By Owen Boss
Staff Writer
NORTHAMPTON — In assemblies this month at Northampton High School, former city poet laureate and local author Leslea Newman will challenge students to embrace their differences by promoting respect and acceptance in the hallways of NHS and beyond.
Newman will spark discussion and reflection based on the reading of poetry she wrote to remember Matthew Shepard, the young college student who died from injuries suffered in homophobic attacks in 1998. School officials hope a discussion about the crime and its aftermath will help foster respect and acceptance at a time when the issues of bullying and harassment are very much in the forefront at area schools.
Newman will read excerpts from her latest project called "October Mourning: A Song For Matthew Shepard," a collection of poems about Shepard's highly publicized murder in 1998 and the effect it had on the state of Wyoming and the nation as a whole.
Shepard was a 21-year-old student at the University of Wyoming who was tortured and murdered near Laramie, Wyo., by two men later found guilty of targeting him because he was gay. Shepard was attacked on the night of Oct. 6, and died on Oct. 12 from severe head injuries sustained in what was later ruled to be a hate crime.
Newman said she will follow the poems with a presentation with images of Matthew Shepard, his parents and the landscape that she said "really sets the mood of what happened there visually for the students."
After that, she will lead the assembled students in a guided visualization to "imagine the world as a safe place and I can challenge them to think of something that they can do to make it a safer place for everyone."
Because all of the high school's students can't fit in the auditorium at once, NHS teacher Jon Sass, who organized the presentation, said it will be broken into two parts - the first from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. and the second held from 1 to 2 p.m.
"I think the point of this assembly isn't to tell the students to stop being bad, it is more about asking them to think of what they can be doing to make a difference and how they should relate to each other," said Sass.
The assemblies are not open to the public.
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Fresh food in school
Locally grown fruits, vegetables, dairy products and meat will be on the lunch menu at all six of the city's public schools this month as part of Fresh Wednesdays, a new program aimed at promoting a healthy and balanced diet.
Starting Oct. 20, students will be served freshly prepared, locally grown food once a month in the hopes of introducing students to new healthy foods, improving academic performance, and, ultimately, reducing obesity.
"A major national health goal has been set by the president to dramatically reduce childhood obesity.
"It is our hope that this small step is the first of many to help reach this goal," said Karen Jarvis Vance, the school's director of health services.
Jarvis Vance said the Fresh Wednesdays program is based on the principle that fresh food can be affordable and taste good. The program includes purchasing farm-to-school produce and serving foods that are minimally processed and prepared with whole food ingredients such as fruit, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds, low-fat dairy products, eggs, poultry and lean meats.
According to a report published by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health last month, 29 percent of Northampton students had a body mass index that was either overweight or obese.
The parents and guardians of Northampton elementary school students are encouraged to join their children for lunch Oct. 20 and their students will bring home an invitation for family members to RSVP to the event.
The Fresh Wednesdays lunch will be offered at the regular price for students and $4 for parents and staff members.
Fresh Wednesdays was coordinated by the Healthy Foods in Northampton Schools Coalition in collaboration with Green Acting in Northampton Schools, the Northampton Food Services Department, Board of Health, School Health Services and School Committee.
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Athletic boosters
Area residents are invited to a series of-filled events this month to benefit the Northampton Athletic Booster Club.
The boosters' fundraising efforts kick off Saturday at the club's annual golf tournament, held at Pine Grove Golf Course on Old Wilson Road in Florence.
Perry Messer, who coaches Northampton High School's girls' basketball team and helped organize the event, said there are still a handful of spots left.
"So far there has been a very good response from the community," Messer said. "We can take as many as 28 foursomes and right now we have 20 groups committed."
In addition to cash prizes for the top three teams, participants will win a car if they win the tournament's hole-in-one challenge and can participate in a longest drive competition and a raffle.
"We've been lucky enough to have a lot of businesses looking to donate to our raffle and we will have gift certificates and businesses offering their services as prizes," Messer said.
The tournament starts at 9 a.m. on Saturday.
Then, starting at 3 p.m. on Friday Oct. 15, the group will host the Booster Week Carnival in the playing fields behind the high school.
The carnival runs until 6 p.m., wrapping up in time for a Blue Devils football game at the high school later that night.
By the way, attending that game is also a way to support the team.
Owen Boss can be reached at oboss@gazettenet.com
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