There are so many interesting stories that come from my school. Some are funny, some are sad, some are ridiculous, but this one fell into the category of all three. To give props to my friend Jennifer I will refer to students and colleagues by their first initial to protect their identities:
My journalism class was reading some stories in yesterday's newspaper when a discussion began about the previous night's presidential debate and how Obama kicked McCain's butt. I argued that I didn't think any such thing happened and that they both were going at each other pretty evenly. One young African-American lady, who seemed to have potential (I use past tense because now I have my doubts) raised her hand (a rarity) and when I called on her she said, "I don't like it."
Me: Don't like what?
M: The whole thing.
Me: What are you talking about? The debate?
M: No, Obama.
Me: Again, what do you mean?
M: Doesn't anyone else find it strange that for all these years we've been looking for Osama and suddenly there's a guy running for president named Obama?
Me: (Long, serious pause, then a smile) You're kidding, right?
M: No.
Me: You're serious?
M: Yes, don't you think it's a little too much of a coincidence?
In the meantime, the whole class jumps in (as I said, raising hands is a rarity for these kids) and explain to her that Barack Obama is not middle eastern but rather African (they said "black") and American ("white"). Then the class smart-ass, tangent-instigator says: "You know his middle name is Hussien."
M: There you go! See what I mean?
Me: M, listen for just a minute. Barack Obama's mother's parents are from the midwest, they moved to Hawaii where their daughter went to the University of Hawaii. There she met an African man and married him and they had Barack. Barack and Obama are African names. Hussien is a Muslim name because many Africans are Muslim. He is in no way from the middle east nor is he a terrorist.
M: But he's Muslim.
Me: No, he's some Christian denomination, not a Muslim.
M: I just don't like it one bit.
We continued a little longer and then I gave up. There was no helping this young lady see the light. I don't care whether she votes for Obama or McCain, but I do care that she has her information straight. I began to wonder if a bright girl like herself came to this conclusion on her own or if her sheltered, close-minded, border-line educated parent(s) planted this seed in her head. In our strange little community (or alternate universe) these kids see way too much disinterest from the uneducated and uninvolved. It pains me that the only open-minded, educated and successful people they are exposed to are their teachers but they only chalk up our smarts to "being teachers" rather than normal, functioning adults.
Here's another sad example. My friend is the track and cross country coach. He had a student who got a scholarship to a small college in southern Illinois for track. Everyone was excited and the student was planning to attend. This very dedicated coach who had pulled some strings to get this kid in, would voluntarily run with some of the kids in the summer. One day, he heard from the graduate's brother that he would not be attending the school that was offering him a scholarship because his parents didn't want him to go so far away. They wanted him to go to the local community college so he could still help out with the family business. Don't get me wrong - when and if my own boys go off to college (especially one that's paid for), I don't know how I'm going to sleep at night not knowing whether or not they are safe and sound - but that is a risk I know I will have to take for their benefit! Until the parents in my school's community and their attitudes change, NOTHING will change.
By no means do I want to tell my students what to think. I want them to be well-informed and be involved and care, damn it! If they go into the world after high school as lackadaisical and uninterested as they are right now, then I am very afraid of who will be in charge when I'm old and gray.
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