By Stephanie Cameron – Sports Editor

Law English teacher Mrs. Reshenk recently invented the “Jam Exam” and gave the seniors in her Creative Writing class a midterm to remember.

Reshenk started teaching the half-year elective in the 1980s, and then started teaching it again last year.

Writing classes don’t always have an exam; many have a paper due as a final project. This year, instead of writing a creative piece and handing it in, Reshenk asked Law principal Mr. Thompson if her classes could have a Creative Writing “Jam Exam.”

The classes performed their writing pieces in the auditorium, where Drama Club director Mr. Mele set up a microphone with a spotlight for all the students to perform their writing pieces.

“We used desks as tables, and set up luminary bags with fake candles inside to turn the auditorium into a poetry jam for two hours,” Reshenk said. “It was a lot of work, but I thought it would be nice to have an exam they remembered.”

Senior Melissa Padilla contributed to the jam exam by playing jazz music in the background.

“It was the best exam I have ever taken,” Padilla said. “It was very memorable.”

In addition to Padilla’s music, Thompson played the bongos and every student wore a beret.

The “Jam Exam” was in beatnik fashion; everyone performed two pieces and snapped their fingers instead of clapping. The event was a memorable way to end the course for all involved.

“Mrs. Reshenk’s teaching style is fun and energetic,” senior Jesiree Carrera said. “She’s a unique teacher.”

The entire class agreed that the midterm was a nice change from a typical midterm exam.

“The participation at the midterm was great,” Carrera said. “It combined everything we did in class and we all got to perform.”

(Photo courtesy Stephanie Cameron)