The BluePrint - Volume 11, Issue 1

HAGERTY HIGH SCHOOL

3225 LOCKWOOD BLVD. OVIEDO, FL 32765

INDEX

the

blueprint

News..................................2 Opinions.............................3 Centerspread.................. 4-5 Lifestyles.........................6-7 SPORTS........................8

Sept. 30, 2015

volume 11, issue 1

Volleyball starts strong Nathaniel Kauffman Twitter Editor or the volleyball seniors, one win has been notoriously absent from their high school careers: a match win over Oviedo High. In a 3-0 sweep, the team beat Oviedo on Aug. 28 for the first time in school history and emotions were running high. “I knew that we had the talent and competitiveness to beat Oviedo at home,” senior middle hitter Brianna Baez said. “We were really happy and we all felt accomplished because beating Oviedo was one of our team goals.” The team started the season with a handful of goals: to beat Oviedo, to beat Lake Nona, to become district champions and to make the state playoffs. The team met the first goal with the win over Oviedo and reached the second with a 3-1 win over Lake Nona on Sept. 2. The Lake Nona game was important to the team because they are a district opponent and Lake Nona got the better of the team in a preseason contest. Lake Nona is one of seven new district opponents, as the team switched classes from 8A to 7A. “We are seeing teams for the first time. It is important that we are ready to play every game because there are talented teams in this district,” junior outside hitter Annemarie Watson said. Even with the new opposition, perhaps the biggest change in the team is the influx of young talent. Freshman outside hitter Morgan Romano in particular has been vital to the offense this season. In a game against district opponent Melbourne High Romano had eight kills to lead the team to a 3-0 sweep. This success, however, can come with a lot of pressure to uphold it, but it is easier with support. “In every game I play confident, I believe I can do my best and that I can succeed,” Romano

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said. “[My teammates] have all been really nice and helped me out and made me feel welcome when I came to the team.” New faces are important, but head coach Juanita Hitt puts the majority of responsibility on the leaders on and off the court in order to keep the team dynamic balanced. “We have done a few team bonding [activities], but I have really put it on the seniors to create chemistry and help the younger girls. [The seniors] do it themselves and I just help them on their way,” Hitt said. “The senior leadership has shown me that this group of girls can go pretty far.” The first half of the season has had its moments, but it also has not been without its losses. The team has a record of 10-2 as of Sept. 27, with losses against Winter Springs and Seminole. Winter Springs is currently ranked number two in the state, so the loss served as a good learning experience for the team moving forward. “We had a game plan to execute major components that their team uses, but the outcome was not in our favor,” Baez said. “It did help us because they are such a high talented offensive and defensive team. [Playing them] made us play harder and made sure we were focused.” The team’s second loss came in a back to back sequence at Seminole, and the 3-1 loss surprised the team. Instead of dwelling on it though, the team is using it as motivation. “Our team really is self-motivated, but the loss at Seminole I think opened their eyes and showed them that they have to perform no matter what the situation,” Hitt said. The team sits atop the district with a record of 5-0 as of Sept. 27. With big matchups ahead the team has to be sure to not get ahead of themselves. “We take one game at a time. We are Hagerty and everyone pretty much wants to beat Hagerty when we step out on the court, and so we have

Magoo’s Landmark restored: Huey reopens after fire

photo by Jake Arthur The newly reopened Oviedo location on Alafaya Trail

Justin Baronoff

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Staff Reporter

s 11 a.m. approached on Saturday, Sept. 5, co-owners Matt Armstrong and Thad Hudgens decided it was time to flip the sign to “open” and reopen their Oviedo Huey Magoo’s restaurant established in 2004. “We didn’t even advertise or know that we were going to open that day,” Hudgens said. “As soon as the door opened, people were swarming the building.” On May 21, 2014, a fire caused by unwashed cleaning towels damaged Huey Magoo’s first location on Alafaya Trail. No one was hurt in the fire, but the building had to be reconstructed. “It was definitely something you did not want to hear at 3 in the morning,” Hudgens said. While the restaurant was under reconstruction, the closest Huey Magoo’s to Oviedo residents was in Winter Springs. “It was very upsetting to drive 20 minutes

