Crash Test Dummies’ drummer Mitch Dorge captured the minds of George McDougall and Bert Church High School students with his unorthodox approach warning about drugs and alcohol, May 17-18.
The gregarious 50-year-old had kids laughing throughout his two-hour presentation, In Your Face and Interactive, which included drum solos and student participation.
“I am your classic extrovert,” he said. “I’m that guy that you invite over to your house… and in 15 minutes, I’m going to know where everything is in your house. I’m also that guy that’s not afraid to touch people.”
Seconds later, he was playing with the hair of an unsuspecting George McDougall student much to the delight and laughter of her peers. He asked kids to animate a rubber chicken and piece of rope while other students made accompanying sound effects. One student pretended to be a ninja-like warrior. After about 25 minutes and lots of laughter, Dorge made his point.
“We created a moment in this room, one you’ll remember for a long time,” he said. “The cool part is that nobody needed to be drunk or high to do it.”
He prepared students for the second portion of his presentation by telling them this would be a point of view they would never hear again.
“I’m not one of those guys that is going to stand in front of you and say, ‘hey, drugs are bad. If you drink and drive you’re going to kill everybody,’” said Dorge.
“I’m not that guy for a number of reasons.”
“The truth of the matter is yes, people drink and drive and they make it home,” he said. “My question is this: what happens if you’re the one who doesn‘t come out of it OK? Or worse yet, what happens if you’re the casualty of someone else’s irresponsible thinking?”
He encouraged students to Google drugs the next time they were online and educate themselves by reading personal blogs and stories about experiences with narcotics, letting kids make their own conclusions.
“Read as many stories as you can,” he said. “Read until you can’t read anymore.”
Dorge used the example of Jacqueline Saburido, a young woman in Texas who, in 1999, was in the passenger seat of a vehicle that was hit by a drunk driver. Saburido became trapped in her seat and was engulfed in flames, burning more than 90 per cent of her body.
“Jacqui lost everything in her life,” he said. “Just like you, Jacqui did everything right but someone else took her out.”
The presentation ended with a drum solo and he used his musical career to encourage kids going forward.
“There is no greater high in life than when you get to a point in life where you say, ‘wow man, everyday I do exactly what I want to do,’” said Dorge. “That is the most amazing feeling ever.”
Students seemed to understand his angle, too.
“Nobody’s ever explained it that well before,” said Sharyn Moore, a Grade 10 student at George McDougall.
“No one’s ever said ‘what if someone else has been (drinking) and you haven’t.’ They don’t give you any other perspective.”
Event organizer Mike Acheson of the Co-operators Insurance said Dorge’s approach connects with students in ways other speakers haven’t.
“He relates very well to youth,” said Acheson.
“He’s one of the happiest guys you’ll ever meet. It’s not a lecture, it’s a personal statement that I think they relate to.”
