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CNN Sunday Morning
Interview With Kevin Koo, Chloe Wiseman
Aired August 17, 2003 - 07:44 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SEAN CALLEBS, CNN ANCHOR: Every once in a while, some New Hampshire high school students are thinking globally and making a big difference. They are members of Citizens of the World. It is a cultural awareness group.
The group's founder, Kevin Koo, has earned several national awards for his work. Also, a member of the group, Chloe Wiseman joins us from Boston as well.
Good morning to you, both. Thanks a lot of joining us this morning.
Kevin, I'll start with you. Tell me a bit about Citizens of the World, what you set out to accomplish. And pretty lofty goal for a high school student, wouldn't you say?
KEVIN KOO, FOUNDER, CITIZENS OF THE WORLD: Thanks. Citizens of the World is a cultural awareness advocacy organization that I started at my high school in response to increasing diversity among the student body and seemingly increasingly racially motivated conflicts and tension among students that stemmed from this diversity.
CALLEBS: And what kind of reaction have you gotten from your classmates?
KOO: The reaction has been very positive. In fact, when we started, it was rather difficult to get students involved with this type of organization, but once students really saw what kind of difference we were making, it caught on very quickly.
CALLEBS: And Chloe, you're joining us from Boston this morning. You're a year behind Kevin, but what has it been like getting involved in this organization, perhaps the year after?
CHLOE WISEMAN, CITIZENS OF THE WORLD: It's been wonderful coming into the organization that has already been a year old. But I was able to help with such things as (unintelligible) that we have. We're having it fairly annually now, where we get together a bunch of food from our different restaurants in the city, and showcase the different diversity we have there. And we get the performance there and get to showcase the performances from our school, too. So it's been great.
CALLEBS: Well, Kevin, one thing that has become painfully aware for people in the U.S. is the way we look at ourselves in this country and perhaps the way the people in other countries look at us, that is become very aware if you think about Afghanistan, Iraq, things of that nature. Are you trying to educate kids about that?
KOO: I think one of our key goals of Citizens of the World is to really bring diversity and awareness education to the forefront. I think it needs to become a mainstream part of public education. And we need to start very young in order to show these kids that diversity is not something that should be scorned upon, but something we should celebrate and really accept and respect.
CALLEBS: Okay, Chloe jump in. I see you chomping at the bit to answer that one.
WISEMAN: Oh, likewise, I think that definitely we need to focus on the younger children in grade school and in elementary school. And hopefully, this coming year, we want to try to implement - impose some of the different cultures and languages and try and reach out to our grade school children in the school to show them that.
CALLEBS: Well, Kevin, how long before you go to college? And is this the kind of thing that you'd like to take to that level?
KOO: I think so. I'm going to be entering Harvard University in the fall. And I think cultural awareness advocacy and service is something I'd like to pursue as an interest, as a service interest for me for the rest of my life. It's something I think is very important in our society, especially in this century. And I'd like to keep going with it.
CALLEBS: And Chloe, your final year in high school?
WISEMAN: Yes, I'm going to be a senior this year. And hope to continue the club and its activities this upcoming year.
CALLEBS: Okay, it is called Citizens of the World. Kevin Koo, thanks very much for joining us. And good luck in Harvard. I've heard some good things about that school. I think you'll do well.
KOO: Thank you.
CALLEBS: And also, Chloe Wiseman, thanks a lot for joining us from Boston. You guys have a good morning. Again, thanks for joining us.
KOO: Thank you.
WISEMAN: You're welcome. Bye bye.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired August 17, 2003 - 07:44 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SEAN CALLEBS, CNN ANCHOR: Every once in a while, some New Hampshire high school students are thinking globally and making a big difference. They are members of Citizens of the World. It is a cultural awareness group.
The group's founder, Kevin Koo, has earned several national awards for his work. Also, a member of the group, Chloe Wiseman joins us from Boston as well.
Good morning to you, both. Thanks a lot of joining us this morning.
Kevin, I'll start with you. Tell me a bit about Citizens of the World, what you set out to accomplish. And pretty lofty goal for a high school student, wouldn't you say?
KEVIN KOO, FOUNDER, CITIZENS OF THE WORLD: Thanks. Citizens of the World is a cultural awareness advocacy organization that I started at my high school in response to increasing diversity among the student body and seemingly increasingly racially motivated conflicts and tension among students that stemmed from this diversity.
CALLEBS: And what kind of reaction have you gotten from your classmates?
KOO: The reaction has been very positive. In fact, when we started, it was rather difficult to get students involved with this type of organization, but once students really saw what kind of difference we were making, it caught on very quickly.
CALLEBS: And Chloe, you're joining us from Boston this morning. You're a year behind Kevin, but what has it been like getting involved in this organization, perhaps the year after?
CHLOE WISEMAN, CITIZENS OF THE WORLD: It's been wonderful coming into the organization that has already been a year old. But I was able to help with such things as (unintelligible) that we have. We're having it fairly annually now, where we get together a bunch of food from our different restaurants in the city, and showcase the different diversity we have there. And we get the performance there and get to showcase the performances from our school, too. So it's been great.
CALLEBS: Well, Kevin, one thing that has become painfully aware for people in the U.S. is the way we look at ourselves in this country and perhaps the way the people in other countries look at us, that is become very aware if you think about Afghanistan, Iraq, things of that nature. Are you trying to educate kids about that?
KOO: I think one of our key goals of Citizens of the World is to really bring diversity and awareness education to the forefront. I think it needs to become a mainstream part of public education. And we need to start very young in order to show these kids that diversity is not something that should be scorned upon, but something we should celebrate and really accept and respect.
CALLEBS: Okay, Chloe jump in. I see you chomping at the bit to answer that one.
WISEMAN: Oh, likewise, I think that definitely we need to focus on the younger children in grade school and in elementary school. And hopefully, this coming year, we want to try to implement - impose some of the different cultures and languages and try and reach out to our grade school children in the school to show them that.
CALLEBS: Well, Kevin, how long before you go to college? And is this the kind of thing that you'd like to take to that level?
KOO: I think so. I'm going to be entering Harvard University in the fall. And I think cultural awareness advocacy and service is something I'd like to pursue as an interest, as a service interest for me for the rest of my life. It's something I think is very important in our society, especially in this century. And I'd like to keep going with it.
CALLEBS: And Chloe, your final year in high school?
WISEMAN: Yes, I'm going to be a senior this year. And hope to continue the club and its activities this upcoming year.
CALLEBS: Okay, it is called Citizens of the World. Kevin Koo, thanks very much for joining us. And good luck in Harvard. I've heard some good things about that school. I think you'll do well.
KOO: Thank you.
CALLEBS: And also, Chloe Wiseman, thanks a lot for joining us from Boston. You guys have a good morning. Again, thanks for joining us.
KOO: Thank you.
WISEMAN: You're welcome. Bye bye.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
