Since freshman year I have been actively involved in Garfield High School's student-run Cultural Relations program. Established in response to the Rodney King riots in 1992, Cultural Relations is a way for students to come together to discuss race, culture, sex, and other issues in an open setting. As a freshman and sophomore, I participated in the program by attending a three-day 100-student retreat both years with guest speakers, workshops, and interactive activities that focused on race-related issues, specifically in the lives of teenagers. As a junior and a senior, I was selected as a member of CORE, an organizational group of 10 students who find the funding, plan the activities, and provide the entire format for the program each year.
As both a facilitator and a CORE member, I continue to be amazed by the program. Cultural Relations is important to me because it creates an environment where teenagers can go to listen and to be heard. For just a weekend, it gives us all a chance to share our stories without any fears of being judged or embarrassed. I am more tolerant and accepting of others because Cultural Relations has given me insight into the lives of kids who are just like me but come from less fortunate backgrounds, kids who struggle with physical abuse, drug addiction, discrimination, and eating disorders. I no longer walk down the halls with preconceived judgments of my peers.
The reason I have devoted hundreds of hours to this activity is because it allows me to create a thin slice of utopia away from the societal segregation of everyday life. I know that it is crucial for these conversations and interactions to take place between people of all ages and backgrounds because they help us make connections and bridge barriers. Although our progress is slow, Cultural Relations gives me hope for change because it provides young adults with this opportunity at a time when we are still defining our morals and opinions. Most of all, I value Cultural Relations because the more I give, the more I receive.
This essay was written by Mimi Kennelly, Garfield Class of 2007, Scripps College Class of 2011.
