The Invisible Children club had a showing of the documentary Invisible Children: Rough Cut in the McAfee Center on May 15. Although many students attended the screening solely to earn extra-credit for their history classes, most left with a new appreciation for the struggles of children in Africa.
The Invisible Children Club aims to spread awareness about the children of Northern Uganda who are often drafted into the Lord’s Resistance Army to fight the government. This conflict has left thousands of mothers dead and a whole generation of youth who have never known peace.
“I went to go see the movie for 10 extra credit points,” said junior Kathy Koo. “But I left wondering why I worry about such little things, when these kids worry about being abducted.”
The documentary told the story of a group of teenagers from New York who traveled to Uganda to film the story of these children and their struggle with daily survival.
“It really amazes me that I hadn’t heard about the situation in Uganda,” said Koo. “I was in shock [at first], but I’m really glad I’m aware of it now. I want to do more to help.”
The club began fundraising for the national Invisible Children Foundation by selling T-shirts and Invisible Children merchandise during school and in the lobby during the movie screening, raising $350.
Sophomore Mira Chaykin organized the event by advertising and e-mailing history teachers, asking them to give their students extra credit and advertising during lunches.
“I knew extra credit would be a good way to attract students,” said Chaykin, “I wished we could have raised a little more money, but I’m glad students had an eye-opening experience.”
The experience, however, is not over as the movie did not completely end and left students wondering about the next chapter of the documentary, which the club will show next year when members of the national foundation visit the high school.
The movie ending created a sense of restlessness that for some students left them wanting to do more to help.
“I would definitely come see the next part of the documentary,” said Koo. “ But for right now, I think my friends and I are going to find ways in which we can raise some money for the children.”