About a week ago, our fearless TCAP leader Kevin Kolassa, asked if I would give a speech to the school inspiring the students to do well on our standardized test the
TCAP formerly known as CSAP. About 4 years ago, I was asked to do the same thing. At that time, I wrote a
Star Wars themed speech. A few years before that, my friend Adam Wallace and I co-wrote a piece on the top 10 things worse than taking CSAP. After writing both of those pieces, I knew I wanted to do something more than just the standard inspiring quote driven speech. I also knew I better not cross the line too much...
As my husband and I were talking about speech ideas, I asked him what he would think about me doing something based upon
Guy Fawkes' speech from
V for Vendetta. He thought it was a great idea. So over two dinners, help from a waiter, listening to a sermon and a lot of dictionary time, I wrote the following speech: (parts are borrowed from V's speech to Evey)
Evey:Who
are you?
V. :
Who? Who is but the form following the function of what and what I am is a man
in a mask.
Evey:
Well I can see that.
V. :
Of course you can, I’m not questioning your powers of observation, I’m merely
remarking upon the paradox of asking a masked man who he is.
Evey:
Oh, right.
V. :
But on this most auspicious of days, permit me then, in lieu of the more
commonplace soubriquet, to suggest the character of this dramatis persona.
Top of
the Tuesday to you terrifically talented TCAPers! Today you are tasked with a tremendously
taxing testament of your tenacious take-aways from your talented teachers. The tactics that you try today to transfer
the tutelage of teaching to the TCAP test must be tip-top. Take your time TCAPers! Trusted treatment of the timely tenets must
be taken with treasured tactics and no tangential turns. To tackle the TCAP is to not be a tyro
amongst timid test takers. This test
will surely indicate your test taking tenacity; no doubt, you will
triumph! This troupe of teens is tried
and true. You are the top-most! Do not
allow the tick, tick, ticking of the time to deter your opportunity to teem
your knowledge. Tiny twinkles in your
synapsis teem with tidbits of truth-bestow these on the TCAP! Tell me, would Tim Tebow be timid at a time
like this? NO!, Tim Tebow would be a
tour de force, a terminator
of the TCAP simply turning the test to toast with his tell-tale Tebowing.
TCAPers-
tarry no longer; tame the TCAP. Take
down the TCAP! This is a tribute to your
true temperament in test taking. The pain is temporary; the glory is titanic!
Evey:
Are you like a crazy person?
V. :
I’m quite sure they will say so.
Remember,
remember the sixth of March.
Intelligence,
curiosity and TCAP.
I
know of no reason why intelligence and curiosity should ever be forgot…
Hopefully, it inspired the kids to do well on their test. Many thanks to Maura for being my Evey!
