服務故事

The Huatung Choir Camp celebrates its 10th anniversary this year. Fifty volunteers and 108 junior and senior high school students immersed themselves in songs such as "Thriller" by Michael Jackson and "Schindler's List." After undergoing professional vocal training and diverse courses, they held a showcase concert on July 15, performing a total of 26 pieces, which include 24 songs in English, one in Hebrew, and the Chinese song "Happy Paradise."The final segment of the concert invited past camp participants to perform the "10th Anniversary Theme Suite" together, with background projections showing younger images of themselves while they were still students. The audience felt like they were traveling through time, reliving the wonderful moments of the past decade. The applause during the curtain call lasted for 30 seconds, applauding the young stars on stage. During the 13-day camp period where phone usage was prohibited, participants transformed from individuals into a united group; as Chair Stanley Yen said, "The choir camp challenges each participant to push their limits and discover their potential. Especially with 'Schindler's List' as the theme this year, the choir camp evokes individual critical thinking abilities, a lesson we need to learn.

The members of the music camp include junior and senior high school students, CIT (Counselor-in-Training) high school interns, college volunteers, team assistants, camp leaders, guiding teachers, and choir instructors. Behind each member is another group of individuals playing supportive roles, with the CITs being especially crucial. Before officially becoming volunteers, they not only fully participate in camp activities but also take on additional responsibilities for caring for the participants.

After completing the check-in process, students are divided into four vocal sections based on their voice characteristics and attend classes accordingly. However, instruction is rotated among five teachers to expose the students to different teaching styles. CITs assist slower-paced students with reading music and improving concentration. This year, there are 20 English songs, 3 Hebrew songs, and 1 Chinese song. Regardless of the student's level of English proficiency, since no one knows Hebrew, everyone helps each other without distinction, using phonetic symbols to mark pronunciation. Starting from zero, they learn together, working towards the same goal.

A Discussion on Bullying Issues

After choir class ends, the afternoon features thematic and elective courses designed by volunteers for the participants. In the classroom for high school students, the blackboard displays three important principles: "Respect the speaker, address the issue, not the person, and base arguments on facts." The thematic courses are co-planned by university volunteers Moon and Titi, who have psychology and special education backgrounds. They carefully reviewed this year's participants' background information to develop a series of five progressive lessons. These lessons aim to start from the bullying issues that resonate with teenagers and guide discussions on human rights and other related topics.

Besides "Schindler's List," another theme for 2023 was "Michael Jackson." In today's world, marked by a global pandemic, climate change, the Russia-Ukraine war, and widespread human rights issues, Michael Jackson's classic songs, with their upbeat melodies, offer a counterbalance to these heavy topics. The song "We Are The World" especially brings everyone closer together, reminding each participant of humanity's warm and bright side. 

We believe that everyone deserves love and is capable of it.

The music camp hopes the participants fully engage in the activities, experiencing genuine human interactions without being tethered to electronic devices. Therefore, the strictest rule for participants during the 13-day camp period is "no use of mobile phones." Naturally, some find it difficult to comply, protesting that it "violates human rights!" and one participant was even discovered making a secret call home without surrendering their phone. Instead of reprimanding them, the volunteers guided him to discover the fun of the camp: "We understand you miss your family, but not using mobile phones is a fundamental principle of the camp, and it cannot be easily broken. Look forward to the exciting activities planned for the next few days!"

Yunong, who volunteered at the music camp for three years during university and later became a choir teacher, shared: "In the camp, everyone uses positive language, but it's not forced. It's based on the belief that 'you believe every student is capable'; it's not that they don't want to move, they're just not ready for the lesson yet." When other opportunities to shine, such as drama, art, or sports, arise, they also engage happily. This embodies the core philosophy of the music camp "IALAC" (I Am Lovable And Capable) - everyone deserves love and is capable of achieving it.