The Wylde Q. Chicken Spontaneous Generation Award for Coloring Outside the Lines

University Laboratory High School

Uni High Students: Tired of hearing about your superior academic ability? Tired of living up to adult expectations of your "potential?" Does Uni's reputation in the community for elitism and nerdiness sometimes get you down? Do you ever feel like doing something no adult is expecting you to do, something foolish and insane and wonderful? Take heart. The Class of '72 knows how it is. We've been there. During our days at Uni, we acted up and out in all kinds of ways. We started our own newspaper to parody the Gargoyle, and called it (what else) "The Gargle". We turned in creative fiction to fulfill essay assignments. We made a film for English class featuring a controversial naked romp through the woods. We built a medieval torture rack in the shop. We left our handprints on the wall of the student lounge. When we gathered in 1997 for our 25-year reunion, we realized that one of the greatest gifts Uni had given us was the freedom to explore and cross boundaries. If we interpreted a class assignment creatively and put our own spin on it, or if we spontaneously created something unique outside of any class, our originality was appreciated. Our teachers actually applauded many things we did that might have gotten us expelled from other schools. Some of our acts may have been frivolous. But the ability to work outside of traditional boundaries and think independently has served us well in our adult lives. Uni helped to nurture this within us. We want to make sure that this tradition continues at Uni. To that end, we've established an annual award to recognize students who exhibit spontaneous creativity: the Wylde Q. Chicken Spontaneous Generation Award for Coloring Outside the Lines. This might sound like a joke. But listen: there's involved. The FAQ explains all the details. So if you, or someone you know, has written a U.S. history term paper in iambic pentameter, or devised a project that simultaneously fulfills homework assignments in art, chemistry, and French, or invented a mathematical proof that incorporates a recipe for borscht... tell us! When it comes time to apply to colleges, you just might be able to list the Wylde Q. Chicken award among your honors.