Secondary: Rapid Response Assemblies



THE COSTA CONCORDIA AND THE TITANIC

By Rebecca Parkinson

NB: As with all rapid-response assemblies, the situation changes quickly. Please update before using.

Suitable for Whole School

Aim

To reflect on the recent wreck of the Costa Concordia in the light of the100th anniversary the sinking of the Titanic, and on the courage of the passengers and crew during both events.

Preparation and materials

• There are many photos of the stricken ship Costa Concordia: see
  http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/gallery/2012/jan/17/costa-concordia-italy?intcmp=239
• Photograph of the Titanic http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:RMS_Titanic_3.jpg – scroll down for original photograph
• You might like to show a clip from the film Titanic
• The hymn ‘Nearer my God to thee’ played by high-school pupils athttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilWiSfQqLc0
• Words for the hymn ‘Nearer my God to thee’ at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEwiPLUe-cg

Assembly

1. On 10 April 1912, the Royal Mail Ship (RMS) Titanic set off from Southampton for New York. On board were 2,223 people. Many were hoping for a fresh start in America; others were on holiday; and others were returning to America from Europe. RMS Titanic was the largest passenger ship in the world at that time and had been described as ‘unsinkable’. (Show a photograph using the link above.)
   
2. On 14 April 1912 at 11.40 p.m., the Titanic hit an iceberg. The ship sank at 2.20 a.m. on 15 April. Less than a third of the people on board survived – 1,514 people died in the incident.
   
3. On Friday 13 January 2012, the Costa Concordia collided with rocks off the coast of Tuscany, Italy. Recent news has been full of the bravery of many of the crew and the calmness on board as people waited to escape the stricken liner. Hundreds of people swam to shore, others waited for the lifeboats to be set free. There were over 4,000 souls on board, a small number of whom died. Compared to the Titanic, the disaster could have involved a greater loss of life. Even so, any loss of life so close to shore is tragic and was probably avoidable, especially in our technologically advanced age when the ship involved was a modern one.
   
4. RMS Titanic was designed to offer luxury accommodation to a standard that had never been seen before on a boat. The accommodation for the second- and third-class passengers was good. For the first-class passengers, however, there were facilities such as a swimming pool, gym and squash courts available as well as extensive areas in which to be pampered and fed. The ship was lit by electric lighting and there were even lifts to transport first-class passengers between decks. High-class entertainment was organized each evening, including music, dancing and so on.
   
   The facilities on Costa Concordia were amazing and the ship was far bigger.
   
5. On the Titanic there were two bands that played separately. Just after midnight, on 15 April, the band leader Wallace Hartley called both bands together in the first-class lounge. As the lifeboats were being lowered, the musicians played to the passengers who were waiting, dressed in their life jackets, to be helped off the boat. As the seriousness of the problem began to be recognized, the band moved up to the Boat Deck, from which the lifeboats were being lowered. It continued to play until it was impossible to do so any longer. The musicians died along with many other people.
   
6. Many survivors of the Titanic disaster spoke later of the bravery of the men in the band. There was no doubt they realized that they would not survive. But those who did survive said that the music helped to calm many of the passengers and gave hope to some. There is some dispute about which song the band played last but one stuck in the minds of many of the survivors. It was a well-known hymn at that time called ‘Nearer my God to thee’. (You might like to play the hymn to the children; see ‘Preparation and materials’ above.)
   
7. There are many other stories of great bravery on the night RMS Titanic sank. Survivors talked about men making human ladders so children could clamour up them to get to the decks from which lifeboats were leaving; others spoke of men giving up their life jackets for women and children; many crew members were praised for their unselfish dedication. Likewise on the Costa Concordia, stories are beginning to emerge of the selfless behaviour of many of the passengers and crew.
   
   The behaviour of the two captains, though, seems to have been very different. The captain of the Titanic went down with his ship, dying in the tragedy; the captain of Costa Concordia is accused of leaving his ship before many of his passengers; he is under arrest and facing manslaughter charges.
   
8. Without a doubt, the sinking of an ocean liner is a tragic story, but isn’t it amazing that, even in the depths of despair, people find the courage and strength to help others selflessly. What a challenge this should be to us. The Bible says that we should think of the needs of others before our own needs. I wonder if we do that! Wouldn’t school be a fantastic place if we all did that – if we thought of others and everything we did was to help, encourage and make life better for those around us!
   

Time for reflection

The stories of the Titanic and Costa Concordia remind us of what it means to think of others, even in times of great distress and disaster. As we go through today, let’s try to have the same spirit, one that thinks of others first and our own needs later. Can you think of something you could do today that would show someone that you were putting their needs first?

Prayer

Dear God,

Thank you for our lives.

Thank you for life.

Please help us not to be selfish people.

Help us to live our lives in a way that helps others
and help us always to care for those around us.

Song and music

You might like to play the YouTube clip of ‘Nearer my God to thee’ as the students leave the hall.