InTeR-cUlTuRaL MiXeR

My article for the RAM RAMPAGE.... Roaring Fork High School student newspaper
not required
Twenty-five students from Roaring Fork High School, minds full of knowledge but ignorance seeping from the seams, ventured into the Carbondale Lappala Center. They met to discuss some of the differences among teenagers today. The students openly and truthfully shared their opinions and listened to the opinions of others about today's society. They spent two days, one getting to know each other under the skin, and the second deepening what they had discovered. A women the students were introduced to was Dee. She was polite, sensitive and just an amazing speaker and listener. She led the two-day Inter-cultural Mix training with passion and dignity, always reminding the students that humans are all 99.9% that same.
The first day was spent sharing stories of the students' heritages, acting out a few skits and participating in several fun, interesting activities to begin to take a look at each other right beneath the skin. Several high schoolers began telling their family stories on a map and outlining where they came from. By the end of this activity several parts of the world map looked liked an ant farm, with lines going wild like those of the tiny ants' tunnels, if one can imagine. The students were baffled by all the ingredients of the "American Stew" and began blurting out comments like, "Whoa, you're from!?" or, "I had no idea!" One student in particular, of half Anglo and half Hispanic descent, was Alex Rascon. His light skin always faulted others into thinking something different than the truth. Students began to finally see how similar we all really are.
They began discussing the major "isms" in our world today such as classism, racism, sexism, religious worship, and heterosexuality vs. homosexuality, ageism, and a few other minor issues. They spoke about what they see in everyday life but mainly what they see in Roaring Fork High School and what they felt needed to change.
"Flash judge" is another activity the students engaged in. In this activity a series of photos of everyday kids and teens were shown on a screen for several seconds. The students were to judge whether or not they would: befriend them, acknowledge them or ignore them depending on their looks. The majority of students decided on ignoring most everyone. The second part to this activity was a second look at the students being flash judged. Every single student on the film was a straight A scholar interested in something productive and achieving their goals. This activity left the students not only questioning how they felt they needed to change and open their own minds to a new way looking at others, but also what were ways to show the rest of the student body we are all 99.9% the same. It was a day for student questioning, telling and answering, but mostly a day for peer-bonding.
The second day was as if someone had saved a sinking ship. The students, teachers and other affiliated members began to wander further into the minds of teens and people in our world. They continued discussions on the "isms," and what they had witnessed in school and the community. Discussions were led to deepen the students’ knowledge of their peers. Instead of questioning activities that barely touch inside, the students were asked to answer questions involving their beliefs. This is where the boat slowly started sinking.
The students all shared openly and listened to each others comments with ease until they realized not everyone believes the same thing. We are all so different, how can we be 99.9% the same? Several heated, though not steaming arguments, aroused among the little fishing boats but with the help of elder ships, the students safely and properly made it to land through their differences. It was by the end of the second day when the minds which were bursting with questions and comments were know tired and ready to venture into the outside world. Where they will strive to pay attention to their judgments and solve how to overcome their prejudices.
The Inter-cultural group have met several times since the two-day training to discuss and share what they feel is the best way to train the school with their new light. Friday is the one day a week the students are unable to "jump" reach classes. During this period, the inter-cultural students will be attending a classroom within the school to teach or show a fun activity to the students. These activities will incorporate prejudices, heritages and making it apparent that we are all 99.9% the same. The students have hope this will end up being an all year, school-wide "thing."

I believe these students will make a difference. I believe this is a way for the students to share, know and learn from one another. I know that the issues among the students occurs not only in this small, yet, growing valley but occur everywhere we humans, are present. Some say is human nature, I believe we can control the way we look at others and accept them for who they are. All it takes is a little understanding, we do this everyday among friends, why not take a few minutes out of your "busy" life and talk to someone you normally do-not. You never know when destinies can collide. As the great Forrest Gump once said, "life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what your going to get." This statement is the truth we know nothing of our futures, all we know is what we know and our pasts. Should'nt we all just forget about the past and contemplate about our future, "free our hearts from hate, free our minds from worries, give more , expect less and just live simply?" My dear Uncle Willard told me this one morning, which made me think about my article and what we students want to fulfill. Some students believe this Inter-cultural group will have no effect on the students of Roaring Fork High School, I believe these students are just blinded by the their own faults. These are the type of people who judge not by the person inside but by whats on the outside. Others, like myself know we have faults and have realized that judging one by their looks, sex, materialistic possesions, age, religion anything against just the way the person is on the inside is wrong. We may still do it, but we think about the affect and receive guilt when we judge. I know I think about it all the time.