2024 Credo Booklet

M a y 5 2 0 2 4

C h u r c h o f t h e S o u t h H i l l s

l i s t

U n i v e r s a

n i t a r i a n

T h e U

20232024

2 0 2 3 - 2 0 2 4

C O A S T U D E N T S & M E N T O R S

Students

Eden Cheng

Perrin Farb

Liam Fenell

Sam Fleisher

Max Lofgren

Naomi Margolis

Bee Page

Cadence Pratt

Mentors

Auldyn Matthews-McGee

Erin Nath Jay Thornton

Massimo Terzigni

Brad Convis

Rachel Butler-Pardi

Claire Pullen

Doug Reichenfeld

SPIRIT OF LIFE, COME UNTO ME.

SING IN MY HEART ALL THE STIRRINGS OF COMPASSION.

BLOW IN THE WIND, RISE IN THE SEA; MOVE IN THE HAND,

GIVING LIFE THE SHAPE OF JUSTICE.

ROOTS HOLD

ME CLOSE;

WINGS SET ME FREE; SPIRIT OF LIFE, COME TO ME, COME TO ME.

"SPIRIT OF LIFE" CAROLYN MCDADE

ABOUT

CREDO STATEMENTS

Credo is a Latin word, which is generally translated as “I believe,” but its literal meaning is closer to “what I set my heart to.” Throughout this course youth learn and discuss social justice, values, community, leadership, and our own Unitarian Universalist tradition

They are then tasked with taking what they have learned and applying it to their own worldview to develop a credo statement. The 2023-2024 Credo statements are a snapshot into the hearts of these amazing young people.

-Jennifer McGlothin, DRE

EDEN CHENG

I'm honored that I had the opportunity to mentor Eden, a bright and witty soul who I connected with instantly I remember the first time we interviewed each other, we ended up in long philosophical discussions of life, hobbies, sweets, and Taylor Swift Her curiosity and imagination is a gift to this world, and I have no doubt she'll do great things

-AULDYN MATTHEWS-MCGEE, Mentor

EDEN

Good morning, Sunnyhill! When I was younger, I believed that the only form of love was romance. On movie nights, I would beg my parents to watch a cringy Hallmark movie and I would hide behind our couch pillows, excitedly giggling when the couple would kiss Six-year-old me used to believe that when I found a boyfriend, the curtains would close, the credits would roll, and I would live happily ever after Well, to put it simply, I learned that is not the truth Instead of some kind of magical remedy that fixes all of the world's problems and makes you forget all of your worries, like what I used to believe when I was younger, love can actually be extremely complicated

As a fourteen-year-old speaking to an audience of people who have more life experience than I do, I’m not going to act like I know what being in love feels like. I don't. However, in my life, I see love within my friendships. I see it within every cheerful smile that is exchanged in the school hallways I feel it through the long hugs that I give and receive when someone is struggling. I hear it through our thoughtful conversations. It means the world to me how much patience and loyalty my friends possess This past year of my life has been full Full of pain, full of love, full of loss, and full of joy. I've learned that a family doesn't always mean blood. And when my family isn't always complete, my connections have held me up and refused to let me fall down An example of this was a horrible morning on Monday, February 5th. I ended up crying in the school bathroom with one of my best friends, Mary We were attempting to talk through my sadness, and I asked her for advice And she said one word “Persevere”. And this is funny to us, almost like an inside joke. She has been saying this for years Probably since the day I met her six years ago when I moved here

EDEN CHENG

But a little inside joke made me laugh and wipe the tears off of my face And it got me through the week And it really has been getting me through the weeks since then. Looking back on that moment, it wasn't the word “ persevere ” that helped me It was Mary, or rather the friendship, bond, and connection that we share. I felt loved and taken care of. That moment and so many other moments have proven to me that is what I want to live for Though not a religious belief, I believe in love and the connections that you make in your lifetime.

