Real-world issues

The pacer test is a test in Phys. Ed that brings a shiver of despair down the spine of any unfortunate soul who has gone through it before. And it’s usually done way too often.

Students line up one one side of the gym, eyeing nervously the painted line before the opposite wall that will decide their fate. The Coach hits play on the ancient YouTube video, circa 476 B.C, and a dead-sounding male voice chores through the gymnasium. The man explains the rules as the kids wait anxiously. Get to the line before the beep plays. Simple enough, right?

“Ready? Begin.” The YouTube video strikes pebbles in the stomachs of students, and the gut-wrenching ‘beep!’ plays after.

The kids awkwardly half-jog to the other line, with about 3 or 4 seconds before the next beep. Each time the horrendous noise plays they run back and forth to the lines. “Level one, complete” the man’s voice says, a pat on the back for what little victory you’ve achieved. Not bad, the kids think. But then comes Level 2. Level 3. Level 8. With each interval the time between the beeps shorten, and you’re running as fast as you can to the other line. Your foot hits it, you pivot, the beep plays, and you’re running again. Your lungs burn, your throat is sore, your heart is on the verge of an attack. No rest. No mercy.

A girl is the first to crawl over to the instructor, defeated. Seeing one has fallen, other students begin to follow suit since “at least they’re not the first ones out.” Clutching their chests they bail out of the test. One girl is crying. You can’t tell if the other one on the gym floor is alive or not. Three kids left for the water fountain and still haven’t made it back. You’re not sure they ever will.

And then, the fallen sit there, watching the myths, the legends, the kids who have made it past 100 laps. 120. 150. When they finally collapse a cheer erupts from the students. They’re heroes.

But the excitement only lasts for so long as the next round of nervous kids line up, who opted to go in the second wave and prolong their torture. The god-awful man’s voice kicks back up. The beep plays. The cycle continues.