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Hanson and hope

Posted in Irshaddering Thoughts, On The Road on Oct 28, 2007

 

Irshad, Isaac and Taylor Hanson, and Michelle Douglas

Last week, I blogged about speaking to a stadium full of students, all pumped by their potential to become champions for human rights. Dubbed “Me to We Day,” the event had the unmistakable feel of a rock concert, complete with, well, rockers.

At the after-party, the Tulsa-based band, Hanson, sent an emissary to me and my best friend, Michelle. “They want to meet you,” the emissary breathlessly whispered, chasing us down with a look of concern about why we’re bolting early. (Hey, I’d flown overnight to make the event; sleep dep had set in with attitude.)

Figuring it’ll be a five-minute hello and how y’all doin’, I happily stuck around. Twenty minutes later, the Hanson brothers were still engaging me and Michelle about social justice. Isaac almost foamed at the mouth. A flick of spittle hit my face. I embraced it, a sign that these guys are passionate agents of change.

Note to cynics: If Tulsa can give hope to Toronto, isn’t that a reason to salivate?

Since the event, hope has came in equal measure from students and teachers who attended Me to We. Here’s a sample of their emails to this site:

• No one ever said that “going against the grain” would be easy but you have truly motivated my students to get involved and speak out for those without a voice. - Michelle, 7th grade teacher

• Please continue to challenge common beliefs… It is time for religious reform. Most of the major religions are too archaic in their thinking. - Adam, 14-year-old student

A 14-year-old who knows the word “archaic” and uses it in a sentence: Yet another reason for hope.

If you want to watch the presentation I made, it’s streamed on MTV’s Me to We site. Look for “Me to We: On Demand,” then move your cursor over “19 segments.” A menu will pop up. Scroll down and you’ll find my video in three consecutive segments.

I walked away from the entire experience affirming that real education is about indie thinking. Hanson, an indie band that ditched the constraints of a corporate label, sealed my sentiment. To the entrepreneurs of the school, studio and stage, I submit a final thought: Rock on.