Webutuck students find peace

WEBUTUCK — It’s not often that students are able to sharpen their woodworking skills at the same time they find inner peace. But that’s what has been happening in technology teacher John Roccanova’s classroom during the past few weeks, as students have been working with the World Peace Sanctuary, located in Wassaic, to make their own peace poles.

The peace poles, which vary in size and language but always involve translations of the phrase “May peace prevail on earth,� are an internationally recognized and iconic image, said sanctuary manager Jim Dugan.

“There are over 200,000 full-sized poles all over the world,� he told a class of high school students last Friday, Oct. 8. “There’s one in the Pentagon, there’s one at the pyramids in Egypt.�

Dugan also pointed out that the World Peace Sanctuary is not necessarily against war either, noting that peace poles have been sent to U.S. military figures and are located in Afghanistan and in Israel.

“We’re not anti-war, we’re just pro-peace,� he said.

More than 140 languages have been used on the poles, he continued, and up to eight can be printed on any one pole. He estimated he makes about 200 every year at the sanctuary.

But at Webutuck students got first-hand experience in making their own, smaller, desktop versions. The woods ranged from ash and cherry to construction-grade fir, and the approximately 12-inch tall poles were screen-printed with the message of peace under Dugan and Roccanova’s guidance that Friday afternoon.

“I’ll be giving one to my mom and one to my grandfather,� said 13-year-old David Gilleo. “They’ll probably get the most out of them.�

“I take French and English is what I speak,� said 13-year-old Maddie Miller, explaining her choice of languages. “And I just liked how Japanese and Arabic were written.�

Maddie added that she has volunteered at the Peace Sanctuary before, building a nature trail with Dugan and the North East Community Center for one of its after-school programs.

“Making it was kind of fun,� said 13-year-old Nick Reilly. “My father’s in construction, so he’s happy to see me building something.�

Roccanova said that he’s interested in making the activity something that schools could pick up on a national level, seeing that it works as an educational tool for woodworking and also sends out a worthy message.

“What a great bunch of kids,� Dugan said. “I’m really honored to have them making these today.�

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