And it was hard! He made us work really hard and bear full responsibility for every plan and action. He cared so much about every student, to the point where we even felt bad that we didn’t care enough. But he was never a guilt-tripper. I think that’s one of the biggest things I learned. You can make people feel guilty- unintentionally- but does that really do anything? The point is to get people to DO something, right? And Mr. Cone really made us think harder than ever.

Though I wasn’t in Model UN my senior year in high school, Mr. Cone invited me to join an independent studies “book club” that he wanted to organize after school with about 7 other students. I never would have picked up some of the best reads of my life– Jeffrey Sachs’ The End of Poverty, articles about social justice in education, The Price of a Dream– if it weren’t for Mr. Cone.

Some of the deepest, most uncomfortable conversations took place between me, my peers, and Mr. Cone. One of the questions that resonated most with me was set up by Mr. Cone– he always tried to get us trapped in a corner of thoughts. He said, “Mahatma Ghandi once said ‘poverty is the worst form of violence.’ Do you agree?” We did. Then he asked, “Do you think violence can ever combat violence?” And we said, “well, depending on the circumstances.” And then the biggie, “So then can you justify using violence to combat poverty?” I was stunned. I even asked that question to Dr. Paul Farmer when I met him. (Again, one of the many opportunities I’ve had with Mr. Cone).

I think it’s awesome to attribute great times and experiences to Mr. Cone, such as getting to meet Dr. Paul Farmer, raising tens of thousands of dollars for Partners in Health, and getting to (literally) call and talk to people such as Muhammad Yunus (founder of Grameen Foundation, a partner of ONE), Colin Powell, Bill Ayers, and Adam Hochschild. It was really incredible.

But really, Mr. Cone taught me to really think, care, and act. I don’t think I would be as passionate about social justice, international relations, global poverty, and other things (like really good food and running)– and truly passionate about them– if Mr. Cone hadn’t made me think about them for myself. It never was spoon-feeding (I’m very anti spoon-feeding); but really, I think you need someone like Mr. Cone to prompt you to first think on your own, question your motivation, and guide you to a conclusion no matter what way you take!