Lyrics are featured at the end of the article.
Midview High School first-period Current Events students have been named the Runner-up in the 2023 Stop the Hate Youth Sing Out Awards. Their original song, “Life is Full of Color,” has won a $2,000 anti-bias grant from the Maltz Museum.
Through a dual partnership, the Nancy & David Wolf Holocaust & Humanity Center in Cincinnati and the Maltz Museum in Cleveland established Stop the Hate as a statewide campaign to increase Holocaust education. Now in its 15th year, the Stop the Hate contest is an arts-integrated learning initiative comprised of two components: Youth Speak Out Essay Writing Contest and Youth Sing Out Songwriting Contest. Both celebrate Northeast Ohio students in sixth to twelfth grade who are committed to creating a more accepting, inclusive society by standing up and speaking out against bias and discrimination.
“With our current social climate, it’s more important than ever for students to talk about solutions to societal issues. This is such a powerful experience that challenges our students to inspire social change through a unique and creative learning process,” said Midview High School Language Arts and Journalism teacher Cassie Lundgard. “This is the sixth year Midview has participated in the sing-out program. It is definitely a highlight for all involved and truly inspiring to watch our students use their voices for good. ”
As participants in The Youth Sing Out Songwriting Contest, Midview students in William Lawton and Don Crawford’s Current Events classes and Cassie Lundgard’s Journalism class began the semester-long project with a virtual “Stop the Hate” Maltz Museum tour and a “Power of Music and Protest” Rock & Roll Hall of Fame tour. Drawing on what they learned about the history of bias and the power of music as well as their own experiences with discrimination, students then worked together to turn their words into lyrics with the help of Roots of American Music teaching artist, Ray Flannigan.
Midview songs have tied for second place three other times, winning $2,000 in prizes and a spot performing on stage at the Maltz Performing Arts Center.
“From traveling to museums to working with a musician and sound producer, this is a great opportunity for students that combines non-traditional learning with real-world application,” said Lawton. “Experiences like this add another dimension to learning, fostering a deeper understanding. For subject matter such as anti-bias education, that truly makes a difference.”
Since its inception, over 50,000 students in 12 counties across Northeast Ohio have participated in the Stop the Hate contest. In 2023, the total amount of scholarships, prizes, and anti-bias education grants awarded through the contest to Northeast Ohio students, teachers, and schools will total $1.5 million.
“Life is Full of Color”
William Lawton’s 1st Period Class,
Midview High School
RUNNER-UP HIGH SCHOOL
100 to 1 hated for things out of your control
Don’t care to understand getting too comfortable
There are always people saying that you’re this or that you’re that
But it feels as if it’s from the draw of a hat
Everywhere you turn, feelings are so tense
I guess there is that saying that ignorance is bliss
Chorus:
Life is full of color, why would you hide it
Life is full of color, from red to violet
Like lights in the dark, we’re alive
We are all one, think of the things you really can control
Hold the door, flash a smile, make others comfortable
There are no people who should be made to feel alone
We all deserve an equal pull from the wishbone
Everywhere you turn, feelings are so tense
I don’t understand how all of this makes sense
Chorus
It’s not black and white, why do we have to put up a fight
It seems so obvious, it’s what's inside of us
Chorus