Performing Arts Troupe Spotlights Life and Death Issues
Messages from MWAH! to Churchville Middle School in Elmhurst
December 2, 2013
The Elmhurst Patch
By Karen Chadra, News Editor
MWAH! artist Taylor Oechsel, an eighth grader at Washington Junior High
School in Naperville, speaks to the Churchville Middle School audience on
December 2 about the suicide in September of 12–year–old Rebecca Ann
Sedwick, who had been cyber-bullied for nearly a year by as many as 15 other
girls, starting over a boy.
(photos by Dan Williams of Lifeworks Photography
in Rochelle, Illinois)
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MWAH! artist Rob Delgado (right), a senior at Yorkville High School, has
chosen Destiny Burnett, a Churchville Middle School eighth grader, for a
special song during the all-school assembly on December 2. Jacob Metoyer
(left), a senior at Lake Park High School in Roselle, is about to make a
move on Destiny as he, Rob, and a third MWAH! vocalist, Landon Ballard,
compete for Destiny's attention. Luke Ballard, a guitarist from Rockford,
actually comes up the winner, walking away with Destiny, to the dismay of
the three MWAH! vocalists. Destiny, who has hosted a Churchville talent
show, hopes to become a fashion designer.
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MWAH! artist Taylor Oechsel, wearing a patriotic shirt, leads about 50
Churchville Middle School students in a hip hop dance rehearsal prior to the
90–minute
issues–oriented performance with its exciting dance finale.
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MWAH! artist Jacob Metoyer (blue shirt) energizes the Churchville audience
during the song 'Lean On Me' near the close of the 90–minute all–school
assembly at the Elmhurst school as other MWAH! cast members and Churchville
dancers share their enthusiasm from the stage.
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MWAH! troupe member Zorian Schiffman, an eighth grader at Sandburg Middle
School in Elmhurst, speaks during the Churchville performance about
Sebastien De La Cruz, an 11–year–old Mexican American, who sang the Star
Spangled Banner at the NBA Finals last spring involving the Miami Heat and
the San Antonio Spurs. Sebastien received extensive negative racial
backlash following his nationally televised appearance, but he learned how
to deal with it. Two nights later, when Sebastien was invited back to sing
for the next Heat–Spurs game, he received a thunderous ovation from both San
Antonio and Miami fans.
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Participating with the MWAH! troupe during its December 2 presentation at
Churchville Middle School in Elmhurst was John Roberts, currently the Chief
of Police for the Cook County Forest Preserve District. Chief Roberts, a
former captain with the Chicago Police Department, lost his son, Billy, to a
heroin overdose on September 20, 2009, at the age of 19.
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Elmhurst – Retired Chicago Police Capt. John Roberts knows about loss and grief and substance abuse. His teenage son, Billy, died of a heroin overdose in 2009.
Since surviving that devastation, he has made it his mission to do everything he can to save others. He speaks on panels , he founded GRASP (Grief Recovery After a Substance Passing), and last Monday, he joined the teen performing arts troupe, MWAH!, to help bring their message to students at Churchville Middle School in Elmhurst.
The director of MWAH! is Ray Moffitt of Elmhurst, but it's been about four years since the troupe has performed in Elmhurst, Moffitt said. The essence of the 13–member ensemble is real–life drama combined with contemporary music and lots of audience interaction.
Substance abuse is just one of the topics tackled by MWAH!, which stands for Messages Which Are Hopeful. Awareness and choices are common themes. Cyber–bullying, depression and suicide, divorce, discrimination, abusive relationships and other real–life issues were among the topics presented to students at Churchville.
The troupe spoke to Churchville students about the suicide last September of 12–year–old Rebecca Ann Sedwick, who had been cyber–bullied for nearly a year by as many as 15 girls. Unable to confide in anyone she could trust, she went to an abandoned concrete plant, climbed a tower and jumped.
Students also heard about Sebastien De La Cruz, an 11–year–old Mexican–American who sang the Star Spangled Banner at the NBA finals last spring, when the Miami Heat played the San Antonio Spurs. Sebastien received extensive racial backlash following his nationally televised appearance, but he was able to deal with it. Two nights later, when he was invited back to sing for the next game, he received a thunderous ovation from both San Antonio and Miami fans.
The objective of MWAH! is to get Churchville students to think about real, life–and–death issues presented by their peers, then relate the messages to their own lives.
Eight Churchville students also were recognized by MWAH! for their leadership and accomplishments, and two staff members were honored for their unconditional efforts on behalf of their students.
In the rousing finale, about three dozen Churchville students joined the MWAH! troup in a choreographed hip–hop dance they rehearsed together earlier in the day.
Zorian Schiffman, Sandburg Middle School eighth–grader and Elmhurst resident, is one of the 12 members of MWAH!. Cast members range in age from 12 to 18 and attend 11 schools in seven towns in the western suburbs.
The troupe is affiliated with Kids Do Count and the Chicago Area Project, a grassroots service and advocacy program based in downtown Chicago that targets at–risk kids and their families. For more information, visit www.mwah.net.
Thanks to this story's source: Elmhurst Patch story