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May

4

Major props to Shaw High School, going to Beijing, featured on NBC


This is actually a little hard for me to write, because I support a boycott of the Beijing Olympics. But that’s for another post.

I want to recognize the achievement of the excellent Shaw High School (East Cleveland) band. More from Sandy Mitchell at Cleveland About.com:

The 60-member marching band at East Cleveland’s Shaw High School is heading for Beijing, China. They are one of just five US bands selected to perform at the pre-Olympics “International Marching Band Salute” in June.

That these kids have the opportunity, and the more than $300,000 needed for the trip, is a tribute to band director, Donshon Wilson, a Shaw graduate himself. The band practices two hours a day, year-round, and more than 90% carry at least a 3.0 grade point average.

You can watch the NBC news clip here. It’s going to make you tear up so grab a tissue box.

Here’s the Shaw Band to China website (I’m going there to make a donation – after you watch the clip and listen to them on the website, you’ll want to, too).

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By Jill Miller Zimon at 9:49 am May 4th, 2008 in Announcements, Cleveland+, Culture, Education, Foreign Affairs, Ohio, Youth 

Comments

7 Responses to “Major props to Shaw High School, going to Beijing, featured on NBC”

  1. 1 Harold Thomas on May 4th, 2008 7:11 pm

    I understand your mixed feelings (see here), but as a fellow Ohioan, share your pride in the Shaw marching band.

  2. 2 Ben K on May 4th, 2008 8:30 pm

    A very nice story indeed.

    Someday I want to see your post on why you think we should boycott the Olympics, but agreed, that should not be part of this post.

  3. 3 Jill Miller Zimon on May 4th, 2008 10:13 pm

    Hi Harold – yeah – I can completely relate to that image. Thanks for posting a link (you can see I embedded it).

  4. 4 Jill Miller Zimon on May 4th, 2008 10:21 pm

    Ben – I don’t want to oversimplify this – I really do understand the complexities. But we’ve had the chance for DECADES literally to set the tone for what we will and won’t deal with – and we’ve failed and/or the Chinese continue to be impervious to accepting human rights regulations and enforcement consistent with so much of the rest of the world. Of course, there’s a lot of hypocritical behavior and that doesn’t make it any easier to argue one’s case for why the Chinese should treat their people better.

    But this is also a very emotional case for me – I think you’ve probably heard or read before, I was a Chinese major in college, before Beijing or mainland China was “open.” And I wanted to study there – even though it was “closed.” My parents wouldn’t allow it, i was only 19 and didn’t have the chutzpah at the time to go anyway. It would be kind of like saying you studied Korean and didn’t want to study in S. Korea but only North Korea, if you can imagine.

    So I switched majors. But I’ve always had a love for China and have so, many, friends who have gone their for business, to adopt kids, with their own kids as part of tours. And I still haven’t gotten there.

    But the fact is that now? I would never go -I am so angry with our biggest corporations who refuse to use their weight.

    I understand the arguments about how it’s sports, and sports shouldn’t be used as political foils, but the fact is that China is using the entire event itself.

    Anyway – as people, how many acts and how many times do we get to stand up for something? I know it’s easy for me to sit here and write “boycott” and so maybe it’s not fair – I was never about to be going to China to compete in the first place. Who am I to dictate?

    But, on the other hand, you asked, and I’m just expressing – I think China is arrogant (yeah, I know, we are too) and believes that they are such an economic opportunity to a capitalist country like ours, that we will always put human rights to the side in favor of $$$. I hate that – even though I believe, sadly, that they are right. And that’s just wrong. A wealthy or powerful country should be able to take a stand – not be used by another country.

    Anyway – that’s part of how I feel. I’m not saying it’s rational, logical or even that consistent – but it’s how I feel about the situation.

    Thanks for commenting and asking.

  5. 5 Harold Thomas on May 5th, 2008 8:08 am

    Jill:
    I am motivated by two causes. First, as a secessionist, I believe that people should live in the country they _want_ to live in; which means that Tibet and Taiwan should be free of Chinese pressure.

    Secondly, a very dear friend and coworker is Taiwanese and favors complete independence for her island republic (but its a hard sell against those who fear the Chinese or are confused about their national identity).

  6. 6 David E. Keck on July 17th, 2008 8:40 pm

    As a Shaw High Alumni and former Band member, 1954-1957, I am proud of their accomplishment.

  7. 7 Jill on July 19th, 2008 3:02 am

    Thank you for commenting, Mr. Keck. It’s a great honor and very flattering for Cleveland and Ohio to have the Shaw Band represent the music and spirit that they do.

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