Diversity summit

Students aim to break down systemic barriers

TEYANNA EADES REPORTER

The Diversity Summit was held on Monday, March 13. It was a great learning experience for all that went there. This event introduced students to people from all different backgrounds, to work together and work on things to break down systemic barriers.

“There were sessions that dealt with issues including wellness, healthy lifestyles, different cultures and gender identity,” associate principal Deborah Olson said.

This event consisted of different students from different backgrounds about systemic things people go through.

very unique to the students there.

“The speaker was the best part,“ senior Isabella Yatooma said. “He brought out a dead rat and Mountain Dew to explain character.”

The activities were considered fun and they pertained to leadership building and interacting with other students.

“There was a shark tank pitch for one of the activities,“ senior Lana Gamoura said. “You could pitch your own ideas.“

The program contained a diverse set of students.

“We got a group of seniors and organized activities,” senior Ava Cybulski said. “We had some kids from AVID nominated, as well as some kids from 9-12th grade.“

Organizing this event was a fun time for the student council.

“It was fun, and there was a large group of people,” senior Abigail Holland said. “The speaker talked about accountability and the meaning behind the name.”

The program was a way to expand the minds of possible leaders among the students in UCS.

“We did fun little games and watched videos,” junior Tyler Watford said. “It was to acknowledge people with leadership skills.”

Overall, students who were invited to Leadership Day said it was an educational, innovative and a lively way to expand their minds.

“I met new people,” junior Camila Agustin said. “We talked about topics that people wouldn’t normally talk about, like racism and minorities.”

Hardships that can uplift you into being the person you are today. In this event, it included multiple sessions on different topics on the lines of the LGBT community, storytelling, workshop, art and poetry and much more. Many students listened to a speaker named Satori Shakoor and learned many things from her.

In one part Shakoor’s session, she talked about different ethnicities and races, as well how certain things have affected them and how they overcame it.

Students loved how Shakoor used different methods to get her point across.

“I had a great time,” junior Kennadi Hazen said. “Ms. Satori handled storytelling, sharing experiences, workshop and how to tell a love story.”

Shakoor also gave different speeches in other buildings, which students believed were uplifting.

“I could relate to things from her, like coming from a different country,” sophomore Edith Vargas-Nunez said. “It brought me hope in myself. It was sad but in a good way.”

More students who went to Shakoor’s sessions were uplifted in a way. Shakoor also sung a song regarding racism as a part of her storytelling.

“She was amazing,” Agustin said. “I really liked the way she incorporated song in her speech, and she even talked about her own struggles to connect with us.”

“I really liked the show where they introduced storytelling,” sophomore Xinyan Xie said, “though I think they should have incorporated more break out sessions.”

The Diversity Summit was an overall way to connect to students and speakers to understand different points of views. It opened their mind to others’ experiences and allowed them to talk about their own.