Journal 4: Jordan at UCLA!

Today, we got to spend time with our friends at Jordan on our own turf: UCLA! We met up with them at the Fowler Museum and walked through the Condom Couture Exhibit, then saw the performance "Flesh and Blood," put on my Kevin Kane, and danced/acted by WAC Alumni and friends. Iliana and I mostly documented the day, taking video and photos while the kids participated in the activities that the Museum Educators had planned for the students.
From what I could tell: the kids loved the performance. It was put together in a way that was extremely accessible to high schoolers; it didn't talk down to them, and it didn't make them uncomfortable. The production was a perfect example about how the performing arts can raise awareness about serious issues, without alienating the audience. In other words, the kids gained a sense of how important the issue of HIV/ STDs is, and rather than being bombarded with statistics or lectures, they had a glimpse into the personal stories behind these diseases, and were left with the sense that they were in control of their own bodies and health. The kids really enjoyed the Condom Couture Exhibit as well. They were impressed with the aesthetic appeal of the dresses, and I heard many of the girls say they would wear a dress just like the dresses featured (though they probably wouldn't wear one that was actually made out of condoms). They understood that the purpose of the exhibit was to make it acceptable and more commonplace to talk about condoms and that it doesn't always have to be in a medical or negative context.
I think overall the day was very successful-- in that the kids were able to walk away with some information, and (hopefully) were inspired by the examples of what they can take part in when they go to college. It's so important for them to see that college is not just a continuation of high school – that college can provide a new world for them to explore certain issues and artistic endeavors that interest them. I realized that that's probably one of the most important pieces of information that I can impart to them: College is what you make of it, and any college you end up at has so much potential to expand your world and improve your life. Seriously! That's what college has done for me…