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Mix It Up Day at Lunch Hardaway High School Columbus Georgia
Hardaway High participated in their second annual Mix It Up at Lunch Day.
This years theme coincided with President-elect Obama theme of Change.
Students were given colorful labels during their first period class to wear
on their lapels. These labels were to match the colored table cloths in the
cafeteria. Students were encouraged to sit at a table that matched their
label and discuss the ice breaker questions with one another at their table.
Four questions were distributed throughout the cafeteria covering change.
Two of the four questions were:
For the first times in US History an African American has been elected
President of the United States. Discuss how this change will make a
difference in your life.
A new student is in the lunch line. He is feeling uncomfortable as he looks
at all the different faces and racial division at the tables. He pays for
his food, leaves the cashier and sits at the end of a table. You notice the
new student and whisper about him among your friends. He wants to talk with
other students but doesn't know anyone. THe bell rings and he leaves for
class. Imagine yourself in his shoes.
What chage are you prepared to make today to insure this does not happen to
another new student.
Before the end of each lunch period students had an opportunity to win one
of five prizes. Students were very hesitant to participate in mix it up
during the first year. Now they are starting to warm up to it.
- James, Hardaway High School Graduation Coach
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Our first Mix It Up was WONDERFUL!!! I am sending you the article from the Memphis Commercial Appeal, another is forthcoming in the Millington Star. The Star reporter shadowed two students, so I think it will be an entirely different perspective. I'll try to remember to send you that one as well.
We have about 1650 students at Millington High, and the most diverse population by far in our school system. We were thrilled at the number of students who participated. Several asked if we could mix it up on the thirteenth of every month! That is success in my book.
I am sending you a picture of one of the posters my students made. There were several adorable ones. Thank you for such a wonderful idea.
- Mickey Wilhite, Millington Central High School
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All three grades participated at lunch. We have 1168 students. The kids were
given color tickets, and then went to decorated tables by color. The kids
were given a teacher trivia game to work on by lunch table. The game was
created by a student stearing committee. Kids who actively went with the
spirit of the day, and talked with their new tables were rewarded with a
treat.
All went well!
A group of teachers made a video demonstrating a mock, "teacher" Mix it Up
day at a faculty meeting, and the kids loved the video!
- Deborah, Middle School Counselor
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My Mix It Up day was awesome! We all split into like 10 groups and did a
whole mess of classes and stuff together. At our assembly we watched Shout
It Out. it was an awesome movie! at lunch we even got to sit at different
tables labeled by our signs: libra, scorpio, etc. It was awesome! Mix It Up
day really speaks 2 me and makes me feel like i can be part of something more.
thank u mix it up day!
- Ashley, High School Student
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This was our first attempt at mix it up day and it was a wonderful
experience for all involved. Our 6th grade was involved with mixing it up
during lunch after several weeks of "Peaceful Partners" a classroom
guidance curriculum that promotes respect, responsibility, diversity,
acceptance, tolerance, and friendship. The 6th graders were broken down
randomly into different tables where they had a designated symbol (mostly
school/ community related). Once at their tables they were given the task of
working together to come up with a group name, symbol and decorate their
posters in a way that represented their group. Everyone must participate.
Even due to time constraints, it was a great experience that all enjoyed.
Having an entire DAY dedicated to mixing it up and team building would be a
goal worth striving for!
- Lindsey, Counselor
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National Mix It Up at Lunch Day was very different than anything I had done in my school before. Of course we are always encouraged to meet new people but I'd say about 10 percent of people, if that, actually want [to meet new people] or do. I found myself very excited and eager to get people to make new friends because it is just that out-of-the-ordinary for my school. I never saw how divided people were until my senior year in high school. There are a lot of cliques because of race, ethnic background and just the comfort levels of sitting and talking with the same people since they have been in high school. I am one of the fortunate who never "fit in" with a certain crowd so it was cool to see the perspective of … the people who had a clique. I learned that about 80% of the people I talked to did not want to move or talk to anyone which really upset me, because I met so many amazing people that I had never really seen before (just because I have a senior class of about 850 students).
…Yesterday, I had the pleasure of meeting a very sweet girl named Kristen. When I saw her she was sitting by herself so I admit I went to her because she looked lonely. She went on to tell me that she had read a lot of books and she was reading a rather large book that was the fourth in a series she was reading. She was my favorite person I met yesterday, and even though she didn't get up and talk to anyone she sticks out in my head because she was a sweetheart, plus she had the biggest smile on her face when she talked to me. I met others like Courtney the cheerleader and Tyrek who was a talker, but Kristen sticks out in my mind.
