On Feb. 23 the SLC hosted Darryl Bellamy Jr. for the third time with this being his first in-person event. He first appeared at 9 a.m. at West Albany High School to speak to the seniors and other students. At 2 p.m. Bellamy spoke in Forum 104 at LBCC.
The live event at West Albany High School was required for seniors and was attended by other students as well as faculty of the school and members of LBCC’s Student Leadership Council. As always, the event was high energy with an introduction from Hannah Briggs, SLC President, and Angie Geno, Legislative Affairs Director.
Bellamy kept everybody engaged with not only his massive stage-presence in terms of his stories and slideshow, but also his expressive body language and interactive scenarios.
Everyone who attended the event received a pencil and note card for an activity where Bellamy asked students to write down their fears. Not fears like of snakes or spiders more like impending, looming, fears like of failure or of death. The students handed the note cards to the SLC members who put them in two bowls at either end of the stage for him to read aloud. He said the exercise is “so that students know they aren’t alone in their fears or challenges.”
As they were walking out of the auditorium, the students and some of the staff said his speech was motivational and overall, it was a great experience. Principal at WAHS Susie Orsborn thanked LBCC for putting it on and she said she hoped the students, especially the seniors, gained a lot from it.
High school senior Nishant Drspice said that it meant a lot to him that Bellamy had shown up. “I really want to be Darryl when I graduate. I want to help people be motivated to do what they dream of doing.”
Attending the event at LB were several students – including the two who won the LB Live contest of posting your fears – SLC members, staff and faculty, and President Lisa Avery.
Bellamy's presentation was similar to the one held earlier at the high school and was different from the event he held over Zoom last term. He spoke about how mindset will change how your fears will affect you.
“Look up and smile real wide. Then try to get as sad as you possibly can get while still having that smile on your face,” he said. Clearly it was difficult and that was the idea of the exercise.
Bellamy then repeated an exercise where he read out people’s fears.
“I’ve been all over the nation, listening to these student’s fears and I have collected so many of these little note cards, probably more than five thousand now in my house.”
He said he’d be interested in having a gallery of all of them some day.
