Canon-McMillan High School
Students Experienced “Real Talk”
Dr. Adolph Brown gives an emotional but
uplifting presentation to Canon-Mac High
School Students
things. The first group that he
asked to stand were “if any
students themselves or knew
of another student that was
struggling to the point of
their breaking point” to stand
up and a surprising number
of students stood up. He then
asked the students to stand
if they themselves or if they
knew of a number of students
that experienced bullying
and even more students
stood. The largest number of
students that stood was when
he asked the students if they
knew other students that acted as bullies.
To this he said they should hang out with
O.Q.P – Only Quality People. He said that if
you’re the smartest person in your clique
then it’s time to find a new clique. He also
asked the students to respond with “Real
Talk” if they experienced any of the same
hardships that he had endured such as
being abandoned by his father and feeling
unloved, having a family member get shot
and killed and more. A number of students
did reply with “Real Talk” to a number of
the same situations which was yet another
connection he shared with the students.
Mr. Michael Daniels, Canon-McMillan’s
Superintendent, enthusiastically supports
Dr. Brown’s message and hopes everyone
who heard it embraces it because it’s not
the last time they will be hearing it,
“We were happy to have had Dr. Adolph
Brown deliver his message to us at the
Canon-McMillan Senior High School.” He
says. “It is a message each of us needs to
embrace. A message promoting increased
awareness of how our words and our
actions may be perceived by others as
hurtful. A message emphasizing the
importance of getting along with mutual
respect, dignity and unconditional positive
regard for one another. It was great to have
students and staff members tell me, as they
exited the auditorium, how much they
enjoyed the presentation.”
Mr. Ken Crowley, High School assistant
principal agrees, “The Canon-McMillan
High School staff and administration would
like to thank Mr. Daniels, Mr. Chambers,
and the Board of Education for bringing in
such a phenomenal, world class speaker.
Dr. Brown spoke with, not at our students,
and got to see the kindness and respect
that we know our students embody on a
daily basis. The consensus opinion, of both
students and staff, was that this was one
of the best speakers that they have ever
heard and we have already heard countless
examples of how our students have taken
Dr. Brown’s advice and have put it into
practice within our school community. We
look forward to continuing to implement
these ideals to ensure that Canon-McMillan
High School continues to be a safe and
welcoming environment for all of our
students.”
This assembly, however is not the end of
the school district’s quest for kindness. This
assembly is just the first step in a plan that
the school district has in place to ensure
that the students and the school district
are taking this message seriously.
The Canon-McMillan School District,
administrators and the Board of School
Directors are extremely thankful and
humbled to have had Dr. Adolph Brown
come to speak to our student body. We
hope everyone learns from this experience,
remembers his message, “looks in their
mirror” and also “protects their mouths
from their brains” before they speak,
because, though they may just be joking
around, their words can hurt.
CANON-MAC
❘
WINTER 2019
43