Delphian School Students Raise Human Rights Awareness

“What are your Human Rights?” Delphian students from the Youth for Human Rights club asked interested McMinnville parents, families and educators as part of Delphian’s Community Service Day last Saturday, April 17, 2010.


Led by the Youth for Human Rights Club President, rising senior Gabe Marrazzo, ten Delphian high school students set up a booth on Third Street in McMinnville with the sole purpose of educating public about their Human Rights.  The students showed a copy of the document containing the thirty articles adopted by the United Nations on December 6, 1948 called the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.  They explained how in 1948, following the second World War, the time was ripe for international support of Human Rights in order to prevent a repeat of the atrocities which had occurred during the previous decade.

Delphian students introduced several of the Universal Human Rights articles from the Delcaration and emphasized the importance of Human Rights education. Many local people agreed with them by signing a petition in support of education on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. One teacher who stopped by the booth was very interested in the educator’s pack, which presented lesson plans accompanying each of the thirty Human Rights. One parent said, “This is great to start now with clubs and in schools instead of waiting until college to find out about this kind of thing.”  The volunteer students collected one hundred and seventeen signatures on Saturday in support of Human Rights awareness.

Delphian students from the Youth for Human Rights club carry on the mission inspired by Eleanor Roosevelt’s words, “Where, after all, do universal human rights begin? In small places, close to home-so close and so small that they cannot be seen on any maps of the world… Unless these rights have meaning there, they have little meaning anywhere. Without concerted citizen action to uphold them close to home, we shall look in vain for progress in the larger world.”

Delphian School Jazz Choir takes 1st Place at Pleasant Hill Jazz Festival

Pleasant Hill is the largest school jazz festival in the state, with about thirty high schools and ten middle schools sending jazz bands and choirs to participate.

In the preliminary round the Delphian Jazz choir performed 3 songs. “Time’s a’ Wastin'” is a blues piece that has solos from vocalists, Guy Eskinazi and Kristel Ehrlich. Then they performed “Here’s That Rainy Day” a poignant ballad featuring Jeff Spick and Kristel Ehrlich. They closed with the exciting Brazilian tune “Desafinado”. It featured vocal solos by Savana St. Aubin, JJ Pinkus, and Guy Eskinazi and a piano solo from Elizabeth Strickland. Judge Dave Barduhn, a legendary musician, composer and educator and one of the founders of the Jazz Choir genre gave the Delphian choir high praise for their work and improvement since he last saw them at the Clackamas Jazz Festival in March. He also gave them advice on how to take their performance to the next level of excellence.

In the finals the choir performed a new song, “Home At Last”, a Steely Dan classic arranged by director, Craig Bader. This featured solos from Veronika Bschorr, Jake Kretchmar, Jeff Spick, Savana St. Aubin and Andrew Walther, as well as some fabulous work by the rhythm section of Remi Keough, drums, Kathleen Yang, keyboard bass and Elizabeth Strickland, piano. They got an enthusiastic response from the audience.

After the final choirs sang, the trophies were awarded. Kristel Ehrlich was awarded the Outstanding Soloist award in Delphian’s division for her solo on “Time’s a’ Wastin.'” Delphian was then announced as the 1st Place winner.

The Delphian School

Phone Number: 800.626.6610

Fax: 503.843.4158

E-Mail: publicrelations@delphian.org

Website: http://www.delphian.org

The Delphian School is Oregon’s premiere international K-12 day and boarding school. Living and studying within a close-knit community and lively campus environment, Delphi students receive highly personal attention from instructors as they progress through a challenging academic program that focuses on demonstrated competence rather than memorization of facts or time spent in class. Students learn to not only understand what they study, but also to become competent in the use of logic and reason.

As part of a student body that takes a highly active role in all school activities, students will hold positions of increasing responsibility and learn their own lessons about ethics, integrity and leadership. All these ingredients then come together to make a rich and rewarding launch into life.

The Delphian School might be considered a ‘professional’ prep school—that is, professional preparation for life. All student programs lead to the deliberate and professional pursuit of goals, whether the goal is to be a computer programmer, athlete, physicist, or writer; and whether it requires further college or professional school training or allows students to jump more directly into their field or into entrepreneurial work. Given the exponential growth in technology and the resulting demand for the ability to assimilate new knowledge, we know students need to be able to continue learning for the rest of their lives. They graduate from Delphi prepared for that future.

Students often consider The Delphian School quite a challenge, but a great deal of fun can be had amidst hard work and honest camaraderie. When this is combined with the practice and expectation of thinking for oneself and being fully responsible for one’s successes and failures, the stage is set for an extraordinary educational experience.

The school owes a debt of gratitude to American philosopher and educator L. Ron Hubbard, whose extensive writings include many treatises concerning education and career preparation, as well as the development of responsibility and ethical strength. It was through application of the ideas in these materials and the trial-by-fire of real classrooms that the philosophy of the school came to maturity.

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