Free In Ruins by Danielle Pearl Page A

of four. You will be responsible for meeting on your own time, assigning roles, delegating work, etcetera. You’ll work together through the semester, and in the final weeks, you will all submit anonymous reviews of your group members.”
    Oh.
    “Now, I’m always happy to act as a sounding board or provide feedback for anyone who wants to take advantage of my office hours, but the onus will be on you. I won’t be checking in, or micromanaging any of you. It’s all up to you. You’re adults. It’s your project, and your grade on the line.
    “And speaking of grades, I should also mention that this project is a competition.”
    There’s a chorus of surprise and anxiety, and I silently echo it. I’m as competitive as the next girl, but aren’t we all here to learn ?
    Zayne goes on to explain that our projects will be graded on a curve. We’ll start with a specific grade based on our team’s place in the competition, which, of course, he will judge. The winning team starts with A’s, the losing team with D’s, and the four middle teams will start anywhere from a B+ to a D+ depending on Zayne’s assessment of the campaigns and presentations. Everyone in a group will earn the same starting grade, but not necessarily the same final grade. Apparently that’s where our “professionalism” comes in. Once Zayne evaluates our peer reviews, they, and his own “observations,” will either raise or lower our individual grades, “some considerably,” and that will determine the grade for our final project. He reminds us it will account for half our grade for the class itself. No pressure.
    “I expect you all to work together professionally ; however, you’d be surprised at some of the behavior that has led to a failing grade in previous semesters.”
    Silence.
    But Zayne isn’t finished. “There’s more on the line than your grades, as well. After all, what’s a competition without a prize?”
    And here I thought the A’s were the prize.
    “The winning team will be presenting their campaign to the executives at Steepman and Boyle, my former employer and one of the largest advertising firms in the country.”
    I’ll say . Even I’ve heard of S&B. They’ve been famously behind some of the most creative ad campaigns and successful social media promotions in the past decade.
    “All of the organizations on the list I’ve provided are their clients, and if they’re impressed, they could potentially use your video in one of their campaigns, and each of the winning team members would be credited. And paid.”
    This announcement has the intended effect, and cheers erupt around the room along with excited chatter, before Zayne quiets us again.
    “There’s more.” He smiles at our collective eager anticipation. “From the winning team, the student or students who earn the highest grade on the project will interview with my former bosses, and one will be awarded a paid summer internship in the department of his or her choice.”
    Wow.
    “Now, this is a big deal,” Zayne states the obvious. “Thousands of students apply for even the unpaid internships at S&B every year, and whoever is selected will be getting a valuable foot in the door—one that, if you play your cards right, could lead to a job offer and a successful career.”
    I sit up straighter in my chair. An internship at S&B is beyond anything I ever pictured for myself, at least in the foreseeable future, but I’m sure as hell picturing it now. I imagine what I could learn there—how much it could help me when it’s time to get my own businesses off the ground. Suddenly my distant dreams feel tangible, within my grasp, and my competitive spirit awakens and flexes its muscles.
    A survey of the room indicates that I’m not the only one suddenly motivated, but I rally to find the confidence that once came so naturally to me, and tell myself I’ve got this.
    I’m smiling to myself when I finally take a look at the group list in my hand, and my smile