However, love means different things to everyone. Earlier in the year, at one of the first COA meetings, I read an excerpt of writings by UU minister, Elizabeth K Ellis It was her interpretation and description of what love is. She wrote, “We are called to understand the world's systems and its evils and to establish mutual love in spite of all of our unlovability We discover a Love without beginning or end in which we live, and which lives in us. ”

I BELIEVE IN LOVE AND THE CONNECTIONS THAT YOU MAKE IN YOUR LIFETIME

EDEN CHENG

Six year old me would describe love as a fantasy with big, romantic grand gestures. Now, my definition of the word love is mainly thought, care, and action, and definitely not just romantic Love comes in many forms. Through hardships, I’ve stumbled upon the realization that there is not love in every aspect of life; however, I strive to carry a caring, persevering love with me and use it for the better within the lives of others.

PERRIN FARB

I have known Perrin for many years, and she continues to amaze and inspire me A quiet member of this group, her thoughtful approach to the COA experience is a joy and I am grateful I have gotten to spend this time with her

-ERIN NATH, Mentor

Learning About Our World

There are a million different things I wanted this to be about A million different ways I could have framed my message I tend to overthink and I still don’t know if I did this right, but at the end of the day I had to put something down, so I chose to talk about how we think of our world

This world is made up of so many different people Each person has their own perspective and their own views. They all have different experiences and backgrounds Because of this, everyone views the world in different ways We each build our own world, made up of our experiences and thoughts No one person ’ s world is exactly the same Because of this, no one has the same normal

No one ’ s daily life is exactly the same and therefore, Normal doesn’t exist We’re all just trying to figure out how our own world works and who needs to be in it We all have to remember that no one really knows what they are doing and if there's one thing we ’ re all doing together is learning about our world

Understanding ourselves and the people around us is an ongoing journey that may never end. You’re always learning something new every day, whether you know it or not and that’s ok It’s ok to feel, It’s ok to learn, it’s ok to not know because that is one thing everyone experiences. We are all learning together. Anyways, I just wrote this at 11:00 pm in a hotel My brain is dead, I did not edit this, and I need to go to sleep.

NORMAL DOESN’T EXIST. WE’RE ALL JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW OUR OWN WORLD WORKS AND WHO NEEDS TO BE IN IT.

LIAM FENELL

It has been a privilege mentoring Liam Fenell this year Through the COA classes and his thoughtful engagement in framing his credo, Liam has shown a profound willingness to explore significant questions about love, life, and spirituality An avid swimmer who enjoys drawing and spending quality time with friends and family, Liam brings enthusiasm and insight to all his endeavors. He is a remarkable young man whose influence and character will undoubtedly leave a lasting impact on everyone lucky enough to be part of his journey -JAY THORNTON, Mentor

I believe in God He is someone who loves and cares for everyone no matter what God is also a person who I can talk to about anything. In my experience, some religions are too strict and not as accepting The day that we went to the UCC church, I felt relieved of all my stress and I felt loved.

L I A M

I feel that I need this in my life because of the love that I felt there.

Before I left my old Christian church I was used to the feeling and did not appreciate it. Now that I have felt that feeling again, I feel that I need that feeling of positivity and love. What I felt at that church could help me to have confidence in myself and love myself. None of this means I am going to leave the church, just I am going to be a different religion At Sunnyhil, they have a really good community which I love

LIAM FENELL

I F E E L T H A T I N E E D T H A T F E E L I N G O F P O S I T I V I T Y A N D L O V E .

SAM FLEISHER

It has been a pleasure meeting and getting to know Sam over the last several months When I first met Sam, I noticed how intelligent and perceptive he is He speaks with an exceptional level of resolve for his age As the COA program went on, I was impressed with how Sam, as well as the other COA students, eagerly discussed difficult questions head on It was also great to see Sam have more and more fun each week He undoubtedly has a bright future ahead of him -MASSIMO TERZIGNI, Mentor

Hello, my name is Sam Fleisher, and I’ve been in COA for the past few months, preparing for this service. Coming into COA, I didn’t really know what I believed In the past, I had made up some religions just as a joke, but again, they were just little jokes. Once, a friend and I made a religion solely dedicated to a little orange blob from a video game we liked It was called Gupism, if you ’ re wondering

