Special to the Pioneer Times
HOULTON – Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is an important observance to the Houlton High School civil rights team. As the team munched on cookies and apple juice last Friday, they discussed their projects in honor of the holiday and other future projects to promote equality and diversity in their school and community.
Pioneer Times photo/Elizabeth Gartley
CIVIL RIGHTS TEAM – Pictured, from left to right, are Jessica Stacey, Brianna Faulkner, Shawn West and Nelson McGuffin of the Houlton High School civil rights team showing off their tombstone “word choice” exhibit, displayed in the school lobby. The exhibit encourages students (and teachers) to think before using hurtful or discriminatory language.
The civil rights team mission statement includes creating a “safe, comfortable, and accepting environment” in their school and “promoting equality and tolerance for diversity.”
“Mostly we do things around the school,” explained freshman Nelson McGuffin, “We help out with the concessions stand at basketball games and plan projects.”
Adviser Christy Fitzpatrick was quick to explain that the team usually had “ulterior motives” at the basketball games.
On Saturday’s game, the civil rights team handed out small colorful cards with different Martin Luther King, Jr. quotes as people entered the gym in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day the following Monday.
The team has a variety of projects in progress, some low-key, others more ambitious.
“We’re trying to stop bullying at a young age,” explained Brianna Faulkner, a freshman.
The civil rights team has recognized that preventing bullying at an early age is much easier than stopping it later in life. The team has worked with pre-kindergarten, kindergarten, and first grade classes at both Houlton and Wellington elementary schools, using story-telling, the “Good Friends Theatre” puppet show, and other activities to foster tolerance and discourage bullying.
One of the team’s favorite projects is the “tombstone” exhibit, which aims to discourage the use of slurs and other hurtful words. The paper tombstone on the wall of the high school lobby signifies that certain words are “dead” to students and teachers at Houlton High School. The team hopes to lessen the use of discriminatory language by using the gentle verbal reminder “word choice” whenever peers (or teachers) slip up.
Shawn West also explained the civil rights team “lockdown” at the Rec Center.
“We had a bunch of activities, we had a guest speaker,” West explained.
Iva Sussman of Houlton spoke to the kids at the nightlong lockdown about her experiences traveling and volunteering in Cambodia and about issues surrounding poverty such as empowerment versus charity.
The Houlton civil rights team is part of a statewide Civil Rights Team Project, which began in 1996 as part of the Maine Civil Rights Act. In November, the team attended a civil rights team training conference in Presque Isle, where they learned team-building exercises and discussed projects with teams from other schools.
Some of the team’s future plans include an ongoing “mix it up” project, which encourages students to break up their cliques and sit and chat with their peers. The high school team is also helping to get a junior high team going.
Unlike other school groups, the civil rights team is always looking for new members.
“We’re always looking for new people,” added Traci Storti, the civil rights team faculty adviser.
The Civil Rights team will also be hosting the January Umbrella of Care Dinner as part of their Martin Luther King observances at the end of the month.
Freshman Jessica Stacey seemed to sum up much of the sentiment and earnestness behind the team’s goals.
“I don’t understand people [with prejudices]; why can’t you just treat everyone the same?”
A number of students were missing from the after-school meeting – many had traveled to Presque Isle to compete in the All-Aroostook music competition – among the members missing were: Dustin and Tyler Delano, Brittany Guiod, Gabe Hannigan, Dustin Lavoie, Kerstin Mayo, Vanessa and Tessa O’Donnell, Tasha Ponder, Kaylyn Queen, Bethany Targonski, Tiffany Tucker and Sarah Verville.
For more information on civil rights education in Maine and the Maine Civil Rights Act, visit www.maine.gov/ag/civilrights.html.
