MWAH! Performing Arts Troupe focuses on teen issues in west-suburban Addison
The Addison Independent / Rock Valley Publishing
May 17, 2012
Written by Diane Junokas, Communications Director for the Addison School District
Sarah Saltiel of the MWAH! Performing Arts Troupe sends a melodic message to
Guillermo Rizo, a student at Indian Trail Junior High School in Addison, who
was recognized as a positive role model during a school assembly on May 18,
2012.
(photo by Sarah Minor of Addison Press / mysuburbanlife.com)
The suicide of a 10-year-old because of bullying, a crash that killed three teenagers because tbe driver had been 'huffing' compounds from an aerosol can, and the firing of a junior high wrestling coach because of his abuse of members of his team - true recent stories involving Illinois youth with implications for junior high students and staff in Addison.
These and other issues will be a focus by the MWAH! Performing Arts Troupe in two 90-minute presentations at Indian Trail Junior High School, located at 222 Kennedy Drive in Addison.
Ardizzone will review current procedures within the school for dealing with bullying, both in-person and via the social media, based on legislation passed last year by the Illinois General Assembly (House Bill 3281) and implemented January 1, impacting all schools in Illinois.
Among other issues will be the implications for Indian Trail Junior High students and staff regarding the shooting death of l7-yearold Trayvon Martin in Sanford, Florida and a deadly school shooting in Chardon, Ohio, allegedly by a student enrolled in an alternative school program - both incidents about three months ago.
On a more uplifting note, a dozen Indian Trail Junior High students and staff members will be recognized as 'heroes' for their leadership and how they've coped with personal challenges during the current school year.
In a rousing finale, a number of Indian Trail Junior High students will join the MWAHI troupe in a choreographed hip hop dance mix, having rehearsed together early on Monday morning.
About the MWAH! Ensemble… The essence of the 14-member MWAH! ensemble – an acronym for Messages Which Are Hopeful! – is real life drama combined with contemporary music and audience participation. Current troupe members, who range in age from 11 to 21, attend ten different schools, both public and parochial, and they live in eight communities including Wheaton, Naperville, Willowbrook, Yorkville, Aurora, and Warrenville.
The not-for-profit troupe is affiliated with Kids Do Count Inc. and the Chicago Area Project, a grass-roots service and advocacy agency based in downtown Chicago and part of an Illinois-wide community services network targeting at-risk youth. More information about the troupe is available at www.mwah.net .