CMDFW’s Annual Elementary School Lock-in 2006

This year CMDFW’s Annual Elementary School Lock-in for second through fifth graders was held on Friday, December 8th.    The event was a grand success with over one hundred children attending! It was very encouraging to see parents and children actually arrive early!  The evening started with hot pizza served in the Saaket kitchen downstairs, followed by some fun and games upstairs. Balavihar sevaks and sevikas had several stations with games setup in the main hall for the kids.

At 7:15 PM sharp Swamiji shepherded the kids to the temple to perform the arati. After the arati everyone re-assembled in the main hall for the screening of Akeelah and the Bee.  This movie about a precocious 11 year old girl from south Los Angeles who sets out to win the National Spelling Bee had Swamiji, the kids and the adult volunteers spellbound for the next 112 minutes!  All those who have not yet had a chance to watch it should definitely put it high on their priority list.

The movie talked about the root, origin, and meanings of words. Take a quick test to see how many of the words mentioned below you know:

prestidigitation, ambidextrous, pterodactyl, pulchritude, pastiche, xanthosis, cabalistic, soliterraneous, grandiloquent, catastasis, endentulous, quinquevir, bioluminescent, objugatory, kookaburra, effervescible, quiddity, pyrophanous, mountebank, numismatics, arboriculture, argillaceous, serpiginous, and logorrhea.

Trivia

  • Laurence Fishburne’s character, Mr Larabee, is based on director Doug Atchison’s teacher, Mr. Larabell.
  • This is the first movie to be produced by Starbucks Entertainment.
  • The filming of the movie lasted 31 days with a budget of six million dollars.
  • The quote that Dr. Larabee has Akeelah read from a plaque on his wall is an excerpt from “A Return To Love: Reflections on the Principles of a Course in Miracles” by Marianne Williamson:

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. We ask ourselves, “Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?” Actually, who are you not to be? We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.

Swamiji discussed this quote from the movie, and advised the kids to keep these words of wisdom in their hearts forever.

Categories: Past events