Waubonsie Valley students plan for South Africa tr

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Waubonsie Valley students plan for South Africa trip

June 2, 2008

By Henry McGinniss and Casey Fuess Special to The Sun

Editor's note: Students from Waubonsie Valley High School's Warriors Reaching Out program will spend two weeks in Cape Town, South Africa. They leave Wednesday for two weeks. The Sun will document in an occasional column from students what they learn on their trip half a world away.

Last year Waubonsie Valley High School's Mosaic Ensemble Choir performed for the South African Consulate in Chicago as part of South Africa's Freedom Day celebration. The Mosaic students performed African songs in native languages, and the response from the South Africans attending the event was overwhelmingly positive and unlike anything we had seen before. As we joyously celebrated that night at the consulate, the thought of traveling to South Africa on a stewardship trip was born.

One year later, our Warriors Reaching Out program has raised enough money to make the trip a reality. On June 4, 17 students will travel to Cape Town, South Africa, for two weeks. Getting to this point has been a journey. As we worked all year to make our trip a reality, we found ways to reach out into our own community. The response we have received from people and organizations that have been willing to help and share in our experience has been phenomenal.

It has been truly amazing to see something that began as simply an idea more than a year ago develop into an opportunity that will change us all. We hope with all of our hearts that our voices will be heard and that we can make even the slightest difference in this world.

Part of our trip will include sharing music with the community of Cape Town, but we also will construct and equip two Internet cafes so students at the LEAP Math and Science Academy have greater access to computers. We also will work with a peer mentoring organization to help educate young people about HIV and AIDS.

The most important message that we will deliver is the idea that so many different cultures can live so closely together and love one another. When we see the effectiveness of sharing music across cultures, we learn that we are more similar than we often think. We are truly blessed to live in a place where so many different ethnicities are celebrated.

When thinking about this trip, we think of how we can serve and make an impact on the lives of others; by doing so, we know we are going to receive so much in return. There is no doubt that this adventure will transform all of our lives, and we are excited to see the different people we will become.

Henry McGinniss is a Waubonsie Valley student with the class of 2010, and Casey Fuess graduated in 2007.

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Warriors reaching out
Africans' pride inspires local student

June 10, 2008

By Malini Kartha Special to The Sun

Editor's note: Students from Waubonsie Valley High School's Warriors Reaching Out program will spend two weeks in Cape Town, South Africa. They left Wednesday for two weeks. The Sun will document in an occasional column from students what they learn on their trip half a world away.

I feel guilty. Undeserving. As a 17-year-old, I have experienced more emotion in two days than I have for almost an entire school year. Waubonsie Valley High School has given me so many opportunities and numerous options for the future; but it is the people who have given me the strength to seize hold of each moment, the eyes to pursue my vision, to really push me further than I dare explore.

From the moment the plane touched down, I could see why South Africa is called one of the most beautiful countries. The energy of the streets and the polite ways of the people consume me with much guilt for never valuing these qualities before. Langa, a township that spreads in a 1-kilometer stretch, houses 100,000 people. The houses were built wall-to-wall, 100 people sharing five bathrooms. Yet, while visiting Langa, we were never asked to pity, sympathize or aid people financially. We were simply shown the resonating pride of the community.

It is that pride I am so jealous of. We as a society have been given so many opportunities, and yet there is minimal drive for success. But here, the LEAP school promotes learning for the sake of learning because the students have a thirst for knowledge. Ask a kid in the United States what he or she wants to be, and chances are the student won't know until after sampling different majors and sitting through many college classes. But at LEAP, the students are driven right from the beginning to just learn. Dr. Joy Ross, assistant principal at Waubonsie Valley, says students here "trust the process." They understand the value of the education they receive, never taking it for granted, and therefore are unafraid to pursue anything. Their confidence is overwhelming.

What impresses me again is the positive attitude that seems to radiate from within. When we visited the Gold Peer HIV/AIDS Education Development Program, the amount of hope seen in the teens was uplifting. America is such a vast country; it seems as if people have a thousand organizations to support - whether it is for school sports, community parks or fundraising for research. The Gold program's sole focus on the HIV/AIDS problem sweeping through not only Africa, but the world, made us realize we must evolve into a global community. If not in time for our generation, then at least for the sake of future generations.

We must recognize global issues, and HIV/AIDS is a prevalent one. The Gold students were our age, and they were putting themselves out there to help their country. Their compassion toward us, complete strangers, was striking. Can I ever say I put myself in harm's way because I am so desperate to help others? Hardly anyone can. Will I ever have that focus and vision? How can I say I have contributed to any cause, let alone a pandemic that has swept the world into crisis?

I refuse to return home and be the same person. The musical bond we seem to create wherever we go will never be forgotten. Our strength comes from the power of communication, and we will never feel the restrictions of borders. We will know the same pride and spirit we have seen.

