Up with People
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Up with People was the name of both an organization and a performance event popular in the U.S. beginning in the 1960s and continuing through the 1990s. It was started as "Sing-Out 65" in 1965 by an international group, Moral Re-Armament. The group attracted dozens of members from a broad spectrum of countries. In 1967 the name was changed to "Up with People," sponsored and supported by Moral Re-Armament and the Reader's Digest Foundation.
The cast of Sing-Out 65 traveled to Japan at the invitation of the Prime Minister, and cast members stayed at invitation in private homes, including the homes of members of parliament. The cast of 100 volunteers perfomed on Japanese television and on the Kabuki Stage in Tokyo. Traveling the length of the country — from Hokkaido Island in the north, to Tokyo and by train past Hiroshima to Kobe &emdash; the cast took a ferry to South Korea. In South Korea the cast performed at military facilities and visited the Demilitarized Zone at Panmunjeom.
Back in the U.S., the cast became 'Sing-Out 66.' The show traveled throughout the country, attracting volunteers rapidly and leading to the formation of three Up With People casts (A, B, and C). With multiple casts touring the world, the show was brought to audiences around the world including the U.S., Canada, Europe, Central and South America, and Japan.
The organization's website outlines some of its accomplishments [link]:
- 20 million people worldwide have been directly impacted by Up With People
- 3 million hours of community service have been provided by students
- 450,000 host families welcomed students to their homes
- 20,000 alumni in 79 countries have participated in the program
- 3,600 communities in 38 countries have been visited world.
The show held its 25th anniversary in 1990. Along with performing the show, cast members participate in civic events and assisted volunteer organizations as a way to give back to the communities that host them. Today the size of the troupe has been scaled back to close to its original size, and with just one troupe touring at a time.
The group performed as the halftime act at several Super Bowls in the 1970s and was universally mocked for being "too peppy". Longtime NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle called hiring the group "my second biggest mistake, after playing the week JFK was shot".
A theme song, "Up with People" was written for the group and performed at each event.
It happened just this mornin' while I was walking down the street
A milkman, and a postman, and a policeman I did meet
There in every window, at every single door
I recognized people I'd never noticed before.
Up, up with people! You meet people wherever you go!
Up, up with people! They're the best kind of folks we know
If more people were for people
All people everywhere
There'd be a lot less people to worry about
And a lot more people who'd care.
The squeaky-clean image of the group has made it a target for parody, and there were at least two "up with people" albums released by different groups that poked fun at the group's style.
The Simpsons parodied Up with People in the episode "Bart vs. Thanksgiving":
Announcer: And now, get set for our fabulous halftime show, featuring the well-groomed young go-getters of `Hooray for Everything!'
Homer: Oh, I love those kids. They've got such a great attitude!
Announcer: Ladies and gentlemen, `Hooray for Everything' invites you to join them in a salute to the greatest hemisphere on earth, the Western Hemisphere! The dancingest hemisphere of all!
The "Rainforest Schmainforest" episode of South Park mocked Up With People by creating the vapid singing group Getting Gay With Kids. A similar parody was displayed in the "Butt out" episode, with a singing group called "Butt Out." In the episode, the group is perceived by the South Park children as so offensive that they actually decide to take up smoking to be as different from the group as possible.
WorldSmart Leadership Program
In 2000, Up with People shut down operations after facing financial difficulties. Around 2001, plans were made to revamp the program to make it more relevant for current times.In August 2004, the first semester of the WorldSmart Leadership Program was launched. Now a 4 1/2-month program, the first crew travelled to about 18 cities in North America, Japan, and Europe, starting off with an orientation session in Denver, Colorado, United States. Each crew spent a week in each city, living mainly with host families.
While there is still a performance element, it is not the core focus of the program; now known as the Celebration, it was a short presentation of dance, music, singing, multimedia, speech, and acting, as well as sharing their experiences of the city. The Celebration's aim was to get the people of the local community together with people from all over the world.
Besides the Celebration, other main elements of the WorldSmart Leadership Program include:
- Direct Instruction - college-level courses and discussions on topics such as leadership, intercultural communication, and world conflict. Some students elected to take actual college classes offered by the University of Colorado-Denver, while others attended general discussion sessions (known as "Stone Soup").
- Regional Learning - learning about the local area and community through tours, guest speakers, courtesy visits, and special activities (e.g. scavenger hunts, workshops, panels). Some of these activities included a visit to a juvenile detention centre, a tea ceremony, the World Expo in Toyota, Aichi, and lunch in a high school made up predominantly of immigrants.
- Community Impact - various community service projects based on various issues, such as education, the environment, immigration, discrimination, the arts, and many more. Projects ranged from visiting schools and interacting with students, to learning about different world faiths.
- Professional Development - internships and special projects in various sections, such as external relations or applied education. Students are also free to organize and run special projects of their own - amongst such projects include a Language Exchange and an in-house magazine.
Three semesters of the program have travelled so far: August 2004, February 2005, and August 2005.
Up With People Global Education Program
Sometime in September 2005, after plenty of feedback from alumni, current students and communities they visited, plans were announced for a restructuring of the current Up With People program. 80% of the current program will be retained, while the other 20% will be improved and worked upon. Among the changes include:
- A new name, to the Up With People Global Education Program
- A longer trip - 22 weeks instead of 19, with 4 weeks orientation, 6 weeks in North America, 6 weeks in Asia and 6 weeks in Europe. (There are plans to eventually travel to South America, Africa and the Middle East)
- A more structured and professionally-developed performing arts show
- No more college-level classes with the University of Colorado-Denver - instead, everyone will attend discussion sessions and will also have a chance to pursue internships (in the previous program, students had to choose between internships and college classes)
- Time to pursue personal special projects without intefering with internship time
- Lower admissions fee - US$11,800 down from US$14,500 (scholarships are still available)
On April 10, 2006, under the direction of Nina Maass, Eric Lentz, and Michael Bowerman, a volunteer cast from all over the world assembled in Denver, CO to train for ten days to present a new show. On April 20, 2006 the official re-launch of the new Up with People program was performed at Teikyo Loretto Heights University in Denver to a full house.
The first Up With People Global Education Program semester is scheduled to launch in July 2006 and will continue every semester beginning in January and July.
Popular Former Members from the early years
Actor Reginald Owen; Actress Glenn Close; Author W. Timothy Gallwey (Inner Tennis); Composer, Performer, Writer, Lyricist Cecil Broadhurst; Oarsmen Rusty Wailes and John Sayre; Singer Kathe Green.External links
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