"Justice or Just Us" media contest: The Rumi Forum Way back in October, a friend of mine suggested that she, I, and another friend of ours should make a short film and submit it to this competition being held by Rumi Forum, an organization that focuses on bringing people of all backgrounds together. The theme was “Justice or Just Us”. My friend had written a beautiful poem called “To Our Future” that fit extremely well with the theme of social and environmental justice. We planned out the video, rented some fancy and expensive film equipment from UVA, and got to it. We asked one of our neighbors to star as the little girl in the film and pretty much just filmed her running around the trails behind our neighborhoods. We got some really beautiful shots with the camera. After filming, we edited the videos together and my friend read her poem as a voice over. Our original ideas were a lot more elaborate than our final project, but we were all super proud of it when it was all edited and put together. We submitted it to the contest, and to be perfectly honest, I kind of forgot about it. A lot of time passed, and I had other things to focus on. School had started picking up along with the fall play and spring musical. Then one day in February, I got a text saying we’d won first place. I don’t want to say I was surprised, I mean our film was great and exactly what we’d wanted it to be, but I was! We all got an invitation to attend a semi-formal dinner and awards ceremony. The ceremony was last night, and it was amazing. I walked into the room, and there were tables set up with place settings, salads, and assigned seats. The room was so diverse and I met so many new and awesome people. Letters from senators were read, Heather Heyer’s mother spoke about her foundation and what its goal was. People from Rumi got up to speak about their idea for the contest and how the young people who participated were our future. It was extremely inspirational and touching. There was an art contest for middle schoolers and the video contest was for high schoolers. They showed each of our videos, and I was impressed. The 3rd place winner was a great video about healthcare and 2nd place went to a video about Hijab and what it means to people. We all got pictures together and it was just a really great experience that I am very glad I got to take a part in. The news was there and the newscaster asked to interview our group about our ideas for the film, so we were on tv that night! I’m so happy I got to participate in an event for such an amazing cause and I look forward to making other small differences in the future. Read more about it here: http://rumiforum.org/peace-and-dialogue-art-and-video-contest-award-ceremony-dinner/ and see the next post for the poem and video. Peyton Beaumont Western Albemarle High School Library Communications and Outreach Intern
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A few years ago, the Teen Advisory Board at the Crozet Library held a Yule Ball. I was in eighth grade at the time. I didn't help run it, but I did attend the event and I remember thinking it was amazing. The decorations were stunning, the activities and events were all super fun, and all of the Harry Potter vibes were bringing me back to my childhood. At the first TAB meeting afterwards, I wanted to tell all of the leaders of the Yule Ball what a wonderful job they had done and that I couldn't wait to do it next year. However, that was not how the leaders saw it. They simply said that they were never doing that again. What I had not seen from the sidelines was all of the hard work and stress that was put into the event, the late nights, the constant questions and deadlines. Also, glitter got everywhere, which was a nightmare to get out of the carpets.
I was super bummed. I had had a great time, but our presidents were adamant: The Yule Ball was a one time thing. Now, a few years later, our beloved presidents have graduated and I have taken on their responsibilities. Over the summer, we had run a Camp Half-Blood event for all of the Percy Jackson fans in the area. It went swimmingly (Percy Jackson pun not intended) and had a great turnout. At our next meeting, we were ready to run another Yule Ball. We had new leaders. Those who had Yule Ball PTSD had graduated. It was time to throw another one. I was put in charge of this giant undertaking. I was so happy that we were getting a chance to learn from the first Yule Ball and make the second one even better. We got a committee together and planned, starting in August. We laid a few ground rules from the beginning, to try and fix some of the issues from the first Ball. First, we weren't letting anyone younger than a sixth-grader come. Attendees had to have an invitation to validate the fact that they signed up for the event. And, lastly, but most importantly: No Glitter! We kept many events we all remembered from the first Yule Ball to keep the heart in the event. After months and months of planning, mishaps, and road bumps, the big day finally came. We went down to the very last minute before everyone arrived to set up all of the decorations, finalize events, and get everything in order. We unlocked the doors (which looked like Platform 9 ¾) and waited to be bombarded with young kids and glitter. But, much to our appreciation, we weren't! All of the attendees were so fun, polite, and fair. They followed the rules, didn't make a mess (for the most part) and everyone really seemed to enjoy it. No one complained when they weren't chosen to participate in events and everyone encouraged their team-mates. The food was great, the music was amazing, and the overall atmosphere was nostalgic. When it came to the end of the event, I was exhausted. We had a lot of cleaning up to do and I understood why the prospect of another Yule Ball was so daunting to our past presidents. However, I had a blast and I would totally be willing to do it again next year! Project Management
Claire Aminuddin Western Albemarle High School Library Communications and Outreach Intern As I learn more about some amazing projects Claire is actively involved in, I decided to interview her on the overarching topic of leadership. This is a companion piece to her blog posts on Project Management and Wellness Ambassadors.
