CONQUERING THE UNKNOWN Photos Intro
ANDY KNEIS MANAGING EDITOR
W
hen I heard a couple of students were coming into my class to speak about a special education program, I didn’t know what to expect. I don’t mean that in the sense that I didn’t know what they were going to talk about or what they would look like or something like that, I literally had no idea what constituted a special education student. I had little-to-no interaction with any disabled kids in high school, and no interaction at all in my few years at CSULB. The students came into the class and I was blown away. I’ll just come right out and say it to avoid sounding sentimental; these students are way braver than me. They spent a considerable amount of time speaking with us in the class, talking about their hopes and dreams, telling funny stories, answering questions, and most
8
UNION WEEKLY
18 OCTOBER 2010
Everything Else
CHELSEA STEVENS
CONNOR O’BRIEN PHOTO EDITOR
OPINIONS EDITOR
importantly teaching what can be gained from stepping outside of their comfort zone. They were so excited to be able to share with us that they were even interrupting one another to get a word in. I spent most of today having a panic attack and hiding from people that I respect and care about because I was too overwhelmed by the world. I was too embarrassed to ask for any kind of help. Honestly, today I feel like a coward compared to these individuals. I hope this doesn’t come off as some kind of self-pity sort of thing, I think the point I’m trying to make is that my lack of interaction with anyone like these students made me unaware that doing so would be worthwhile. It’s like how you forget how much you enjoy candy corn because they only sell it one month a year (October). Okay, as the students
spoke in my class, and I later came in to interview them about this feature, the more I realized how sorely mistaken I was. I related to every single one of them more than I do the other people I meet going about my daily life. I was able to talk and joke with the students instantly. On the other hand, I was getting tongue-tied and self-conscious trying to interact with their teachers even though they were some of the most compassionate and open people I’ve met. The big word in special education right now is inclusion. Educators are pushing the importance of disabled and special needs students to interact with the other, general education students. After all I’ve learned about special education students the past few days, inclusion is clearly a priority. What I don’t think is really clear is how important it is for people to spend time with students like the ones in
the ACT program. Maybe some out there can get some perspective on special needs students like I did. Perhaps people can even take a lesson from these disabled students and learn what can be gained by stepping outside of your comfort zone and giving something different an honest chance. Someone smarter out there could think of a joke that compares the word “inclusion” with the word “illusion.” Please give me money when you become famous with the inclusion/illusion joke. The most important thing is, through this ACT program, I’ve met some fascinating people. People I’ve been able to relate to and have fun with. To deprive them of any kind of experience because they’re different and that scares people is a shame. Not only for the students, but for the scared people whose minds they might have been able to open.