Aurora Public Schools Superintendent Rico Munn addresses freshmen boys from Rangeview High School at the "Man Up" event.
Don't cry. Emotions are for girls. Be a man!
These three phrases are all too common among males, no matter the age. However, staff members at Rangeview High School are doing all they can to help male students not feed into the typical stereotypes that often plague men throughout their lives. Recently, more than 300 of Rangeview's freshman boys viewed the film "The Mask You Live In," a documentary that follows boys and young men as they struggle to stay true to themselves while negotiating America’s narrow definition of masculinity.
The purpose of the event is to engage the young men in honest and critical discussions about what it means to be a man to better understand what kind of man they want to be. The film challenged students to reflect about which aspects of their masculinity are and are not conducive to supporting the achievement of their academic, career, and social/emotional goals.
As an added bonus, Superintendent Rico Munn gave opening remarks, challenging students to run toward their weaknesses – not away from them – to help them become better individuals.
"It's all about identifying who you want to be," Munn said.
APS 2020: Shaping the Future Strategic Plan Core Belief:
-Every student has unique abilities that we must recognize and engage.