PearlDamour visits schools in all of the Miltons. In Oregon, we have been doing writing and performance workshops with Ms. Baneck’s middle school class based on the play MILTON. Here’s an interview with one of the students in that class –
How old are you?
I am 12 years old. I live in Milton Freewater, Oregon and go to Central Middle School in the 7th grade.
What is a dream you have for your life?
My dream is that I want to be an animator/art teacher because I have dreamed about it ever since I was little girl. I also want to become a pilot and work for Rogue 1 which is a plane that leads tanker planes to the fire in a wildland fire. One thing that I want to do is to fly an airplane like the famous P-40 Warhawk which was used in World War 2.
What do you like about your city?
I am most proud of the country side of Milton-Freewater because it is more quiet than the town. I live in the country, which I am proud to live in, because it is a lot nicer and my family enjoys the country.
What do you want to change about your town?
I think one way Milton Freewater has changed over the past 10 years is the buildings. Most buildings are old and out of service. If I could change the town I would reopen some of the buildings.
In our workshops we ask students to think about who they are and where they come from. Here is a poem Samantha wrote in response to these questions:
Sometimes I see green alfalfa waving in the wind.
Sometimes I am offered to help work in the fields.
Sometimes I hear the birds chirp and sing their songs.
Sometimes I worry about tomorrow.
Sometimes I smell the crisp air of morning in the country.
Sometimes I feel the warmth of a hug by a loved one.
Sometimes I taste the sweet sensation of a cookie.
Sometimes I wonder about my past and my future.