CAZENOVIA, NY (09/29/2010)(readMedia)-- Cazenovia College's ninth Annual Wheler Family Conference on World Affairs, on Sept. 27 featured the fourth annual Sarah Webster Memorial Addresses, at an invitation-only luncheon following the morning conference events.
The Webster Memorial Speakers were Jasmyne Cole, of Marathon, N.Y., from Cazenovia College; and Margaret Moreno from Corcoran High School in Syracuse, N.Y., each speaking on the subject of 'My Place in the World, 2010." Moreno's talk, a highlight of the conference, drew a standing ovation.
Moreno is a senior at Corcoran High School. The youngest of three children, she says her interest in art is a heritage from her Italian and Mexican parents, with musicians and artists found in both families. She started dance at an after school program, and says, "I auditioned only because my friends were in it. I ended up loving it, and plan on pursuing it in college."
"I am also serious about academics," she says. "I've gone to city schools my whole life, and I took full advantage of my resources. I have realized that city schools are not only capable of handing students a good education, but producing excellent performing arts programs as well. This idea is the foundation of my endeavors."
Moreno's endeavors include plans to earn a bachelor of arts degree in jazz dance and choreograph for Broadway musicals. "I plan on starting more performing arts programs in inner city school districts to give those communities new opportunities," she says.
One of Moreno's recent choreography projects for her theater class was geared toward the subject of advocacy through the arts. "The piece was about how people take a negative experience, learn from it, and use their knowledge and understanding to help others who are having similar experiences - examples being how Mothers Against Teen Violence was founded by a woman who lost her son and his friend to a mugging; Vera House being founded by women who saw a need for help and relief for women and children undergoing physical or sexual abuse. For the class I included photos and an explanation of how the movement expresses this idea."
Moreno's speech included a poem, "Where I'm From," written for a creative writing class: "I'm from a cold winter night--- / I'm from the South Side of Syracuse. A place my friends call 'da hood.' / I'm from da nicest house on Midland, … / I'm from a place where blacks are the majority, and I'm forever the minority, / Because my ancestors are from olive skin and long black hair. And a country just south of here, driven into poverty and corruption. / …I'm from a breezy summer's day. / I'm from car rides entertained with Mozart. / I'm from proper table etiquette and good posture. / I'm from lessons such as: respecting adults and honoring our educators. / I'm from contradicting expectations…'" (Full text available upon request.)
Living on the South Side seems to color people's perceptions of her, Moreno says. "Most people, when they first meet me, think I live somewhere nice ... Their expressions change when they hear I live on Midland – on the South Side. It's as if that ruins the proper greeting I just presented to them.… Growing up exposed and unsheltered has made me strong enough to compete with peers of all walks of life on a level of scholarship that proves not that 'da hood' meant nothing, but that it meant everything."
She goes on to say that she wants to "create pieces that reflect not only our closed minded and cruel society, but also the larger issues in the world."
Moreno's plan for the future is to have a successful career in the world of dance, and then bring arts programs to area children, "to start a small seed that I know can grow a forest of hope in the Syracuse city school district, especially for inner city schools, showing the talent that is veiled in the community. Maybe all of us can work together toward a common good, solve real problems that are affecting the world in a huge way, make a larger difference than is expected of us."
She ends her talk by adding a line to her poem: "I'm from contradicting expectations / And trying to exceed them…"
Dr. John Robert Greene, the Paul J. Schupf professor of History and Humanities at Cazenovia College, and the Wheler Conference coordinator, was impressed with Moreno's remarks-"This is a young woman who is mature beyond her years; her success in higher education is assured. Her teachers at Corcoran can be quite proud of her."
The Wheler Family Conference is made possible through the support and efforts of the Wheler Family, in particular Barbara and A. Gordon Wheler, former trustees of the College. The conference is a U.S. Constitution Day event (http://constitutioncenter.org/constitutionday).
Cazenovia College, named one of "America's Best Colleges" by US News & World Report, is an independent, co-educational, baccalaureate college, located near Syracuse, N.Y. Cazenovia College offers a comprehensive liberal arts education in an exceptional community environment, with academic and co-curricular programs devoted to developing leaders in their professional fields. For more information, visit www.cazenovia.edu.
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