The MCJROTC students involved in this event received community service enrichment credits for their participation and were transported to and from the event, courtesy of the 21st Century After School Program, Learning Center at Noble Street College Prep.

Performance: Welcoming Committee

This performance gathers a group of Marine Corps Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps (MCJROTC) students to participate as greeters at a Chicago Cultural Center event (Site Unseen). Two groups of students were placed in the main entrance and main exit of the Chicago Cultural Center with the purpose of greeting visitors throughout the evening.

As part of the performance the MCJROTC Drill Team were in uniform, displaying a series of flags (designed and fabricated by the artist--see attached file) depicting fireworks, a symbol of celebration.

Official literature available on the ROTC website states; "MCJROTC is at its essence a Leadership Education Program meant solely to develop character and citizenship." It is this mission statement that makes me believe the MCJROTC Drill Team will be ideal greeters at this cultural event.

The concept of this performance is to evaluate the effects of bringing diverse and specific community groups together to the same forum to promote reflection on the diversity of the gathering. In creating conceptual art that keeps in the spirit of integrating communities and propagates reflective thinking, it is important to invite communities that can challenge our expectations and perceptions.
Not motivated by political reasons, but rather by the sense of pride and discipline that ROTC students embody, they are chosen as the ideal representative group to front the Welcoming Committee.