Black-Out Grad Exam

When the words “Graduation Exam” are uttered from a teacher’s mouth, a dancing cow and free candy isn’t the first to come to mind. However, these treasured rarities were just a fraction of the goodies bestowed upon Austin High sophomores and juniors at school last Friday. “Black-out the Grad Exam”, was greatly received by the students. Themed by a sea of black t-shirts and a dim auditorium, the room was lit solely by glow sticks and rave-esque stage lighting. “The goal is to motivate students to give their best effort the first time they take the exam,” explains testing coordinator Angie Cushing, who took part in the development of this academic pep rally.

As the students filed inside, the school’s jam band got the party started. Appropriately dignifying the date, Friday the 13^th, they were clad in Halloween masks, and rendered spirit rousing classics like Sweet Home Alabama and, of course, Free Bird. Austin teacher Cheri Paige wasted no time energetically greeting the congregation with an exciting list of rich incentives promised with passing their grad exams. Best case scenario? If a student manages to conquer all five grad exams, their core classes are free to be automatically exempted in May, not including the two exemptions already available to them. As a student and testing disputant myself, I can assure you that the opportunity to excuse virtually all exams is enough to make me jump on a desk and do the hula. Rest assured, no table dancing took place that morning.

The student-led step team, however, got the place roaring. Among that performance was a rain shower of Chick-fil-A coupons, and a series of inspirational messages from successful alumni Churmell Mitchell, D.T. Shakelford, and Courtney Campbell. It’s hard to predict if this freshly conjured motivation will carry over to mid-March when the graduation exams will take place. However, by the enthusiasm gleaming from exiting students, it’s hopeful that Austin High exam-takers will undoubtedly prevail.