Pull-ups 4 Peace at Reagan HS

We were glad to make a return visit to Reagan HS today.  We tabled just outside the cafeteria doors during their single lunch period.  This was TAKS testing week, and it felt like students and teachers were happy to put that behind them.  Students tried out the pull-up bar.  Top number for chins among students (men and women tried it) was 11, I believe.  Hart did 17!  Hey -- Peacebuilding keeps him PeaceStrong!

We were told about Reagan's student/community garden, which is beautiful -- and will be included in  Austin's Community Garden Tour this weekend.

Chinning up for peace at Akins HS

Hart and I had a good visit today at Akins HS.  We tried out our new chin-up bar!  If the Marines use chin-up bars to convey a certain message about strength, then our message is that making peace takes strength and discipline, too, but of a different kind.  Not a discipline that is based on following orders, but discipline that is built from within.  It takes discipline to use nonviolence in conflict situations rather than resorting to violence in response.  Peace force one ... Peace force two .... Peace force three...!
Soon after lunch began, a school administrator told us that we could not use the chin-up bar indoors, so for the second lunch, we moved our tables outside the cafeteria and tabled there, which worked out well.  We also invited students to do the penny poll and to stencil their own folders at the peace wheel end of the table, and many did!