Is anybody listening?

I came across this story a few days ago, and I thought it would be something you all would enjoy/appreciate/be inspired by/be touched by.

I was sitting on my couch last Friday night, with my roommates' dogs, Dakota and April, eating my quesadilla for dinner, watching the Newshour with Jim Leherer, and this story about an English class at the Village Academy High School in Pomona, California, came on. The students, after reading “The Great Gatsby” and contemplating the American dream, began to tell stories about how they felt the economic situation was thwarting their hopes to realize that dream. Their teacher offered to help them create a video through which they could tell their stories and then send it to the presidential nominees. They called it, “Is Anybody Listening?” (See video below.) President Obama mentions the students and their video in his speech on education, which you can see in the Newshour clip.

The students bared their souls -- their hopes, their fears, their worries. I sat on my couch, quesadilla in hand, sobbing. But, the students' action represents the story of democracy. As a result of this video, they realized they have the ability to help others and were empowered to create what they call the Village Project. Through this project they help students connect with services, or just give generously from what they have. It’s a sobering story, and a sobering video, but shows democracy at work in the lives of young people.

I hope you are as inspired by their stories as I was.