July 5, 2007

ACT-SO develops leadership skills, character in teens
By Imani Tate, Staff Writer

Anna Pouncy, 15, of West Covina startled listeners as her soprano voice quickly ascended the high notes, rose to a crescendo and then dropped to the lower register, deftly handling the linguistic challenges of Gianni Schicchi's "O Mio Babbino."

A diva in the making, the teen's dramatic flair and vocal talent stirred smiles from her mother, Ramona Lira, and rousing applause from judges, peers and supporters at the regional Afro-Academic, Cultural, Technological, Scientific Olympics.

Commonly called ACT-SO, the late spring competition was sponsored by the San Gabriel Valley branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and held at Pomona Church of Christ.

The yearlong program has the simultaneous goals of showcasing black teen talent and developing character, positive peer role models and future leaders, said Madgeolyn Benson of Claremont.

Benson, a retired Pomona Unified School District teacher; her daughter, Angela, an insurance claims adjuster and Cal State Fullerton graduate; and retired city of Los Angeles bar code supervisor Neda Barnes, all Claremont residents, co-chair the ACT-SO regional event.

Anna, a West Covina High School junior; dancer Ariel Murphy of Ontario, 16, a Los Angeles County High School for the Arts senior; Colony High School sophomore orator Austin Patrick of Ontario, 14; violinist Saila Reyes, 16, an Agoura High School junior; actress Jahanna Blunt, 17, of Altadena, a LACHSA 2007 graduate; and essayist Brittany Lawrence of West Covina, 17, a West Covina High June grad, took part in the 2007 ACT-SO program.

Judges are current and retired educators, business executives, musicians, writers and skilled professionals, Barnes noted. The Bensons and Barnes said the program counters negative imagery and provides mentoring.

"Younger children need more than programs," Angela added. "They need positive mentoring and leadership."

ACT-SO teens receive encouragement from parents and community adults, but they must do the work themselves. They often rely upon personal experiences and cultural preferences for their competitive categories.

Anna chose the Italian aria for her classical vocal selection and proved equally evocative singing a song from her ethnic roots. Following the example of vocal virtuoso Marian Anderson, Anna sang a Negro spiritual. She moved people to tears with a stirring rendition of "His Eye Is On The Sparrow." Her dad, Jack Lira Sr., gave her a big hug as she finished to thunderous applause.

"She's very versatile," Ramona Lira proudly said about her daughter. "She sings in German, Russian, Latin, Italian and Spanish. She loves Bach, gospel, operatic arias and Broadway show tunes. She even sang a Filipino children's song in Tagalog, with no accent."

Jahanna's dramatic monologue tackled a subject affecting too many children today: psychological and physical abuse. She challenged fathers to abandon the duplicity of being successful in the corporate world and abusive at home. The measure of a successful man can be found in how good a human being he is, she said.

"A Human Being" was Jahanna's tearful plea to men to stop blacking eyes, bruising bodies and speaking hateful, hurting words to children and wives.

Ariel is the "old-timer," participating in three regional ACT-SO competitions, receiving a 2005 bronze National ACT-SO award, academic honors and repeated wins in dance programs in Germany, Austria and the United States. Madgeolyn, sighed happily as Ariel gracefully danced to Yolanda Adams' "Still I Rise," called Ariel "our backbone for other young people."

Austin sat in a corner, quietly practicing Robert F. Kennedy's response to news about the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. A speech doesn't have to be commonly known to be powerful, Austin contended.