Ziggy – a case study
Though popularly known for his one-panel comics and amiable greeting cards, Ziggy the blobular cartoon character has lately been under the public spotlight due to his recent contraction of the HIV virus. Unbeknownst to most readers, Ziggy has of the past decade become a burgeoning star in the adult movie industry under the stage name, ‘Stardust’. While there is presently no cure for the HIV virus, Ziggy has vowed to follow in the footsteps of his basketball idol Magic Johnson and beat the odds with self-education, exercise, and a costly medication regimen. The regimen will likely suck dry the remaining funds from Ziggy’s cartoon/porn/greeting card fortune, but Ziggy feels that if he can obtain a proper education, he will no doubt bounce back like Magic and learn to live with his condition.
Despite rumors of a doctorate in Woman’s Studies, Ziggy has never received formal education of any kind. While he has occupied the funny papers for a seemingly endless span of banality, Ziggy has literally no command of reading, writing, or basic mathematics. Ziggy has been placed in Mr. Flow’s 1st grade at Tumbleweed elementary school to begin his journey into academia. During the first few weeks Ziggy has shown above average scores in all required subjects. His aptitude for writing, especially in the form of trite one-liners, has been noticed by Mr. Flow. Despite this marked progress, Ziggy shows signs of falling behind in science because of his frequent absences on Mondays and Fridays. The extensive medical procedures that help Ziggy’s HIV from developing into full-blown AIDS often leave him feeling exhausted and narcoleptic. Mr. Flow always has a science project for his first grade class on Mondays and Fridays, but Ziggy has only been present for a few of these crucial projects. In addition, other students who initially enjoyed the novelty of Ziggy’s 2-dimensional existence have since become wary and afraid of him. Ziggy is often left alone at recess and lunch. Other students are afraid to make physical contact with him. Some students have begun to make comments like ‘I won’t use the same bathroom or drinking fountain as Ziggy.’ Mr. Flow feels that every student has a right to learn, but he too has problems overcoming his reservations towards Ziggy, as he grew up through two decades of his new student’s uninspired comics. Local doctors and the school nurse have assured Mr. Flow that Ziggy poses no immediate threat if proper procedures are followed, but other student’s parents have expressed concerns about their children being at risk of contracting HIV. What should Mr. Flow do?