First hour: Young Men's Symposium: No Excuses
Second hour: Exploring "senior relevance"
A new mentoring conference for high school students across Monroe County aims to help young men address recurring issues that impact their lives as they transition into adulthood. The “Young Men’s Symposium: No Excuses” will help students explore topics like character development, healthy relationships, responsible fatherhood, respecting women, coping with loss, and more. Research shows black male students are over-referred for disciplinary action in schools, and in the criminal justice system, black youth are 18 times more likely than white youth to be sentenced as adults. Our guests share their experiences as mentors and mentees, how they define “manhood,” and what self-empowerment means to them in today's world. In studio:
- Cory Johnson, founder of RocCity 48
- Melvin Cross, pastor at Glory House International
- Nasmere Johnson, senior at School of the Arts
- Jose Melendez, eight grade student at Leadership Academy for Young Men
- Rashad Smith, public relations freelancer for small businesses and entrepreneurs
Then in our second hour: In 2014, Roger Angell wrote a piece for the New Yorker called "This Old Man," where he explored life in his nineties. He wrote about coping with the loss of friends and family, and what it means to be relevant when you retire. He shared experiences talking with friends in their sixties where he felt invisible: “Honored, respected, even loved, but not quite worth listening to anymore. You’ve had your turn, Pops; now it’s ours.” Our guests will discuss how they are staying connected to the community after retirement, and what relevance means to them.
- Phil Dawson, recent retiree
- Zenia Brown, part-time receptionist for WXXI Public Broadcasting Council
- David D’Ettore, part-time security officer for WXXI Public Broadcasting Council, and aspiring writer
- Nancy Preston Stark, retiree and playwright
- Deborah White, retiree
