Cul de Sac:--- St. Maarten Academy's academic campus yesterday (Monday) unveiled its 'Choose PEACE' mural, culminating more than six weeks of "peace" activities aimed at making a difference in the lives of young people.In attendance were representatives of Milton Peters College, the school's PSVE section, St. Maarten Vocational Training School, the FAVE school board, the Student Government Association (SGA), and the school's Parent-Teachers Foundation (PTF).
The school's Student Care Department, which coordinated the 'Choose PEACE' project, had extended an invitation to all high schools in an effort to start a movement to encourage all young people to use their power to 'Choose PEACE', and set the example so that the community at large can be influenced to do the right thing, even in the face of fear.
Academy's Principal Shareed Hussain, as well as Mrs. Lourdes Brooks-Lake, of the school board and Mr. Elroy Hughes, PTF vice president, echoed similar sentiments and implored all to embrace peace every day.
The purpose of the 'Choose PEACE' project was summarized by Fatimah Karim, a first former of the school.
"P - With Principles we, the students, were encouraged to always do the right thing and step away from fights; and to seek advice from an adult in times of confrontation and conflict. E - Excellence was encouraged and promoted the entire year – both academically and behaviorally.
"A - Attitude was to show us how we should treat ourselves always. With the right attitude, we can move mountains. With the right attitude, we can become the leaders that will take St. Maarten forward. C - Courage was to give us strength to do what's right. Remember, courage doesn't mean to be brave. It means to do the right thing when all hope is gone.
"E – We the students displayed empathy in order to be comfortable with others' feelings and differences while at the same time shedding all preconceived ideas and prejudices.
The initiative became a community event. The FAVE school board paid for the mural, the school's Student Government Association pledged the bumper stickers, and PEACE IS Foundation sponsored the first 100 T-shirts with the Choose PEACE logo emblazoned. A "special friend" from the community supplied the molding for the framing of the mural, which was done by Mr. Su, while Rafael, from the St. Peters neighbourhood voluntarily assisted when he learned about the cause.
During the process of painting the mural, two students - Shawn Williams (a present Fifth Former and an Honour Roll student) and Arun Shiwgobind (designer of the mural and former student) - received a lot of support from parents, passersby, the staff, members of the Police Force, and neighbours. The students appreciated the support and felt convinced that in moving forward in country St. Maarten, young people have a voice in shaping the kind of country they would like to see.
"Young people have great ideas. We just have to listen. Fed up with the fights on the outside of our school walls, Arun Shiwgobind, a graduate of the St. Maarten Academy, approached me two years ago when fights were at an all time high, to do a mural with the words Choose PEACE on the outside wall of the school. It was not acted on right away. The number of fights in the vicinity of the school has been reduced with the cooperation of the police department, but we would like this popular gathering place where students of all the neighbouring schools converge at the end of the day, to be a place of only positive interaction by all.
"The mural, which is a billboard of sorts, is for all to see. We want it to set the tone for the day and allow all to reflect on its message. It is not just for our students, but for the community at large to consider choosing peace as they move around in the world. Additionally, with the growing tension in St. Maarten and around the world, we thought there is no other time like the present to remind us all that we have a choice in how we respond to what happens to us and how we respond to others and sweeter yet the catalyst of this initiative was the expression of an idea of a young person," stated Mrs. Tallulah Baly-Vanterpool, Head of the Student Care Department.
She was assisted in her mission by other counselors and teachers, as well as Tephany Baptiste, a student social work intern studying in Holland and Sabine Smith, a recent graduate of the St. Maarten Academy.
Monday's unveiling was prefaced by several activities during the months of February and March, which engaged mainly first formers. Each letter of the acronym PEACE was symbolic of a virtue the students were asked to embrace. P stood for Principles; E, for excellence; A, for attitude; C, for courage; and E, empathy.
The Academy has set up a Facebook page and everyone is being encouraged to snap a photo in front of the mural and post it with a message stating what act of peace they have done recently. The persons with the most "likes" each month until the end of the academic year will receive a free 'Choose PEACE' T-shirt.