ASR members Madi Mulick, Lauren Guise, Zachary Brown, Jane Downing, Skylar Dukes, and Sam Vial, hard at work
On Mar. 30, Roosevelt High School hosted Unity in Diversity Day, an event meant to recognize and celebrate the diverse cultures, identities, and perspectives of Roosevelt. This day prioritized student education surrounding a diverse range of topics that interested them.
The Associated Students of Roosevelt planned for school clubs, teachers, and experts to share their knowledge to Roosevelt students and to help give a better understanding of social justice and community. Unity in Diversity Day included stations and hands-on workshops for students to attend and get involved with other students in the community.
Part of what went into planning Unity in Diversity Day was deciding what clubs, groups or teachers at Roosevelt would lead workshops. Clubs such as DECA, F-Word, K-Pop, La Raza, RSPT, UThrift and UNICEF all led informational, hands-on workshops.
As well as teachers including Holly Howe, Cynthia Coulthard, David Grosskopf, Jacqueline Wilson, Beth Orme and Tracy Landboe. Classes including Hands for a Bridge and Margins and Centers also hosted workshops.
These workshops had a variety of lessons including talks about The Wage Gap (DECA), Period Poverty (F-Word), Mental Health and Media (RSPT), Environmental Racism (UThrift), and more.
“Unity in Diversity Day presents an opportunity to bring to light all the other wonderful cultures that we have here,” shares ASR President, Madi Mulick. “I see Unity in Diversity Day as a time to be with your community and to learn about other people in our community.”
ASR member Sara Kaiser says, “We have four different groups that are in ASR who are working to find people to teach workshops. I’m in charge of finding teachers and students. We have people looking outside of the school to find people to teach workshops, then there are also people working on advertising the days, then the students who schedule everything.”
However, a few ASR members expressed worries about students not taking this opportunity seriously.
ASR member DJ Symons said, “My biggest worry is probably people not caring enough to show up to the workshops. I hope they do because it’s going to be very beneficial … I think it’ll be really interesting to listen to and go to the different workshops.”
Other ASR members and teachers were concerned that students may attend workshops just because their friends were there, that students may make fun of the topic or people involved, or that people would skip Unity in Diversity Day altogether because they didn’t think it applied to them.
When it came to club leaders and teachers planning for Unity in Diversity Day, many made Powerpoints, Kahoots, or planned hands-on art projects. Club leaders and teachers tried to make their workshops educational but also fun for Roosevelt students.
One of the teachers that led a workshop, Wilson, says, “I hope that students take it seriously and choose a topic that’s appropriate for them.”
UThrift club leader, Amelia Laporta Roller says, “I feel like it has a high potential to be a really good learning experience for students but also has high potential to become one of those things that isn’t really taken seriously, and I think it’ll only work if people take it seriously. And just really come in with an open mind.”
During Unity in Diversity Day, Keynote Speaker and SPS Superintendent Dr. Brent Jones, expressed the importance of an invitational culture in the school environment. In a separate interview with TRN, Jones further elaborates on this, saying, “An invitational culture is one that questions the status quo, invites and respects many different voices and opinions and fosters healthy, respectful debate at times and celebrates diverse perspectives.”
Jones believes that students should use social media as a tool to be invitational, “How you choose to use social media is a big responsibility and it’s a powerful tool if used well to invite others in to feel safe and welcomed, rather than to cancel others out.”
Before finishing the interview, Jones states, “It lifted my spirit to see a school-wide movement to grow in unity and embrace diversity. You’re on the right path to being invitational and cultivating a sense of belonging. I’m very proud of what I see happening at Roosevelt.”
ASR member Katie Chaleunphonh says, “I think after this year once everyone knows about it, people might want to run a workshop next year, I think it will definitely carry on throughout the years.”
