The Register-Mail
Saturday, September 9, 2006
'Make the right choices'
By JANE CARLSON
ABINGDON - The MWAH! Performing Arts Troupe delivered many messages to Abingdon teenagers Friday afternoon.Wearing distressed jeans, a T-shirt, flip-flops and a cowboy hat, 15-year-old Michael Todd Emery crooned the lyrics to "Wait Awhile," a song he wrote himself and debuted during Friday's assembly for middle school and high school students in the Abingdon High School auditorium. sans-serif">Through Emery's song about abstinence and other songs, as well as high-energy hip hop dance and skits on issues from racism and hate crimes to bullying and jealousy, the Chicago-area group spun a positive message from tough topics.
"When violence is used as a way to deal with problems, that's not what love is all about," said 10-year-old David "DC" Scarzone during a skit about abusive teen dating relationships.
MWAH! - which stands for Messages Which Are Hopeful! - is a seven-member troupe of performers ranging in age from 10 to 18 who live in the western suburbs of Aurora, Naperville, Elmhurst and Wheaton.
The group performed at Galesburg High School in November of last year. Abingdon High School Principal Chad Cox and middle school principal Stan Adcock attended that performance.
"We decided it was something we'd like to bring to Abingdon," said Cox.
Cox said teenagers are constantly being told not to do certain things and how to act in certain situations, but he said he hopes the students take away a very important message from the MWAH! performance.
"We just want students to think before they act," said Cox.
Joanne Murdock drove that message home for the students. Surrounded by pictures of her teenage son, Ryan, a Rockridge High School graduate who was killed in an alcohol-related car crash in 2005, Murdock brought many students to tears with her pleas for teenagers to think about their actions.
"I want to leave you with this message," said a tearful Murdock. "Remember the MWAH! performance and make the right choices."
Following Murdock's presentation, Sgt. Thomas J. Burek of the Illinois State Police echoed her sentiments.
"This is all about choices today," said Burek.
The 90-minute assembly also featured guest performances by two eighth-grade students from Wethersfield Junior High School in Kewanee who attended a MWAH! show in May.
AHS senior Sharayah Keller said she thinks parents would have benefitted from attending the performance as well.
"It would really help them understand how we think," she said.
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On the Net:
MWAH! Performing Arts Troupe: www.mwah.net
KENT KRIEGSHAUSER/The Register-Mail
Members of the touring group, Messages Which Are Hopeful!,
perform "Don't Laugh at Me" during a Friday afternoon show
at Abingdon High School. The performing arts troupe passes
along messages of coping and self-control through entertainment.
