Printer Friendly Version - Morgan Mural Tells Story of Choices

A brand-new mural documenting the consequences of good and bad choices came to life through the efforts of students Lenny Paul, Morgan Allen, Brittany Carroll, Miranda Richard, Shannon Gilmore, Shannon Blencowe, Alexandra Kamnitzer, Kirstie Guerette, and Lauren Tyrell. Here, some of those students were joined by Principal Keri Hagness, art consultant Jill Lesage, and Clinton Youth & Family Services Bureau Prevention Coordinator Andrea Kaye for a formal ribbon cutting on June 30.See more photos in gallery to the right.

There are plenty of choices out there for kids-both good and bad. Wishing to illustrate the consequences of choosing the right choices over the wrong choices is the goal of a group of Morgan School students who created a forever, living memorial to the idea.

The vividly painted mural, about 25 x 9 feet, is now a permanent part of the hallway at The Morgan School in Clinton. It shows the many scenarios available to teens when they choose wisely in life-positive activities such as dancing, art, sports, and singing. These activities help one become respectful, responsible, creative, and self-disciplined. Conversely, making bad choices in life-such as abusing drugs and alcohol, bullying, or breaking the law-can lead to unfortunate results in life, such a depression, hate, and anger.

The idea for the mural came about through an organization called Peer Advocates, run by the Clinton Youth & Family Service Bureau (CYFSB). Peer Advocates, composed of teenaged students, helps train other high school kids to become advocates of positive issues and positive choices. Prevention specialist Andrea Kaye, who works at CYFSB and leads the Peer Advocates program, said the mural was the students' idea.

The mural is a special project, added Kaye, as it was created by a collaboration of kids involved in different activities, including art students at Morgan and members of Peer Advocates.

A $300 mini-grant from the Middlesex County Substance Abuse Action Council helped purchase paint and pay for an art consultant, Jill LeSage of Guilford. Through her experience as a graphic designer and artist, she advised the kids on how best to design the extra-large mural.