Chicago 1990

　　 On Friday afternoon, the small gymnasium of the school cancelled other activities. A wooden podium decorated with school emblems was erected. There were hundreds of folding chairs neatly placed on the opposite side of the podium and a row behind it.

Song Ya was sitting on the row of chairs at the back. He sat Hayden on his left and a black woman with intellectual temperament on his right. She was a representative sent by the Chicago Equal Rights Organization, named Michelle, with the title of Law. PhD, a terrifying degree.

　　 Right across, the faculty and staff took their seats one after another. Familiar faces such as Aunt Susie and Old Joe also came. The principal stood in front of the podium, watching everything silently.

　　 Song Yachao Aunt Susie and Old Qiao beckoned, and the other hand involuntarily pinched the speech in his pocket, feeling a little dry.

　　 "Take a deep breath, don't be too nervous, it doesn't matter if you make a mistake." Michelle keenly noticed the changes in Song Ya's mood.

　　 "Thank you." Song Ya smiled at each other. Michelle was from the Donkey Party, and so was Underwood, who had not yet been there. Both were introduced by the principal, so the principal's political inclination was self-evident. According to regulations, public schools should be politically neutral. School funds, services, or resources must not be used to influence the election of government officials or party political activities, but what I did this time is definitely not a political activity, although It is a good opportunity for politicians to expose and please black voters.

　　 Speaking of speaking, I haven't seen Congressman Underwood himself. Song Ya looked for it. Except for the black female assistant and some reporters he had met, Congressman Underwood still missed the end.

"Ladies and gentlemen……"

The principal looked at his watch, and the agreed time came. After he spoke, the gym was quiet. When everyone sat down and started to look at the podium, he continued to make his opening speech, "Today is an honor for the school and Alexander Song. day……"

　　 He turned sideways and gestured to Song Ya. Song Ya felt everyone's eyes shift to him, and hurriedly stood up, showing a standard smile that he had practiced for a long time.

　　 "In order to affirm his achievements in music, the American Radio Music Association decided to accept him as a member. This is also the first...the youngest member of the association from our school..." the principal continued.

　　 Song Ya sat down.

　　 "Our school has been cultivating various art categories for many years and has cultivated...and other talents, which are inseparable from the professional hard work of the faculty and staff..."

"Here I also want BMI's recognition of our students, as well as... the selfless help provided by Dr. Michelle of the Affirmative Rights Association and Illinois Assemblyman Mr. Underwood. The chronic disease of racial discrimination has profoundly affected all aspects of Amerika. ..."

　　 "Below, please invite BMI's special representative... to issue a membership certificate to Student Song..."

　　 The principal finished speaking, stepped back and let out the podium.

A representative of the BMI from the three brothers stood in front of the podium, "Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to represent BMI............ BMI has struggled for many years on the front line of fighting racial discrimination. In the era of the most serious discrimination, Granted...and a series of membership qualifications for African-American artists...Today, I am honored to serve as a representative to present this certificate to Alexander Song..."

　　 BMI is very experienced in dealing with these kinds of crises. They did not send a white person, which would become a target of public criticism, nor did they send black people, which would appear deliberate. The dark-skinned third brother is a good candidate.

　　 Song Ya stepped forward and took the certificate from the third brother with both hands. Applause broke out in the audience in due course.

After the third brother retired, Hayden took the stage again and presented Song Ya with a transparent plastic trophy. "On behalf of... Magazine (a small media that has a good relationship with SBK Records), I will present the Amerika March Best Newcomer Composition Award to Alexander Song...in order to commend him for bringing us such excellent works as second-hand stores..."

　　 Song Ya took the trophy and Hayden blinked at him.

　　 "Thank you, thank you." After receiving things, Song Ya stood in front of the speech stage, put the trophy and certificate on the stage, and took out the speech script from his pocket.

"Thank you BMI for your personal affirmation and...magazine's absurd praise, ladies and gentlemen, I was born here and grew up here. As a poor and ordinary boy with a single parent family, I want to thank the whole society for its kindness to me. ..."

　　 As he talked, he gradually relaxed. While reading the manuscript, he was able to distract himself and observe the details of the face-to-face audience.

　　Daniel said that to help him understand how the entire American society works, now is the best empirical environment.

　　Daniel said, to be the ‘pointer’, at this moment, it is the result of his hard work.

