Local view: How this Narragansett student shows we are all connected

Yes, we are all connected the world over. What happens in one country affects what happens in other countries, both economically and emotionally. We have the perfect example of it now in how the happenings in Ukraine touch us all.

The Lions Club International, a humanitarian organization more than 100 years old, has a worldwide poster contest for middle school art students to express their visions of world peace. It is well-known about the club's outreach to help with sight and blindness prevention — many of us have donated eyeglasses we no longer use — but their outreach goes far beyond eyecare.

The organization reaches out and supports many needs like diabetes awareness, hunger, environment, childhood cancer, and disaster relief. In 1988, the peace poster contest was added to the Lions Club's list of services in an effort to make young people think about the world, to understand each other, to make it a more caring place, and to have peace.

The contest is open to students between the ages of 11 and 13. The Lions of Templeton and Phillipston have sponsored it for about 30 years at Narragansett Middle School. A new theme is chosen every year by Lions Club International. This year's theme seems especially appropriate: "We Are All Connected." Over 600,000 students from over 200 countries participated in the contest; 120 took part from Narragansett.

Art teacher Janet Dupuis is enthusiastic about the project. She motivates her classes by showing them posters made to represent previous themes, and she guides the students who participate. The poster has to give a visual message, no words, so people in all countries can "read" its meaning. (All posters I've ever seen have words along with art to convey the message.) Conveying a poster message with no words is a challenging assignment, and it becomes part of their art grade.

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The Lions judge the results and the winner goes on to compete with the winners from the 49 clubs in the district. In judging, they look for an important message of peace, the artwork, and originality in the piece. The Lions here are very proud that the winner from Narragansett went on to win the district prize.

Linda Columbus has been the peace poster chairperson of the Templeton Lions since 2010, and Marilyn Holway has been the Phillipston Lions chairperson since 2007. The Lions distribute the international contest theme to the schools, judge them, frame the winning poster and the ones that receive honorable mention.

Seventh-grader Mason Reed of Baldwinville was this year's winner. He designed the world surrounded by flags of many nations, with all the flags connected by a chain. Without any words, it communicates the theme's message. When you look at it, it's hard to believe that the amazing poster was created by a middle school student.

Mason said he spent a lot of time thinking about it before he was ready to start. In fact, he said he wasn't ready to begin and started a day later than most people in the class. When I asked him if he liked the assignment, he said, "I enjoyed doing it because I got to do whatever I wanted to do with the theme." He used oil pastels, Sharpies, and colored pencils to do it.

Mason said he was excited about winning. He and his parents, along with Linda Columbus, were invited to attend a dinner at a hotel in Sturbridge where he was presented the district award. Linda presented him with a plaque from the Lions.

He said he loves to draw and spends a lot of time doing it. His efforts show. I told him he has a hobby to enjoy all his life.

Four Narragansett students with impressive works received honorable mention — Matthew Whaley, Brooke Haddocks, Anna Ogonowski and Faith Moser. Their art included hearts to show love, peace symbols, hands of all colors to show unity, and figures representing many religions joined with peace symbols. Recently, the Lions gave a pizza party and a gift to celebrate the 15 students whose works had high artistic merit that met the requirements of the contest.

The school has an art program to be proud of. Janet Dupuis said, "If it weren't for the Lions Club, this project wouldn't happen."

It's their effort to make our leaders of tomorrow think about ways to promote world peace.

Carole Gariepy is a Phillipston resident and author of “Dragging Gerry around the World” and “Why Go There?”

This article originally appeared on Gardner News: Gariepy guest column: A student's winning poster for world peace