A lot of us grew up on the hit T.V. sitcom “Saved by the Bell,” and on Tuesday evening Millersville had the opportunity to watch Mr. Belding in Club De ’Ville. The UAB hosted the event.
Dennis Haskins a.k.a Mr. Belding was in town for the current NACCA Convention being held at the Lancaster Host Hotel.
Speaking in front of a crowded Club De ’Ville, Haskins enlightened students while sharing that classic principal role we all know so well.
Throughout the show, Haskins told many life stories from his early years at the University of Tennessee, Chattanooga up to his current appearance on “Men of a Certain Age.”
The show was centered around a question-and-answer hour by UAB member Andy Stine. Questions such as how he started his career, when he had his first big break, what college was like, how he came about obtaining his role on “Saved by the Bell,” and many others, made for a fun night.
The major theme was connecting the “dots” of life and staying on track no matter what challenges lie ahead.
He wanted to reach out to the students of Millersville.
“There aren’t any accidents along the road, so keep on traveling,” he said as he continued on with his story of how he got his first big break with “The Dukes of Hazzard.”
The questions turned to “Saved by the Bell,” and Haskins seemed to transcend the thought for which the show had grown so popular. “The show was about firsts, they were growing up the same way you were,” he said, talking about what it was like when Zach, A.C., Screech, and the others had to contend with becoming older.
He also talked about his favorite episodes “The Fabulous Belding Brothers,” which showed how he was there for the students and not his self interests. His least favorite episode was “Backstage Pass,” when he was forced to give Rachel a zero, which he later said was a point in the series where he was told to “shut up and do his job.”
Haskins was than asked about current events such as NBC’s problems with “The Tonight Show” feud between Conan O’Brien and Jay Leno. He was also asked about the Super Bowl, which he vied for neither team. The show winded down with a trivia contest and questions from the audience.
The forward looking principal that we are all used to knowing ended with us, the students having the ability to “turn the energy around” in our community and world.
He asks us to, “practice one random act of kindness” this week.
Before his exit, Haskins asked the crowd to yell their name all at once and then “remember how good it felt to say your name because you all are special.”
Loading ...