Powerful, yet hopeful messages at Parkside Middle School in Peru, Illinois
March 22, 2011
Published: Tuesday, March 22, 2011
NewsTribune
March 22, 2011
The suicide one year earlier of his classmate, Arie Boggio, was a focus by Shawn Conerton of the MWAH! Performing Arts Troupe as part of a 90-minute, issues-oriented performance by the teenage troupe on March 21, 2011 at Parkside Middle School in Peru, Illinois (top photo). Arie Boggio and Shawn were sophomores at Putnam County High School in Granville, located about 10 miles from Peru. Shawn told the audience about Arie's loss to him and her family, school, and community. He then sang an emotional, but uplifting song, 'Just Breathe', in Arie's memory. Also noted was the suicide, also in 2010, of Dylan Wagner, 15, of Batavia, Illinois who now lies at rest in a cemetery in Granville.
Among the Parkside students and staff members recognized for their achievements during the assembly was eighth grader Kristi 'Kribby' Wallin, president of the school's Student Council. She was serenaded with the song 'We Belong Together' by MWAH! artists Shawn Conerton, Mason Ridenour, and Rob Delgado (left to right in second photo from top). The school principal, Lori Madden, spoke about seven Parkside 'heroes' as a lead-in to a troupe song dedicated to them.
Officer Amy Sines of the Peru Police Department (third photo from top) commented on options available to Parkside students who are targeted for bullying - both in person and online, and Illinois State Representative Frank Mautino from Spring Valley, near LaSalle and Peru, (fourth photo from top) discussed recent legislation on cyber-bullying passed by the Illinois General Assembly in Springfield and signed into law by Governor Pat Quinn and how these laws relate to current enforcement by Officer Sines and other law enforcement officials throughout Illinois.
MWAH! artist Shealeigh Voitl (bottom photo) told the audience how she was bullied during her elementary school years because of her passion for singing and how she's been able to respond to that challenge now as a middle school student. Accompanied by Shawn on guitar, Shealeigh followed her comments with the Taylor Swift song 'Mean'.
An affiliate of the Chicago Area Project, an outreach service and advocacy agency that's based in downtown Chicago, the not-for-profit MWAH! troupe has partnered with various other service-related agencies throughout Illinois for its performances. Joining the troupe at Parkside for comments about her agency serving at-risk youth and families in six counties in north-central Illinois was Nan Butler, development director for the Youth Service Bureau of Illinois Valley.
In a story published March 22, 2011 in the NewsTribune newspaper, reporter Jeff Dankert described some of the more serious portions of the MWAH! troupe's appearance at Parkside as 'the power of love and the weakness of hate'.
For more information about MWAH! or to book an event, call Moffitt at 630-993-0003, or visit the website MWAH! page.
