AUSTIN,Tx. More than 13,000 Austin middle and high school students, facing certain failure at upcoming final exams, formed a mass exodus into Oklahoma earlier this week, converging on the Holiday Inn in Ardmore, the haven of 51 Austin Democrats who fled the Texas capitol over a week ago.
The students, age 12 to 18, arrived en masse early Wednesday morning. Many were riding bicycles, while others were seen arriving in various mini-vans, SUV’s and mid-size sedans.
“I told my mom that soccer practice had been moved to Ardmore, ‘cause our field was washed out from rain. She griped a little about how far it was, but she drove me and five friends up here. She’d have brought more, but my dad has the Suburban today, and Mom said six of us in her Tempo was all she could stand.”
Apparently, several thousand of the students used similar stories to obtain transportation into Oklahoma. Most told their parents that they already had a ride home, virtually ensuring that none would be back in time for next week’s final examinations, which all felt certain would result in failure.
“I feel we’ve done the right thing,” said Randy Johnson, an 8th grader at Dripping Springs Middle School. “There was no way I could pass the Biology exam, and all of us feel the same. We decided that we owed it to ourselves, and the future of our city, not to be forced into failure. So, here we are.”
In past years, most students dreading final exams typically have little choice but to face their fears, take the tests and deal with the consequences to the best of their abilities. This year, however, students were shown that other options exist.
“We saw those politicians run away when they were gonna fail,” said one high school sophomore, “and all they had to do was hide out a few days. They came back hootin’ an’ hollerin’ about how they did the right thing and that they’d scored a big win. Folks even gave ‘em balloons! I tried cheatin’ before, but I always got caught. It never dawned on to just run away.”
The students decided that Holiday Inn of Ardmore was the best hiding place “because of its history of harboring and supporting runaways in the past,” said an Austin City High senior. “Reading the papers last week, we learned it was important to get out of the state. My dad would kill me if some Texas Ranger had to drag my butt home.”
“Besides,” continued the student, “it looked like those politicians were having a pretty good time here. They’ve got HBO and Playstation in all the rooms, and there's a pool we can hang out at. There's a playground in the courtyard, but it's pretty lame. Hey, do the maids clean up every day?"
Holiday Inn - Ardmore, OK. Harboring runaways is priority one!
When questioned about meals, another student stated that “they have a pretty good breakfast buffet in the hotel lobby, and there’s cards in the rooms that say Pizza Hut delivers, so we can order in, too. There’s a Denny’s next door, but they said they don’t want any more than fifteen of us in there at a time.”
The Holiday Inn of Ardmore has 169 double-occupancy rooms, with an average occupancy ratio of 82%. Even at zero-percent occupancy, that would mean an average of 77 students per room. Hotel management, however, remained optimistic that it would be able to accommodate the legion of “Examination Freedom Fighters” that came seeking refuge.
“The children of Texas, like their fathers before them, shall find sanctuary and support at the Holiday Inn of Ardmore,” declared hotel assistant manager Jim McDonald. “We shall give them shelter in their time of need. As we aided the exiled fathers, we shall also minister to the needs of the children during these testing times. We’re just minutes from downtown, shopping and cinemas. While in Ardmore, they may want to enjoy some local fun at the Arbuckle Wilderness, Turner Falls, Lake Murray and Lake Texoma. To these brave children I say; Enjoy Ardmore and remember, your comfort is our first concern.”
McDonald did not provide specifics regarding room availability.
While the immediate outcome of this incident is unknown, many students already believe they have achieved a personal victory.
“The deeds of those democrats have made a difference for me, and given me the conviction to run away from certain failure,” said Doug Bigham, 18. “I really had no idea what I was going to do when I got out of school. I know now that I won’t be looking for a job. I’m going into politics. I hope that, one day, I can make a difference too.”
