"What's the difference then between a stalagmite and a stalactite," asked Michael Sweet, a middle school science teacher at Brentwood Christian School.
His sixth-graders should know the answer.
"Stalactites hold on to the ... ceiling very tightly,” said Amare Whitney, one of those sixth-graders, “Stalagmites are on the ground."
They have learned a lot about rocks but also ...
"They've been hitting me up all semester long to have a class pet,” said Sweet.
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Students say Mr. Sweet "rocks." Especially now … because they have a pet rock.
“Rocky” the stalactite. Why the name?
"Because the movie Rocky, the boxer, and because it's a rock,” said Whitney with a laugh.
Rocky comes from the Cambria Cave found under homes in Brushy Creek. It was discovered about two weeks ago.
But according to Renne Cooper, Austin is not weird enough.
“I mean, Austin's a big city but not a lot of cool stuff happens here,” he said. “Not a lot of out-of-the-normal stuff happens."
Sweet said the stalactite was the perfect opportunity for a class pet and to teach.
"This was kind of our compromise and it was actually come up with by students,” said Sweet. “How about some type of rock specimen?”
Rocky does not do much but gives students at least the opportunity for a learning moment.
"I think it's cool that something grew in someone's backyard and they brought it for all of us to share,” said Whitney.
Mr. Sweet sure thinks so.
“They’re studying Earth and space science,” said Sweet. “It's something that's happened perhaps thousands of years ago. This makes it so much more real for them.”