User:Ben.metelits
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Benjamin Metelits (born September 10, 1982) is a medical student at NYU. He is also an actor, filmmaker, and scientist.
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[edit] Early Life
Benjamin Metelits was born to a Jewish family (Hebrew name: Ben Chaim Mordechai Raphael) in Phoenix, Arizona. His father, Joel Metelits is a physician at Thunderbird Internal Medicine and his mother, Debra Metelits, is a high school English Teacher. His sister, Rachel Metelits, is a gender and sexuality major at NYU. He attended Central High School and graduated as valedictorian in 2001.
[edit] Controversy
Benjamin Metelits was named valedictorian of his Central High School class of 2010. After delivering his graduation speech, Metelits blasted Right Said Fred's "I'm too sexy" over the loudspeakers and then proceeded to strip down to a red, sparkling male g-string. In addition to extensive press coverage in the Arizona Republic, the event garnered national attention on networks such as NBC and CNN.[citation needed] In his speech, Metelits lambasted the academic environment that encourages students to bitterly compete against one another in order to receive accolades for college. He criticized his own role in perpetuating such values by refraining from taking the "non-Honors" classes he wanted which would have depressed his GPA and precluded him from placing first in his class. Attorney Gary Peter Klahr, a member of the Phoenix Union governing board who was present on stage suggested Ben be prosecuted for indecency. No charges were ever brought up against Metelits, though he did write a public apology to classmates, their families, and the faculty and performed 50 hours of community service.
The following is a reproduction of the editorial written in the Arizona Republic on May 25, 2001:
Now that I've got your attention, I want to apologize for any damage that I caused last week at Central High School's graduation. My intentions were not malicious. The last thing I wanted to do was usurp students of the rightful dignity, pride, and sense of accomplishment. I feel terrible that I may have ruined anyone's special moment. In fact, I have written many heartfelt letters of apology and will soon begin my community service for the district.
The target of my speech was a school system and a society which place an inordinate emphasis on Grade Point Average (GPA). I am most certainly not belittling knowledge and achievement, only the devices that measure them.
Nearly everyone has endorsed the idea that high grades mean success and status. I wish I could have recognized this falsity sooner. I wish I could have been less hard on myself and more free.
The GPA system is an extremely flawed one in which "honors" students are penalized for taking "non-honors" classes. An honors course yields 5 points toward a GPA, while a non-honors yield only 4 points.
I took only those non-honors courses which were required. Therefore, my GPA was reduced to 4.846, and would have been lower still if I'd taken more non-honors courses. This was a great shame because I would have loved to take another year of drama, or explore ceramics or photography.
Real learning and wisdom would have meant swallowing my pride and accepting a lower GPA. My award has as much to do with strategy as with honor and intelligence. Many students had straight A's, yet were not honored because of taking electives.
I have felt pushed by my parents, teachers and administrators to succeed. This, coupled with my own sense of inadequacy, caused me to crave positive recognition. I was often made fun of by students and teachers when I failed to meet their own high expectations.
I never claimed to be above anyone else - but because I was treated as though I was better, I felt I had to be perfect. To emphasize that I was no greater than my peers, I attempted to "lower" myself via the striptease. (Perhaps I overshot my mark.) I wish I could have expressed myself less offensively.
I am opposed to a system which designates a valedictorian solely on GPA. When asked to speak, I vowed not to deliver another pretentious address, hackneyed with cliches about today and tomorrow and pride. Love me or hate me - I would rather be known as a high-school stripper than a slave, branded 4.846.'
http://www.arizonarepublic.com/opinions/articles/0525breakout251.html
http://iiiii.com/webnews/voynews/m/1292.html
http://www.interversity.org/lists/arn-l/archives/May2001/msg01052.html
http://asdf.org/~anna/clip/may2001.html
[edit] College Life
Ben attended the University of Arizona where he graduated with a B.S. in Molecular and Cellular Biology. In 2002, Ben started his own taxicab company, Ben's Cheap Ass Cab. He obtained a business license from the City of Tucson and operated the business using his own car and cell phone. Although the business was quite profitable, he closed it in 2003 after becoming disillusioned with vomit spills.
In 2004, Metelits was hospitalized at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, CA. He had been diagnosed with ulcerative colitis in 2000 but after several relapses, he required an immediate colectomy. During surgery, his bowel ruptured and he became septic, necessitating two weeks in the ICU. During the three months that he was hospitalized, he lost over 60lbs.
[edit] Medical School
Ben is currently a 2nd year medical student at NYU School of Medicine. He is an active member of the medical school improvisational comedy troupe, Humerus a.k.a "Funny Bone." He has also filmed a number of parody music videos and skits on Youtube.com such as "No Scrubs," "Pink and Purple Haze: A Psychedelic Histologic Rock Journey," "I got bugs in low places" and "Shafland Suprise!"
http://www.arizonarepublic.com/opinions/articles/0525breakout251.html
