ALL HANDS ON THE SET..PLACES EVERYONE

I hope you like good music because Showtime is literally tomorrow and our cast & interns are working hard for the money. These past six weeks have been filled with blood, sweat, & tears and everything looks very professional.The set looks amazing, the props are painted and ready to go & the choreography is on point! The different classes on sound, lighting, staging, and set design made an extensive impact on how the "I Can" interns see theater. Being part of the production process brings together what we have learned in workshops and puts it all in practice during showtime.

Our production team includes a few key players that have demonstrated an interest in select tasks behind stage. Dana and Patrick are holding down the lights with Mr. Murray, Kia is up in the sound booth, making things groovy and Norris is behind stage handling the microphones. Ashley is behind stage dealing with cast movement and placement, while Dylan holds everything down as stage manager. Kiarra, Eman, and Darlissa are the costume handlers, which is very important. I am proud about everything I see here. Tomorrow marks a milestone for the interns.

As for those who are in the cast for the production, they are excited to be on stage. Christopher Page will be in a few songs/performances and Kianna Lewis stars as Gladys Knight

"Do You Like Good Music" premieres Friday at 2pm and 7pm and on Saturday at 2pm. Be there to see Soul personified as talented kids.

Abuse is no Joke

Andrew is a thirteen year old who lives in a nice suburb with his father and mother. After school he finds places to hangout because he is too scared to go home at night because his father treats him very badly and often talks down to him. His father drinks too much after a hard day of work and Andrew usually witnesses his mother being beat for any minor reason. Andrew is too scared to talk to his school counselor about his father because he might get in trouble with his father and he is afraid of what people might say about his situation. One day Andrew goes home to find his mother bruised and battered and he decides to take matters into his own hands. Andrew's father comes home and sees that his family is trying to leave him. He begins to beat Andrew and threatens his mother's life. Andrew and his mom are victims of Abuse.



Abuse, Domestic violence, and rape can be crippling to the body and mind. If the person you're involved with acts controlling, aggressive, coercive, or violent, that's abuse. Relationships can be abusive even if there is no hitiing: abuse can be verbal, emotional, physical, or sexual, or a combination of these. Any demographic can find themselves victim to abuse...black, white, young, old, male, female, poor and rich. Just think of the movies that touch on the topic of abuse, Antoine Fisher, Tina Turner, The Jackson Five Movie and Tyler Perry's Madea's Family Reunion. All of these movies show how abuse effects your self-worth, your family, and your everyday life. Abuse does not and will not be tolerated. The first step of conquering it is recognizing your self-worth and value your self esteem. It's funny how all of our lectures are related and can serve as answers to similar problems. The Anger Management lecture touched on how anger can be conquered. Anger is weakness for the abuser. If you can control your anger you are in control of yourself and you realize the potential of how your actions effect another person. The Love and Loss lecture stressed the importance of self-worth and self esteem. If you do not love yourself then why would you expect someone else to do the same. The Communication lecture touched on the importance on communicating your problems with an adult/parent. Communicate with a parent, friend, or an authority figure to help you with an abusive relationship. Believe it, these lectures are actually the steps to take in an abusive relationship and can save a life. Sadly, one of the reasons that cause abusive relationships to continue is that people are too afraid to seek help. If you truly care about yourself and your family you will take action.




Today the boys and girls had separate lectures on abuse. The boys focused on how to control anger and positively express anger and how to prevent an abusive relationship. The girls discussed the signs of abuse, how to deal with it, and how to get help when it is needed. Believe it or not boys are often found in an abusive relationships with their parent. The abusive behavior is then "inherited" and eventually plays out in their own intimate relationships, thus contributing to the cycle of abuse. Did you know that women, especially teens experience sexual abuse with their boyfriends/husbands, and even fathers? Girls and women ages 16 to 24 are most likely to be abused in a dating relationship.It is very important that you know the signs of an abusive relationship so you can save a friend or your self.

An Abusive relationship often causes verbal, physical, mental, abuse, threatens you if you try to seek help, an abuser can have dominance over finances ( so they can make it hard for you to leave), an abuser wants to know where you are every second of the day, an abuser will do anything to get their way, and an abuser isolates you from other people.

Based on Andrew's story which I have previously mentioned, to solve his problem he should have told a friend. a policeman, and counselor about his situation. Fear should be conquered. Andrew was too afraid to talk to any of these people but by doing so he could have saved himself and his mother. Many people are too afraid to seek help but remember the possibility of getting hurt is far more serious than what people may think about your situation.

For more information on abuse please call your local police station and go to counseling. Life is precious...live it and live it responsibly

The Forecast Calls for Meatballs

Flint Lockwood thinks he's a genius. But none of the things he invented are things that make sense or are useful. However, he has the support of his mother but when she dies, he's left alone with his father who thinks he should give it up. When the community that he lives in, is in an economic crisis because their primary source of income a sardine cannery was shut down, Flint decides to try his latest invention, a machine that can turn water into food. But something goes wrong and the machine ends up in the atmosphere. Later it starts raining food. And so the shifty mayor tries to use this as a way to help their community. But when Flint sense something's wrong with the machine, the mayor convinces him to ignore it. But as Flint predicts, chaos ensues.

This is our second to last movie premiere as the program end date grows closer with each day. Today THEARC housed over 500 eager children waiting to see the box office hit "Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs". It was crowded, chaotic, loud and an intense day, but in the end we had enough snacks to fill the masses. This was the most tedious Movie Tuesday yet. We expect the same amount of people for the upcoming premiere of the Disney hit "Princess & the Frog". Next week will be magical, with a karaoke machine, games, and tons of free stuff. Stay Tuned for Movie Tuesday next week!

