0019_Aurora Alternative High School, The Phoenix, 1999

Description:	As Future Leadersof delivery.”“It was like sixth grade summercamp,” said Ezra Brooke.The second conference focused on engaging participantsin reflecting on their own personal roles in the world andtheir responsibilities to theirworld. Every team was tochoose a different country, andprepare a presentation on it.The Aurora team focused onVietnam, poverty, AIDS, warand hunger. The projects reallyhelped change students’ viewsof the two meetings, and ofeach other.Between conference meetings,our representatives preparedand presented a fabulous display about Vietnam. Theyworked several days afterschool in order to prepare a hutthat the display would be basedon. Inside the hut, there was abale of hay and some candles.While the hut was on display,some of our students worestraw hats and separated ricefrom husks. Outside the hutwere a few beat-up old bikesand live goats. The presentationwas so unique, Aurora studentswere given a lot of credit for allthe hard work and time put intoit. They were also recognizedas being very creative. Otherschools fromIndiana didn’t put as mucheffort into their work. Theirpresentations includedposterboards and speeches-thetypical, everyday assignment.“I think that what we broughtto the conference was a lot ofinnovative ideas that weren’treally the norm,” said KateBarrows.The second conference meeting did turn out to impact ourstudents in a much better waythan the first. The biggesteffect was that, after the presentation, other studentsweren’t as reluctant to speak toAurora students as they werebefore. They realized thatlooks aren’t everything, andmaybe next time theyshouldn’t be so judgmental.Due to this realization, ourteam also made a few friends.In addition, our representativesdid get something out of theconference after all. For one,they learned a little aboutteamwork and how somepeople have special needs thatrequire extra attention. Theyalso learned that you don’thave to fit in to be a leader.However, the most importantthing our representatives discovered was that we seem tohave matured at a faster pacethan other teens; and next time,we should look for more of achallenge.Evan McMahon said, “I realized how different our school isfrom others. But the funnything is, it’s a good different.”“Stereotypes were challengedand overcome,” said ChuckHolloway.Jesse Scites contemplates his reading. Or,perhaps he is masking the fact hes asleep.Ezra Brooke shows his loyalty to NotreDame.
Source:	http://cdm17129.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/hs-aurora/id/460
Collection:	Aurora Alternative High School

Further information on this record can be found at its source.