Offering frequent news and analysis from the majestic Evergreen State and beyond, The Cascadia Advocate is the Northwest Progressive Institute's unconventional perspective on world, national, and local politics.

Sunday, May 3, 2009

Interlake students take time to appreciate the arts and celebrate grassroots culture

What do high school students do on Friday nights?

Head to the theater to see latest blockbuster movie? Go cosmic bowling? Hang out at the mall? Play the latest and greatest games at home on Xbox?

What about have a philosophical discussion about the issues of the day?

Twice now, students at Interlake High School in Bellevue have gathered together to participate in what's been called the "Interlake Coffeehouse" - a forum modeled after the polis center in Ancient Greece where Socrates taught his students, people gathered to debate Socrates, and discussed life's great mysteries.

The Coffeehouse provides an opportunity to celebrate the arts (poetry, music) and test skills (there's a chess tournament). At the first Coffeehouse there was even free coffee, courtesy of Starbucks.

Interlake students hope to make the Coffeehouse a regular monthly event next year. The first two have already laid the foundation for a great school tradition.

Wesley Zhao, a junior and organizer of the event, says the Coffeehouse gives students an opportunity to build stronger ties with each other.
Many high school students complain about their situation and how they could improve their school. I believe the only way to address these complaints properly is to address the core of the problem. They complain that there is not enough spirit or pride, and the core of that problem is unity. A free community event like the Coffeehouse is made so that students who normally would not see each other now have a chance to find something in common and interact together. A small thing like the Coffeehouse contributes to my initiative to create pride and spirit through unity. By creating a strong community, you create unity.
Unity is an elusive concept in a high school where there are so many cliques and divisions. How can you create unity without creating a community first?

Creating unity around culture is the idea of appealing to people's better selves. And it's a way for students to blow off steam and relax without doing anything dangerous. (As opposed to drinking illicit beverages, students can drink coffee and tea while studying.) The Coffeehouse is for students, by students, as Wesley says.
The Coffeehouse is to enrich the lives of students. Not often is there a cultural activity in the suburbs, therefore it is important for students to make culture for themselves. Instead of staying home on a Friday night, we can build community around scholarship.
Community around scholarship.

A time and a place where students can further friendships and solidarity at their school while making learning fun. It is much more effective to learn about Langston Hughes and Robert Frost while playing chess in a social setting than to study poetry at eight o'clock on a weekday morning.

The Coffeehouse is an example of what could be called grassroots culture ... the idea that activities which support the arts and higher learning do not have to be led by people with money and authority, but can be organized by ordinary people through teamwork.

The Interlake Coffeehouse is an example of this; another example might be a school musical or a book group. Outside of schools, there are progressive salons, improvisational theaters, comedy clubs, and the like.

We need more of that.

If there are few opportunities to appreciate the arts and talk politics where you live, consider getting involved to change that. Don't just hope that someone else will step up and do it. Take it upon yourself to create the change you seek. Remember, we are the ones who we have been waiting for.

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