Activities designed to celebrate differences
Published 10:41 am Thursday, October 2, 2008
As a “No Place for Hate” school and part of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), Mount Si High School took a break from academia last Wednesday to spend the school day celebrating and reiterating the idea of and need for respect amongst the school and greater community.
Entitled “Day of Respect,” this student-led activity is run by the Associated Student Body (ASB) and happens biannually, with the inaugural event in 1997.
“My goal specifically is to focus on opening students’ eyes that there is another world out there outside of high school,” explained Katie Morgan, a senior and the lead chair of student relations for ASB. “We need to open our eyes and realize that it [discrimination and disrespect] does happen every day and we need to step up and not be afraid to step up to it.”
Morgan, along with three student committee members and more than 100 student volunteers, organized and hosted the Day of Respect event this year, which featured a variety of activities, videos, speakers and programs designed to promote respect and diversity in the school and community.
This is the fifth all-day event the school has hosted.
“From what I’ve seen, [the activities] have gone really well,” said assistant principal Greg Hart. “The program is developmental. It’s a matter of helping kids, helping them to figure out how to work with others and to learn how to act respectfully.”
Hart noted that issues of respect and disrespect were not particular to Mount Si, but a needed lesson and reminder for any community.
Small group activities were run by student facilitators and included activities designed to identify individuality, celebrate differences and point out that diversity is limitless and not just about race or culture.
Nationally renowned diversity speaker Norm Hull was the keynote speaker. Additionally, John Norlin, a leadership teacher from Sumner, spoke to students about respect through leadership.
Hull’s $2,500 speaking fee came from the ASB’s student relations fund. Norlin spoke to the students for free.
At the afternoon assembly, students were invited to speak about what they learned and what they would like to see changed at Mount Si.
Responses included requests for people to stop using derogatory, disrespectful or hurtful statements to “increasing the love” by not being afraid to say hello to more people in the halls.
Andre Dimitre Bourlin, a senior, said that the student body needed to appreciate eccentricity.
“I see a lot of good people at this school,” he said, noting that he thought the school day was well used. “I didn’t learn anything new, but I am reminded of what I must do.”
Students also listened to the school’s jazz band, African drumming students and choir perform culturally significant works.
Senior Jasmin Villanueva performed native Hawaiian dances solo and with her boyfriend, even treating student committee leaders (including Morgan) and leadership teacher Lynn Fallows to an impromptu Hawaiian dance lesson.
Following the assembly, students were given the opportunity to sign a “Resolution of Respect” on a strip of paper. The collective papers were fastened together to form a “chain of respect” that will be displayed in the school’s commons area throughout the school year to promote respect.
Attendance was taken at the beginning, middle and end of the school day.
Out of about 1,250 students, about 480 were absent from the event, said assistant principal Beth Castle. Most were excused absences, though Castle said that they are still reviewing attendance records.
The school has an 11-absences-per-semester attendance policy; 12 absences initiate the potential docking of credits. Parents are allowed to excuse their children for any reason, though excused absences are usually used for illness, doctor visits and/or unexpected issues or events.
Attendance at the Day of Respect was required, unless a student received an excused absence.
Noting that there may have been some tentativeness from parents and/or students about what might have been talked about during the Day of Respect, Castle said there are many layers to respect and that all sorts of different parts are explored, but that the day is about learning respect for others, not necessarily for challenging people’s values.
Castle said there might be a way to increase attendance of community members at the event in future years.
In order to better prepare parents, teachers, students and other community members for the next event, Castle said the school will continue to get the word out about the event and to keep the notion relevant; during the “off” year, the school dedicates a month to celebrating respect.
Castle also urged people to get accurate information about the event, its goals and methods, rather than just assuming what it will be like.
“It’s frustrating,” she said, adding that she thought it was a good day and that the event was enjoyed by those who attended. “I think there’s some ignorance about what the day is and it’s viewed as a nonacademic day, so [some people think], ‘Why not miss it,’ and it’s unfortunate because it’s a really great day.”
Though some teachers may dislike the disruption to their schedules, Castle said the school views the daylong and monthlong respect programs as worthwhile investments in their students’ education, otherwise they would not be continued.
“This day is valuable not only for the culture at Mount Si High School, but for the community, as well,” she said. “I’ve heard really nothing but positive comments about it from everyone involved.”
Morgan first took on the responsibilities of organizing the event when she joined the ASB as a way to be involved with the school.
Noting that she has heard inappropriate words and comments made throughout the halls at times, she said it was important to her to get the message across that “we, as humans, deserve every right to be respected.”
Even words said in jest or without thinking can be hurtful and, in the wrong situation, you could get hurt for saying them, Morgan explained.
“Those words don’t need to be used,” she said. “You either condone the acts or do something about them. Ultimately, it’s up to them [those who use the words]. My goal is to open up the doors and show them [what’s out there].”
Morgan and others involved n ASB were invited to present Mount Si’s “No Place for Hate” program at the Washington Association of Student Council Conference and at the National Association of Student Councils Conference earlier this year.
Morgan said that the ASB is currently working on a way to present the “No Place for Hate” program at the middle- and elementary-school levels within the next five years.
“The younger you are, the easier it is to learn [respect],” she said. “If we could get the whole community involved, then we could have a lot of change.”
In order to remain a part of the ADL and a “No Place for Hate” school, the school has to provide students with three projects each year that are related to respect.
“I think what it does is really help us to provide a safe environment for all people to learn if they understand and respect individual difference,” said Fallows, the ASB teacher who supervised the Day of Respect.
The ADL is focused on securing justice and fair treatment for all citizens and to end unfair and unjust discrimination and ridicule of any sect or body of citizens, according to its Web site at www.adl.org.
Being a “No Place for Hate” school and remaining a part of the ADL is important to the school.
“[The ADL’s mission] is part of our values as a school community,” Castle said. “We support their mission and we feel that it’s a good fit for our school.”
Though not glitch-free, Morgan was happy with the way the event turned out.
“I think that people truly got something out of it,” Morgan said, adding that one of many messages she wanted to convey and what she hoped people heard was that, “It’s OK to be that person, to step up and to be that person who can make a change.”