for the closest Huey’s,” junior Gabby Diomede said. “[But] it was well worth the drive.” Although it may have been disappointing for Oviedo residents to wait more than a year for Huey Magoo’s to reopen, co-owners Matt Armstrong and Hudgens wanted to redesign both the interior and exterior of the restaurant to detach from the 7-Eleven gas station next door. With the redesign of the building, Huey Magoo’s also redesigned their menu; now offering wraps, sandwiches, and salads, as well as their famous chicken tenders. “It was pretty exciting to see a menu with more than just chicken tenders on it,” freshman Lexi Hill said. “Now, I think they will get more business and it will become the place to be at.” When junior Robby Boyer was on the freshman football team, going to Huey Magoo’s was considered a tradition. “It did not matter if we won or lost, it was just the place to hang out at after the game,” Boyer said. “I’m hoping now that after every varsity football or basketball game, everyone will see Huey Magoo’s as that way too.” Despite the fact that Armstrong and Hudgens are focusing on the reopening of their original Oviedo location, they announced their fourth location will launch in Altamonte Springs in October. “I think with the opening of the Altamonte Springs location, we are really trying to get our name out there,” Hudgens said. If we ever expand Huey Magoo’s nationally, we still want people to understand that it started in Orlando.” In a few weeks there will be an official grand reopening of the Oviedo location, but a date has not yet been set. “To tell you the truth, I don’t even think we need a grand reopening, Hudgens said. “We love our relationship with the city of Oviedo and just want to let them know that fire didn’t kill us, it only made us stronger.”

photo by Jake Arthur HITTING THE MARK. Senior Brianna Baez gets the kill off a set from Corina Dos Santos. The team went on to beat Oviedo 3-0 marking their first match win over the Lions in team history.

a big “X” on our back. We can’t afford to take a team lightly no matter what their record is,” Hitt said. The team will end their regular season on Oct. 13 at Oviedo. They will also play Winter Springs one more time, and have two more district games to play before the season ends against Liberty and Viera. “This year we are here to make history;

getting a banner hung in the gym would mean everything to us. We know that we can beat anyone we play, we just have to play like we are Hagerty and not like our opponent,” senior libero Lauren Basen said. “Everyone’s goal in high school volleyball is always to win states and to get a ring, but when it comes time for district play, we have to take each game at a time and not get ahead of ourselves.”

See more on hagertyjourn.com Making a shift Seminole County switched from Blackboard to eCampus. While many found the change difficult, it is meant to better prepare students for college. “In order to help prepare History teacher Robin Grenz photo by Bailey Fisher students better for their futures, schools must provide the most recent forms of enhanced educational resources when possible.” - Dr. Mary Williams

Geocaching: mobile adventures for all Students are discovering the revamped adventure exploration activity. “Geocaching is great for everyone that has a little adventurous streak in them. It Infographic courtesy of geocaching.com brings people together.” - junior Zachary Winningham

JV football undefeated The junior varsity football team has won the first five games of the season. “Nobody really pays attention to JV, the only reason you really play JV is to make varsity. We want to win to Running back Oliver Hart make a statement.” - defensive end Terrance Foster

