Carlos Mencia Talks Education

 By Tom Bryant
Lancaster -- Television and stage star Carlos Mencia came to Lancaster Friday to deliver a message, "education". Known on stage as a stand up comedian, television and movie actor, Mencia came to Lancaster for one reason, to get the message out that our youth of today must finish their education.

Carlos Mencia came to Lancaster Friday on the invitation of the East Side High School Principal Dr. Joe Kelly and Aaron Ritter, to speak to the student body about staying in school and getting a valued education.

Speaking exclusively with AVNEWS, Mencia said that life was different thirty years ago as he grew up. Today there is "Twitter, Internet, MySpace, facebook, and so much communication" that children see more then an earlier generation ever did and that there is so much stress.  "Scared straight always works, but other programs need to work as well" said Mencia. This is "a great opportunity to talk to kids" and "connecting with the average person". Mencia went on to say that there "is wealth in knowledge" and that if he could "touch one kid" it would make all of the difference. "What get's lost, is the ramifications from lack of an education", and that "it affects more then one person in the end, and it will come back to haunt you" added Mencia.

Dr. David Vierra was on hand who said that Mencia had a "wonderful message for the student body" and was quite pleased with the support from all of the students and staff.

Mencia then addressed the gymnasium, which was full of eager high schoolers who gave him a rousing applause as he was introduced. Mencia then covered many topics but was stressing education throughout his 40 minute talk and introduced humor into what he said which he is so famous for.

Speaking before two packed assemblies in the Eastside Gymnasium, Mencia told of growing up in the projects and how he had been shot at "fifteen times and stabbed three times" and had never "been in a gang". Mencia said how he did not want his children to grow up in the projects and go through what he went through and his only escape was through education.

"You can get angry and your parents, you can get angry at your teachers, that's cool, but all the things that you do right now is not going to affect anyone else more then it will affect you for the rest of your life", Mencia told the students.

"You cannot use racism as an excuse not to excel, a black man is president, the slave is running the plantation" said Mencia. "Remember, you live in America, the greatest country in the world"

When asked by a student if he felt he was funnier then George Lopez, Mencia said, "you just have to be the best person you can possibly be".

Mencia wasn't paid to speak to the students, he came on his own after his niece Giselle who is an Instructional Coach at the school, asked him to speak to the students. Following his second assembly talk, Mencia was off to Littlerock High School where he was going to speak to those students and to continue in getting his educational message out.

Carlos Mencia is known for his antics, humor and acting, but he is serious about telling young people to stay in school.

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