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WHEATON – Jennifer Higgins lost her son Joshua Wilson, 12, to suicide in July 2013. Now, she is sharing her story with students across Illinois as part of the MWAH! performing arts troupe. The group brought its powerful messages to Monroe Middle School on Oct. 19.
“My son was having a difficult time during a divorce but seemed to be getting better with help,” Higgins said. “It was a complete shock when he took his life because I thought he was happy. So I want to reach another child. If I can get a kid to think twice about committing suicide, it’s all worth it.”
MWAH!, which stands for Messages Which Are Positive, has been performing at Illinois schools for 32 years. The group is made up of children between the ages of 9 and 18. Higgins, and another parent who lost a child to drug abuse, accompanied the troupe and spoke at the recent all-school assembly in Wheaton.
MWAH! uses music, dance and narration to deliver important messages about bullying, child abuse, teen suicide, drug use and teen relationship problems. Many of the performers, who are from several suburbs, have experienced some of the issues they’re hoping to prevent. Ray Moffitt, founder and director, said the reason the group makes such an impact on kids is because the performers are their peers.
“The audience can relate to the performers, and that’s the crucial part,” Moffitt said. “Using performing arts and peers is an effective way to reach them. Most young people like music and dance, and that connects with them. It’s not just someone standing up there talking for two hours.”
Bryan Buck, principal of Monroe Middle School, said this was the first time he’s seen MWAH!, and he was very impressed with the group's performance and message.
“It was very well-received by the staff and students. There was pin-drop silence in the gym because everyone was so engaged,” he said. “I hope that kids are going to feel more open communicating with each other because part of the message is it’s cool to stand up to someone and stop bullying. It also stressed the importance of finding a trusted adult to talk to.”
After the performance, students sat at tables with an adult and a troupe member during their lunch hour to discuss what they saw.
“I told the kids at my table that they need to let us know if something’s bothering them, and we’ll do something about it and get them help,” Buck said. “The kids I talked to said they were going to be more aware of how they treat each other and be quicker to help kids who are being bullied.”
Assistant Principal Susan Baldus had seen the troupe perform several years ago and was happy to have them back. She said the troupe is very talented, and the performance is “top-notch.”
“They dare to take on the tough subjects that kids are living with and exposed to, and they’re passionate about their message,” she said. “Just about every student I talked to afterward thought it was fantastic because they said it was better than having an adult talk to them. I was very happy with how the kids responded.”
Moffitt, who has a background in social work, founded MWAH! about 32 years ago after working with a similar performing group in Maywood. He said the group, which is not affiliated with any school district, gives about two performances a month, so the student performers don’t have to miss too many school days. They travel all over Illinois and have gone to Wisconsin, Iowa and Indiana.
“Monroe Middle School is so supportive,” Moffitt said. “They make an effort to prevent these problems. We’re here today because some of the students have had problems, and they’re trying to help the kids.”
Bill Kent’s 15-year-old daughter, Lindsay, is a member of the troupe. He said at first he wasn’t willing to let her audition for the group because she would miss some school days, but once he saw the show, he changed his mind.
“It’s worth it for her to miss school because of the positive message,” he said. “I saw the impact the show has on kids. I saw kids cry today and teachers tearing up. It’s an incredible thing. I wish every kid could see it.”
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Know more
For information on MWAH!, visit mwah.net.