photo by Bailey Fisher

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news

Finding balance

Courtney Dziewior

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Online Managing Editor

pon Principal Mary Williams’ arrival at the school two years ago, she set about learning the system, familiarizing herself with the students and the staff, and settling in. Contrary to the popular belief that Williams has aimed at taking away favorite activities at the school, she has used the mantra “How can we do this better?” to guide her modifications. “The changes seem more like administration unnecessarily reinforcing control than them looking out for the students,” senior Brenden Carrillo said. “They’re school traditions for a reason.” Among the traditions she was introduced to since arriving was Paws on the Wall. This is an event where seniors leave their handprints on the wall in the cafeteria during Homecoming week. Over the summer though, the decision was made at a Parent-Teacher-Student-Association meeting to transition Paws on the Wall from the wall to a banner. Due to having the cafeteria professionally repainted for a conference hosted over the summer, it was decided that a banner would make more sense because of its ability to last beyond one year before having to be painted over. “It was a tradition of our school [starting from] when [it] opened, and it’s kind of sad to see it go right when I was a senior,” senior Annalycia Franklin said. Despite the change, the banner will serve a purpose more than just hanging on the cafeteria wall for a year and then going into storage. The banner’s portability will allow it to travel with students to pep rallies, games and various other

places around campus. “[This decision] satisfies both things: it keeps our cafeteria looking nice and professional and a place where kids will want to eat and also keeps the tradition of the Paws on the Wall going,” Williams said. This year’s Paws on the Wall is on Oct. 20. Another school event that is undergoing modifications are pep rallies. Guided by fond memories of her own high school pep rallies at Lake Brantley High School, Williams has worked with a group of advisor to balance safety and fun without taking up lots of class time. “The goal of pep rallies is that kids have fun, but safe fun so they create memories that stay with them a lifetime,” Williams said. Williams also consulted with science teacher Marc Pooler to operate a decibel meter application to decide who wins the spirit stick. The decibel meter will help to fairly decide which class is the loudest. “[We want] to have a really fun event, get kids super excited and get healthy competition among classes,” Williams said. As well as the two pep rallies on Sept. 11 and 25, the last one is the Husky Rumble, a night pep rally during Homecoming Week. Depending on how all of the events go, there is a possibility of adding more pep rallies later. These two changes were not the only impression Williams has left on the school. In her first year in 2013, Williams made changes to the attendance policy to allow students a specific number of excused and unexcused absences with chances to make them up. By enforcing the attendance, there was a noticeable, steady incline of improvement in test scores. At the end of the school year last year, the

Changes made to Paws on the Wall, attendance, pep rallies and parking lot attempt improvement

“[Being ringleader] is honestly an honor. It’s amazing to watch the entire school come together.” - Brenden Carrillo

news you need to know

SYRIAN REFUGEE CRISIS INTENSIFIES In March of 2011, anti-government demonstrations took place in Syria. The protests started off peacefully, but after the government responded violently, the protesters took to violence as well and a civil war erupted. Since then, estimates say that over 220,000 people have been killed in the civil war, and nearly half of that number are believed to be civilians. The government has bombed crowded cities and used chemical weapons on civilians, and ISIS and other terrorist organizations have subjected the Syrians who stay to torture and other crimes. Before the war, Syria had a population of 23 million, and now, the U.N. estimates that 7.6 million people have been internally displaced. Many Syrians are also fleeing the country, and the U.N. estimates that there will be 4.27 million Syrian refugees by the end of 2015, the most since the Rwandan genocide in 1994. Not all European countries are accepting the refugees, however, forcing many to resort to being smuggled in by ship and swimming to shore. The U.N. estimates that just this summer, 2,500 people have died attempting to cross the Mediterranean to get to Europe. LATEST POLLING RESULTS SHOW TRUMP STILL LEADS, FIORINA RISING With the presidential primaries still several months away, the polling results of each presidential candidate are still in flux. The latest CNN/ORC poll has seen the leap of Republican Carly Fiorina to second place. In that poll, Donald Trump still leads all other Republican candidates, and neurosurgeon Ben Carson is in third place. Marco Rubio, Jeb Bush and Ted Cruz make up fourth, fifth and sixth place, respectively. Fiorina’s sudden rise is due in large part to CNN’s GOP debate on Sept. 16, in which 52 percent of Republican viewers said she won the debate. In the Democratic party, Hilary Clinton still leads Bernie Sanders 42 percent to 24 percent nationally in the latest CNN/ORC poll. Clinton is trending downward nationally after her private-email scandal, and experts say that it is looking more and more likely that Vice President Joe Biden might enter the races belatedly. Sanders, though trailing nationally, is leading Clinton in New Hampshire and Iowa, two key early-voting states. TEXAS FRESHMAN AHMED MOHAMED ARRESTED AFTER BUILDING CLOCK On Sept. 14, the 14-year-old high school freshman from Irving, Texas, was arrested after he brought a clock that he built to school to show his engineering teacher. One of his teachers thought the clock was a bomb, and called the authorities, who arrested Mohamed and sent him to a juvenile detention center, even though his device was not a bomb. During questioning, he repeatedly told police that it was a clock, not a bomb. Mohamed was suspended from school for three days, even though the principal said the clock posed no threat to the students’ safety. The incident sparked outrage over social media, with many believing the incident was a result of Mohamed’s name and skin color. The hashtag #IStandWithAhmed began trending on Twitter. As a result, Mohamed has been invited to the White House by President Obama, and Mohamed has also seen the public support of Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerburg and Hilary Clinton, as well as many other celebrities and businesses. Microsoft sent Mohamed many of its products, and many NASA employees have reached out to him as well, with one offering him a chance to drive the Opportunity Rover on Mars.

