Event featured Choose Love Movement Founder Scarlett Lewis and PSU’s TIGER theatre company
Plymouth State University hosted a day-long community-wide Choose Love event to promote collective wellbeing on Saturday, September 24, 2022. Choose Love Movement Founder Scarlett Lewis gave an opening presentation, which was followed by an afternoon of free, family-friendly activities on Alumni Green.
Lewis’ six-year-old son Jesse Lewis was murdered during the Sandy Hook Elementary School mass shooting tragedy in 2012. The incident, and Jesse’s heroic actions in his final moments, inspired Lewis to create the Choose Love Movement to promote character development and social emotional learning (SEL).
The event, which was organized by PSU’s Office of Community Impact and Student Government Association, is the second Choose Love event hosted by PSU.
In her opening remarks, Choose Love founder Scarlett Lewis encouraged people to embrace a more compassionate approach to life and learning.
“What I want everyone to remember is that if something as simple as a fearful thought can escalate into a terrible tragedy, a simple thought can also be changed given the right environment, education and emotional support,” Lewis said. “Ultimately, we grow through love over fear.”
Following the presentation, more than 300 members of the campus and greater community participated in activities embodying the four tenets of Choose Love, which are Courage, Gratitude, Forgiveness and Compassion in action. Activities included photos with Liberty, the Concord Police comfort dog, writing thank you letters to themselves and loved ones, rock painting and more.
“It was inspiring to many to have Scarlett speak during her second visit to Plymouth State,” said PSU sophomore, former Choose Love Youth Ambassador/Intern and Office of Community Impact Ambassador Olivia Atkocaitis. “The Jesse Lewis Choose Love Movement was developed by Scarlett using Social and Emotional Learning and the four principals (Courage, Gratitude, Forgiveness, and Compassion in Action). If access and exposure to Choose Love and programs like it gives one young person tools to heal from trauma and live a healthy, affirming life, then perhaps with time and effort we can have the potential to help our society heal from so many years of pain.”
A special performance by PSU’s TIGER theatre company took place at the Hartman Union Building Fireplace Lounge. The performance, called “Choose Love,” was written for the Choose Love Movement by TIGER artistic director and coordinator of PSU’s MEd in integrated arts program Trish Lindberg. TIGER (Theatre Integrating Guidance, Education and Responsibility) is a professional theatre company comprising PSU students and professional actors who present programs designed to help children, schools, parents and communities deal proactively and positively with social issues and concerns facing children in schools today. The troupe celebrates its 20th anniversary this year.
