here’s the full story of the morning assembly and what happened after:
we were told there would be an assembly today (thursday) about racism [or at least, that was the implication and virtually everyone thought that — including the teachers]
so we go to this assembly, and they’ve invited chioma to give the talk (more like paid her $800 — believe it or not)
and so we go in the auditorium, and the second thing i noticed (after i noticed the blue screen, :P) was a sign that essentially said: “respect, restraint, responsibility … sponsored by office place”
now i have a thing against corporations sponsoring moral principles (i’m anti-capitalism)
and this whole game just seemed like a thing to promote chioma and officeplace (there were little officeplace leaflet type things on each seat — EACH seat, will you believe that disgusting display of advertising — so the school pays THEM $800 so THEY can advertise? gimme a break)
at any rate, chioma starts talking about her life story (not TOO bad, tho a reading of malcolm x’s life would be MUCH more interesting, i’m sure)
[a lot of people felt it was boring]
and she continues talking about her life story
and now, even i’m thinking, where the jehennum is this going?
and over half the audience is thinking, what the hell does this have to do with racism?
one hour passes, she’s still — incredibly — talking about her life story, and it wasn’t incredible, at this point it’s just boring
half an hour later, she’s still talking about her life story, but now she finally turns her attention to the students
and starts talking about the double cohort (that ontario students have to deal with — present grade 11s and present grade 12s will graduate from high school at the same time)
and so she’s taking comments from the audience
and i’m twitching in my seat, i can’t take this anymore
each person in the audience who makes a comment gets a grab-bag from office place
eugh, more disgusting marketing
and i’m twitching
my friends encouraged me to go on
and finally i could take it no longer
i went up, and my good friend jackie had just finished asking his question (and had grabbed his loot-bag… heh) and finishing his comment about the double cohort (that got a great response from the audience, too)
so i’m behind jackie, and he goes and sits down
and chioma gives me the mic
and asks my name
“my name is no’man, better known as nomes”
what’s my question?
“i actually have two questions:
i) what, if anything, does this have to do with racism?
ii) why is a corporation sponsoring moral principles?”
whoosh
half of the audience likes the questions
the other half hates it
heh, and all the time i barely look at chioma, because i generally lower my gaze, 😛
anyway, chioma starts talking (more like yelling) about how she’s a minority person, and how black university graduates have an 18% unemployment rate, and yet white highschool dropouts have a 17% unemployment rate — and that this is an example of racism (not exaclty, i could’ve refuted that)
and then i said “well, you have a valid point — i’m just saying, what does this whole shabang have to do with racism”
(that offended a lot of people, heh, a lot thought that was rude)
and she then responded, but in the meanwhile some girl came up to me and said “just sit down, you look like an idiot”
i didn’t say anything, tho i felt like kicking her face — she was short enough, too (i’ve never seen her before in the school, either — weird)
and then chioma starts responding to my second question
to sum up her response: office place is one of those rare corporations that actually cares about education, essentially because they sell/give away calculators (and back-to-school products)
bwa ha ha ha
sorry, i just found that funny
anyway
i got my point across, so i went and sat down
tho i could’ve grabbed the mic from her and told her off, heh, her attitude wasn’t that great (if they say i’m rude, ask them what her response to me was? polite?)
beh
some of the crowd cheered for me
and some of the crowd cheered for her (louder, too ….)
anyway, after the show — that’s what it was, the chioma and office place show
a student came up to me and said “i must give you respect for that” and actually shook my hand
heh
and a few other students told me they liked what i said, too — a lot of people congratulating me
and also a lot of people saying “noaman, you got TOLD!”
so then i go to math class
and my teacher was talking about the show
i said “i still don’t get what it had to do with racism”
and she said that’s exactly what the teachers were saying
now it’s lunch time,
and even more kids when i was walking in the halls, and during lunch came up and tell me they liked my comments
in particular more hand-shaking, heh
but then henry, andrew mcK, and i decide to go and complain to the vice principal about it
so we go to the office, and we’re waiting in the office
but it’s taking forever, and andrew had some work to do for the aac (athletic council) and henry was too hungry (his atheist stomach couldn’t take the hunger, as compared to my disciplined muslim stomach, heh) so he went to grab something to eat
and i’m waiting in the office for mr. carijuana (i dunno how to spell it, but since it sounds like marijuana starting with a “k” that’s how i’m spelling it — i know it starts with a “c” tho)
[and all these people think i’m in trouble]
and look who comes out with mr. carijuana (after long waiting)
if it ain’t chioma herself
they were carrying some of the equipment, so i offered to help them out with it
and they accepted
and then chioma said “hey, i know your face from somewhere”
“yes, heh, i’m the dissenter”
“huh? you’re … naam?”
“nomes, the dissenter”
“right — but i LOVED your questions”
okay, so i have to carry this thing to the staff room, and once again everyone thinks i’m in trouble
(the staff room is located precariously close to the cafeteria, outside which many kids sit during lunch)
while we’re walking
chioma tells me “i love your questions, they were different, very brazen, added some fire to the juice”
i says “heh, well, we thought that the assembly was going to be about racism, mainly about racism”
“what?”
“well, we were told it was going to be about racism”
she turns to mr. carijuana (and this is when they’re entering the staff room) and asks him
he says “no, it wasn’t about racism, it was broader than that”
i says “no, you said it was gonna be about racism”
but then they went into the staff room — keep-away students!
so i go back to the office to get my bag and stuff
so it wasn’t chioma’s fault — the administration didn’t tell her that they told us the talk was going to be about racism
beh
second and concluding part of the story shall come soon