CHAPTER TWO HUNDRED AND FORTY EIGHT – THE EASTSIDE REBEL

As the days passed and the campus settled into a new normal, Jasmine found herself navigating a changed landscape. Colleagues who had once viewed her with indifference or even mild disdain now sought out her opinions. Students from all departments, not just art, attended her lectures. And the interim dean made it clear that her part-time position could easily become a tenured professorship, should she desire it. One sunny afternoon, as she was packing up after a particularly engaging class on protest art through the ages, a knock at her studio door caught her attention. "Come in!" she called. The door opened to reveal Fiona Moss, the sculpture instructor, and Walter Keane from digital arts. "Hey, Jasmine," Fiona said, an uncharacteristic hesitance in her voice. "Got a minute?" "Of course," Jasmine replied, gesturing for them to enter. "What's on your mind?" The two exchanged a glance before Walter spoke up. "We, uh, we wanted to apologize." Jasmine blinked in surprise. "Apolog