On April 20th four SHS students went to compete in the Red Cross International Humanitarian Law (IHL) Campaign Competition.

  They gave a presentation of their campaign about the IHL and Geneva Convention laws of torture to multiple judges. After the competition the team was awarded first place for their campaign.

  The students on the team were team leader freshman Anu Narayana, freshman Linya Gou, junior Jenna Bao, and team leader senior Sarah Horne.

“I enjoyed being a part of this campaign because it was an opportunity to be educated on the laws of torture and how interconnected the laws and policies are in different nations” Narayana said.

  These students created a YouTube channel consisting of eight informative videos on fast facts on the topics as well as interviews with other SHS students, and a two part interview with IHL professor at University of Cincinnati Law school Bert Lockwood.

  They then went into three different classes and presented about the laws of torture to two Law Studies classes and a Contemporary world issues class.

  “I liked  presenting to other classes and raising awareness to others in our generation on such an important topic, “ said Linya Gou 9.

  The team chose to educate the public on the laws of torture due to it being a difficult topic, yet necessary topic to learn about. Their research allows them to share with others that torture is strictly prohibited according to IHL the Geneva Conventions, and United Nations.    

  Due to their successful campaign the team will meet Mayor John Cranley as courtesy of the Red Cross.

“Being a part of this campaign was an amazing way to learn about the laws surrounding torture and the legal boundaries of difference laws. Through this project I have developed a passion towards spreading awareness and educating others on this topic and learning about how countries work together in regards to IHL,”  Gou said.

   After being award the winning campaign the team was given certificates for their accomplishment. They then got to talk with the judges and with other members from the team from other Cincinnati schools. The event was run by Paula Mcintosh, International Services Manager who helped the team throughout the competition.

   To learn more about their campaign you can check out their Youtube channel, Torturous Truth, and view their Twitter page.