and are encouraged to evaluate and recruit other potential members.
Many of the students at the faculty will become members of major corporations, inheriting their positions from wealthy parents. They are encouraged to report to the [proper] authorities anything strange and any "seditious" activities.
Problem Cases
As with any school, there are always children who don't belong. Their method of dealing with them, however, is novel. It is considered harsh even by some in the New World Order.
If they discover that they mis-assessed a student early on, the student will be quietly expelled and tuition reimbursed. They will give the parent the names of several schools that may be better fitted for their child's needs (all of them run or influenced by the New World Order).
Slightly more advanced cases, or those who have strong potential, are immediately hit with a barrage of drugs and conditioning treatments to "cure" them of their deviance. In this way, 99% of the remaining cases are made useful to the Order.
In the case of those resistant to the drugs or deemed to know too much, an "accident" is arranged. A diving board breaks, a horse throws its rider or a gun jams on the rifle range. There are many things that can go wrong, and the school pays enough insurance to shut the mouths of the most distraught parents. Fortunately, the number of accidents such as these at the Academy are quite low.
In the case of potentially dangerous "moles", there is a contingency plan. These operatives may be considered too valuable to liquidate but too dangerous to keep around. As such, they face one of two fates. The first of these is a "deep cover" plan, where the mind is almost totally wiped and replaced with a cover personality, with the operative's trained persona to emerge at a future time when a command phrase is spoken.
The other is more insidious and considered dangerous by many in the Technocracy. The operative is given some kind of high-risk duty, be it service on a Voidjammer or infiltration into a secretive sect of Euthanatos or Verbena. In some cases, information is purposefully "leaked" as to the operative's true identity. If they survive their mission, they are then reconditioned and welcomed back into the Corps. If they fail, the blood is on the hands of others, and not on the New World Order.