A Plea from a Wheaton Father at Robert Frost Junior High School in Schaumburg on Monday, November 24

(Schaumburg, Illinois)

Posted November 20, 2014 by the Chicago Tribune (Trib Local Online)

By Trib Local Contributing Writer: Ray Moffitt.

A Wheaton father, Joel Clousing, whose adopted son, Keenan, died nearly nine months ago at the the age of 19 from a heroin overdose, will deliver personal testimony from his son and a plea from himself as part of an issues–oriented presentation by the MWAH! Performing Arts Troupe at a middle school in Schaumburg on Monday morning, November 24, 2014. The 90–minute presentation will begin at 8:00 a.m. at Robert Frost Junior High School, located at 320 West Wise Road.

Also participating will be Jennifer Higgins, whose son, Joshua Wilson, committed bullying–related suicide at the age of 12 a year ago this past summer.

The presentation will be followed by discussions in all classrooms, focusing on these and other youth related issues which had just been presented and how the issues relate to Robert Frost students and their families.

The presentation also will focus on such current national and international issues as the shooting three months ago by a white police officer of an unarmed black teenager in Ferguson, Missouri; the response to the beheading of a third American, Peter Kassig, of Indianapolis, by the militant Islamic State (ISIS); and the empowering response from a young Hispanic youth who had received racial slurs for his singing the National Anthem during an NBA finals game.

Abusive relationship segments – child abuse and boyfriend–girlfriend abusive relationships – will include a reference to recent reports of domestic violence involv ing National Football League players, including the NFL suspension on November 18 of Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson for physically abusing his four–year–old son.

Participating with the MWAH! troupe (acronym for Messages Which Are Hopeful!) will be a choral ensemble from Robert Frost Junior High School in a song 'Nothing More,' which was written in memory of one of the first grade victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting 23 months ago. In a rousing upbeat finale, a number of Robert Frost students will join MWAH! troupe members in a choreographed dance production, having rehearsed together earlier Monday morning.

Five Robert Frost Junior High students will be recognized through song as 'heroes' for their leadership in reaching out to others and for having successfully overcome some personal challenges.

The essence of the 11–member MWAH! ensemble, ranging in age from 8 to 17,  from various western suburbs of Chicago and from the Rockford area, is real life drama, combined with contemporary music

11/20/2014 A Plea from a Wheaton Father at Robert Frost Middle School in Schaumburg on Monday, November 24 – Chicago Tribune
Copyright © 2014, Chicago Tribune (Trib Local Online)

Click on MWAH! for more information about the MWAH! program.