On the Town: ‘Muir United’ event focuses on importance of acceptance and tolerance
By mid-morning, the staff, faculty and more than 1,500 students at Muir Middle School had already participated in numerous presentations, performances and discussions that focused on acceptance, tolerance and unity as the school presented the inaugural “Muir United” event Thursday.
It was shortly before 10 a.m. as the entire student body and special guests made their way to Mustang Field for the day’s keynote address to be delivered by Emmy Award-winning actor Jim Parsons.
As the students filed in, the man who stars as Sheldon Cooper on the CBS hit sitcom “The Big Bang Theory” was awaiting his call to the stage in the school’s band room.
“When I was asked to do this, my first thought was, ‘Who am I to be delivering the keynote address?’” Parsons said. “But then I thought, ‘Why not me?’ Why not anyone who is a human being who cares about other people and who wants to encourage people to be caring, accepting, tolerant and non-judgmental of people that are different from you.”
Saying he believes that middle school can be a scary time for kids as they cross the bridge from childhood into becoming young adults, Parsons reasoned that it is the perfect time to be talking about and discussing the types of issues the event was promoting.
“These kids are in, what can be, an awkward time of their lives, when… they are first learning about differences between people, how to be accepting of those differences and also how to be accepting of themselves,” Parsons said.
Moments later, when Parsons made his way to the stage followed by Muir principal Greg Miller, the assemblage erupted in applause.
Following Parson’s address, which was attended by Burbank Unified School District Supt. Matt Hill, school board members Char Tabet and Steve Frintner as well as Councilwoman Sharon Springer, attendees spent the afternoon at other presentations.
Among those who spoke or performed were Faustin Uzabakiliho, a survivor of the genocide in Rwanda, and representatives from more than 25 organizations including Teen Truth, Perfectly Afflicted, the Gay Men’s Chorus of L.A., Special Olympics, USC Interfaith Council, the Armenian National Committee of America and the Muslim Women Speakers Movement.
Saying that the event had evolved and grown to be bigger and more successful than what he or the planning committee had even envisioned, principal Miller said he hopes and believes Muir will go on to establish “Muir United” as an annual event.
Last week’s event, the culmination of months of work, was made possible by the planning committee made up of Sarah Abrams, Liann Asmussen, Willy Beltran, Mary Brooks, Shelly Burish, Catherine Celaya, Amelia Cheatum, Donna Collier, Tori Duran, Bill Esparza, Ted DeVirgilis, Casey DiDonato, Shana Duran, Kathy Gallego, Glen Jaffe, Zarik Hacopian, Robun Hatch, Cathy Howard, Ellen Huizar, Stephen James, Robert Lee, Angela Medina, Steven Moos, Doug Nicol, Mark Norberg, John Rodney, Chris Rosoff, Lynn Rothacher, Barry Sarna, Sue Shaw, Rebecca “Becca” Southward, Derek Starleaf, Julie Van Lohn, Wendy Vargas and Stacie Vournas.
DAVID LAURELL may be reached by email at dlaurell@aol.com or (818) 563-1007.
