it is a rare occasion to meet someone for the first time and know instantly that they are going to be a part of creating a better future for all of us.

when i first met danielle bennett, she struck me with her confidence and bubbling enthusiasm. anyone who can capture the attention of an entire coffee shop during finals week (without being terrorized) should be admired. as her voice rang clearly throughout the trendy establishment, i watched the unassuming catch a glimpse of the vision that pries her eyes open each morning and fuels her for the revolution that is building inside of her.

a few weeks ago, she did it again. this time to a room full of USC students who sat on the floor of a classroom, listening to original music and taking in the creativity of their peers. her voice penetrated the room with an authority that begged all of us to listen more carefully to the cries of our own souls.

since you couldn't be there to hear her live, spoken version ...
Revolution

Contradiction is the key to change;
Passionate convictions rubbing against the grain
to gain progress
Like the civil rights weren't right
until another direction rose up and wrote their own destiny.
Like politics and pride pushed on a war,
but a roar pushed back from the children of the sixties.
What is it with those hippies?
We're quick to revert to the retro, flower power, free flowin' love,
but there might be more to speak of...
Now doing dope and drug dealing--
not exactly the best way
to numb the feeling of hopelessness.
But their gentle sway, yearning voices,
and desperate march made
a stark contrast to the darkness.
Bob Dylan, John Lennon, Janis Joplin,
simply singin' about the world they lived in.
Peeling back two fingers from the fighting fist
in pursuit of peace
Better to be starving on the streets
than a slave to the suit
They might have missed a note or two--
Forgetting justice is just as important as
seeking the truth.
But they hit the right chord by concluding
that complaining won't change the world's course
and that living the life they longed for
would be a fiercer force.
Is this what draws us in?
Makes us drop our jaws because we could have been
so bold?
We could be the story told
in years to come--
A radical generation living the solution
Feeding the fire of an irresistible revolution.