Mount Juniors Participate In National Youth Leadership Mission
The Anti- Defamation league sponsored a four day National Youth Leadership Mission in Washington D.C. last week, and three of Mount Saint Joseph's finest attended. Juniors Ben Saia, Joe Ruf, and Jimmy Rosa collaborated with over 100 students from across the United States to promote the fight against hate. The Mount Saint Joe students were apart of a larger Washigton D.C. delegation comprised of other students from southern Maryland and the nations capital.
The students participated in numerous different activities over the four days. There were a number of break out sessions, when students had the opportunity to discuss different topics regarding hate, violence, discrimination, and other issues that plague our world today. In these sessions Saint Joe students interacted with others from Albany, Los Angeles, New Orleans, Florida, Denver, Chicago, and many other regions. On days two and three the group took a trip to the Holocaust Museum and took a a walking tour of Washington, D.C. There were also multiple keynote speakers throughout the week.
When asked their favorite part, Ben recalled that he enjoyed the Concert Against Hate at the Kennedy Center on Monday night, where the National Symphony Orchestra played and there were two celebrity appearances by Leslie Uggams and Isaiah Whitlock. The most memorable part for Jimmy was when Lithuanian Holocaust survivor, Nesse Goden talked to the group. A line from Nesse that Jimmy will always remember is "when I see children today, I see the future." Joe enjoyed hearing from Leon Bass, a World War II liberator of Buchenwald and civil rights activist. Now that the mission is over the delegates from DC plan to regularly update a blog that will educate all on domestic and foreign issues, including Genocide as well as the terrorist group, ISIS. In our very own Mount Saint Joseph community, Jimmy, Joe, and Ben plan to expand our pledge against hate, to include racial slurs as well as comments against body image.
A special thank you goes out to Mr. Shearer, who assisted in the success of this experience.
We commend Jimmy, Joe, and Ben for all their hard work, and look forward to positive change in Mount Saint Joseph's future.
(MSJ students with Holocaust Survivor, Nesse Goden.)
(Joe, Jimmy, and Ben in front of the Lincoln memorial on Day 2.)
(The representatives of the D.C. Delegation at ADL's NYLM)
