Common Sense
Millard South High School • 14905 Q St. • Omaha, Neb., 68137
December 15, 2017
Volume 18 Issue 4
Mike Smith inspires students to ‘Find Your Grind’ Lindsey Assman Staff Editor
What do I want my purpose to be? On Nov. 21, the juniors and seniors of Millard South were challenged to answer that very question when motivational speaker Mike Smith spoke of his Find Your Grind initiative. Smith’s message was about finding your true purpose and running with it. “Purpose literally leads to a healthier, happier, more successful life,” Smith said. He explained how it’s more important to know why we’re doing what we’re doing rather than what. Smith has been speaking all over the country about how this will to to true success and he calls this initiative Find Your Grind. In Smith’s talk, he described the three kinds of people: Wishers (people who pay attention to other’s success and wish that the could achieve just as much), talkers (people who talk about what they’re going to do but never actually do it), and doers (people who know their purpose and simply do what they want to do). It spoke of the importance of being a doer. “So many kids come up to me and say they wish they could just do something. They wish because they have no idea where they’re headed,” explained Smith. According to Smith, this is because we are spending time and energy on the wrong things.
“We follow people and we listen to people who don’t love their lives or their jobs,” Smith said. “Our parents are not the hiring generation. Investing your energy and thoughts and time in finding your purpose is what new employers are looking for.” Although Smith’s main focus when he visited was Find Your Grind, he has many other projects that he’s working on. Smith is the founder of Skate for Change, The Bay, and The Harbor. Skate for Change is movement that Smith started to encourage skateboarding youth to help the homeless Mike Smith and Student Council pose for a picture after his motivational people in their speech. Photo by Claire Aken. area. The project has gained South hits very close to home with him because he worked much support and has spread here as a basketball coach early in his career. all over the nation. The Bay is “He’s very inspirational,” senior Grade Flogstad said. a non-profit skate park and its purpose is to reach out to “So, overall I learned that if you really wanna make a underprivileged youth in the Lincoln area. The Bay also change in the world, you just have to go out and do it and has a coffee house where Smith offers jobs to sexual assault not really care what other people think,” she said. victims. In addition, this upcoming fall, Smith is opening According to Smith, “Purpose is the thing that makes his very own high school where he plans to give students an your heart pound.” abundant amount of time to focus on their skills and their His challenge to us is to think more about what we purpose. want to do in this world and be unafraid in our goals and “I’m gonna bring the world to them,” Smith said. desires. Smith has spoken all over the country and Millard
literally leads to “ Purpose a healthier, happier, more successful life. –Mike Smith”
Celebration of Human Rights hits the classroom Vanessa Chavez News Editor
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Asia Sysouvanh said that by blue ribbon and along with several observing her mom decidIf we don’t acknowledge that every other Diversity Club Human Rights ed to encourindividual is born free and equal in members formed Day the club is age that at her the ways we interact with those in an assembly line helping remind work as well. to make sure blue the student body our proximity, then there is no way to A few other co eradicate the extreme human rights ribbon and pins that they must workers joined violations happening abroad. along with an treat each other as well because informational sheet with respect and they believe evreached all school dignity “if we erybody should staff members. The ever hope to stop be entitled to blue ribbon would be the severe injushuman rights used to celebrate Hutices occurring regardless of man Rights Day and elsewhere.” who they are and create discussion in Just like she saw wanted to bring more the classroom about nearly every teacher on awareness to the day. what Human Rights Unity Day wear orange, According to the Day is about. she anticipated seeing United Nations, the Sysouvanh said a lot of blue ribbons on Universal Declaration she believes that staff. of Human Rights is a rights are something “If we don’t acknowlmilestone document everyone should edge that every indithat proclaims the inhave and be granted. Spanish teacher Juventina Sloter joins the Diversity Club in celebrating Huvidual is born free and alienable rights which man Rights Day by wearing a blue ribbon. Photo by Vanessa Chavez. “Seeing that equal in the ways we everyone is inherently not everyone has interact with those in entitled to as a human ers to post in their classrooms detailed those rights granted, it’s like we took a step our proximity, then there is no being -- regardless of descriptions of what Human Rights Day is back, all those efforts to end segregation way to eradicate the extreme hurace, color, religion, and why it’s observed. Students were also means nothing if people aren’t granted their encouraged via the morning announceman rights violations happening sex, language, politirights,” she said. abroad,” Martin said. cal or other opinion, ments to stop by room 116 during passing Club members also helped spread the Club member Alexus Regnier told her national or social origin, property, birth or periods to grab a ribbon and join in showword by hanging informational posters mom about how Diversity Club planned to other status. This year marks the 70th aning support. throughout the building and asking teachcelebrate Human Rights Day by wearing a niversary of the Declaration. Diversity Club sponsor Sarah Martin
–Sarah Martin
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Stuco goes to Kearney and hosts State Convention
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Staffer Emma Willenborg writes about sister Kathryn and her motherly relationship with Dog Tilly
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Holiday Focus section
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Millard South Girl’s Varsity basketball defeats Westside