Somerville Students' 'Mannequin Challenge' Featured by PBS NewsHour

SOMERVILLE, MA – The "Mannequin Challenge" is the latest trend to captivate America's youth, but it was Somerville High School's political spin on the craze that garnered the attention of PBS NewsHour.

A group of students at the school filtered their reactions to the presidential election through the lens of the "Mannequin Challenge" – a viral video trend where people are shown frozen in various poses.

This time, the video eschewed the zany and humorous tone of most "Mannequin" videos and instead reflected on the range of emotions students were feeling post-election. The video was set to a rendition of "Let It Be," as opposed to "Black Beatles" by rap duo Rae Sremmurd, a staple in "Mannequin Challenge" videos.

PBS NewsHour featured the video in its "Student Voices" section on Monday.

Kevin Dua, a history teacher at Somerville High School, helped the students organize the video. He was also behind another recent project where students "checked in" with their classmates and teachers by delivering messages of inspiration.

“I hope that the message is conveyed … that with our diverse children, there are those of us in the education realm that are trying to empower the generation to critically examine their world as equals. This is one of many ways that Somerville High School is exploring with this election,” Dua wrote in an email to PBS NewsHour.

Watch the video below:

Image via YouTube Screenshot