Imagine living in a world void of color. While Kevin Giese's vision may not be completely colorless, red and green appear virtually the same, and purple and blue are basically nonexistent.
That is how Giese has experienced the world since he was a child. As Auditorium Director and Production Supervisor at Portage High School for the last nine years, Giese has had a very vibrant career despite his colorblindness. Directing plays and musicals at the high school has allowed him to add color to his students’ lives. Last week, his students decided to return the favor.
On Tuesday, February 27th, the Thespians Drama Club at Portage High School presented Giese with a large card, balloons, and a peculiar cookie tin. When he opened the cookie tin, Giese found what appeared to be sunglasses. What was actually in store was a pair of specialized glasses that allowed Giese to see color as fully as his students do.
“What I noticed most of all was the way colors popped,” Giese said, explaining his first time wearing the glasses. “[The gift] was - pardon the pun - out of the blue. It was so touching that they would think of me and do something like that.”
The students came up with the idea about a month ago, and they all pitched in to help cover the cost of the gift. Giese has often confused paint and lighting colors, and he told his students of how difficult it was being a kid and trying to learn his colors. As an adult, reading traffic lights is sometimes difficult, and taking a companion shopping for clothes is a must if he wants to avoid choosing poorly matched outfits.
In adoration of this teacher and his quirks, the students wanted to do something to give back to someone who has given them so much. Xander Walker, a senior at Portage High School, took a video of the gift giving and expressed how important Mr. Giese was to him.
“He’s a big father figure in my life,” said Walker. “He’s always been there for me and given me advice...He brought color into our lives in a figurative sense, and we wanted to do it in a literal sense.”
Diana Wilson, a junior at Portage High School, explained that Giese helped her come out of her shell when she joined the theatre group as a sophomore.
“I was really, really shy. I didn’t talk to anyone,” Wilson explained. “Once I started talking and getting to know him, I got to know everyone else. He has helped me be more assertive and less shy.”
So far, the video of Giese receiving the gift from his students has generated more than 96,000 views, 1400 shares, and 900 likes on Facebook. Walker said that he was recently contacted by the Facebook page and media company “Love What Matters” who asked if they could share his video. That page has well over 7 million followers worldwide, guaranteeing that the story could reach an international audience if the page does indeed share the video.
Since being able to see color, Giese explained the color of people’s eyes has been particularly fascinating. He was especially thrilled for the chance to see the blue eyes of his mother, his fiancee and his fiancee’s daughter.
“I never realized how beautiful their eyes are,” Giese remarked.
Receiving such a gift has been an absolute blessing, Giese explained that it always comes back to the kids.
“It’s the kids first. It’s the program first,” said Giese. “I am blessed with students who want to be here, who want to participate in this program. They are the joy of my life.”
Portage High School puts on three shows each year: a fall play, a spring musical, and a student-led production of the students’ choosing. They are still waiting to receive approval for the spring musical, but the production is scheduled for the last two weekends of April.
This relationship between Giese and his students is what we all aspire to - a mutual effort to give fully and help each other see the world in all its beauty. The Portage Thespian Drama Club has instilled this love in its students, and they will continue to make this world a colorful place to live.
Watch the big reveal in the video below!