In the wake of the horrifying events of Charlottesville, Virginia, many students across Collins Hill High School are looking for a way to come together.
It seems like everywhere we turn, students are lost in the battle between two ragged sides. Sometimes, it even feels like the world is transpiring against us, and we are fighting for something lost decades ago. However, in times like these, it is crucial to remain united, although it seems impossible.
The best way to inspire unity after such a large-scale event is to give students a platform to express themselves. Let’s say an art class decided to take out a part of their normal routine, and the teacher allowed his or her students to visualize their emotions, and then they released all of those thoughts out onto a canvas.
Imagine the amount of students who would genuinely take a breath and give out a vulnerable part of themselves, instead of simply laughing it out. Even something as simple and seemingly tiny aspect of class such as this would rouse not only creativity, but give students a calm way to demonstrate their feelings.
Another, perhaps even more important, way to encourage unification at our school is to let everyone feel included. If you see someone sitting alone at lunch, sit down next to them and give them the time of day.
If you see someone being picked on, stand up for them.
It may not seem like it, but our thoughts and actions do matter in our community. Students are the future of this society, and if we cannot find a way to come together, no one will. That is why it is crucial for all of us students to allow others to feel included at Collins Hill, as well as in other schools across Gwinnett County.