BASKETBALL JONES

The Boys & Girls Club played host today for the basketball clinic. The interns had the chance to show their Lebron skills and learn a lot about the game, basketball exercises, and ball handling. The boys and girls split into teams for a nice game of KNOCKOUT. In knockout you have a limited time to shoot a basket and score before your opponent. If your opponent makes the shot first, then your KNOCKED OUT! It was a nice day to shoot a couple of hoops and stretch your legs. The girls were pretty good and the boys loved the competition.

VERBAL FIRST-AID MANAGING THE MOUTH & MIND

How many people really know how to handle anger? Have you used the silent treatment? Does swearing put people in their place? Do you keep your feelings in, or do you go an attack someone? All of these may be a sign that anger management is needed. Being human means that you may go through several emotions and all of them need to be expressed and controlled. Anger is a natural reaction to an unpleasant situation. You can identify internal cues to feeling angry: Clenched fists; increased heart rate; pressure on the temples; sweaty palms; clenched jaw; and feeling tightness and flushed. Anger management can be summed up in a simple phrase, "YOU NEED TO TAKE CONTROL BEFORE YOU LOSE CONTROL". Remember that only you can control your own actions, it's never someone else's fault. Here are a few pointers to live by when you feel anger:

Agree to disagree
Ask your self if it is worth it
Walk away & cool off
Compromise, Give a little, get a little
Deal with things later
Be the better person
Laugh it off

There is a thin line between being angry and being aggressive. Aggressive behavior is looked down upon and there will be actions taken either by law or by another person. You may throw things, become irate, curse, gang up on someone, or cause physical harm. All these actions can and will get you in trouble; loss of a job; loss of family/friends; loss of social privileges; going to jail; loss of a life; and loss of your social reputation

The healthy way to manage angry is to be true to your emotions by expressing your feelings. Be reasonable and establish a middle ground. Use words like "I feel this...when you..."

The more you can control anger, the more powerful you become. Practice cooling off, watch your thoughts, and always be mindful of the other person. Exercise, relaxing,listening to music, taking a nap and keeping a journal are great outlets. Most importantly is to learn to forgive and forget. As humans we make mistakes all the time, give people a second chance. Human nature is a powerful thing and it can get out of control. Control is the key word here. Blaming other people for your own actions gets you nowhere.

In short, the best way to deal with your emotions. Do not hold on to your anger. Find ways to safely express it. Use communication and look for a good listener to talk to. Filter bad thoughts, filter bad words, and be mindful of your actions.
Congratulations, you have successfully completed Pastor Steven's Anger Management course. Use this information wisely to protect yourself and others. : )

Our discussion lead us to some interesting conversations about self respect, the opposite sex, and how the younger generation has lost it's way. Chris Paige has a few words from the discussion about self respect and how women should address themselves. Check out the video

TOY STORY 2

In "Toy Story 2," the fun and adventure continues when Andy goes off to summer camp and the toys are left to their own devices. Things shift into high gear when an obsessive toy collector kidnaps Woody who unbeknownst to himself is a highly valued collectable. It's now up to Buzz Lightyear and the gang from Andy's room - Mr. Potato Head, Slinky Dog, Rex and Hamm - to spring into action and save their pal from winding up as a museum piece. There's plenty of excitement and fun as the toys get into one predicament after another in their daring race to get home before Andy does.

I think the children thoroughly enjoyed their day. Movie Tuesday ended with a "pop", the sound of balloons popping on the floor.
It was another day of making snacks and earning a dollar. Thank you everyone for making the day a hit.
Check out the slide show:

Teach me How to Doug E.

Stars, musical artists, and other public figures just seem to show up at THEARC these days. We are always having a surprise guest every now and then for the kids. Legendary beat boxer and Hip Hop great Doug E. Fresh dropped by the neighborhood today to teach the kids a little about Strokes and how to live a healthy life with the Hip Hop Stroke Program. The Hip Hop Stroke Program is part of Harlem Hospital Center Stroke Center’s multi-year Stroke Initiative to provide screening services and educate the community to recognize stroke symptoms.
Doug E. Fresh is an American rapper, record producer, and beat boxer, also known as "the Human Beat Box". One of the earliest recorded beat boxers, Fresh is able to accurately imitate drum machines and various special effects using only his mouth.He also taught us how to Doug E. (it's a dance if you did not know : ). We had lots of fun learning fun facts and we did some exercising here and there.

Did you know that In the United States, a stroke is a leading cause of adult disability and the third-leading cause of death? African Americans between 34 and 55 have the highest stroke death rates, and are 3-4 times more likely to suffer a stroke than white Americans. Yet as a group they are less likely to receive or ask for information on how to decrease, prevent, or manage stroke A stroke is known as a brain attack. It is caused by the lack of oxygen to the brain. Clogged arteries and veins are the leading causes of a stroke. That is why eating healthy should be a top priority, especially in the United Stated, because we are known to eat a lot of fast foods and we are one of the top countries that have a high obesity rate. Doug E. taught us a cool rap to recognize the signs of a stroke.

"F" is for the Face
"A" is for the Arm
"S" is for the Speech
"T" is for the Time
Time to do what?
"Call 911!"
Time to do what?
"Call 911!"

How do you prevent a stroke? Well just watch your calories. Consume calories based on your age, weight, and activity level. Eat more fruits and vegetables and exercise! Always act FAST and you could save a life.

Check out the fun!:


Chris and Johhnie have dance skills: