Vulcans... to swim or not to swim?

[Aquarius]

Well I think that Linda is right in that you'd never get Every. Single. Vulcan. on the whole planet to do it. Yes, I think due to their "logical" culture, there would certainly be more social pressure for everyone to go along with safety measures in their society than here in modern-day U.S.A., so I think you're more likely to have "every" Vulcan wearing seat belts, wearing helmets, knowing CPR, and knowing basic first aid. Swimming? Well, while many Vulcans are enjoying off-world travel, not all of them do, so I think that swimming lessons may be "strongly suggested," but not required. Many will take it because it's a really, really good idea, but even if it was mandatory, you would still not catch all of them for various reasons--one year of gym was "mandatory" in my high school, but everyone who was in marching band got out of it for one semester, for example, because we were out there moving around so they felt it fulfilled the requirement of one hour of daily physical activity.

[WarpGirl]

I guess I just think Vulcan GYM would be way more serious given the planet. I still say it's mandatory for people in the military, (who would probably make their kids do it) people in the diplomatic corps, and people who are continually off world. Colonist, Drs in the Interpsieces Medical Exchange. People like that. Public servants I guess you could say. Anyone in public service. Not cosmotologists like you Aquarius, oh heck forget it. I'm confusing myself I think I might need coffee.

[Aquarius]

You're right in that it would be logical for people in those professions and those situations to learn to swim and to also have their children who do so...but again that's hardly "every" Vulcan. And you're right in that physical training may be a bigger deal there, but that doesn't necessarily mean that swimming lessons are going to be required. Again, a good idea, but I don't think anyone's gonna be in trouble for not doing it.

[WarpGirl]

Um I didn't say anyone would get in trouble. At least I don't think I did. Anyway Vulcans are about being logical right? Here's my biggest thing about it. These are people who live for centuries on average. Who can possibly predict where your life will take you for over 200 years? Take Koss for example, he's an architect born on a desert world and from what we know he had no plans to leave Vulcan. But he's in his 60's that's really young, who knows what his life would turn out to be in the coming decades? He might end up designing buildings on a water planet. So he'd need to know how to swim. Life throws crazy things at you best be prepared.

[Aquarius]

"Mandatory" generally suggests some form of consequences for non-compliance. In my high school gym analogy, if you didn't take a year of gym (or a semester of gym with a semester of marching band), you didn't graduate. Generally, if you don't graduate, you're in some kind of trouble, whether you realize it or not.

[WarpGirl]

OK so if you don't take GYM you get a year's extra training in Gol under the Masters for being illogical and not learning an important survival skill.

[Reanok]

I've been reading this discussion about Vulcans learning to swim, why not do a story challenge about T'Pol learning to swim. Or a story with Trip & teaching T'Pol scuba diving in the Florida keys. I'd love to see what kind of stories all you talented writers could come up with dealing this subject please.

[WarpGirl]

Well I'm too busy to write anything new, I've got one prompt, and a new chapter to type out still. But you mentioned diving and I was thinking about it last night, can Vulcans dive? I only wonder because of their inner ear structure. Vulcan ears are notoriously sensitive, I think the water pressure could cause havoc. Snorkling however is one of the most meditative experiences I've ever had. I could see that happening.

[Linda]

Great idea to make a story about Vulcans learning to swim! What about a story where a Vulcan elementary or middle school demanded that all the children in it had to learn to swim in order to graduate because their town was near one of the few Vulcan seas? And a small group of parents balked at that? Maybe their child was physically disabled and couldn't do the Kas Wan either? And maybe they also found it difficult to find a mate for bonding their child at age 7? What form of social protest would surface on Vulcan? Polite marches with signs outside the school? Organizational meetings of a protest group? Letters to the principal and letters to the local news media? Ideas, anyone?

[WarpGirl]

I think they've already covered how Vulcans protest socially, the install new governments, leave Vulcan, or sit around a table until a problem has a logical solution. Either way I can't think of any ideas. And as one of those disabled kids, (well some could argue I'm an adult now) I have to say that if school systems did incorperate swimming into GYM, kids like me would be so much better off you would not believe it.

[Asso]

Sitting around a table until a problem has a logical solution is the better way to not find any solution. If Vulcans think this is the logical way, I despair they can learn swimming.

[WarpGirl]

Good thing Vulcans don't think like we do otherwise you'd be right.

[Asso]

Thought pathway is the same for whatever Humanoid race. Otherwise they wouldn't be Humanoid. And, about that, I'm firm.

[WarpGirl]

Um no it's not. You obviously don't have the same thought process as I do, and I don't have yours. Thought process is individual. At least Vulcans train their minds to try to maintain objectivity, we humans tend to abandon it if we let our emotions control us. And we're not built to stop it.

[Asso]

No, WarpGirl.
But I'm tired of that.