-Melissa Techman Ms. Techman: Where did you learn project management? Claire: in Leadership class, while helping with big events like Spirit Week tailgating and faculty breakfast, and also as a founding member of Wellness Ambassadors. "How to lead a group" and "leadership" all fall under project management, in my view. Ms. Techman: What makes for a successful project? Claire: I think the starting point is "how do you start something you're passionate about?" It doesn't have to be for school. It has to be something you are passionate about, otherwise you won't commit to its fullest success. The first Why I Run Event, there was a lot of self-doubt, a lot of setbacks. My passion to do it got me through. Ms. Techman: What have you learned so far about leaders? Claire: There's not one type of leader, or a perfect type. Delegating is a must, but it's important to think of the whole group. Look for those who are less extraverted, more closed off - often their skills are ignored, which is a shame. A good leader will look at how best to use everyone. Some think leaders are born, but I believe leaders can be made. Going way back to "the patriarchy", women in leadership were sometimes seen as not authoritative, or too weak. Society is better now, but there is still this subconscious question women can have, "Do I deserve this?". Ms. Techman: last thought? Claire: You should never have to apologize for using your voice. Why I Run: An Event to Honor, Educate, and Spread Awareness
What is substance abuse? Why is it so prevalent with teens in the high school environment? That’s what I and three other Western Albemarle High School students questioned, furthering our drive to apply to become leaders of the Wellness Ambassadors Club at WAHS. Wellness Ambassadors’ specific focus this year is substance abuse, but we focus on all aspects of health from mental to physical to emotional. Ms. Padron, the Gifted Resource Teacher, put up flyers in my freshman year asking students to apply to earn a spot on a team going to the Youth Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention Program Conference at Longwood University over the summer. I applied and happily learned I had been accepted. Alice Ferrall, Olivia Gallmeyer, and Francesca Gibson, the other three students accepted, are passionate about substance abuse prevention as well. We all attended the YADAPP conference over the summer where we formed a plan to battle substance abuse to take back to our school. From our presentation of the plan, we won a $250 grant to start up the Wellness Ambassadors club and the Why I Run event. We listened to speakers and learned valuable information from the conference to take back to Western. What was the plan? We started with identifying the main issue at Western. We decided it was awareness and education. Some students are not aware of the terrible effects of substance abuse. There are multitudes of reasons why students will abuse drugs: stress (school, home, and social), peer influence, boredom, or curiosity. One of our goals is to make sure every student is fully aware of the consequences and to try to prevent drug abuse within the school. Outside of school, substance abuse is much harder to control and that’s where awareness campaigns or fun alternative activities come into play. Parents, teachers, and administration also need to become aware of the easy accessibility of commercial drugs, like a vape for example, and how to prevent or educate students about substance abuse. Why I Run? We ran with the idea of ‘fun alternative activity’. An opportune time to hold the event is during the football season when it is known students may to drink or vape before games. The main goals of Why I Run: provide an activity for students to show you can have a fun time without abusing drugs, bring awareness to drug abuse, especially vaping, reduce stigma by starting a conversation, and honoring Mr. Betthauser, a beloved Western Choir teacher who tragically passed away due to a drunk driver. The saying, “Why I Run” is meant to individually represent something different to everyone. People fill in the blank, “Why I Run? I run for ____.”, with someone affected by substance they want to remember or running just to be healthy, spread awareness, start a conversation etc. Results? The Wellness Ambassadors Club at WAHS formed by Olivia, Alice, Frannie, and I accomplished what we were determined to achieve: starting the conversation and encouraging more education about substance abuse. Why I Run was a successful first time event, and will get better each and every year. I am so thankful to have had the opportunity to go to YADAPP to learn about prevention and to see our hard work and planning come to fruition through Why I Run. By Claire Aminuddin Western Albemarle High School Library Communications and Outreach Intern |