Citadel Symposium

Posted on Fri Jul 8th, 2022 @ 6:33pm by Captain Samuel Woolheater

Mission: MISSION 0 - History Speaks
Location: The Citadel - Charleston, South Carolina, Earth
Timeline: One Year Ago
Tags: Charleston, Symposium
1615 words - 3.2 OF Standard Post Measure

[ON:]

=== ONE YEAR AGO – JOINT STARFLEET SERVICES SYMPOSIUM – THE HISTORIC CITADEL MILITARY COLLEGE OF SOUTH CAROLINA ===



It was early May in the southern city by the sea, Charleston, South Carolina. The Citadel was hosting this year’s JS3 (Joint Starfleet Services Symposium). Situated near Hampton Park, it was a great location and near the historic district of Charleston. The sun was shining bright all day. It was later afternoon now and the area was cooling off. The Spanish moss hung in the old trees all around Hampton Park and in the grounds of the Citadel. In a few hours, the hundreds of joint services would break for the second day of the symposium. The bars along Calhoun Street, Broad Street and Meeting Street all the way down to the Battery Park would be filled with Starfleet personnel having a good time. Enjoying the fact that the sun stayed out later, and the bars stayed open all night. The food was good and the company, the camaraderie, regardless of your branch was excellent and good times were being had. The bourbon and the whiskey, aged in barrels in the bars all around the city were now quite famous. The music was relaxed and welcoming and warm.

That’s what many people were looking forward to. There were still a few symposium opportunities to attend. And 2nd Lieutenant Samuel Woolheater representing marine snipers from the USS Hale, was scheduled to give a presentation concerning an upgrade to the tactical tricorders that the marine scout and sniper team might want to consider using. Sam’s was the last symposium class, among many other classes, for today.

Woolheater was in his uniform and looking sharp with a fresh haircut. He was relaxed. Public speaking never bothered him much. And this was only about an hour, hour and a half talk depending on how many questions there were. So, Sam just enjoyed himself. He was comfortable in his own skin and that tended to help relax other people too.

The classroom that he was afforded was large and could hold about 100 persons. There were about 60 persons here, Security, Marine, Civilian security and contractors and Sam had been giving his presentation for about ten minutes. Someone’s personal alarm was going off and he politely ignored it. It was still going off about 30 seconds going on 45 seconds now. It wasn’t loud at all. It was just enough to be heard but not loud enough for whoever had it knew it was going off. Sam thought it was hilarious and he stopped talking about the tactical gear and said, “Oh, my pizza’s done.” And a few persons laughed.

It was still going off and Sam said, “Is it time to take a pill?”

People were looking around to see who it was who had the alarm going off. It was just an annoying little “Beep-beep - - Beep-beep”

“That is a little noise, isn’t it? That is just enough where you hear ‘What is that?’ “ Sam said with a big grin on his face. He didn’t want to embarrass the person. But the beeping was now annoying.

“They make those noises that no matter what…you can’t really…I think its cool that the person who has it doesn’t know it’s on” he said to which the room erupted into laughter. Sam laughed too and looked out into the amphitheater style seating.

Sam said, “I hope that the ending to this is not an explosion.” And he laughed as he saw whoo it was now who just realized that it was her alarm. A young Ensign. Probably not too far out from the Academy. Sam smiled at her and was totally enjoying the gag. He said, “It kinda sounds like something for MacGuyver! Paperclip!”

The ensign, very embarrassed, turned off the alarm and apologized, “Sorry!”

“It’s OK. It was just such a weird noise…like…we’ve got ten more seconds!!” Sam joked and laughed.

“That’s my Bingo alarm” the ensign said. Her friends were ribbing her now. It appears everyone needed just a little bit of levity now. After a full day at the symposium. And it was so close to the end of the day.

Sam smiled as he stood out from the lectern. He was grinning broadly, “It’s your bingo alarm?” And he laughed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. He has such a joyful laugh. “Well, who doesn’t have one of those?” he said to even more laughter.

The ensign was laughing now too. And the whole room seemed to light up just a bit more.

