【ted talks on eroticism】

Last week,ted talks on eroticism students at Centennial High School in Columbus, Ohio, attended an hourlong assembly they'll never forget.

The lucky high schoolers got to watch John Legend play his hit songs "Love Me Now" and "All of Me" in their own gym. The unique performance was part of a program called Axe Senior Orientation, which brought Legend and the poet Carlos Andrés Gómez to the school to mentor three students and help them develop artistic pieces that challenge what it means to be masculine.

SEE ALSO: John Legend is going back to high school to help teens redefine what it means to be a man

The pilot program was the brainchild of Axe, the personal care line once best known for its macho advertising. But since the launch of its Find Your Magic campaign last year, the company has worked to tear down harmful stereotypes about what it means to be a man -- and it wants to increasingly take that conversation to young people.

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So with the help of Centennial High School administrators, Axe paired Legend and Gómez with three students: Deiontay Bowie, Aria Brent, and Kitano Watkins. At the assembly, the three students shared their personal commitment to create and foster "inclusive masculinity" amongst their peers and then performed poems they developed with their famous mentors.

Each of them composed powerful pieces that addressed myths and misconceptions about masculinity, urging fellow students to embrace themselves despite pressure to be someone else's version of a man.

If you're feeling pessimistic about the stereotypes that keep boys and men trapped in outdated gender roles, these poems will make you hopeful for the future.

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable John Legend takes a selfie with Centennial High School students. Credit: Getty Images for Axe Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

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