SAM

SAM FLEISHER

In all honesty, I didn’t expect to learn anything from COA I just figured I’d do it and move on with my life Thankfully, I was wrong A big part of COA was going from church to church, learning about many different religions. Some of them I liked more than others, but none fully clicked with me Then, I realized something Religion is complicated Everyone seems to have different opinions on the same things. There are good and bad people in every religion So why should I be religious? At least, in the traditional sense UU is unique in that there is no perfect figure that we look up to. You can choose what you believe in while still being UU

One thing I HAVE learned from COA is that I’m not alone in these beliefs Many of the other kids in COA struggled with religion, as the concept of a one true God that was perfect in every way seemed… unrealistic. For the longest time, someone even TALKING about a one true God made me uncomfortable So, I decided to look up to some not so perfect figures The not so perfect figures I look up to are my friends. My friends have been with me during my best and worst times, and they’ve helped me more than religion ever has In fact, friends and religion aren’t mutually exclusive I wouldn’t even know about UUs, let alone BE one, if not for my good friend Bee.

MY PARENTS COME FROM DIFFERENT RELIGIOUS BACKGROUNDS MY DAD WAS RAISED CHRISTIAN AND MY MOM WAS RAISED JEWISH SIMPLY BY GROWING UP AROUND THEM AND CELEBRATING THE MANY HOLIDAYS, I WAS ABLE TO CHOOSE WHAT I BELIEVED, A LIBERTY THAT NOT MANY CHILDREN GET

SAM FLEISHER

I also look up to my family My mom and dad were my first friends and, even though I might not act like it sometimes, I love them very much. Speaking of my parents, they helped me with my religious identity, too My parents come from different religious backgrounds. My dad was raised Christian and my mom was raised Jewish. Simply by growing up around them and celebrating the many holidays, I was able to choose what I believed, a liberty that not many children get. Now, hopefully my little ramblings have helped or affected you in some way, shape or form Have a great day Thank you for listening to my Ted Talk

MAX LOFGREN

M A X

It was such a pleasure to get to know Max He is a prime example of how a young man who grows up in a loving home and liberal, spiritual community can embody the UU principles as comfortably as his favorite shoes It comes naturally for him to be kind, thoughtful and generous He has a consistently positive spirit and a curious, intelligent mind that is open to exploring the possibilities of this amazing world we share.

-BRAD CONVIS, Mentor

I believe every person has a purpose The summer after fifth grade I was up at my elementary school's playground. I was there with one of my friends I liked to go biking with We were with a group of late middle schoolers or early highschoolers gathered around a bike jump they all made out of a pile of mulch pushed up against a bench I had seen a lot of them before because we all lived in the same neighborhood but they were a lot older so we had never biked with them before This jump was, at its peak, probably three feet high and was right in front of a stone wall drop off I decided I was going to try and impress them by being the first one to go off the jump

I pedaled as fast as I could down a giant dirt hill so I could hit the jump at full speed. When I had gotten into the air I was head first and vertical to the ground My friend and the highschoolers watched as I landed on my front tire and rolled off the stone wall then slammed head first into a pole at the swingsets

MAX LOFGREN

Right after, I took off my now broken helmet and biked back to my friend.

This was not the first time something like this happened There were countless times I impulsively did things biking out of the driveway in front of cars, or pulling a security sign out of the ground into my eye, ran into other poles, picnic benches, parked cars, or just went down the street faster than the speed limit

This all leads to what I believe in I believe we all have a purpose that will unfold and a guardian angel that protects us and makes sure we fulfill that purpose. I truly believe that if I didn't have a guardian angel with me that I would not be here

THIS ALL LEADS TO WHAT I BELIEVE IN. I BELIEVE WE ALL HAVE A PURPOSE THAT WILL UNFOLD AND A GUARDIAN ANGEL THAT PROTECTS US AND MAKES SURE WE FULFILL THAT PURPOSE

