I was at our school’s ‘student stress committee’ meeting yesterday. It’s big enough to be covered by local press. So, when Jari showed up at the door looking for me, I had the same feeling you have when your cell phone goes off when it’s not supposed to.

He needed to know how to cut hardboard so other students could begin to mount mathematical artwork for Tuesday’s exhibition. I handed him the cutter from my pocket and explained what to do. The media specialist who helped Jari find me said that it was ironic that I was in a meeting about (bad) stress while I, Jari, and the other students were under a much different type of pressure.

Our exhibition at the Bruce Museum (Tuesday, February 2, 6:30-8:30) is the culmination of nearly three months of work. This week, students and staff are feeling the pressure of meeting a deadline. Not the kind that can be extended with an email excuse, but the kind that requires students to rise to the occasion. There have been triumphs, tears, and total commitment. Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday were no longer school; the class blocks and school days blended together into professional preparation.

After the exhibition on Tuesday, students won’t walk out whispering whether they answered A for #2. They will celebrate an exhausted sigh of relief that only comes after a great, but good, pressure is lifted.