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Joe Urgo and Lyle Rubin speaking March 20, 2017 to college students |
Last week, We Are Not Your Soldiers visited classes in two colleges and three high schools in New York City. One of those high schools was a traditional large school, one was an alternative school and the third serves a recently-arrived immigrant population.
At one of the colleges, we did an unusual presentation. Joe Urgo, a Vietnam veteran, and Lyle Rubin, an Afghanistan veteran, both spoke to the students comparing the similarities and differences in their experiences.
One of the high school teachers emailed us after to say, “Thanks for visiting our seminar. I was impacted by the soldier, but also by the attention paid to him by a group of students for whom war is background noise.” A teacher at another one of the high schools also wrote, saying, “The visit was a massive success; students in all classes have been telling me that they no longer want to join the army AND they would love for you and Lyle to visit again.”
This follows on February when, via Google Hangout, We Are Not Your Soldiers visited a student group at a Nebraska college. We were told by the young organizer that the evening with spoken word artist/veteran Miles Megaciph was an amazing experience the students will never forget. The following week, also via Google Hangout, Lyle visited a 100- student member high school history club in Indiana! The teacher is already thinking of when we will do our next visit there.
If you know of educators, students or parents who’d want us to come to their school or program, please let us know. These visits would not be possible without your donations which supply the travel money and materials needed. Your support is really appreciated.