They sang, they danced, they played cello and the bongos in a true alternative graduation ceremony.
But the multi-talented seniors at the Alternative Community School also celebrated their commitment to justice, equity and compassion at commencement Monday night.
The evening began with a message from radio journalist Mumia Abu-Jamal, who has been on death row in Pennsylvania for 20 years for the killing of a police officer. According to defenders, he was framed because of on-air comments the Philadelphia establishment didn't like.
The author of "Life from Death Row," "Death Blossoms" and "All Things Censored" recommended that students read Jonathan Kozol's "Savage Inequalities" about the inequalities in American schools. He said the system is badly in need of alternatives.
"ACS is an important beginning," he said." Perhaps it can light the way for others to follow."
The presentation was the senior project of Sally Heron.
One of the requirements for graduation from the Alternative Community School is to "understand bias and take action to eliminate it." Though all 29 graduates met the requirement, none were as visible Monday as Heron's.
Then there are the interviews with students whose projects seem to mostly consist of teaching dancing to the retarded and lead to great insights like
"It's rude to look down on them and help them all the time. You just treat them like any other 18-year-olds, was the conclusion I drew."
Graduating senior Tracy Talmadge had a similar experience teaching swing dancing to special-needs 6-and 7-year-olds. Even more amazing, she said, was working with a mentally-challenged 32-year-old woman with the City Health Club.
"She was incredible," Talmadge said. "When she was lifting weights, we'd up the pounds every time. She'd say, 'I want to challenge myself,' and we'd go up as high as 62 pounds. That's such a great mentality for anyone to have."
But the closer was
... ACS Principal David Lehman's parting message to the graduates.Well, some of the kids did help out in an old folks home. But why isn't Mumia a Crispy Critter yet?
He spoke of reading Spencer Johnson's "Who Moved My Cheese?" about mice and "little people" in a maze and their reactions as they found their beloved cheese moved one day. All acted out of instinct or self-interest in solving the problem.
"Why have a maze?" Lehman asked. "Where is the collaborative democratic community sharing the decision-making?" he asked to roars of laughter.
"I see you not fitting into a maze," he told the students. "I see you making changes for democratic justice and self-determination. And I don't see you as 'little people.' I see you ACS graduates as giants."
