Messages of Hope: Troupe shares life lessons with area students.
The Times in Ottawa, Illinois
October 11, 2011 9:22 pm
(Photo: Tom Sistak)
Robert Delgado and Mason Ridenour, with the Messages Which Are Hopeful! performing arts troupe, serenade Wallace Elementary School student Alexis McDonnell during a special assembly Tuesday. MWAH! uses dance, song and skits to tackle issues like bullying, drinking and driving and tolerance.
The members of the youthful MWAH! Performing Arts Troupe as they appeared at
Wallace Grade School near Ottawa, Illinois on October 11, 2011 are
(front
row from left) Ashley Stonehouse, Taylor Oechsel, Chris Honn, and Chris
Oechsel.
In the second row are Jake Smith, Mason Ridenour, and Wynd
Ridenour and
in the third row are Shawn Conerton, Rachel Plasch, Rob
Delgado, Alex Oechsel, Lexi Parr, and Sarah Saltiel.
(photo by Jeremy Reed
of Impact Life Photography)
By Melissa Garzanelli, melissag@mywebtimes.com, 815-431-4049
Teens face a multitude of issues today. But that doesn't mean there isn't hope.
The performing arts troupe Messages Which Are Hopeful! visited Wallace Elementary School Tuesday to speak to middle school students about topics like tolerance, bullying, abusive relationships and making smart choices when they eventually get a driver's license.
Middle school students from Waltham Elementary and Rutland Elementary schools also were invited.
MWAH! uses singing, dancing and skits by performers ages 11 to 20 to drive home its messages. The nonprofit group is affiliated with Kids Do Count 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 youths and their families.
Accepting those who are different was a key message throughout the 90-minute presentation, as well as treating others with kindness and respect. The group used real-world examples of young people who ended their own lives due to being bullied by classmates.
"Think before you text or tweet, before you blog, before you speak," said one performer. "What you say can save a life or end one."
While students can't yet drive, the troupe shared reminders about drinking and driving, driving recklessly or texting while driving — messages the audience members can share with older siblings or parents. And lessons they can remember when they do get to drive.
Six students, two from each school, were singled out to be honored for their academic success and character, each being chosen as a role model at their respective schools. Those chosen were Melanie Wilson and Adam Kamke of Waltham; Carter Gualandri and Kapitola VanMill of Rutland; and Keating Rombach and Jaclyn Shea of Wallace.
State Sen. Sue Rezin, R-Morris, joined MWAH! for a portion of the program on cyberbullying, discussing legislation enacted to keep students safer online. She said 30 percent of students in sixth through 10th grade have been bullied online and girls are twice as likely as boys to harass a classmate on the Internet.
Rezin advised students who are being bullied to tell a friend, family member or teacher so they can help, to go offline to get away from the harassment and not allow the bully power over their lives.
This was Rezin's first time working with the group and she was impressed by how well the young people shared their message.
"These are people the kids can relate to," she said. "We as parents and teachers can talk all we want, but seeing the real life results of these choices is the best way to deliver the message."
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