Somewhere in downtown Milwaukee, a brazen thief is scratching his head, wondering how a stack of high school Economics tests are going to net him a few hits of crack.

Thus was the case when East Economics teacher Ed Rueter found his car ransacked after taking in a Milwaukee Admirals game on January 5th. With the clue of a shattered back window, Rueter realized that his gym bag was missing. In it: 150 economics tests.

The story of this doomed affair and its lost tests could become one for the books.

That Saturday night, all Rueter was looking for was some relaxing fun with his buddies at the Admirals game. The day started innocently enough, with Rueter visiting one of his sisters in Berlin for the afternoon. He ended up bringing a gym bag with sweat-pants and a pair of athletic shoes to work out before the big game. Figuring that he’d try to get a little work done as well, Rueter also stuffed all of the 150 econ tests in his gym bag—just in case he had some free time to start correcting them.

Soon enough, though, 7:00 p.m. arrived, and Rueter drove back to Milwaukee to see the Admirals game. He parked his car north of the Bradley Center, anxious and excited to see a decent game.

“I met up with four of my buddies there. I even brought a cow bell, since me and my friends are usually the rowdy fans of the game. We lost by one point, but it was a very exciting game, and a lot of fun to watch,” Rueter commented.

Although the Admirals didn’t win, Rueter and his friends went to celebrate the night afterward by stopping by at two local “establishments” and a few other places and hang-outs in Milwaukee.

Around 1:30 in the morning, Rueter finally made his way back to his car near the Bradley Center to drive back home.

After getting into his car, however, Rueter knew and sensed that something just didn’t seem right.

“I was getting ready to start my car, and I look over and notice that everything I had stored in the center compartment was sprawled all out on the passenger side. I thought to myself, ‘Gee, I really don’t think I remember doing that...’ and then I kind of peered around my car. I looked around and realized the back window on the passenger side was busted through, and there was scattered glass all over in the back seat,” Rueter said.

Being that Rueter lives in Wauwatosa, and from hearing about other friends’ cars being broken into that were parked in downtown Milwaukee, he wasn’t completely shocked that this had happened. Thankfully, Rueter knew that he didn’t have anything of great value in the car. Still, he tried to recall back to exactly what he had left in the car, either way.

“I couldn’t remember what I had left in the car,” he said. “Then it dawned on me that my gym bag with my pair of shoes and sweat-pants was gone. Not a huge deal, but then I realized and remembered that all of those 150 tests were in there, as well!”

Before he realized that the tests were gone, Rueter was more frustrated with the fact that the window was broken. “Honestly, I was more ticked at the fact that the window was broken—because that was what was going to cost me. The broken window was worth more value than what was stolen.”

Although Rueter had to think about getting his window replaced, his biggest challenge was figuring out what he was going to do about all of those missing tests—and how to work something out with his economics students.

With several options to choose from, Rueter thought carefully about what would be most fair for his students. He had first considered whether he should make them redo the test, but after thinking about it and getting advice from his older sister, he knew that was too much work to ask from his students, and even himself. It wasn’t right for his students to restudy for a test they had already done, just because of the unfortunate circumstances.

Suggestions and other options were offered by other family members as well, on what he should choose to do. Rueter’s younger sister advised that he should just give all his of his students “A’s.” His parents recommended that Rueter should just drop that test all together—but being that Reuter doesn’t really give out much homework, doing that would really affect their grades—and perhaps not for the better.

Rueter finally came to a final decision of having the students redo the test, but making it a take-home test that they could use their notes on, or other friends’ advice and help.

“I figured I would give the students 23 hours to do whatever they wished. Look through all your notes, or ask a friend or two on some answers—but no acceptations,” he said. “The test would be due the next day right in the beginning of class—no excuses.”

Most students were overjoyed about the stolen test situation, and took advantage of this great opportunity for getting a solid grade. Rueter’s tests are known to be difficult in the first place, so students got a kick out of both the ridiculous story, and the thought of having time and notes to retake it.

“Rueter’s story was hilarious! I’m pretty sure I failed my test the first time, so it was awesome the way it all worked it!” East junior Bobbie-Jo Bonlender exclaimed with a smile. “I think it’s ridiculous that everyone had to redo that test,” East junior Sammie-Jo Nieman pointed out. “Yeah, it sucks that somebody broke into his car. But he really should have been more safe with his tests, and not have even brought them in the first place if he knew something like that could have happened. It’s not his fault, but it’s certainly not his students’ faults, either.”

Yet in the end, it all worked out. Tests were retaken without much qualms, certainly, and Reuter had yet another comical experience to share with his classes.

Perhaps some criminal down in Milwaukee now does too!