Date: 4th Day of the Fifth Month, Galactic Standard Calendar
Location: Holonet Syndicated Broadcast, Coruscant Prime

Author: Archivist Varrik Taan, Jedi Historian Emeritus (Posthumously Restored)

Each year on the 4th day of the fifth month, systems across the galaxy participate in a peculiar and unofficial cultural observance known as “May the Fourth.” What began as a rebel pun—“May the Force be with you”—has evolved into a day of remembrance, reflection, and, depending on the planetary jurisdiction, regulated celebration or forbidden ritual.

In the Inner Rim, the day is often cloaked in historical retrospection. Citizens gather in underground archives and encrypted holostreams to recount tales of Jedi valor, clone camaraderie, and the burden of destiny that fell upon the Skywalker line. Holographic re-enactments of legendary battles—Geonosis, Hoth, Scarif—are viewed in shadowy alcoves, often accompanied by coded chants like “The Force surrounds us.”

In contrast, the Core Worlds, still tinged with echoes of Imperial sympathies, hold stricter interpretations. On Coruscant, the day is officially recognized as “Empire Day Observed,” with public parades showcasing Stormtrooper regalia, TIE fighter flyovers, and hollow odes to order. Ironically, it was on this same date that the Galactic Senate first fell silent to the Emperor’s final decree.

Among the Outer Rim territories, “May the Fourth” is a day of storytelling and quiet resistance. On Tatooine, children carve Jedi symbols into moisture evaporators, and old smugglers like Talon Raan still spin wild tales of Jedi who once walked among them—“real ones, not the glowstick influencers of the HoloNet,” he’s quick to clarify.

In Jedi enclaves and Force sanctuaries, however, the day is marked with solemn rituals. Holocrons are opened, younglings meditate on the Living Force, and elders whisper of balance—of a galaxy that teeters between chaos and control, light and shadow.

It is worth noting that the Sith make no such observance. To them, remembrance is weakness, and unity through strength is the only path forward. Rumors persist, however, that some members of the Sith Eternal keep this date in blackened databanks—as a reminder of their ancient adversaries.

Ultimately, “May the Fourth” is not just about battles fought or heroes lost. It is about the enduring echo of belief in something greater. In a galaxy that often forgets the past in favor of progress, this day stands as a gentle ripple in the Force, reminding us that hope is not bound by time, nor by Empire.

End Transmission
“Remember: The Force will be with you, always.” – Obi-Wan Kenobi, Jedi Master

In the heart of every capoeira roda—a swirling circle of movement, rhythm, and strategy—two foundational moves are ever-present: ginga, the perpetual sway that keeps a fighter agile, and esquiva, the art of dodging with grace. While these are essential tools for a capoeirista, they hold surprisingly powerful lessons for navigating IT projects as well.

Ginga: The Constant Motion of Project Readiness

In capoeira, ginga is never static. It’s a dance-like movement that disguises intention, keeps the body fluid, and prepares for both offense and defense. In IT, ginga is your project rhythm—your agile sprints, your iteration cycles, your stand-ups. It’s how a team stays in motion even when the destination is uncertain.

When you’re managing a software delivery cycle, staying still—or sticking rigidly to a plan—is often more dangerous than moving. Requirements change. Stakeholders pivot. New vulnerabilities are discovered. Teams that ginga, metaphorically, are already in motion and can adapt with less disruption.

Ginga also builds resilience. It’s not about knowing exactly what will happen; it’s about being ready for whatever might happen. The project team that keeps swaying, anticipating the next move, is far more likely to handle surprises than one that’s flat-footed.

Esquiva: The Strategic Dodge

Esquiva is not running away. It’s calculated evasion. In capoeira, esquiva is used to slip past an attack with control and elegance—never turning your back, always staying in the game.

In an IT context, esquiva is about strategic avoidance. It’s choosing not to engage in office politics, not chasing every shiny new feature request, not falling for scope creep. It’s saying “no” diplomatically, ducking without disconnecting. It’s declining that unscoped integration when the cost outweighs the value, or pausing a launch because the telemetry isn’t ready.

Practicing esquiva means you remain focused on what matters without getting knocked down by distractions or unrealistic expectations. Just like in the roda, you’re not abandoning the game—you’re staying in it smartly.

The Roda: A Circle of Collaboration and Challenge

In capoeira, the roda is the space of play, performance, and pressure. It’s social, visible, and sometimes unpredictable. Sound familiar?

An IT project lives in its own kind of roda—surrounded by executives, users, developers, and operations. Moves are seen, judged, and often mirrored. The key is not to dominate the roda but to understand its rhythm, engage with awareness, and flow with the energy in the circle.

Conclusion: Move with Intent, Dodge with Grace

Whether you’re coding a backend service, managing a cloud migration, or wrangling security policies, channeling the spirit of ginga and esquiva will make you a better practitioner. Stay in motion. Anticipate change. Dodge when you must, but never leave the circle.

Like capoeira, IT projects aren’t about brute strength—they’re about rhythm, timing, awareness, and collaboration.

Keep swaying. Keep dodging. Keep playing.

Yesterday, I had the privilege of serving as a Proctor in a Design Thinking session organized by the Young Professionals Network in New York, where we explored one of the most critical and complex topics in modern IT infrastructure: Access Controls in Highly Regulated Systems.

This wasn’t your typical security seminar. Instead, it was an interactive, forward-looking session designed to engage rising professionals across tech, compliance, and risk in rethinking how access is granted, managed, and audited in environments where data sensitivity and regulatory pressure leave zero margin for error.

Why Design Thinking?

When dealing with highly regulated systems – think financial services, healthcare, and critical infrastructure – the traditional approach to access control often revolves around rigid rules, layered approvals, and reactive audits. While these are necessary, they often lead to user friction, role bloat, and security fatigue.

Design Thinking flips the script by putting the user (whether an engineer, auditor, or compliance officer) at the center and asking:
“How might we create an access control experience that is secure, compliant, and intuitive?”

Key Themes from the Session

As a Proctor, my role was to guide and facilitate conversations, ensuring that participants explored the problem space deeply while staying grounded in real-world constraints. Some of the most insightful ideas emerged from cross-functional collaboration:

• Zero Trust by Design: Participants discussed how Zero Trust principles can be embedded from the start, rather than bolted on, to enable dynamic, context-aware access that evolves with risk and user behavior.
• Lifecycle Awareness: One group proposed a system where access decisions are not just event-based (e.g., hiring/firing) but continuously re-evaluated through signals like project involvement, team changes, and abnormal usage patterns.
• Human-Centered Security: Another team explored how to make access requests more transparent and explainable, not just for compliance teams, but for the end users themselves, who often feel like they’re navigating a black box.

A New Kind of Leadership

What stood out most was the energy and curiosity of the young professionals in the room. This was not a passive session. These were early-career technologists stepping up to ask the hard questions:
“Why is this access granted by default?” “What assumptions are we making about trust?” “How can we remove friction without compromising integrity?”

They weren’t afraid to challenge legacy mental models, which is exactly what our industry needs as we face increasingly sophisticated threats and rising regulatory expectations.

Closing Reflections

Participating as a proctor reaffirmed my belief that security is no longer just a checkbox—it’s a design challenge. One that demands creativity, empathy, and a systems-level view.

I left the session inspired—not just by the ideas, but by the people. If this is the future of IT leadership, I think we’re in very good hands.