Malini Kartha will be a senior this fall at Waubonsie Valley High School.

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Finding inspiration in least likely place
Student hears South African woman's tale

June 13, 2008Recommend
By Sean Roe Special to The Sun

Editor's note: Students from Waubonsie Valley High School's Warriors Reaching Out program will spend two weeks in Cape Town, South Africa. They left June 4 for two weeks. The Sun will document in an occasional column from students what they learn on their trip half a world away.

During the short time our group has spent in South Africa, we have found beauty and inspiration almost everywhere we have been. The people of Langa township shared their stories and their everyday lives with us and welcomed us into their community and into their church. At the LEAP School, we were greeted with smiling faces and beautiful music from the children. At the Gold HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention organization, we made real connections with other students our age, and also were praised for the gift of song that we brought to them.

While all of these were beautiful moments, I hadn't had that one special connection - heard that one amazing story that would really give me an understanding of the spirit of South Africa. That changed the morning one of our group leaders interviewed a hotel staff member in the hotel lobby. The staff member was Hazel, a black South African woman with a beautiful spirit and an amazing story. I quickly plopped myself down on a couch next to her as she began telling her story.

She first told us that Hazel isn't her birth name. It is that name that the hotel gave her in place of her traditional South African name. She then began to tell us of her struggle with apartheid. She told us about the conditions in which she lived and how she refused to move because she was proud of her home in South Africa. She said she and her brother had been politically involved during that time and her brother had been killed in protest. Hazel told us the history of the hotel and how it had been used as a prison.

She then began another story and directed it at me. When she was younger, she was trying to cross a bridge with a group of South Africans, and on the bridge, there was a white woman in a car. Hazel described what happened next as being at the wrong place at the wrong time. Some people in her group wanted to kill the white woman and beat her, but something told them not to, something told them it was wrong, and the white woman made it across the bridge unharmed.

She then touched my knee, looked at me and said, "We hated the white, but we have forgiven. One thing about South Africans, we cannot forget, but we learn to forgive." She stressed that we only get to live life once, so it's best to be joyful. All I could do was thank her and share her story with the others in our group. The people of South Africa don't want money or pity or sympathy, they want to tell their story, and they want someone to listen.

Sean Roe graduated from Waubonsie Valley High School in 2007.

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Visit to South African prison highlights struggle for freedom


June 17, 2008
By Malini Kartha Special to The Sun

Editor's note: Students from Waubonsie Valley High School's Warriors Reaching Out program will spend two weeks in Cape Town, South Africa. They left June 4. The Sun will document in an occasional column from students what they learn on their trip half a world away.

Sixty-nine/64. This number means nothing to you. Even the name Billy Nair seems unfamiliar, unimportant. Nair was actually the 69th prisoner in the year 1964 on Robben Island, numbered away as 69/64 in D Block with almost 40 other men. His identity was lost, except for that number.

And he was not alone. Nelson Mandela also was numbered away as 466/64 on Robben Island, where he spent years imprisoned during South Africa's Apartheid. Even our tour's bus driver spent years in a cell for participating in the 1987 student revolt.

Robert Sobukwe was another number, along with hundreds of other men who each received a number for their work as political activists in the Pan African Congress or other revolutionary ideas.
As our tour progressed, the building that held Sobukwe loomed on the right. Confined in a small building no larger than a cell, this man was considered the greatest threat to the South African government at one point in time. He was surrounded by a dog kennel, too dangerous for other prisoners to be around. Alone, stripped of pride and respect, Sobukwe also became an unknown, just like Mandela, just like Billy Nair.

When the bus tour ended, we entered the actual prison where the majority of men were held. Another tour guide showed us around the very prison he was kept in. He was also in D Block, but years after Nair and Mandela. Tortured for three days after his capture, he still thinks about the guilt that enveloped him for giving away information that saved him from brutality. He held up a large version of a prison identity card and it struck me - Billy Nair, prisoner 69/64, was a Hindu. He was of the same Indian caste as me. And yet, at Robben Island he was labeled as "colored" and locked up with hundreds of other men for his work as a political activist.

I realized that these men were not lost identities. They found camaraderie amongst each other, working in the same courtyard, suffering for the same cause. They found voices in the group that would eventually be strong enough to return to Robben Island, years later, to work on the same island that held them captive. These were not prisoners; they were merely paying their dues to the history of Apartheid. They were more than a number.

All of us on this amazing trip are more than just a number of tourists visiting South Africa to witness its turmoil and return home to forget it. We came to perform, to share, to grow and to build relationships. And I know in some way, we have done what the prisoners have done as well. We have built strong connections, and our thoughts will always return to this momentous trip. We are visiting the country for two weeks, but our whole lives will be about how the trip has changed us, and how we will carry forward the message of camaraderie.

