From Laughs to Cheers--What should really be applauded!

"You have got to see this video!"  was the Facebook post attached to the below video.

I will go ahead and say it...um...it brought tears to my eyes (actually, I made one of my staff stop what they were doing and come watch the video--yes, they had tears as well!).  Here it is:

I am sure there are many reasons why viewers liked the video. I bet these two are at the top of many lists:

• The underdog proved the critics wrong (or "critic" Simon)
• The "I can't believe this unattractive person is on the stage"onlookers were brought to tears by the beauty of the singing (even a little painful to write the word "unattractive" because I do not believe, in my core, in this sizing-up-of-people type of assessment)

So what could be wrong with these two?  The boy's performance was what silenced the critics. Isn't that cool? Question, what if the song turned out horrible?  Would the critics and crowd be vindicated in their judgment of the young man?  

While I enjoyed the underdog win and critics brought to tears moment (I really enjoyed it!), what really impressed me was the young man's commitment to his friend.  Watch again if you missed it!
Simon told the young man that his friend was going to hurt his chances in the competition.  Even so, the young man chose his friend!  Remember, in the adolescent underground, the rules are different.
Rule of adult world:  Take care of you!
Rule of the adolescent underground: Don't abandon the abandoned!
This "rule" can often hurt a student when they fail to get adult help for a troubled friend.  However, in moments like demonstrated in this video, this rule is one of this generation's greatest assets and something we adults could learn a few lessons from.

QUESTION:  What other lessons can be drawn from this video?