266 Years of American History & Music in 2 Hours!
Several Civitas alumni joined current high schoolers via Zoom on Saturday for a very fun and informative trek through American History and a sampling of music that reflected various time periods. Starting with the Seven Year's War (1756-1763) through today, Gabe Lepak highlighted influential songs and shared fun trivia. We heard music of the enslaved from "Follow the Drinking Gourd," to "Go Down Moses," a recording sung by Paul Robeson (Fun Fact: Robeson played a few years in the NFL!). Gabe continued through the influences of radio, the Great Depression, and the little-known lyrics of Woody Guthrie's "This Land is Your Land." Vietnam and its protests inspired all kinds of songs still familiar today but often without the context of inspiration, such as "Masters of War" by Bob Dylan, "Fortunate Son," by Creedence Clearwater Revival and "Ohio" by Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young. Gabe concluded his fascinating presentation with animated music videos of "Reagan" by Killer Mike and "The Story of O.J." by Jay-Z. It was quite a challenge to cover so many years and so many songs and artists, but Gabe did it well by choosing interesting, less-known content to share. He would love to hear from you with your own musical thoughts! You can email him at gabe.j.lepak@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter @untiloasis.
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Watch & Discuss Short Docs on Sat., March 5
On Saturday, March 5 from 10:00 am until noon we are planning a casual, fun morning of watching mini-documentaries on a variety of topics at the World Community Center (438 N. Skinker Blvd., 63130). In consideration are short films about a prison project influenced by Scandinavian practices, the current wave of book banning in local and national high schools, Boeing's awareness of flaws in its 737 Max airplane before the crashes that killed 346 people, and more--especially ideas you might have! You can suggest topics and/or specific short doc titles when you sign up.
We know it is a rich and valuable experience for students from a variety of different high schools to come together and talk about lofty ideas in a casual, low-key environment. It will be a fun and memorable event!
Snacks and beverages will be served.
Click here to sign up now!
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A Spring HS Model UN is on the Calendar--April 2!
We are not sure of the venue yet, but we have scheduled our spring Model UN for Saturday, April 2, 2022 from 9:00 am until noon. All are invited, including students who did not attend a fall session. Anyone can submit a resolution; however, we will prioritize resolutions submitted in the fall that were not discussed. Students should represent the same country they did at the November or December sessions, or if new to the program, contact Civitas for a list of available countries. If there are duplicate sign ups for the same country from different schools, we will notify you. We can have duplicates, or you might choose to represent a different country if you find out yours is already taken.
The sign up form will be linked in next week's newsletter!
Email Stephanie at gavinstephanie89@gmail.com with any questions or concerns.
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Try your hand at Gerrymandering
 Right now, both major political parties in the United States are engaging in significant gerrymandering. Gerrymandering means drawing the boundaries for legislative districts in a way that is especially beneficial for one party or the other. For instance, New York State which is about 60% Democratic will likely have 80% of its representatives to Congress next year be Democratic because of the way that the districts are drawn. The opposite is true in Texas where Republicans have gamed the system.
Several weeks ago, the New York Times published an on-line activity where anyone can create hypothetical districts, with the intention of gerrymandering. It gives real insight into how we can manipulate or electoral process for the benefit of one party or the other. If you're interested, click here. If you want to share your thoughts about playing the "game," just e-mail us at info@civitas-stl.com. |
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Saturday, March 5, 2022, 10:00 am-12:00 pm at the World Community Center
Students will watch and discuss short documentaries on several topics, including prison reform modeled after more humane Scandinavian practices.
Sign up here.
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Saturday, April 2, 2022, 9:00 am-12:00 pm
Spring Model UN session for high school students.
Sign up coming soon.
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People pose for photos outside an upside-down house in Guatavita, Colombia, on Saturday, January 29. The house was designed by its Austrian owner, Fritz Schall. Juan Barreto/AFP/Getty Images |
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This past week at the United Nations
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