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The noise inside George Washington High School’s gymnasium hits like a lightning bolt — which, given that rap superstar Ludacris has just materialized on a stage not 10 feet from a crowd of students who had no idea he was coming, seems somewhat apt.

The noise rattles your rib cage. It vibrates your clothing. It makes your eardrums roll over and play dead.

But, rather than bask in the attention, Ludacris quiets the student body down. His appearance, he says, is not about adulation but about education.

“I don’t want anybody to lose focus on why we’re here today,” the rapper, born Chris Bridges, tells the students.

Ludacris, Denver Nuggets star Carmelo Anthony, Anthony’s wife and entertainment personality La La Vazquez and MTV News correspondent Sway Calloway made a surprise visit to George Washington High School on Friday to put on a pep rally of sorts encouraging students to make the most of their education.

The assembly was part of the Get Schooled National Challenge and Tour, a 10-city tour that puts celebrities in front of students to talk about the value of setting goals, working hard and staying in school.

The message is something students hear every day from teachers and staff members. It just sounded different this time.

“Let’s be honest,” George Washington senior Destiny Williams said, deadpanning, “everything sounds 10 times better coming from a celebrity.”

That’s a good thing, said state Sen. Michael Johnston, a Denver Democrat and former school principal who attended the assembly.

“The big opportunity here is raising the profile, the public profile, of kids staying in school,” he said of the celebrities’ appearances. “That’s the kind of air support you need.”

The rally was a special treat for George Washington, which, with a graduation rate of 86 percent and an attendance rate of more than 90 percent, ranks among the top Denver high schools. Overall, only 52.7 percent of freshman who enter high school in Denver graduate four years later.

“I think if we have the expectations for our kids, they will rise,” said George Washington principal Loan Maas.

The celebrities talked to students about the role education played in their lives. Ludacris said his high school and college classes helped prepare him for the music industry, which he said is “90 percent business and 10 percent music.”

Anthony told students about the value of perseverance — even on days when class is the last place they want to be.

“At the end of the day,” he said, “you’re going to be happy that your teachers were on you, that you woke up and that you went to that day of school.”

Staff writer Jeremy P. Meyer contributed to this report.
John Ingold: 303-954-1068 or jingold@denverpost.com