Tattoo photo by Kiernan Majerus-Collins******************
Copyright 2007 by ReadTheTattoo.com. All rights reserved.
Copyright 2007 by ReadTheTattoo.com. All rights reserved.
Saturday, December 15, 2007
A reporter's take on Among Criminals
By Wesley Saxena (pictured on right)WEST HARTFORD, Conn. – Teens who showed up for Rock for Rights on Saturday got a treat when Among Criminals took the stage.
The crowd rewarded the band, the fifth in the lineup at the event, with jubilant applause and cried for more.
Much of the enthusiasm was because of the guitar and lead vocal skills of Ryan Gaughan, who said he’s been in the group for 15 months.
Gaughan said Rock for Rights organizer Steph Sperber asked the band to participate after they had played at Hall High School – where Sperber teaches social studies – because Among Criminals is known for its politically aware songs.
Motivated by other bands who were speaking out, band members formed Among Criminals to “get the message out,” said Gaughan.
They were inspired by the musical styles and messages put forth by Bob Marley, The Foo Fighters and The Police, according to Gaughan.
With the nickname “Hippie,” Gaughan has strong feelings about the way the government is run and the war in Iraq.
Through the band’s unique style combinations of Latin, reggae and rock, they sing against unjust laws and for human rights.
They’ve been spreading political awareness going on tour for the past year, playing 300 shows at various locations including hotels, bars and schools. When they performed at Hall this fall, they expressed their views about the government between songs and answered many students’ questions about their opinions.
With teens screaming at the band to “play another song” as they were packing up at Rock for Rights and at Hall, Among Criminals is registering well with America’s youth, which means Gaughan’s messages are getting through.
Tattoo photo by Kiernan Majerus-Collins
Crowd dancing while Among Criminals plays on stage at Rock for Rights! concert in West Hartford.
Link to Among Criminals' website
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Copyright 2007 by ReadTheTattoo.com. All rights reserved.
Environmental club seeks to raise awareness
Tattoo photo by Kiernan Majerus-Collins
Sam Mollodtz and Sam Arcata, Hall High School juniors, at the Rock for Rights! concert in West Hartford Saturday.
By Wesley Saxena
WEST HARTFORD, Conn. – With rock and roll blasting all around them, Sam Arcata and Sam Mollodtz sat ready Saturday to talk about human rights abuses going on in the world today.
As members of the Hall High School Environmental Club and the Hall High School Human Rights Coalition, the two juniors staffed booths at the Rock for Rights event Saturday.
Their table covered in pamphlets, Arcata and Mollodtz said they were trying to “raise awareness” about environmental and inhumane problems all over the world by talking about the issues and answering questions.
They joined the environmental club and the human rights coalition to “make a difference in the world,” said Arcata.
One of the differences the environmental club has made was “cleaning up” Bugbee School in West Hartford by improving its recycling system.
The group’s adult leaders, who are teachers at Hall, had heard of Rock for Rights and decided that it would be a chance to show West Hartford’s youth what was going on the world, the students said.
Arcata and Mollodtz said that although having booths don’t directly help people and the environment, they will “make people think” about atrocities such as slavery, sweat shops and pollution.
The booths had information about how little sweat shop workers make, what companies utilize sweat shops, human trafficking, slavery and what it takes to stop it.
Arcata said that before she joined the groups she didn’t “know anything about what’s going on in Darfur.”
By attracting teens at Rock for Rights, the groups hope to make others aware of Darfur and other issues as well.
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Copyright 2007 by ReadTheTattoo.com. All rights reserved.
Organizer and students
Tattoo photo by Kiernan Majerus-Collins
From left to right: Sam Cantor, 16, and Andrew Stocker, 16, both Hall High School juniors; teacher Steph Sperber; and Hall seniors Colleen Smith, 17; Paige Dzialo, 17; and Laura Ramirez-O'Rourke, 17.
Empty Bowl
Tattoo photo by Kiernan Majerus-Collins
Hall High School students Rahki Agrawal, left, and Kelsey Mix working the Empty Bowl booth at Rock for Rights!
By Beth Pond
WEST HARTFORD, Conn. – For Hall High School sophomore Rahki Agrawal and freshman Kelsey Mix, bake sales are only the beginning.
Agrawal and Mix, who are both active in the Empty Bowl Club at Hall, manned the club’s booth during the Rock for Rights event held at the West Hartford Town Hall on Saturday.
According to Agrawal, Empty Bowl is “one of the largest clubs at Hall.”
The club has about 50 members and participates in about 10 to 15 events throughout the school year, most of which are bake sales.
The club’s biggest and most popular event is the Spring Banquet where students and local residents purchase bowls of soup.
“The art department decorates the bowls,’ Agrawal explained. “And we fill the bowls with soup.” Proceeds raised at the Spring Banquet as well as other Empty Bowl events benefit local charities.
The members of Empty Bowl also sponsor an auction.
“We get businesses to donate items.” Mix explained.
The purpose of Empty Bowl is fairly simple.
“We spread awareness about things like poverty and hunger.” Agrawal said.
Empty Bowl has shown both Agrawal and Mix how lucky they are, they said, and has afforded both girls an opportunity to help those who are less fortunate than themselves.
WEST HARTFORD, Conn. – For Hall High School sophomore Rahki Agrawal and freshman Kelsey Mix, bake sales are only the beginning.
Agrawal and Mix, who are both active in the Empty Bowl Club at Hall, manned the club’s booth during the Rock for Rights event held at the West Hartford Town Hall on Saturday.
According to Agrawal, Empty Bowl is “one of the largest clubs at Hall.”
The club has about 50 members and participates in about 10 to 15 events throughout the school year, most of which are bake sales.
The club’s biggest and most popular event is the Spring Banquet where students and local residents purchase bowls of soup.
“The art department decorates the bowls,’ Agrawal explained. “And we fill the bowls with soup.” Proceeds raised at the Spring Banquet as well as other Empty Bowl events benefit local charities.
The members of Empty Bowl also sponsor an auction.
“We get businesses to donate items.” Mix explained.
The purpose of Empty Bowl is fairly simple.
“We spread awareness about things like poverty and hunger.” Agrawal said.
Empty Bowl has shown both Agrawal and Mix how lucky they are, they said, and has afforded both girls an opportunity to help those who are less fortunate than themselves.
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