by Rachel Kalina
The student-run Society for Human Rights group sold t-shirts, encouraged peers to sign congressional petitions, and gave presentations to classmates on their designated "Darfur Day." The group was formed in response to a conference about the ongoing genocide in Darfur, held at Suffolk Community College. Among the 400 students attending were Baldwin High School students, who shared their newfound awareness with peers after the conference and started the Society.
"It really lets you see that students have consciences and are looking to apply what they know and to help others," said Rob Bellinger, who along with fellow teacher Kim Johnston had taken students to the SCC conference.
Bellinger's shirt is white, with a bold and black "Darfur" emblazoned in the middle. The back says "HelpDarfurNow.org."
Sales from the Society's t-shirts - at $15 each - hit almost $800, and petitions to New York state senators, representatives and the United Nations had about the same number of signatures. The t-shirts were obtained for free from Help Darfur Now, a group started by New Jersey high school students who have already raised $60,000 worth of donations. Proceeds will be returned to Help Darfur Now, and go to international organizations working in Darfur, like Doctors Without Borders and the International Rescue Committee.
Also wearing the shirts were the students selling them, like senior Samantha Snow.
"I became involved because I have family that survived the Holocaust and it's important that something like that doesn't happen again," Snow said. "When we got involved in the Holocaust, it was way too late."
Students also handed out literature, created and hung posters, wore signs with facts about Darfur and entered classrooms to educate their peers about the Sudanese genocide.
"I think the kids have really become activists," Johnston said. "Their number one goal is to make sure no one in Baldwin didn't know [about Darfur]."
Junior Alicia Acampora along with her peers, seniors and twins Allison and Jesse Kreuzer, went into a classroom and spoke for about five minutes. They asked students to take action by buying t-shirts, signing petitions and visiting the Web site at www.HelpDarfurNow.org.
"We're just trying to spread awareness" Acampora said. "To me, it's unbelievable people [could] sit by and let this happen."
Jesse Kreuzer added that there are no excuses for complacency, and said, "There's no reason not to do something, and every reason to do something."
Johnston said that this type of grassroots education has already affected others. Siblings of the high school students attending Molloy College in Rockville Centre have been inspired to start their own Darfur activities, and parents have been calling in to ask for petitions they can bring to work.
"Hopefully they'll walk away feeling their voice is heard; that they can make a difference," Johnston said. The Society also used its voice to leave a message for President Bush's comment line and implored him to address the issue.
During a presentation, Allison Kreuzer asked students "Why do something?" She then said, "You may think genocide is a thing of the past, but it's happening right now. We will only have us to blame if we don't do something about it."
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