South Side Middle School students celebrate diversity

The cheers could be heard from across the middle school, before the gym was even in view, and the excitement was palpable and infectious.

And that was the plan.

“I want you to jump up on your chairs and I want you to yell, scream, shout,” said Angela Aguilar, one of the two leaders of the Challenge Day program. “I want you to go so crazy that people walking by are going to be like, ‘What is going on in there?’”

Nov. 15-17 marked the fourth time in as many years that South Side Middle School has hosted the Challenge Day program. It addresses issues that are common throughout most schools, including cliques, teasing, harassment, stereotypes and bullying, among other issues. Divided among the three days, 275 students, nearly the entire class of eighth graders, took part in a six-and-a-half-hour energetic, emotional roller coaster.

The California-based non-profit’s mission is, according to its website, to demonstrate to youth in communities across the country that love and connection is possible through a celebration of diversity and expression.

The program leaders get the students loose and comfortable early, before moving into the more serious topics.

“Maybe right now you’re sitting in your chair and you’re psyched, you’re ready to party. Or maybe you’re a little nervous and you don’t know what to expect,” Aguilar told the group of 90 students, and 14 teachers, sitting in a large circle in the gym. “Or maybe you’re sitting back in your chair and thinking, ‘I’m just really glad I’m not in math class right now.’ Make some noise for not being up in class right now!”

An early theme of the day was activity, movement and comfort.

Evert Villaseñor, the second program leader, led a game called “I Love my Neighbor,” which had every student run to find another chair and the last one standing do a 5-second dance to a burst of pop music.

Though some students may have been nervous to be in front of all their classmates, the goal of the exercise was to reduce the apprehension and show that each student could feel comfortable with everyone in the gym.