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Amityville High School completes Awareness Weekend
Amityville High School recently completed its eighth bi-annual Awareness Weekend on April 20 and 21. A total of one hundred and three participants, including thirteen staff members, spent 32-hours at the school bonding, sharing, learning, laughing and crying. The participants listened to motivational/inspirational speakers including Victoria Ruvolo who was hit in the face with a frozen turkey by a teenager as she was driving her car a few years ago. "I thought Victoria was such a strong woman, especially now knowing that she forgave the kid who threw the turkey," said senior Zakeya Harris-Luther. Victoria's story of compassion and forgiveness really had an impact on the students and adults from Amityville. Other guest speakers included Jason Soricelli, a paraplegic who was injured in a motorcycle accident. Jason's story of hope, perseverance and faith left a lasting mark on the audience. Jason, an all-American cross country and track star in high school is now training to compete in a triathlon, runs wheelchair basketball programs and plays for the New Jersey Nets wheelchair basketball team. "I see Jason around at the basketball games but I never had a chance to talk with him, his message was great and I love his positive attitude" said sophomore Tisharri Tate.
The part of the weekend that brought some tears to the crowd was on Friday night, when four Amityville students went on stage and shared some unfortunate instances that they have gone through in their young lives. The four students on stage were hand-picked because of the positive things that they are doing in their life as we speak. "I see them in the hallway everyday with a smile on their face, I had no idea what they went through. I guess you can never judge a book by its cover," said sophomore Melissa Roberts. The next day, students and staff alike were given a chance to share anything that they wanted in a setting that created a sense of trust, respect and love. "One of the goals of Awareness Weekend is to create a sense of unity, to break down walls and build bridges, and to give kids an atmosphere where they are comf ortab l e enough to take chances, and you know what, most do" said coordinator Jason McGowan. "These kids have a chance to express themselves in so many different ways throughout the weekend, some have kept things inside for so long that they literally explode with emotion when they finally do let go." The event concluded on Saturday evening with each family group leaving a "gift" about what they learned, to the rest of the participants. Some groups performed hilarious skits, while others read self-made poems or gave out awards. "It's a great way to end the night, the skits were so funny, everybody was laughing so hard," said senior Roxana Hernandez.
During closing ceremonies, after an emotional roller coaster of 32-hours, the seniors were called to the middle of the gym floor to hold hands as "That's what friends are for" played on the stereo system. It was a beautiful moment for a wonderful bunch of seniors who shared one last dance with the people they spent so many unique, meaningful and unforgettable hours with.
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