Verbal Onslaught and Reclaim Childhood team up

Last Thursday, Verbal Onslaught kicked off Winter Carnival by pairing up with non-profit organization Reclaim Childhood in an evening dedicated to self-empowerment.  The event was held at 51 Main and as the night went on, the space became progressively more packed with students and other enraptured fans.

The evening began with a poem written and read by Chris De La Cruz ’13, who was also one of the hosts for the evening.  The event progressed with more poetry of different kinds and in various languages. There was even a version of Miley Cyrus’ “Party in the USA,” translated into American Sign Language and performed by Ada Santiago ’13.  By the end, it was clear that the audience had just witnessed the many different voices and perspectives that we are fortunate to have represented on campus.

I was impressed by the talent displayed at this latest edition of Verbal Onslaught, not to metion by the number of ways diversity can be expressed.  There was so much talent radiating from the front of the room, where many of the poets sat, that I felt an electric current in the air.

Verbal Onslaught is about self-empowerment by its nature — it takes immense courage to get up in front of a group of peers and recite poetry that one has written — which made last Thursday’s coupling with Reclaim Childhood perfect.  Reclaim Childhood is a nonprofit organization based in Amman, Jordan, that is dedicated to the self-empowerment of Iraqi refugee girls.  Rather than finding empowerment through spoken word, however, they do so through sports.

Reclaim Childhood was started in 2008 by two then-recently graduated NESCAC athletes who wanted to do something for Iraqi refugees.  Because of their athletic background, they eventually “landed firmly on sports” as a way to empower young girls, explained Jade Hawes ’11 who, along with Sarafina Midzik ’11, organized the Reclaim Childhood aspect of Thursday’s event.

Hawes and Midzik’s goal is to raise awareness and funds for the organization.  They thought that coupling it with Winter Carnival, which is dedicated to fun and games, was perfect.  Indeed, the evening was meant to make audiences and performers “think about what empowered you in your childhood … and reclaim a part of ourselves … and our own voices,” said Midzik.

Reclaim Childhood is about helping young girls “discover a different facet of themselves,” said Midzik, and that is what Verbal Onslaught does as well.  But it is about more than discovery; both are a celebration of that discovery, which, as an audience member, was clear and contagious.

Those inspired by Reclaim Childhood’s goal are encouraged to visit reclaimchildhood.com. There are also online applications for summer internships and volunteer opportunities open to Middlebury students.