Students at Wapakoneta Middle School got a lesson on life and respect from a special speaker.
Traveling percussionist and member of the Cleveland Cavaliers QStix drum line Elec Simon visited the school to talk about life and bullies.
He spoke about how important it is to respect others, and that skin color does not matter in the grand scheme of life. He says he does the assembly in honor of his childhood best friend who died of suicide as a result of bullying. Now, he wants to show students how their words can affect others and maybe save a life.
"When I do my school show it's like another energy that gets in me because I'm there to save somebody," says Simon. "Then when I tell my story, people start crying because they didn't realize how easy it is to hurt somebody's feelings and it's easy to be nice."
And his methods really do make an impact on the students, many of whom were moved to tears by the end of it.
"What really hit me was when he talked about respect, how to give teachers respect because you don't know if they have kids," says seventh grader Ty Lamb, 13. "You could show better and be nicer to people."
The high school students will get their chance to hear Simon's message on Friday morning (11/03/18).
