Dayton Daily News education reporter Scott Elliott writes about schools, kids, teaching and learning.
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Friday, March 10, 2006
The real stars of this show
Chaminade-Julienne Senior Alexa Lopez, third in a line waiting to ask questions of actor Martin Sheen and two other speakers, stepped to the to the microphone in her blue-striped, rugby-style school uniform shirt and asked this question of Sheen:
“Last year when you went to Fort Benning, Ga., to protest against the School of the Americas, I was there, too, and I just wanted to ask what made you want to go there and do that?”
Sheen paused. “You were there too?”
This little story, I think, sums up what was remarkable about the strikingly two-way conversation about social justice that took place at C-J Wednesday.
Sure, on the stage you had a major celebrity in Sheen who is well known for his social activism, having been arrested many times for protesting on behalf of the poor and other causes. Also up there was Sister Rebecca Spires, who worked along side martyred Sister Dorothy Stang in Brazil and still spends her life trying to make the world better for the poor of that nation. And on hand was Emily Goldman from the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Human Rights, who described the impact of her parents’ decision to enter the Peace Corps, whcih led to growing up with daily visits from poor begging children in Central America.
So you think teenagers are checked out? That all they care about is the new song in their iPods or the release of the next Grand Theft Auto video game? You should have been there Wednesday.
The C-J kids referenced their own volunteering or activism many times. And they asked questions that made it clear they were really thinking about the implications of doing those things in their lives, whether through their work or in their personal time.
“How can we learn more about what’s going on in parts of the world that are ignored by the news?”
“What do you say to those who say your work is utopian and real change can never be achieved?”
“What would you tell young people who are discouraged and don’t believe one person can make a difference?”
As the questions went on, Sheen, Spires and Goldman scooted forward in their chairs in anticipation as each student stepped forward with something new to ask. They eagerly reached for the microphone to talk about how social activism changed their lives, made a difference even if only in one small corner of the world and made them more hopeful about the future.
And the end of the hour-long discussion, Spires had these final words for the students:
“I want to thank you today,” she said. “I am inspired by you. I am happy you exist. And we are really counting on you to carry on.”
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