photo by Kacy Lach ROLLER COASTER RIDE. Senior student section leaders Zach Navicky, Josh Mohammed and Brenden Carrillo lead students in the Roller Coaster cheer at the Sept. 11 pep rally.

decision was made to make each class count for the same number of absences whether it is a block day or Silver Day. In addition to attendance, Williams worked with Athletic Coordinator Jay Getty, assistant principals Christi Bryce and Michael Howard, to improve the efficiency of parking. This resulted in assigned numbers for student parking, which caused an increase in traffic on the parent pickup/drop-off side. Due to more parents dropping off kids along with students having parking in both lots, there was constant, slow traffic. To speed up the process, administrators were situated in various places around the lot

directing the flow of cars and police officers were positioned on Lockwood in the morning to guide parents. “It makes it a lot quicker,” freshman Mitchell Menke said. “It’s really helpful.” The combination of changes affecting different parts of campus life show that Williams has definitely shaken things up. “There is a constant balance between too little and too much,” Williams said. “This year [the seniors] are a lot more welcoming,” Carrillo said “We try to get everyone involved and it makes a huge difference, especially at pep rallies”

3

opinions Hallway harassment must stop

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h, look at you! Where you off to?” “Show me a smile.” “What’s your name, honey?” “Hey girl, turn around. Show me a little something.” “Don’t you dare walk away from me.” On campus, students find themselves cornered in stair wells, blockaded in hallways and made to feel uncomfortable by the words and threatening stances of their peers. The escalation from cat calls to verbal abuse to physical assault can be quick. What’s worse, the myriad of jeers and insulting comments won’t end in high school, but remains prevalent in society. Sixty-five percent of women and 25 percent of men in the United States reported being harassed by strangers in public last year, according to StopStreetHarassment.org. Street harassment is typically comprised of public, unwanted and unwarranted wolf-whistling, catcalling and comments, gestures or actions directed at someone, typically a woman, for their perceived or actual attraction. Street harassment stems from misogyny, a general contempt for women, and represents a major stepping stone for the feminist movement. Not only are women and large portions of the LGBTQ+ community discriminated against, they are targeted in public. Women are advised from a young age to watch what they wear, to be careful of what they say and to never walk alone, especially at night. In a study by StopStreetHarassment.org, nearly a quarter of the women surveyed experienced street harassment by the time they were 12. Catcalling is never a compliment. And yet, even in the halls of this school, students, especially females, are threatened by the wolf whistles and so-called compliments their peers cannot keep to themselves. It should not be news to students that catcalling is offensive and uncomfortable. The jeering yells to “show a smile” or to “just say hi” come across as invasions of personal space. Even how someone is dressed does not matter: sweat pants and t-shirts on tired students to class are reason enough for some to voice their crass opinions. Students can’t even get water without being harassed. However, there are ways to reduce catcalls and jeering comments. The first is acceptance. People must acknowledge the fact that street harassment is not a compliment, not the fault of the target and a form of bullying and sexual harassment. The second is education. “Boys will be boys” is outdated and sexist. Rebranding bullying as a crush teasing someone to get their attention makes violence, oppression and cruelty synonymous with love. It sets a precedent that a man who uses his fists to keep a woman in her place is a true “man.” It forces boys to abandon a strong connection with their emotions and limits girls to weak stereotypes. The third is action. Challenging established gender roles and teaching respect keeps people self-aware of how their actions affect the people around them and how to compliment others instead of threatening them. So next time you compliment someone attractive in the hallway, do so with respect. And next time you witness someone getting catcalled, stand up to the hallway harassers and help to make this school a safer place.

