Chapter 42: "I need a high school..."

Lisa had taken the day off work (she had told Beth and Joy that she had wanted to go into town to pick up a special Valentine's Day gift for Harold). While that had been a good idea and while she would very likely act on it, it had only been a pretext. Her principal destination had been Brookdale University. After parking in the main visitor's lot (She must definitely have to get her own car and stop borrowing Joy's ... but there were always more urgent things to do, darn it!), she stopped at the security desk and asked where the Sociology Department was.

Ten minutes later, after having braved the labyrinth of buildings on campus, she arrived at the Sociology Department office and asked the secretary "Dr Crenshaw, please... ? My name is Lisa Cummings."

As soon as the secretary announced Lisa, Venera came out to greet her. "Lisa... ! How nice to see you! You're looking well ... what can I do for you?"

"I was wondering if I could talk to you in your office..."

"Sure ... Come this way."

"..."

"Now ... what is it that's so secret that you came all the way here, Lisa?"

"I found out about the double-blind study."

"Oh..."

"Don't get me wrong, Venera ... I'm all for it ... That is, if you're validating what I think you're validating. I came to see you to offer you my services; I'm thinking that it would be helpful if you had someone on the inside."

"You know, Lisa, that if it gets out, it will skew the data, don't you?"

"That's what I figured. No one knows I'm here to see you. Why don't you tell me what you're doing and we can talk about what data you need to gather for your study."

"Very well ... You know that, with the internet, the public school system is fighting a losing battle with students, especially high school students, in molding socially responsible young adults. Reading, writing and math skills are down across the board and as for discipline ... don't get me started ... It is even worse in depressed neighborhoods. The university was approached by the state board of education after my study came out during the trial. They wanted to know whether the data was concrete or but a statistical anomaly. So, the Dean of Education and I, the chairman of the school board, your Mr. Brother and several higher-ups from State agreed to a twenty year follow-up of your school, from pre-K to High School diploma. You were not to learn of it ... I don't know how you managed."

Lisa smiled enigmatically. "That's pretty well what I thought. The only thing that surprises me is that you're bringing it as far as high school. What kind of data are you looking for?"