Malini Kartha is scheduled to graduate with Waubonsie Valley High School's class of 2009.

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This is such an excellent series of articles.

Thank you, students, for making this very important trip and bearing witness. And thanks to these talented writers for so eloquently sharing their experiences with the rest of us.

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One word: Wow.

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Cape Town experiences will stay with students throughout lives

June 22, 2008
By Malini Kartha Special to The Sun

Editor's note: Students from Waubonsie Valley High School's Warriors Reaching Out program spent two weeks in Cape Town, South Africa. They left June 4. This column is the last in an occasional series from students who shared what they learned on their trip half a world away.

I wore my new South African soccer jersey all the way home to Chicago. Our memories will thrive forever in the countless shark-tooth necklaces we are wearing, the sea shells we preciously stored between our clothes, and the thousands of pictures we took. One student journaled for hours on the plane ride back. Of course, these reminders of our unbelievable trip will be shared with all of our family and friends, and the souvenirs will be reminders from time to time. But it won't stop there. It can't.

We carry something we cannot declare at customs, things that will not be jammed into an almost overweight suitcase. We are still carrying a country's history and pride with us, the people's warmth and the stories of their struggles still fresh in our minds.

But I worry about what happens when summer is almost over - our Mosaic Ensemble will split up as underclassmen return to Waubonsie Valley and the collegebound students part ways. How do we still connect ourselves to a continent 4,000 miles away?

Our ability to sing in Xhosa, the native tongue, made the people in Cape Town leap to their feet and sing along with us.

We'd like to think we instilled hope into those who saw us perform. We'd like to think that we proved to the South African community that we can stand strong together, as they are still struggling to defy racial prejudices. But aren't Americans still struggling to do the same? The only difference is the openness with which South Africans address it.

But instead of just us working for them, they gave us something else that many Americans lose so easily, so young. Passion, drive, ambition. That fire in your mind that won't go out, a vision, a purpose.

We each found a different one; we each connected in a different way, but the desire to change was unanimous. Whether it was a Waubonsie Valley staff member, a student, a parent, we all tried to take in the warmth of that passionate fire that these people exuded so naturally.

John Gilmore, the visionary founder of LEAP math and science schools, believes deeply that it is youth's turn to change the world. He said that his generation has made too many mistakes, has been too unforgiving. But our entire group knows differently. The fine educators in South Africa and those traveling from the states proved to us that they are genuine about making a difference.

Dr. Joy Ross, Waubonsie Valley's assistant principal, brought a group of 30-some people across the globe, uniting us through music and her energy. John Gilmore has laid the foundation for hundreds of children to look forward to a fulfilling future. One of our chaperones, Debra Newman-Roe, secured an industrial cargo container the size of a trailer that will be converted into an Internet café with 12 laptops donated by Dr. Ross' husband, Arthur, and JPMorgan Chase. This project will allow students to finally have a work place.

These adults, along with the other amazing chaperones on the trip and the great educators we were privileged to meet, believe that children are the future. They are the ones who allow the spark to ignite, the ones to kindle the flames in our hearts.

But the task is not easy. My generation is the one left to grow from Apartheid, the Civil Rights movement, 9/11, global warming. All sorts of prejudices arise from each of these and so many more global obstacles. Our group of 30-some adults and students were given an opportunity to grow.

We won't stop growing just because we've left the country. Instead, we head toward a global community. We will no longer be closed-minded about our society, but will use our new-found ambition to light the way into a promising future. Our memories will drive us, and our drive will teach others to expand horizons.

Will we ever again directly contribute to the LEAP kids, or will they ever humble us with their warm smiles again? It does not matter. They have graced us with their wisdom once, and that drive is enough to open our eyes to the future.

The bonds we formed, both musically and emotionally, are seared into our hearts and memories. And from those memories, we will be a new generation, looking forward.

Malini Kartha is part of Waubonsie Valley High School's class of 2009.

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www.suburbanchicagonews.com/foxvalleysun/lifestyles/1221003,2_6_5_FV16_AFRICATRIP_S1.article

WV choir wins friends by singing in native language


October 16, 2008
By JUDY BUCHENOT Special to The Sun

"Life-changing" is the term that both adults and students used when describing the Waubonsie Valley High School Mosaic Choir trip to South Africa in June. Choir director Mark Myers led a group of 14 students and 18 adults for the two-week experience.

One participant, Henry McGinniss, a junior at Waubonsie, has traveled to other countries with his family on several occasions but claimed none of his European travels "impacted my life this way."

Sinead deVries, a Waubonsie junior who lived in South Africa until she was 7-years-old, still said that she "grew in so many ways on this trip."

Deb Newman Roe, a Waubonsie parent who served as a chaperone on the trip, said, "What we came away with was a new found humility and understanding about what is important in life."