blue print

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OUR TAKE

The BluePrint is a student-produced newspaper Editor-in-Chief Business Manger Staff Reporters in which the student editors make all content Sophie Hill Madeline Kemper Justin Baronoff decisions. The newspaper belongs to the Columbia Bailey Fisher Managing Editor Opinions Editor Scholastic Press Association, the National Scholastic Jeannie Williams Sarah Gibson Malcolm Robinson Press Association and the Florida Scholastic Press Victoria Tomeo Online Editor-in-Chief News Editor Association. Madeline Kemper Opinions expressed within the newspaper do not Peyton Whittington Adviser Hagerty High School Brit Taylor represent the staff’s views as a whole (except for Our Online Managing Ed Twitter Editor 3225 Lockwood Blvd. Take), the views of Seminole County Public Schools Courtney Dziewior Nathaniel Kauffman Principal Oviedo, FL 32765 or Hagerty High’s administration and staff. Dr. Mary Williams Sports Editor Photographers hagertyjourn@blueprint.com For information about advertising in the paper, Ben Clyatt Jake Arthur Phone: (407) 871-0750 please contact us via email or phone. We reserve the Bailey Fisher Fax: (407) 871-0817 right to reject any advertisement.

Why Twitter activism matters Ben Clyatt

Sports Editor ou can’t change anything. It’s just Twitter.” “Don’t take it so seriously. It’s just Twitter.” “Bro, what did you expect? It’s just Twitter.” It’s just Twitter. We’ve been conditioned to accept that Twitter is a muse for the unserious, for the petty, for those to say whatever they want without anyone really caring, because, after all, it’s just Twitter. Why would anyone take it seriously? With Vines and memes, Twitter is the least serious place on the Internet. Until it isn’t. The other realm of Twitter, away from all the fun, is the Twitter activist side. Though many use Twitter activist as a derogatory term or a joke, it should be taken seriously. While many of us scroll through Twitter to distract ourselves in the classroom, these Twitter activists are helping Twitter become the classroom. These people are working to educate their followers on issues such as feminism, body positivity, and the #BlackLivesMatter movement. At the most basic level, these accounts help raise awareness. They shine light on issues you don’t hear enough about in the news and offer fast facts and statistics to help their followers learn as much as they can. These accounts help people become “woke,” or aware of social issues. I was not woke until recently. I specifically remember making a transgender joke to my thengirlfriend sophomore year, and I’m pretty sure that’s why she hates me now. I remember making racist jokes, sexist jokes, jokes about all kinds of things that shouldn’t be joked about. I remember bashing women’s sports, blaming poor people for their economic status and blaming victims of rape. I remember slut-shaming, body-shaming and basically shaming anyone with a different opinion than me. I remember shaming those who took to social media to raise awareness on these issues. I figured since I didn’t know about problems other groups faced, they didn’t exist. I talk about myself not to congratulate myself on how far I’ve come, but to use myself as an example of the effect of Twitter

