Monomoy STAND at Monomoy Regional High School is a group of students who raise money and awareness for the victims of genocide in Darfur and elsewhere. STAND is an independent national student movement (standnow.org). To donate send a check payable to Monomoy Regional High School STAND, 75 Oak St, Harwich, MA 02645
Yesterday's Trivia Answer: The actor who visited Southern Sudan in October is George Clooney
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 3 – STANDFAST DAY 4
Thank you to everyone for supporting our STANDFast this week. Today, we want to focus on what YOU can do to support the cause of peace in Sudan. Four things:
1. Visit the STAND website – standnow.org and participate in the 12 days of STAND campaign.
2. Visit sudanactionnow.org and sign the online petition to the White House.
3. Find more information at the websites for the Enough Project and the Genocide Intervention Network, and look for videos with George Clooney and John Prendergast talking about Sudan.
4. Come to the next STAND meeting! Stay informed and stay involved!
Today’s beard contest – mustache! Today’s trivia question: What HHS alum is a member of STAND’s National Leadership Team?
Yesterday's Trivia Answer: approximately 3800 of the Lost Boys came to the United States.
THURSDAY DECEMBER 2 – STANDFAST DAY 3
A.M. ANNOUNCMENT
Thank you to everyone who came to the screening of Rebuilding Hope last night, and a special thank you to Gabriel Bol Deng for taking the time to visit Harwich High School yesterday. Last night, we raised $600 to support Hope for Ariang and primary education in Southern Sudan.
We are focused this week on supporting the people of Southern Sudan as they vote for Independence on January 9. Sudan is also the country whose western region is Darfur. The dictator who controls the Sudan government in Khartoum, Omar al-Bashir, has conducted a campaign of genocide against the people of Darfur since 2003. Approximately 400,000 Darfuris have been killed and millions displaced. International attention and pressure has reduced though not totally eliminated the violence in Darfur. We hope that similar attention and pressure will convince Bashir not to react to the vote for Southern Sudan independence with repression and genocide.
Today’s beard contest – goatee. Today’s trivia question – what actor visited Southern Sudan in October to bring attention to the situation there?
Harwich High School today enjoyed a visit by Gabriel Bol Deng, founder of Hope for Ariang, and one of the Lost Boys of Sudan. Gabriel started the day by being featured on WCAI's show, The Point with Mindy Todd, discussing his experiences in Sudan, coming to the United States, his efforts to build a school in his home village of Ariang, and the upcoming referendum on independence in Southern Sudan. Following the show, he came to visit the school. After having lunch in the school cafeteria, he visited a government class, discussing the history and politics of Sudan. Then last period, he talked to a school-wide assembly about how to "Move a Mountain" - his motivational presentation based on his experiences as a refugee from the War in Southern Sudan (see below). Finally, in the evening, we hosted a screening and discussion of the award-winning documentary, Rebuilding Hope, which follows Gabriel and two other Lost Boys as they return to Sudan to look for their families and to begin to do humanitarian work in their home villages. HHS STAND would like to thank Gabriel for coming to Harwich High School and to Hope for Ariang Board Member Cynthia Davis for bringing him to the Cape. All of the proceeds of all of our STANDFast events this week will go to benefit Hope for Ariang to support education in Southern Sudan.
Yesterday's Trivia Answer: the Capital of Southern Sudan is Juba.
Beard of the Day winner was Tyler.
WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 1 – STANDFAST DAY 2
MORNING ANNOUNCEMENT
As a large conglomeration of tribes created by the British Empire, Sudan has been at war with itself almost constantly since it gained independence in 1956. The first war between Northern and Southern Sudan lasted from 1956 to 1972 and is estimated to have killed 500,000 people. The war began again in 1983, and was intensified in the 1990’s under the dictatorship of Omar al-Bashir. This second war featured genocidal tactics where villages were attacked and all residents who didn’t escape were slaughtered. The Lost Boys of Sudan were boys who banded together in the wilderness after their villages were annihilated and who walked hundreds of miles to Ethiopia and Kenya, many of their friends dying along the way. Many of the Lost Boys emigrated as refugees to the United States and other nations. Eventually, a Comprehensive Peace Agreement ended the second war in 2005, leading to the referendum on independence on January 9.
Today, one of the Lost Boys, Gabriel Bol Deng, is visiting our school. He will be in some classes after lunch, and last period, we will have a partial screening of his film, Rebuilding Hope, and a discussion with him in the auditorium. Tonight at 7, we will host a full screening and discussion of the film.
Today’s beard contest – freestyle. Today’s Trivia Question – how many of the Lost Boys came to the United States?
