Hurt people hurt people. Say it once, using “hurt” as an adjective, then repeat, using “hurt” as an verb. Then remember that hurt people often hurt themselves, too.
The lesson was part of an Emporians for Drug Awareness presentation Wednesday by well-known Power of One speaker Dr. Stephen Sroka, a professor at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Cleveland, Ohio.
Sroka, who was inducted in 1996 into the National Teachers Hall of Fame, travels around the United States and internationally to spread the word that the power lies in oneself. He has appeared on many national television programs and is a frequent speaker in areas where young people have died as the result of drug use, cyberbullying, murder and other causes.
On Wednesday, Sroka suggested ways to help young people deal with the issues they face — sex, drugs and violence — and in the process gave his views on the importance of family, friends who bring you up instead of down, and faith to provide a moral compass.
Sroka already had spent the day with students in Emporia Middle School before the presentation for adults, which lasted about an hour and 45 minutes. The gathering, held in the basement of First United Methodist Church, opened a year of celebrating the 20th anniversary of EDA in Emporia.
To read complete story see the print edition or the online print edition.