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Back of the Pack

A comic by Peyton Whittington

activism. I was honestly a pretty terrible person, ideologically speaking, until I started paying attention to accounts that speak on issues that we face today. Even if all they did was tweet, they would still be doing important work as far as raising awareness goes. But they still do more than just Tweet. One prominent account, @feministculture, started a campaign to make it mandatory to teach consent in sex ed courses across the country. The petition had nearly 10,000 signatures of the necessary 100,000 before it can be considered by the White House. Even though the goal was not reached, it started the conversation about teaching consent and has forced many to question why we aren’t already requiring this, and why so many teachers are skipping over this. Since the campaign launched, California became the first state to require consent to be taught in their sex ed classes. Another person who has used Twitter as a platform for their activism is Deray McKesson (@deray). Deray works to raise awareness for another seemingly obvious fight, that #BlackLivesMatter. Besides tweeting about protests and unarmed black citizens being shot or beaten by police, Deray has also met with Democratic presidential candidates Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton to further educate them on these issues and work with them to create meaningful policy plans. Deray and other organizers also started Campaign Zero, a comprehensive plan to end police brutality and unfair policing methods across America. There are many, many more people and accounts dedicated to ensuring equality for all groups and educating any who will listen. The problem is that many people still don’t want to listen. We want Twitter to be a mindless distraction, not a soapbox for activists to stand on. The truth can be uncomfortable, especially when it challenges us specifically. Ignorance is bliss. But sometimes, we have to confront harsh realities if we ever want change and equality.

Read the full story at hagertyjourn.com

BY DAY

BY NIGHT

#hu

skyfam

‘17

You do realize you’re buying 38 rolls of toilet paper at 2 a.m., right?

‘16

Teacher-student respect necessary, lacking in classrom Jeannie Williams

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Managing Editor he young teacher who holds students at arm’s length to assert their authority. The junior who doesn’t want to seem like a teacher’s pet so they back-talk and ignore the advice offered by their instructor. A healthy student-teacher relationship, one based on respect of character and willingness to learn, is beneficial and necessary, yet so many students and teachers set out to poison or distance themselves from this relationship. This classroom relationship needs to be readdressed to facilitate better learning. A New York University psychological study determined that middle and high school students tend to meet their teachers’ expectations of them, whether they be low or high, explicit or

BARKING MAD

Barking Mad is a collection of short submissions about things that tick students off around school. If something at school ticks you off, go to hagertyjourn.com and submit your entry to Ask the Editor, and it may be featured here.

implicit. Harsh phrases such as “Can you not do that?” and “Can you just do that right?” suggest a low expectation of the student on the teacher’s part. Unfortunately, phrases like these can be heard in too many classrooms, and they have a detrimental effect on student performance. One unmotivated student should not fog a teacher’s view of their other students. It is generalizations like this that place a wedge between a teacher and student in the classroom. As a whole, teachers realize the importance of their job and foster academic growth, but those who don’t need to realize the impact they make. Verbal disparagement of students and indications that the instructor does not care whether or not a student passes or fails are unacceptable in a classroom setting. Snide comments and general disrespect from students, while

not acceptable, are expected, but teachers have degrees and certifications in how to reach and understand young people. People become teachers because they want to make a difference. Even teachers who have lost that intent need to realize that their actions and attitudes toward students still have an impact. Any student would agree the best teacher is one who teaches rather than babysits and goes out of their way to let their students know they are available for them. In the classroom, it is necessary for there to be someone looking out for a student’s best interests. That’s why the teacher is there. It is also imperative that the student demonstrate respect for the teacher who has dedicated their life to expanding minds. Only when these two things are present can effective learning and character development take place.

