Free Anthem's Fall by S.L. Dunn Page B

today. And you need to get to your class.”
    They took out their cell phones and exchanged numbers. To his contacts Ryan added the name Kristen Jordan.
    “Okay, well, I should be going. Good luck with your essay.” Kristen turned with a wave.
    “See you,” Ryan said, watching her disappear into the crowd. Satisfied, he turned and climbed the stairway. Ryan hurried into a small softly lit classroom on the first floor that smelled faintly of old books and citrus wood polish. A mahogany table, looking nearly as old as the university itself, dominated the room, and around it sat a dozen of his classmates and the imposing Professor Hilton. With his smart herringbone blazer and discerning glower, Professor Hilton was not easily contended with. He led a discussion-based class—a Socratic seminar of the most stressful variety.
    “Ryan Craig. You are late,” Professor Hilton said without lifting his gaze from his reading.
    “Sorry, I got caught up at the student debate.”
    Professor Hilton, whom Ryan guessed to be in his late fifties, ignored his apology. He cleared his throat and looked up. “You all were to have your essays prepared for today. The topic, globalization: should a native population’s cultural independence be protected through governmental law? Why or why not? We will go around the circle, and discuss each of your points. We’ll start with you, Jennifer. When you are ready, you may begin.”
    Jennifer Graham was sitting to Ryan’s right. She sat up straight and calmly flattened her hands on the paper-clipped essay in front of her.
    “I based my essay on the idea that, if left isolated, indigenous societies will only fall further behind the modern times. As pleasing a fiction as it would be to not interfere with indigenous societies, it’s ultimately not a feasible solution. Eventually they will be displaced or disenfranchised. Assimilation, to some extent, with the expanding modern world is unavoidable. This is especially true if children within indigenous populations are to be given a modern education and healthcare. With that said, I think legislation should be in place to protect indigenous and impoverished individuals’ rights to their own cultural traditions and beliefs.”
    Although his face elicited none of his internal disdain, Ryan groaned soundlessly. Jennifer Graham’s essay was taken virtually word for word from Professor Hilton’s lectures over the previous few weeks. Ryan had a sudden feeling he was about to be put through an academic crucible for straying from the table’s decidedly well-established ideas.
    “Good, Jennifer.” Professor Hilton nodded. “Questions anyone?”
    He was met with silence. All the other students were clearly preoccupied with the brief presentations they were each going to imminently make. Ryan’s peers stared unflinchingly at their essays before them.
    “Very well. That sounds well conceived, Jennifer. I look forward to reading it.” Professor Hilton said and jotted something down on a pad of paper. “Mr. Craig, you’re next.”
    Ryan shifted in his chair, fairly certain his paper would not escape the scrutiny of the table with the ease Jennifer’s had. Sitting up, shoulders tense, he prepared for the worst. “I proposed that it’s the inherent responsibility, and even the duty of any globalizing power that stakes any claim on morality to allow for the cultural independence of any group of people, indigenous or otherwise. If not, the globalizing power is an imperialistic entity. An encroachment of any form on the belief system of an indigenous society or enclave of people is simply invasion with a more socially acceptable euphemism attached.”
    “Interesting,” Professor Hilton said. He adjusted his glasses. “Would anyone like to comment?”
    “I would.” Bobby Clark, a student directly across from Ryan, raised his hand. Ryan knew Bobby Clark all too well. They had butted heads all semester over every subject imaginable. Ryan had heard from