The group started learning as soon as they arrived. "South Africa was not what I expected," said McGinniss. "There were no lions walking everywhere or anything like that. It was totally urban but not like our cities. There were some big buildings but there were also lots of huts and shacks. When I got off the plane, it was a huge culture shock. As a white male, I have never been the minority. When I stepped off the plane, I was the minority for the first time in my life."

"I couldn't wait to show my friends South Africa," said deVries. "Everyone thinks it's a jungle, barbaric and all wild, but I remember it from when I lived there and it is gorgeous.

"I wanted to show everyone what an awesome place it is. But I saw some new things this time. I lived in Cape Town and went to a private all-girls school so I was never exposed to the serious poverty that I now know is there."

Apartheid's impact

The group stayed in a Cape Town hotel but met frequently with students from the LEAP science and math school. This privately funded school in South Africa provides a free education to promising students.

"I knew about apartheid," said Myers. "But I had no idea that it had permeated all parts of life, including the schools. There used to be three separate curriculums for schools. One for whites, one for colored and one for blacks. The curriculum for blacks did not include math or science or technology because it was believed that they did not need to know those skills."

The education level of this entire race has been affected by this inequity. The founder of the LEAP School, John Gilmour, opened the school as an effort to give impoverished students a chance to improve their skills and be admitted into advanced learning institutions.

The school's name is an acronym for Leadership, Effectiveness, Accountability and Professionalism. Students are given daily lessons in these areas in addition to academics.

"The school helped me see how important a sense of community is in education," Myers said.

When Waubonsie students first met the South African students, there was a period of awkwardness. But Myers had wisely equipped the choir with the tools to connect.

"Mr. Myers prepared the students to sing songs in the native languages with all the right movements," said Newman Roe. "There was instant recognition." Most of the songs were performed without accompaniment or a stage. The students sang in classrooms, courtyards, lobbies and parks.

Making connections

Videos from the trip show Waubonsie students line up to sing in front of student groups. The audience sits quietly until the Waubonsie students start to sing a song in the language spoken by the audience. The faces of young people and adults in the audience first show surprise and then fill with smiles of pride and kinship. Some audience members wave or stand in excitement.

When the Waubonsie students add the traditional movements to go along with the songs, the audience begins to move with them and many begin to sing along. The sense of connection between the groups of students from different continents is visible as they share a common song.

"The people watching always went wild when we sang their songs," said Myers. "One of the school principals told me that his students were surprised that anyone cared enough about them to learn their language. They felt honored that we shared their culture. My students were just amazed at the power of music to bring people together and connect. One night, we talked for hours about the experience."

"Wherever we were, the students stopped and sang," said Newman Roe. "And there would be an immediate crowd. These students were truly emissaries and music was their vehicle."

A look at poverty

The students visited several schools and came face to face with extreme poverty. One day, the Waubonsie students joined in a peer education program where at-risk youth are encouraged to take on long-term goals. "So many who are poor can't see beyond getting through the next day," said Myers. "Our students met with them and talked about positive goals while completing art projects together."

The Waubonsie students also became aware of the tremendous toll HIV and AIDS is having in this region. The students spent a day with a community outreach program for youth who are affected by HIV and AIDS either by having contracted the virus or by having lost their parents to AIDS. Hearing the stories of these young people was a powerful experience.

The group was able to make a difference in a community during their trip thanks to Newman Roe and her business connections. Newman Roe, who is a member of the Sunrise Rotary in Naperville, was able to get a large shipping container about the size of a railroad boxcar donated to a local school. The container was outfitted with counters and security features. A dozen laptop computers and Internet access were also donated. The shipping container became the new study center for the towns' students. "We left something that is permanent that will change lives," she says. Before she left, Newman Roe was asked if she could help set up a study center for another town and she has taken on that challenge.

Group members said they felt they connected with the people they met. "I can't begin to explain how this trip has impacted me," said McGinniss. "It broke down a lot of barriers and I feel comfortable now taking to people of different races."

"I watched our students interact with students who were profoundly poor, had numerous health challenged and very different lifestyles" Newman Roe said. "And then I watched them find out they are the same in so many ways. They loved the same music and the same celebrities. I truly believe that Waubonsie is on the cutting edge of education as they teach kids how to be better citizens in the community. If every school provided this opportunity, it would be a better world."

Myers agreed, "I think the kids came home better people and better global citizens. It is important for them to understand how to connect with and respect other cultures. It felt great to be a part of that."

The catalyst for many of the experiences on this trip was music. The students claim they connected though song whether signing in a classroom or in a public park.

"I am so amazed at the power of music to bring people together," said Brittney Thomas, a choir member who was on the trip. "I want to learn every song from every country so that wherever I go, I can say, 'Hey, I know your song.' "