“Why did they [paint] the name of our school at the front campus in orange?” - Jordan Rhody, 12

“It takes forever to hear back from guidance or administration when you submit a request.” - Tess Cotler, 11

“The block schedule is so confusing this year with blue, black and silver and it keeps on changing.” - Meredith Garrett, 9

“Why does the administration have an inability to realize the needs of the students in their efforts to further their academic success at school?” - James Neal, 12

“The lack of support I see for the arts department in comparison to the sports is especially disappointing.” - Hannah Seuhle, 12

“Why do people feel the need to yell in the hallways?” - Taylor Whiteman, 10

“When people go up and down the wrong side of the stairs and go into the wrong side of the door, it’s so irritating.” - Jessica Vasquez, 11 “People always seem to walk so slow when going to class and it clogs up the hallways.” - Ajelet Perez, 10 “The extremely spirited kids are always talking so loud and making a bunch of noise.” - Anthony Gemmati, 12

4 CHALLENGE DAY

CHALLENGE DAY

MAKING A POINT

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Story by Madeline Kemper • Design by Sophie Hill

Challenge Day encourages students to address bullying by sharing personal difficulties

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ach person in the small family was given two minutes to tell their story to five strangers. All started with the phrase, “If you really knew me you would know…” “Basically, I told them that I went through a lot,” sophomore Danielle Ruedas said. “I’ve gotten kicked out of school, I’ve been arrested, I’ve gotten kicked out of my house. I don’t have a very good relationship with my dad and at one point he was abusive and an alcoholic and I thought that no one would understand.”

“I could tell that they wanted to listen not because they had to and it was the right thing to do, but they genuinely wanted to hear my story and genuinely wanted to hear how I came out of it.” - Danielle Ruedas, 10 Ruedas had just one of the many personal stories from Challenge Day, a program aimed to help develop leadership, social and emotional skills, which was held on Sept. 17 and 18. The 49 students who participated on Thursday and 51 who participated Friday were exposed to activities promoting emotional control, self-confidence and social competence. Students were split up by grade level and participated with teachers and their peers. Challenge Day is a state-mandated event that takes place at every middle and high school. The $8000 event is split with Oviedo High School and funded by the sheriff’s department. Students have the opportunity to participate twice and even become team leaders. Students like Ruedas decided to participate with an open mind after being invited, despite rumors that the only point of the day was to make everyone cry. The day, however, was not just about tears. In the morning, students participated in lighter activities such as ice breakers, volleyball and dance parties. Students were also encouraged to dream big, sharing their biggest aspirations and goals for the future.

“You need to instill trust to get the kids [to] relax a little bit, open up and have some fun first so it’s easier for [them] to share,” teacher Brittany Campbell said. After students had become more comfortable and confident, Challenge Day leaders Katie Healey and Enrique Collazo encouraged them to get real. It was time to show their true selves, good and bad. To illustrate this, Healey drew a visual of an iceberg that was mostly underwater. The small portion above water represented the image or stereotypes used to define individuals. “Too often we make judgments about others that reflect our own unrealistic and inaccurate opinions,” Hamilton said. “The most popular girl may actually hate being popular and living up to the expectations that come with the title.” The portion underwater represented struggles and burdens individuals carry. “How people act can be more of a reflection of their circumstances than their actual personality,” senior Kaitlyn Heinz said. Students were then assigned to a random group with the challenge of dropping their water lines and sharing their personal realities. “It was hard to open up, because I didn’t think anyone would want to listen,” sophomore Devan Kaviani said. “We all looked different and even seemed to be in different social classes, but once we each opened up and told each other the things we were most insecure about, it seemed like we had truly become a small family.” During this time their small family offered support and attention. “They cried so I could tell that it touched them. I could tell that they wanted to listen not because they had to and it was the right thing to do, but they genuinely wanted to hear my story and genuinely wanted to hear how I came out of it,” Ruedas said. “These were strangers, but they were proud of me.” The teacher-student dynamic was very important. Teachers helped challenge day participants feel included and acted as a mentor in the small families. They also became a familiar face for those who need continual support in their daily lives. “It’s opened my eyes so now I can do something about it. I can change. I can be there for them. I can mentor them,” Campbell said.