He gave the principal a reason for encountering'racial discrimination' and a reason for an'awarding event'. He gave points, and the principal turned this reason into an actual political activity. The principal gave it to Congressman Underwood. He scores points with Dr. Michelle, while Senator Underwood and Dr. Michelle provide help to pressure BMI. They are also the ones who give points.

　　 Maybe, this is the essence of the operation of society.

"First of all, I want to thank my music teacher..." Song Yanian said here, controlling her facial muscles, and showing a grateful smile to the music teacher in the audience. "When I was full of doubts about music, it was your care and sternness to give again. I am confident that I will keep going on this road full of thorns. It is you who have given me all the conveniences for this poor boy, allowing me to concentrate on creating without interference in the school instrument storage room..."

When he was reading these, he saw everyone in the audience looking at the music teacher. The admiration in the eyes and the arc of the smile were all carved out of a mold, like a kind of ritual music defaulted by the society. ', a kind of'ritual', regardless of what is inside, the external performance must conform to the mainstream behavior pattern.

　　 The music teacher helped him, and he also reported the points. I don’t know what she will do with the points in the future. Maybe it’s the qualifications for promotion, maybe it’s something else. Of course, those have nothing to do with me.

"I also want to thank my math teacher..." Song Ya turned his gaze to the elegant old lady in the audience, "Without your encouragement and help, maybe I'm like those kids who give up on themselves, and start to focus on doing nothing. The fun, the gangsters, the drugs...I remember that after you gave me full marks, everyone called me A+. They used this as a nickname. I am very proud, so my signature in my work is A+, APLUS..."

　　 The old lady looked at herself with moist eyes, her eyes full of love, and she kept nodding slightly. Maybe he had already used the points for self-satisfaction in teaching and educating people.

　　 "I have to thank you, Aunt Susie..." He turned his gaze to Aunt Susie.

Aunt Susie knew nothing about this kind of "ritual" familiar to the teachers. She excitedly pointed to herself on the stage, showing off her talent RAP to the people next to her, "This is my sister's son. Raise him until he grows up..."

　　 "Also, my boss, Joe, hi, BOSS..." He looked at Old Joe.

　　 Old Qiao changed into a dark suit, handsome, smiled and stood up and made a few curtain calls around.

All of these were accompanied by bursts of applause of standard length and standard volume. These teachers may not like this time-consuming activity in their hearts, but the response given by everyone is impeccable. This is the quality of teaching. The worst public high school in the black ghetto.

　　 "Next, I would like to thank Dr. Michele for his hard work for me and for our African-American community in the fight against racial discrimination..."

　　 Following the principal, he turned sideways and looked at Dr. Michelle.

　　 Dr. Michelle stood up and greeted him. Senator Underwood sat on the outermost chair at some unknown time, and the reporter's flash light started to work.

"Finally, I have to thank someone, UU reading www.uukanshu.com for the community for many years..." Song Ya began to recite the lavish words provided by the Underwood Campaign Office, "Thank you, Congressman Underwood! "Finally, he said emotionally.

　　 The time and volume of applause under the stage began to increase dramatically.

　　 Underwood stood up, smiled and waved frequently. He was of medium height, plump but strong, with deep and firm eyes, and a unique temperament that was a mixture of aggressiveness and affinity. Song Ya had never seen him before, but he could guess his identity at a glance. In short, he must be a big man.

"thank you all!"

　　 When all this is over, Song Ya left the podium to Michelle and Underwood, "I have contributed a little bit of points for the two of them." He thought to himself.

　　 Michelle gave a wonderful speech on racial discrimination. She quoted widely, from Martin Luther King to Mandela, from the whole world to Chicago South City, Song Ya sounded just four words, unclear.

　　 Finally, it was the finale speech of Senator Underwood. He spoke very lively and humorously, very grounded, and interspersed with some self-deprecating short paragraphs.

　　 In addition to the gaze and applause, the audience also accurately responded to Underwood’s every little joke and laughed at the right time. The same, very standard.

　　 Finally, Underwood announced a government-funded project plan for schools.

　　 This time, with thunderous applause, the teachers stood up and clapped their hands, smiling more sincerely.

　　 It seems that for this media exposure and black votes, Underwood also brought a lot of points.

"thanks, thanks."

　　 Underwood stepped down, the principal had ordered everyone to line up and shook hands with Underwood one by one. The camera moved forward and started to shoot.

　　 A very perfect event.