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Choices.
We make them every day in our lives, usually with little or no consequences to ourselves or the people we love.
But when the consequences of those choices can mean the difference between life and death, they take on a much greater meaning.
So to help get that message across, Conrady Junior High School in Hickory Hills brought in a professional Performing Arts Troupe to show students what happens when "bad choices" are made.
MWAH!, which stands for "Messages Which Are Hopeful!," performed two energy-packed, 90-minute shows in the school's gymnasium.
School social workers Allison Levy and Nancy Fielding were instrumental in bring MWAH! to Conrady.
Troupe members, who range in age from 11 to 20, travel throughout the state incorporating songs, skits, dance and audience interaction to focus on a range of issues.
Those issues include: suicide, bullying, cultural diversity, racial tolerance, abusive teen relationships and alcohol and drug abuse. These were all issues teens deal with on a nearly daily basis.
Conrady students heard moving stories of other teens who lost their lives as a result of bullying, physical and emotional abuse or the underage use of alcohol.
Others made "bad choices."
These were real stories of their peers who, but for that one 'bad' choice, would still be alive today.
Conrady Dean of Students Jen Nichols reminded students about the school's bullying policy and told them of the importance of reporting bullying.
"We need to be a community that is free of bullying," she said.
MWAH!'s cast stressed that "violence is never the answer" and that "suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem."
MWAH! represented a diverse ethnic and cultural background and members conveyed a message of hope and promise for the future.
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