Carson High students raise awareness

Wearing a red X to symbolize Invisible Children, more than 60 Carson High School students marched through town Friday evening in a grassroots effort to raise awareness of children living in war-torn Uganda.

"It's like we're saying, hey community, look at this massive group of young people uniting to do something good," said Caitlin Sinclair, 17. "This really shows that we care."

The Invisible Children Organization gave a presentation last week at Carson High School, where a Ugandan man explained the turmoil in his country. He explained that children are forced to leave their homes in the middle of the night and walk long distances to refugee camps or just into the darkness to avoid being kidnapped and compelled to fight in the war.

"It's like they don't exist anymore," Sinclair explained. "The X represents displaced children."

After the presentation, a group of students approached world and U.S. history teacher William Houk to see what they could do.

He opened his classroom to an impromptu meeting that day. About 70 students showed up. For a follow-up meeting the next day, he said, about 100 kids came.

"I was completely surprised," he said. "I've never seen anything like the response of these students."

As part of the Homecoming committee for student council, Sinclair organized a fundraiser for the Schools for Schools program within the Invisible Children Organization.

So far, students have raised $2,200.

Invisible Children is rebuilding schools devastated by war. All money raised by Carson High students will go to Keyo Secondary School in Uganda where the student-teacher ratio is 120 to one.

Scott Galloway has taken on fundraising for the program as his senior project, hoping to raise $10,000 by Dec. 17.

"I just feel like it's really making a difference directly," he said. "I love helping out wherever I can."

On Friday, students met at the Carson Mall to walk north on Carson Street, then up William Street to Saliman Road back to the high school. The "Night Commute" was meant to simulate the walk Ugandan children would have to make at night to escape abduction of the rebel army.

Many of the students removed their shoes to make the walk more authentic.

By the Carson Nugget, Brian Barnes, 18, was limping a little. However, he continued to lead the march, cheering and waving at passing cars - deciding not to put his shoes back on.

"They don't get to put their shoes back on because they don't have any," he said. "I feel like I'd be cheating."

Students are working to form an official club at the high school, and Houk would serve as adviser.

He said he's been impressed with the diversity among students interested in joining. An informal poll showed about 12 different clubs of the high school represented among the group.

Andrew Lawrence, 16, describes his style as "punk." He knows he's not the typical activist at school, but after the presentation he was motivated to get involved.

"After seeing all they don't have and all I do, I felt like I wanted to give," he said. "I feel like I'm too materialistic."

Watching the students mobilize themselves for a cause they believed in has encouraged Houk.

"Stuff like this is why I became a teacher," he said. "Showing kids there's a connection between studying history and changing the world in the present."