The Power of One

The semester at Champlain College is already five weeks done and here I go trying to get back into the BLOGGING scene. Yes, I'm bringing BLOGGER back. Why? For several reasons actually. First, it gets indexed faster because of the whole Google tie-in and secondly, it keeps me current on different blogging options. But...I get off topic...quickly.

One of the hallmarks of the Non-Profit and Social Marketing class that we developed here at Champlain College is what I call the "Friday Speaker Series". Throughout the semester I invite individuals who exemplify our theme of "The Power of One" to come into class and speak. This week I had the pleasure of inviting and listening to a good friend, Kathryn Blume talk about her journey as a struggling actor/environmental activist and how it has culminated into her role as an "Accidental Activist". She told us how she and another actor in New York City, in 2002 started a movement of actors and individuals in the theater around the world who produced readings of Lysistrata, the 2500 year old play where women withhold sex to stop war. They started the LYSISTRATA PROJECT on a shoe-string and had a HUGE impact. From this, Kathy's one-woman show the Accidential Activist was borne and she toured the country telling her story.

Now Kathy is back at it again with THE BOYCOTT. Here's the premise:

Inspired by the ancient Greek anti-war comedy Lysistrata, The Boycott tells the story of playwright and actor Kathryn Blume trying to fight global warming and save the word by writing the story of the First Lady of the United States, Lyssa Stratton, launching a nationwide sex strike to fight global warming and save the world.

She opened in Burlington, VT last week to two sold-out shows! Way to go Kathy!

So what does this have to do with our class at Champlain College? Tons! Students have begun to write about what they have learned from Kathy and the ability of one person to make a difference, when they feel that they can't until they have more money or more power or more fame....she has helped them to see that the power of one is real.