“What is a bingo alarm?” Sam asked as he leaned forward on the lectern.

The ensign answered him back, “It means it’s time to get up and go.”

“To go play bingo?” Sam asked.

“Yeah”, she said with a big grin on her face.

“Well…get outta here then” Sam said and the room erupted into a big belly laugh. It felt so good too.

He was all smiles and Sam said, “Is it really your bingo thing to go play?”

“Yes sir”, the ensign answered him back.

Sam laughed and clapped his hands, “Oh, I love you! Hahahahahaha! Your life has a bingo alarm in it. Oh man! That’s the best news I’ve heard all day. What, does it just go off at this time every night?”

“Only on Thursdays” the ensign said as she was getting back slaps now.

“Just on Thursday?” Sam laughed again. “How long do you have to get there from when that thing goes off?”

“An hour and a half” the ensign said.

And Sam just laughed his infectious laugh again and again. He said, “That goes off – I better get outta here! Where are my daubers? Huh? You ever see those crazy ladies who play?”

People in the class nodded their heads. Sam said, “Now, what is your name?”

“Renee” was the reply.

“Ensign Renee, so how many bingo cards can you play at once?” he asked. “Twelve” Renee said.

Sam nodded, “That’s pretty good. But I’ve seen some players that have like…have you seen them? Up and down from card to card to card? It’s crazy!”

Other people now relaxed and who also needed to let their “hair down” for a bit started talking about their bingo card playing. Sam listened and said, “Oh – yeah? How many can you play? She plays yours? Yeah, because guys are just like….whuuuuut?? Is this a Bingo?”

Everyone was busted up now. So much for the tactical tricorder lecture. Sam just laughed and then said, “Bingo…..(laughs)….ok – I’ll share this story with you. When we were kids, my dad used to take us to the KC Hall. Which I thought was the chicken place. It was the Knights of Columbus. I didn’t even know Columbus had Knights? I thought that was more a King Arthur thing?”

He crossed his arms and continued as people were laughing. “Anyway, it was ten cents a card and we had lima beans. We didn’t have daubers back then. We had lima beans and that’s what you’d put on the number. And my mom, I was never supposed to tell my mom that dad took my older sister and my younger brother and me to Bingo. And then she would find the lima beans in my pocket. ‘Cause, I thought, ‘I’m takin’ these!’ I didn’t want ‘em. But I thought, gimme some of these. I didn’t know what to do with them. The only thing they were good for was tossing at your younger brother and beaning him on the head. I guess that’s my early sharpshooter practice right there.”

Now, by this time, the Bolian, who had a rather loud laugh was now three sheets to the wind. And his laugh sounded rather strange. Like a gasp from some creature trapped under the sheets. It was very distinct. And the poor man had tears in his eyes from laughing so hard. His distinct, gasping wheeze had other people laughing with him. And the effect was kind of snow balling.

Sam was grinning back t him and laughing with him. “Better let that racoon outta there!” to which the room erupted again with more good times and laughter. Sam just shook his head and realized that this was probably going to be one of his better memories of the Symposium this year. And, hopefully, it showed that marines and Starfleet could connect and laugh together after all.

There were a few people dressed in their duty uniforms and they were Security. Sam called for them, playfully and pointed to the Bolian and said with fake distress, “Security!”

It was a few minutes before he could get the lecture going again. He did manage to get all his points across and there was even time for questions afterward. He made some new friends by the end of that lecture, and they went out after the last class had finished and they were dismissed.

He would remember the summer breeze, the smell of the ocean. The fun music and the smoothness of the whiskey. The way certain people were so beautiful in candlelight. By the end of the symposium, he had made new contacts and friends. This part of the South reminded him of Pacifica. And how much he liked the ocean. Life was good.


[OFF:]


1st Lieutenant Samuel Woolheater
“Saepius Exertus, Semper Fidelis, Frater Infinitas”
Division VI, MARDET 62nd Company "Spartans", 1st Platoon CO
=/\= USS ELYSIUM - NCC-89000 =/\=