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PRIME Editor SPRINGFIELD Keshawn Dodds knows the damage inflicted by the city's delinquency problem intimately. He saw the seeds of trouble the lack of motivation, the disrespect for each other when he taught fourth and fifth grade students at Homer Street and Washington Elementary schools. He saw the result the actual number of high school dropouts when he worked for Mayor Charles Ryan as an aide. And today, as a published children's author and Director of Alumni and Community Relations for American International College (AIC), he wants to use that knowledge and experience to help parents stem the rising tide of high school dropouts in Springfield. Dodds invites the public to a special event "A Night Out with the Author A Fight For Education" on Nov. 28 at AIC. The free event will take place in the Karen Sprague Cultural Arts Center's Griswald Theatre from 6:30 - 9 p.m. Dramatic readings from Dodds' two published children's books, "Menzuo in the Calling of the Sun Prince" and "Menzuo S. W. (Solar Warriors) Legends of the Blue Diamond" by students of Springfield's Dream Studios, poetry by local author Latoya Bosworth, and the screening of Dodds' original film addressing the problems of delinquency in Springfield will highlight the event. "It's not a black thing, it's not a Hispanic thing, it's not a white thing . it goes across the board," Dodds said of the student dropout rate in the city. He also said he hopes this event will be a rallying cry for parents and other city adults to step up and get involved in changing the course of young people's lives. "People drive around and see [city youth] who are not in school and they're afraid to talk to them; that they won't listen or they will retaliate," he said. "We need to stop the fear of our kids. If we want to raise them right, we have to raise them." Dodds said the original film, shot and edited by AIC graduate student Jason Griffin and himself, focuses on education and adult involvement in the life of city youth. "Basically, I'm talking to people about the city, and the community about what we had as kids and what [young people] are lacking now, and what we need to change to give them the opportunity to succeed." He said he interviewed a cross-section of individuals to uncover public attitude about the delinquency problem, and to identify people willing to step up and help. "I went to barber shops, I went to Putnam [Vocational High School], I went to community centers," Dodds said. "There are people out there who are willing to help." Dodds said he counts himself among those individuals ready and willing to step up and fight for the future of the city's youth, as his books are geared toward children ages nine to 12. "This is my way of giving back," Dodds said. "I see this as my my way to reach millions of kids through my writing, and through events like these." |
