Page 14 PRESS of Southeast Queens June 21-27, 2013
Faith
Jamaica Church Spreads The Word Through Performance BY ASIA EWART Paul Nichols of the True Zion Gospel Temple has a message for those attending his congregation’s latest theatrical feat: you can make it through anything without compromising yourself. The True Zion Gospel Temple family, in collaboration with the Church and Compassion Outreach Ministry, will perform their now annual play series from June 28-30. This year’s show, “Temptation Game,” speaks to the audience about keeping strong and having faith in the face of temptation. “It’s about the life of an individual who compromises his integrity and what he believes in for money. He does this in order to get what he wants. We to teach the congregation how to respond when faced with temptation,” Nichols, who also directed the play, explained. Christy Blake, a fellow member, wrote the script, and working with the Church and Compassion Outreach Ministry gave True Zion the publicity they were looking for. “We collaborated with the Ministry when we held last year’s performance, ‘The Ivory Wilderness.’ It was in the midst of [Superstorm]
Sandy and delivered a timely message about how to respond when disaster strikes. Over 500 people were in attendance for our two shows. The Outreach Ministry reaches a larger audience, so working with them opens the doors for us to reach out to more people,” he added. Because of the immense popularity of last year’s play, the congregation is adding another performance. “Our plays are put together to open the eyes of the people coming to see them. Ivory Wilderness, and even Temptation Game,” he said. “When we were coming up with the ideas for them, the messages of both seemed to occur just after they were performed.” Nichols refers to Superstorm Sandy occurring right after the play about disaster prevention. For “Temptation Game,” he said this was a message that has needed to come forward for a while. “It’s a timely message. How does one deal with temptation? We’re tempted to do a lot of things in the face of hardships; personal struggle, financial burden, and the like,” he said. “We want to show the community that there is always a way out of
this struggle, and that is with faith. There are deeper answers out there.” The demand for these plays not only comes from the messages they deliver, which Nichols explains may be on the heels of personal issues for a lot of attendees, but for the appreciation of theater that is alive and well in the community. “There is a great appreciation for the arts. While planning ‘Temptation Game,’ we were asked when the
next play would be by members, and they were delighted to hear that it was in the works. There’s a real demand for the plays,” he explained. True Zion has come a long way from their early play days. Partnering with the Outreach Ministry has expanded their audience size from 15 to over 500 in just a few years’ time. “We’re really starting to grow,” he said. “We might have to find a new venue soon.” With opening weekend quickly approaching, Nichols reflects on just how far the church has come. “We have such an amazing cast and crew,” he said. “They’ve all worked so hard.” If some attendees take nothing away from the show, he wants them to remember one thing. “There is always a way, and that way is in Jesus,” he said. “Temptation Game” will be playing the P.S. 50 auditorium in Jamaica at 8 p.m. on June 28, 7 p.m. on June 29, and 5 p.m. on June 30. Admission is $6. For more information, those interested can call (718) 657-9646 or visit www.truezion.org.
Notebook York College
York College Prof Teaches Students About Substance Abuse BY ASIA EWART Three York College students recently attended the “Introduction to Alcohol and Substance Abuse” lecture, given by Professor Martin Colucci, at Manhattan College to hear about the first hand substance abuse experiences of the class’s guest lecturers. Three health education majors made their way to the Bronx by suggestion of Colucci, who is also an adjunct professor at York College; he describes the experience as being very interactive. “I like to bring reality into the classroom,” he explained. “Whether it’s bringing in guest speakers who have dealt with this type of reality or having the students watch up to date films on the subject matter, I want them to know that substance abuse
can happen to anyone.” Before becoming a professor, Colucci worked for the Dept. of Homeless Services and worked in corrections in the Bronx. He, along with two other colleagues, were the first three to found a treatment program, the Starr Program, for chemically addicted me. The program still runs out of Green Point, Brooklyn today. “This program saw a lot more than just homeless faces. Men in power, men with status, all had substance abuse problems and were engaging in damaging behavior,” he said. “Every semester, I get two former addicts to come in and speak to my students. They learn about the real horrors of addiction, but they also learn about the freedom gained in recovery.” Colucci runs his classes at both York and Manhattan College in a
similar fashion – very hands on and interactive so the students get the most they can out of it. “I use a lot of the same methods in both my classes and lecture. We use roleplay to tie in the area of personal experience, and then I try and bring in as many guest speakers as possible,” he said. “I’m teaching about the behavior of a substance abuser. When a problem initially starts, it’s because of the behavior. What a person does in moderation now could harm them years from now, and it happens regardless of race or age.” Colucci frequently brings his York College students to his lectures to bring together the world of commuters and those living in dorms. “I have students from a multicultural school like York coming to a not as diverse school like Manhattan. But despite their differences,
all of my students are the same in the fact that they are young and they believe they are invincible,” he said. “I believed it too when I was their age. What I cover in my lectures is a wakeup call, to both the students and the people in their lives. They know that ‘Hey, that could be me.’ They know that addiction doesn’t discriminate.” From teaching at both schools, and even following years of teaching, Colucci knows that college is not only about reading textbooks and studying for tests. “Students carry these experiences for a long time,” he said. “Whether teaching about substance abuse, or just trying to connect to a student, I try to let the students see me as a human being, capable of interaction. I see them in the same respect. We can all learn from each other.”