By Jason Klaiber

Staff Writer

In a pair of hour-long assemblies last Friday, anti-bullying speaker Josh Drean brought his energetic and positive-thinking approach to East Syracuse-Minoa Central High School.

In his afternoon motivational speech, Drean related anecdotes to students from his own life ranging from being ignored and insulted as a Boston street performer to the importance of overcoming obstacles.

“I started to reconsider this great dream,” he said.

With little to lose, he then challenged the world-renowned performer Gene Shinozaki—who happened to be set up nearby in Downtown Crossing—to a beatboxing battle.

The two attracted a crowd of onlookers in a moment Drean proclaimed to be one of the “coolest” experiences of his life.

“There’s going to be so many negative voices in your life telling you that you can’t,” he said. “When you listen to them and you truly believe them, you miss those opportunities.”

Drean said people often miss their purpose in life, or their “because,” when they get sucked into others’ negativity.

He also spoke on his younger brother’s path as a middle school and high school cheerleader, a goal obstructed at points by taunting.

“Before you judge someone, before you say something cruel, before you do something that you know is not okay: stop and think,” Drean said.

Drean said he kept his brother from feeling alone and encouraged him to return to practice by joining the cheerleading team himself.

Using his later gig as a mascot at Brigham Young University as a symbol, Drean pointed to resiliency and empathy toward others as effective tools in embodying the ideal student.

“Remember to represent yourself, your family and your friends in a positive way when you come to school,” Drean said.