Beard Contest of the Day - Freestyle - The Contestants:
Welcome to STANDFast. This week we will be focusing on the situation in Southern Sudan. On January 9, 2011, there will be a referendum on Southern Sudan independence. If the election is free and fair, then it is widely expected that the vote will be yes for independence. But Sudan is run by the same dictator, Omar al-Bashir, who killed 400,000 people in Darfur, and 2 million in Southern Sudan. So without international attention and pressure, there is concern that the vote will be rigged or suppressed, and that more war and genocide may result from this.
We are raising money this week for school children in Southern Sudan. Please give something up and donate money at lunch to help the cause, and please sign the poster in the building 3 hallway.
Also, you will be able vote at lunch for the best full beard. Donate money in the bin for the beard you think is the best - the bin with the most money wins.
We will also have a trivia question each day – to enter, fill out a slip in the main office with your answer before last period – today’s question: What is the capital of Southern Sudan?
Beard Contest of the Day: Full Beards. The Contestants:
We will be hosting STANDFast this week at HHS. Members of STAND will be fasting with sponsors contributing to the cause of Sudan relief and education. We will be challenging all students at school to give something up this week to support the cause. On Wednesday we will be hosting Gabriel Bol Deng, one of the "Lost Boys" of Sudan, for a visit to classes during the day, and a special screening that night of Rebuilding Hope (12/1, 7 PM, HHS Auditorium), a film about his return to Sudan to build schools. Also this week, we will have daily trivia contests, and daily beard contests as the culmination to No Shave November. See preview below: We will post more every morning this week starting Tuesday.
Harwich students hosted three election events and were able to get all the candidates to respond to genocide issues.
Rep. Perry:
On Tuesday, we had a Q&A session with Republican nominee for Congress Jeff Perry, and STAND co-President Amanda de Oliviera asked him how we can prevent civil war in South Sudan and support a broad anti-genocide strategy. While he did not advocate for a direct U.S. role in preventing conflict in Sudan (which we may have hoped), he cited the success of the Massachusetts divestment bill (that Harwich STAND testified to support in 2007), and he asserted the importance of our participation and support in U.N. efforts in this regard. This is probably a stronger answer than we might get from most Republican candidates.
Perry answers our question:
On Wednesday, we hosted two debates - one for the state representative candidates, and one for the state senate race. In both debates, we featured a question about the Teach Against Genocide bill that died in the House Ways and Means Committee this term - specifically would they sponsor and support its reintroduction next term. For the state representative candidates, Republican David Dunford, after admitting to be unfamiliar with the bill, gave a strong statement about the importance of teaching about genocides. Democratic incumbent Sarah Peake gave a strong statement of support, also citing our successful advocacy for the divestment bill.
Dunford, Peake answer our question:
In the senate debate, Republican Jim Crocker, like his colleague, acknowledge his lack of background on the issue, but stated that he would be open to meet with any constituents who wanted to advocate for a particular bill. Democrat Dan Wolf emphatically endorsed TAG and STAND's anti-genocide activities having attended our rally last summer in Hyannis, and having relatives who experienced the Holocaust.
Crocker, Wolf answer our question
These events are examples of how student groups can get candidates to respond to questions on genocide issues. Whoever wins, we can expect that when we go to lobby them, they will be familiar and hopefully sympathetic with our advocacy.
On Friday, May 7, we hosted our second annual HHS Talent Show, featuring 14 acts. The contestants were all outstanding, and the night was a great success, raising $728 for our sister school at Djabal Refugee Camp in Chad. Special thanks to Erik Raneo and Chris Walkley for setting up the sound system, Meghan Van Hoose for running the lights, Sheila House and Laurie Hamilton for judging, Andie Ramirez and Krista Davis for MCing, Ramsey Musk for running the door and the voting. The contestants and results below:
Intro - Andie and Krista:
Ellyn and Hannah - clarinet duet:
Abby - Single Ladies Dance:
Ellyn - original poem:
Alyssa - I Believe in Love:
Robert and Lauren - Santeria:
Kevin, Dylan, Tom - original:
John and Mike - Tiger:
Siobhan - ballet:
Bethany - piano:
Mary - tumbling:
Jeff - viola:
Pirtle - I'm a little monster:
Cynthia - original poem:
Blind Drive:
Results and Ensemble:
Congratulations to 2nd runner ups, John and Mike, 1st runner up, Abby, and winner, Blind Drive!
This blog reports the activities of Monomoy STAND (Students Taking Action Now: Darfur) at Monomoy Regional High School, which prior to the Harwich/Chatham merger in September, 2014, existed as Harwich High School STAND.
