Gathering Project 1

Theme:
Unexpected encounter or interaction between two children/ leads to/ discovery of life long passion and friendship

Premise:
Johnathon is going to the first day of yet another new school. As the teacher introduces him to the class, he notices a kid with a teaching aid next to him. As he sits in class, he cannot help but notice a disable kid, Stanley, is obsessively drawling something with his fingers on his desk. During recesses, he notices Stanley arranging rocks on the ground. When Jonathon asks another kids what he is doing, he say that Stanley is retarded and that no one knows why he does the things he does. Jonathon, not satisfied with such an answer decides to try and ask himself. Much to his surprise Stanley is very intelligent and obsessed with stars and outer space. Jonathon discovers that Stanley was constructing the current positions of the planets in the solar system using rocks and tracing the forms of constellations on his desk. The two kids become friends and Stanley invites John to come watch the Hailey’s Comet at the observatory with him and his parents. That night Jonathon goes with Stanley’s family and fall in love with all the things he learns and sees. The next day at school, John arrives to school bringing a book about stars he found at home to find the teaching aid and the teacher in tears. Stanley had a seizure in the middle of the night and died. In shock, he sits down in his seat and tries to keep his composure. He opens the book to the page about Hailey’s Comet and tears begin to fall, he wipes his tears and flips the page.

Program:
Jonathon closes himself to others because he has move around so many times in very little time and so he has not been able to make close bonds or even been able to keep the ones he has made. Stanley, on the other hand, is alienated from others because of his disability and children’s prejudice against his strange behavior. The two are both outsiders who become attracted to each other and create friendship. Stanley’s passion for outer space is passed on to Jonathon.


Treatment:
Jonathon, a new 4th grader at his new elementary school, is very reluctant to make friends because he moves around often and doesn’t stay in one place for long because of his father’s job in the military. He doesn’t want to get hurt so he has closes himself from the other kids. As the teacher introduces him to a new class, he notices Stanley in the corner of the the class.

Stanley is drawing on his desk with his finger, but no one else in the class seems to notice or care what he is doing. The teaching aide attempts to get his attention to what is happening in the class, but Stanley doesn't care and shrugs off the aide, but stares up at Jonathan and then back down. He is so concentrated on what he is doing and almost oblivious to what is happening. People ignore Stanley and he ignores them.

During recess, Jonathan notices that Stanley is doing something. After asking some kid what Stanley was doing and being told that Stanley is just retarded and doing nothing, Jonathan wasn't satisfied with that answer. The reason for this is because Jonathan is observant and sees that Stanley is doing something very precise and calculated.

The interaction between the two are of two people hesitant to be open to someone else. They both have their own reasons for closing themselves, but they are attracted to each other because they both are outcasts. They like each other because they both reject the outside world.

When they go up to the observatory we see Stanleys' enthusiasm seems to be contagious and we see Jonathan being interested in something for first time. Jonathan up to this point has been uninterested in everything including making friends, and school. Stanley is alive with excitement wobbling around on his braces. Hailey's comet can be seen once every 75 years, so this is something big for him. This is a once of a lifetime event and symbolizes the importance of this very important life experience for Jonathan.

When Jonathan finds out that his new friend has died, and he lost another friend. He is surprised, because for the first time in his life someone left him instead of him leaving someone. He is sad and depressed, but he does seem to realize that he was left with something valuable. Space seems like a legacy left behind for him; something he will passionate about for the rest of his life.

Behavioral Composites:

As the teacher introduced him to the class he gazed around not really looking at anyone and not caring if they were looking at him until his eyes reached Stanley. The teacher asked him if he would like to sit anywhere in particular, and he replied, "I really don't care."

The balled rolled over to Jonathan and was followed by a short, freckled faced, red head boy. Jonathan asked, "What is he doing?" pointing at Stanley who was wiggling on the ground. The boy answered, "Oh, he's just a retard. He doesn't know what he's doing. Do you want to play football? We're short a player.." Jonathan threw the ball over the boys head and walked toward Stanley.

Stanley's usual slow crawl was replaced with his energetic wobble as he hobbled from telescope to telescope to look at the different things they were pointing at. His body was as if it was trembling with excitement as he was lifted up to peek inside. He barely blinked as he gazed with longing eyes in to the microscope.