NAOMI MARGOLIS

I had the pleasure of working with Naomi for COA this year She is a lively, artistic, and interesting person to know She was always fully engaged in our individual and group conversations You would probably recognize her from her drawing notebook and ink or pencil on her fingers and the finished product is always so cool -RACHEL

BUTLER-PARDI, Mentor

Standing Up For Nature

When I was 4 years old, I went to Long Island with my family. We stayed at a beach house that looked out upon the Long Island Beach I took the first opportunity I could to run to the sand and watch the ocean waves dance across the sea in a breath-taking scene of beauty and radiance I noticed the many fish, swimming in neat patterns, the smooth coral painting the ocean floor with florescent colors, the diverse ocean life flowing through the land like a song of nature.

M I

NAOThat song is with me to this day, the way the waters swayed through the melody and the crabs kept the beat with the sun shining the spotlight upon the wonderous world I had never seen before. I was mesmerized by this and inspired to find more

The next day we played on the beach The sand was filled with all sorts of life unknown to me, including the sand crab I accidently stepped on There were also a lot of jellyfish, so I decided to make a little area for them to swim As I was working on that I found hermit crabs and decided to make them a little home near the shore

Years later, when I was in 6th grade, we learned about the wolves of Yellow Stone My class watched a video on what the world would look like if we took one aspect of nature (in this case wolves) out of the ecosystem. And the results were horrible. Lakes dried up, beautiful fields were turned into barren grass lands, the balance was not there This was then compared to before they extracted one of the aspects and after. In the first image the land was like a dream of wildlife and balance was very much there In the second image the exact opposite was shown, there were no flowers, diversity, control, or beauty.

The lakes and rivers had dried up due to over population, as well as the color

NAOMI MARGOLIS

In fact, there was barely any color to be seen It was very hard to look at This confirmed that I needed to do something to restore the earth’s natural beauty and nature The world is falling apart, and someone needs to stand up and fix it. Right now, or never

I was so annoyed, or was it angry, maybe a mix of both; at the mess that the humans have created The world we live in is not really ours, it also belongs to the ocean, the land, the animals, the plants, and insects It is to be shared by all life on earth, not to be abused by human needs and a false sense of superiority over the rest of the life forms on this planet.

THE

WORLD

WE

LIVE

IN

IS NOT

REALLY

OURS,

IT

ALSO BELONGS TO THE OCEAN, THE LAND, THE ANIMALS, THE PLANTS, AND INSECTS IT IS TO BE SHARED BY ALL LIFE ON EARTH

NAOMI MARGOLIS

We need to stop hurting the universe and start helping to repair our mistakes (and that is the kind way of putting it) that we made If we believe in healing the earth and doing what is good for not only ourselves but the rest of earth and our universe, then we need to start now Time is running out, and if we don’t stop what we are doing then what earth will there be for the future generations to live in? None is the answer, because the earth is already dying, there is no other option for life, if we want a future then we need to repair earth and start NOW!!!

As I look towards the future, I want to make a world where the air is fresh, the grass is healthy, the plants blanket the earth in a beautiful sea of color, animals and humans are living peacefully and there is enough space for all of the life on earth. The world needs its people to repair the imbalance in nature and agriculture If there is to be a future for the generations to come then we need to start healing the world now.

BEE PAGE

It has been a joy to get to know Bee over the past few months They are thoughtful, outgoing, and not afraid to speak their mind Bee is confident in what they believe, yet comfortable with mystery, and their approach to challenges is one of creativity, humor, and enthusiasm. I can’t wait to see where Bee’s creativity takes them as they continue down their path.