OVERCOMING STEREOTYPES

In addition, teachers were asked to participate alongside students in every activity. One of the ways teachers attempted to increase the comfort level of students was to have their first names written on their name tags. “To me, the challenge is just putting down walls and letting others know that we all have things we keep hidden and have a hard time dealing with,” English teacher Lauren Hamilton said. One of the most visual activities was when two pieces of tape were put down and participants were asked to step over the line if the situation applied to them. Students and adults found that even if they crossed the line time after time, they were never alone. “It’s true that misery loves company, but heartbreaking to know that our trials are so widespread,” Hamilton said. The goal was to gain an appreciation for your peers and their circumstances. “No one hated each other in that gym. No one was judging anyone,” Kaviani said.

“How people act can be more a reflection of their circumstances than their actual personality.” - Kaitlyn Heinz, 12 At the end of the day students were asked to share their experiences, reflecting on the events and the new perspective that they gained. “If [all the seniors] would have done this freshman year, I feel like our class could have been so much more connected,” Hagerman said. For Ruedas this day was the first time that she had shared her struggles, as she is usually very closed down. “Even though the situations I went through were hard and talking about it was a very big step for me and it was nerve-wracking, it was so calming,” Ruedas said. “Everyone else [was] so open and loving and that’s another reassuring feeling, even there are so many people who have not been there, they are not judging you.”

IT'S EVERYWHERE:

Challenge Day focused on drawing attention to the difficulties of overcoming prejudice and on redefining stereotypes. Group leaders asked students to talk about the difficulties they faced overcoming gender roles, racial assumptions and differing sexual orientations.

200 students were asked what kind of stereotyping they personally witnessed/felt the most.

LOOKS 35% RACE 27% GENDER 22% LIKES/DISLIKES 17%

all statistics from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center

64% of students who are bullied never report it to an adult

50% of students who identify as LGBTQ+ have been bullied in the past

“I feel like everyone is against me because I don’t do as well as my brothers.” - Isabelle Lynch, 10

Students who have been bullied are 4-5 times more likely to suffer from poor grades, depression, anxiety, and difficulties

35% of students have been threatened online due to cyber-bullying

“I have been called stupid multiple times because I was held back.” - Briana Larena, 10

IT STARTS EARLY:

While stereotypes are not always negative in their content, they reflect a larger, negative trend of judgments and prejudices rooted in generally untrue, biased, and offensive beliefs.

Stereotyping is making assumptions or judgments about someone’s mind, character, competence, or appearance on the basis of their race, gender, likes/dislikes, or looks.

22% of students, nearly one out of every four, are bullied each year in the U.S.

Children with disabilities are two to three times more likely to be bullied than their non-disabled

Children under the age of 6 will trust an adult’s negative assessment of someone or something over their personal experience.

Children in the United States: Understand race and ethnicity concepts between the ages of 3 and 4 Have immediate and firmly established stereotypes about gender, race, and social groups by the age of 5 Become accurate at identifying and applying discrimination and at sorting people by ethnicity and general social standing by the age of 7. By 10, positive experiences outweigh negative adult assessments. Because of this, schools and parents are encouraged to foster positive exposures to social diversity instead of negative warnings against discrimination.

Children who are bullied are 2-4 times more likely to report contemplating suicide than children who are not bullied

“No one has ever really spoken up for me - it was always up to myself.” - Ella Plasse, 10

STEREOTYPING FUELS: 200 students were asked what kind of stereotyping they felt the most at school.

Bullying 49% of the student body has been bullied due to stereotypes

Racism 63% of the student body has personally felt the effects of racism due to stereotyping

Sexism

38% of the student body has personally felt the effects of sexism due to stereotyping By seeing everyone in a group the same way, people are denied their individuality. By applying fixed beliefs to an individual, the ability to understand and relate to that person is distorted, which causes lack of empathy and can lead to bullying.