Self-proclaimed “soul warrior” Calvin Terrell is scheduled to present his “Cowards to Warriors” presentation at Niles West on Tuesday, Aug. 23 in the auditorium during this year’s Opening Activities assembly.
Terrell, a speaker and educator, will be discussing different social issues, including bullying and prejudice, throughout his performance by challenging students to carefully examine all their actions and inactions, according to student activities director Katie Odell.
“The title of his message is ‘Cowards to Warriors’, where he talks about building a community of justice and respect,” Odell said. “He really challenges students to think about experiences they’ve had where someone has either pushed their views or their ideas.”
Terrell will meet with the West faculty after school to continue his discussion on how to keep the community safe and equal.
“After school, he’s meeting with the faculty. He’s going to talk with our teachers about continuing to create that community of justice within our school and what we can be doing for our students to create equity within the building,” Odell said.
This is Terrell’s first year speaking at West. Last year, faculty made the switch from the NAMES assembly and showcased Davey Muise along with his “Find Your Shovel” presentation.
Some students are excited to hear the new message that Terrell has to offer.
“Last year, it was nice to hear Davies’ story. He taught us not to focus on the smaller things in life and instead to focus on things that’ll make us grow,” junior Daisha Etienne said. “I’m definitely excited to hear Terrell’s story, and see what he has to offer for the school.”
Despite the excitement for Terrell’s performance, some students still wish that the NAMES assembly was back in place.
“I’d rather have NAMES assembly back. It made me feel more connected with the students in our school,” junior Kristos Wasouf said.
Odell believes that Terrell will be a nice change for the school and will help reinforce how essential teamwork between staff and students is.
“My expectations for him are to push our students and staff to really think about what kind of culture they want to create within this building. That’s why we’re having him come in and speak to the staff because I think we all need to be on the same page,” Odell said. “Within this building, we’re all a team. Whether it’s our secretary or our teachers or our students, we’re all one team and we’re all here for the same thing, so I think we need to get on the same page altogether.”
Students will be following a special schedule on Wednesday to clear a space for Terrell’s speech and other opening day presentations. Between 8:10 and 9:35 a.m., students will go to various locations throughout the school as a part of the activities. The schedule was sent to all faculty and students in an email.