-CLAIRE PULLEN, Mentor

BEE

Ok so I know I entered coa super nervous I mean I didn't have beliefs and I know a lot of it was saying what you believe I was told to put in a couple things but that was just a couple bullet points on a page. I started thinking and realized something We didn't have to talk about just beliefs, we could talk about values I started brainstorming well slightly In my opinion Deep thoughts are for long dog walks and walking home alone

BEE PAGE

I mean I have my relationships with people, I have books to get lost in, and I have the stage to perform on or be in the back moving sets along and wishing people luck So I could write about that honestly, I could talk for hours about it I do believe almost everyone I've befriended has made a difference in my life. From my friends pushing me to do things I don't regret to my family caring for me and dealing with all my moods I do know some stand out to me like Sam pushing me to join gupisim, my mom saving me from almost drowning, and my best friends getting me into the two very different genres of music I love. Novels also stand out to me they are just worlds to get lost in, a story that isnt my own hardships I don't have to face but it feels like I experience it with the characters it goes from teaching lessons to just making me laugh and the very rare me crying over it they have affected my life so much even in ways I couldn't imagine I know that some people aren't fond of books but I know they are in a special place in my heart Wow, I also have performance

If you can get lost in books then you explore every nook and cranny in acting. I can ignore the world and my emotions All my thoughts overwhelming me are just gone All I am in that moment and that character I'm also thankful for public speaking because it made me meet my best friend who I can't imagine living without Most people will notice I talked about everything affecting me in some way and that's because that's sort of my belief I have been fascinated by the butterfly effect for many reasons for the past few months. But can you imagine a harmless butterfly causing a vortex?

BEE

PAGE

It's so cool and it makes sense because everything in life affects people Every nice word can be as much in someone's life as an insult

So maybe I still don't fully know what I believe but at least my thoughts are organized now

The world in between the words

A fight a life

A hope for all But apart they are nothing

Bonded together

They move people

Always gone unappreciated But depended on I like living in them

My bubble

My safety

And so I ramble on

Never meaningful

But my little life

Thanks for coming to my ted talk

I DO BELIEVE ALMOST EVERYONE I'VE BEFRIENDED HAS MADE A DIFFERENCE IN MY LIFE

CADENCE PRATT

Cadence has been a joy to work with We have much in common, including our love of music I was delighted to learn that not only are they a talented Trumpeter they are also quite the singer I know that their interest in the arts will only continue to develop, and I look forward to a performance in the future with them!

-DOUG REICHENFELD, Mentor

My beliefs have always been scattered around and it's kinda been like a buffet of different religions all coming together to create what I believe in. Right now I don’t believe in much, but what I do believe in is reincarnation I find this to be the most believable option for what happens when someone dies I don’t quite have an explanation for this but somehow I know in my heart this will happen when I die. I don't think there is any such thing as a final ending of life, we should just keep living it again and again The life I have next will not have anything to do with the life I am living now.

CADENCE

CADENCE PRATT

It will just be randomized, but I think we will always be moving forward with our next life I don't think that any life is necessarily better than any other. The thing I care about most is the community in which I am living The people who are with you all the time know you best and will always be there for you. This strong community is what has kept me going for the 13 years I have been here During our coa program we visited 3 different places of worship

The one that spoke to me the most was the church that welcomed us with open arms and happy faces They shook our hands and every word that came out of their mouths was filled with a sense of community. They seemed like some of the most incredible people I have ever met There were very little of them but the bonds they shared with each other seem unbreakable. My final talking point has to be about what I think I have learned about myself through this journey I have thought for many years about who I am, but I have always found it difficult with the ways I express myself.

CADENCE PRATT

When I was younger I would lose myself in fantasies and characters that were all a part of me Those characters have stayed with me and their stories are parallels to mine I will still get stuck in the fantastical worlds of thick forests or burning deserts that my mind makes up. While this imagination has brought me lots of joy and a sense of safety That hasn’t always been the case I can still feel hurt, pain and sorrow in everyone of my characters, and I lose myself in these deep pits that I dig into my own head. Clawing back out isn’t always easy and I think quite a bit about how I could have done something different with myself or how childish I was for playing pretend with myself in my head I realize now that is nothing to be ashamed of.

I use fantasies to express myself through artwork, writing and, even costume making. The characters guide me through myself as I experience new emotions and feelings that I can’t get the hang of by myself I hope that no one has to be ashamed for who they are now or who they want to be in the future Thank you for coming to my ted talk