Motivation Speaker Talks with Gloucester City High School Students
Saturday, March 09, 2013
By Anne Forline
Gloucester City News
When he challenged the audience with questions like: “Are you part of the problem or part of the solution?” and “Are you doing what you need to do or are you doing what you are supposed to do?” it was as if he was speaking to each person individually.
The deliberate and thoughtful pauses following his questions signaled that he expected a response.
Fowlin prefers to call his presentations “performances” as opposed to “assemblies,” because he portrays people and situations we encounter every day.
Presenting the material this way allows the show to have more of a performance feel than that of an assembly, he said.
“This seems to be more effective than the typical approach of motivational speaking in getting students to reflect on the subject of diversity,” he explained.
His most recent performance at Gloucester City High School (GHS) marked the third time he has been invited to bring his powerful message to the students.
GHS Principal Dr. Jack Don said Dr. Fowlin’s message is quite effective and the students’ feedback to it is always tremendous.
“Dr. Fowlin does a great job of bringing us a message that can be used daily. His message is beneficial and inspirational and can be used day in and day out,” Dr. Don said. “We don’t want them leaving the auditorium forgetting what they heard or not put it into practice.”
At the beginning of his “You Don’t Know Me Until You Know Me” performance, Dr. Fowlin remembered what he was like growing up.
A self-proclaimed troublemaker, he used his “big mouth” for making prank phone calls, often at 2 a.m.
Since then, he has transformed that big mouth into a doctorate in clinical psychology and uses that same voice for acting and poetry.
During each performance, Fowlin tackles the issues of race, discrimination, violence prevention and personal identity through the eyes and personas of various characters.
By becoming the characters, he serves as their voices and shares their personal stories.
Through these portrayals, Fowlin takes the audience on an emotional journey that does not leave them the same as when they first entered the auditorium.
Fowlin knows his teenage audience well and plays to that.
He deeply understands the social pressures that they face and keenly observed, “There is power in numbers.” He challenged the audience not to be afraid to speak up and reminded them, “You have power.”
Fowlin began his performance with his portrayal of a six-year-old boy with Attention Deficit Disorder who is a constant source of frustration for his teachers.
From there, he became a “red-shirted” Rutgers football player who struggled with his sexuality.
Perhaps the character that had the most profound impact on the audience might have been that of a mischievous, wheelchair-bound student who was afflicted with cerebral palsy.
When Fowlin’s character declared, “I would rather fly because I already know what it’s like to feel invisible,” this reporter’s eyes instantly stung from tears.
“I thought of my now deceased mother, who used a wheelchair and wore a prosthesis due to a partial leg amputation. Many times when we were out at a store, people quickly brushed by us so they would not have to hold the door open. While other people would gawk and stare awkwardly at my mom’s prosthesis and loudly speculate about what happened to her as if she could not hear.”
As for the how Dr. Fowlin’s message was received by the students at GHS, ninth grader Justin Baker was impressed with the performance and was moved by it.
He said, “It’s not really your typical assembly. It wasn’t boring at all and took you on a roller coaster of emotions from funny to sad. You shouldn’t judge somebody for what you see on the outside.”
By bringing his message to GHS, Fowlin hoped his performance will encourage students to open their minds and hearts when looking at differences and understanding that we all have a desire to be accepted and understood.
“The show's message will only impact students positively for a short period of time unless students and staff figure out a way to keep it going,” Fowlin said.
“My hope is that the presentation will serve as a springboard for discussion and ultimately, that students will be encouraged to bring about lasting change,” he added.
For more information about Dr. Fowlin and “You Don’t Know About Me”, visit: michaelfowlin.com.
from the February 28th GLOUCESTER CITY NEWS
