Invasion

The first indication we got that something B I G was up was in the Monday morning weekly teacher announcements. According to our principal: the teacher parking lot would be unavailable to staff on Wednesday; moreover, the entire bottom level of the building would be "off limits" to staff and students. Later that morning the equipment began to arrive. Now this is not your normal load of equipment. Huge semis pulled into the loading dock. Millions of dollars of sound and video equipment were unloaded in huge crates. Enough cable is being laid to electrify downtown Kansas City, Kansas. When asked what was going to happen on Wednesday to necessitate all this activity, we were greeted with silence. "No one knows," was the standard reply given by even the most inside sources. The people who always know in advance of any really good school gossip also claimed to be equally in the dark. "We can't find out a thing!" was the hue and cry all day Monday. The rumors were rife. The top four were:

1. The President of the United States (or his wife) was coming. Well, there has been no advanced warning of his traveling. You'd think the PR people would be hyping the event. However, clearing the parking lot on Wednesday could mean the arrival of someone by helicopter.


2. Governor of Kansas Brownback was coming to make a big speech about more cuts to education. Well, he's been in this school before -- never did we have such a media circus going on just for the governor.


3. Oprah was coming -- and the reason the parking lot would be off limits was because she was going to present each one of us our own new car! Well, clearly the best of all the rumors, Oprah is in Australia and she would have had the media vans all marked with her Harpo logo.


4. A movie scene is being shot here. Well, we would probably know if a big name movie was being shot in Kansas City and the KC Star (our newspaper) has not published a thing (even in the arts and entertainment sections.

So, what's up? We don't know yet. This morning, Tuesday, it was like a huge concert venue trying to wend out way into the school. The entire lower level is lined with crates of video equipment. Wires and cable are everywhere. Strange, huge trucks line all the access points into the building - and in one this size, there are many entryways. The third floor corner where my room is tucked away is still quiet. We are in the farthest corner away from the auditorium (where we hear the action is going to take place on Wednesday) so the activity has not yet made it into our arena (if it ever will). Everyone is buzzing, though. Stay tuned. If you get a chance and we are in the news tomorrow night, do take a peek at our glorious auditorium (the building itself is on the historic register and was built by the WPA in 1937) -- it truly is a place of outstanding craftsmanship and beauty. And if the President is here -- well, you might want to hear his message, also. ____________________ Tuesday afternoon update: the city spent the day vacuuming the lawn and the football field at the high school. Then sent crews around to hand manicure the lawn in the front and side of the building. The city streets and the sidewalks were washed. More equipment arrived. We are told the AP will be in the building tomorrow. My principal came by and asked several of us to attend the "assembly" 3rd block tomorrow -- but only if we agreed to dress-up. After determining that "dressing-up" didn't entail things like panty hose or dresses, I agreed to go. We are quite sure at this point in time tomorrow's arrival will be plenty B I G! Too much money has already been spent sprucing up the area AND the school. Fun times!