Remixing "Jetpacks & the Spivey" story

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Over a year ago, while I was researching the Spivey building and designing activities for students, I asked my colleague Geoff Schmidt to write the prompt for a short story about the building. I divided what he wrote into two parts, and we used it as prompts for our writing activities at the SIUE/East St. Charter School on November 11.

What follows are parts 1 and 2 from Schmidt's story. I placed words in bold that I instructed students at the high school to include their own words, hence remix.

Jetpacks and the Spivey

Part 1:
Only the brave-crazy young would jetpack over the river at night, lit up only by the sleek glowpaint of their packs and the blue tails of flame that plumed out behind them. AfterU was young and crazy-brave and had a good helmet and plenty of blue. AfterU would skim along the surface of the Mississippi, under the Stan and over the MLK and under the Pop and up into the night sky.

Part 2:
The Spivey thrumming glorious, still and always the tallest building in southern Illinois. The Spivey said yesyoucan, the Spivey said hereIam. AfterU had heard once that the Spivey had almost been torn down but that was before the Change and hard to imagine. AfterU hit the Spivey every night and took the ele-tube to Floor Organize or Floor Movement until the night AfterU punched a new button, 13, and thereafter was no longer seen.

Here's our first remix, completed by two of the students:

Part 1 remix:
Only the daring-outrageous would jetpack over mountains at night, overwhelmed by the sleek beauty of their packs and the sparkling tips that plumed out behind them. NewU was great and unspeakable and had a good helmet and plenty of shine. NewU would zoom past the surface of the Mississippi Cahokia mounds, above the freeway and ponds, the splash and shimmer the waves and up into the night sky.


Part 2 remix:
The Spivey high and mighty, forever and always the most studious building in southern Illinois. The Spivey said Iamhere, the Spivey said respectme. NewU had heard once that the Spivey had almost been eliminated but that was before the Great Affection and hard to imagine. NewU passed the Spivey every night and took Z vault to Floor 92 or Floor New Beginning until the night NewU punched a new button, 333, and thereafter was isolated.

 Related:
• Fall 2015 Programming