Nov. 13 taught me to help other people step out of their comfort zone and meet others.
- Megan, Student
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During Mix It Up day I realized that the freshmen where more curious and accepting of it because they had never seen it before, while the other grades had to be persuaded in to getting to know groups of people they were uncomfortable with. I saw that people tend to be more comfortable with people they have things in common with, like language, or the neighborhood they live in.
As a class assignment, we divided into groups to tell people and encourage them to participate in Mix It Up day. At first people were just concerned about why we disturbed them in their lunch or study hall, but then, as time went on, people became more receptive and some people even took out their headphones to listen to what we had to say. I had a little success in getting my classmates to move and get to know each other. During my experience, I met a few new people that I may have not have met otherwise, and while talking to them I noticed that we knew some of the same people...
- Acquilla, Student
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I found that students in high school have a different look on meeting new people within our school. I feel like they are most comfortable with their own race. There is always the Spanish people who sit with their Spanish friends and only speak Spanish. Also Black people sat with their Black friends and Caucasian sat with their Caucasian friends. No one is racist but they feel comfortable with them.
Most students did sit with the people they knew for years. When I was going around talking to the students, I met one person who was new, so that's why she was sitting with people who she didn't know. But everyone else knew each other for years.
However… students did decide to Mix it up. At first they felt like it was stupid. But then they did it and learned new things about other students in school. I saw a boy that brought Mix it Up day into the halls. He was introducing himself to people he didn't know which was amazing to see. I thought he was trying to make a joke about it but he was serious. He came up to me and asked my name and grade. I was happy that he was willing to meet new people in school. Everyone was wearing the stickers and talking about it. Mix it Up Day is a great way to meet new people within our school. While I participated in this program I made a few new friends and they seem pretty cool.
- Nadra, Student
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During my experience on "Mix it Up" Day, students were extremely reluctant in taking part in a day to honor the Civil Rights Movement, specifically the Little Rock Nine who were the first African Americans to enroll at a school, Central High School, which was prominently Caucasian.
In taking part in "Mix it Up" Day I attempted to persuade many people during lunch to interact with groups of people they have never spoken a word to. As I spoke to them and gave them a reason why I did this, a constant excuse was given, "I'm more comfortable with the people on this table." The students said …they have known each other for years and have been friends ever since.
As the period came to an end a few actually participated, while many just sat with their friends as usual. Being reluctant and not willing to get involved were the main reasons why many did not attempt to meet new people.
- EJ, Student
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Last year, we organized students by countries, assigning specific students to specific countries, randomly of course. However, we pre-assigned students, even before they got to the food court. So now you had to search through the mass of people, find that one person, and tell them their country. You can tell that it took a lot of work.
This year, we made a list of funny holidays (like Middle Name Pride Day) and assigned students as they entered the food court. If you had Middle Name Pride Day, you went to that table. This way, you usually get a good mixing of upper and under-classmen and you definitely meet new people. Overall, it worked great. I myself met two new people, but I do happen to know a lot of people to begin with; one was a person I'd only seen in passing while the second was someone I don't think I've ever seen before. Made two friends and ate too much at the buffet. Sounds like a good day to me.
Overall, it went great. Wasn't terribly difficult, though it did take some to get all the names.
It actually has gone so well that we are thinking about doing one later on for the Middle School!
- Ibrahim, Student
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Mix-it-Up Day at Longwood High School
I experienced my first Mix-It-Up day. I had fun and I felt
like I got through to some of the other kids. However, Segregation still
exists in schools all over. I noticed how the others would sit with a
friend, who was the same ethnicity. When I asked a Caucasian girl why she
sat with three other Caucasian girls, she told me because that is where she
was most comfortable. I tried to persuade her to meet new people and to sit
at another table. She told me that she had known her friends all her life
and that she sat there every day. I came to see that many kids only sit with
people they know and feel they have most in common with. Others don't like
change and want things to stay the same. The next cafeteria, I walked into
was divided into an African American table and a Caucasian table right next
to each other. Both of the tables had a majority of boys. There was an
invisible line between the black side and the white side. Even though,
Longwood High School is very diverse, it is still remains segregated in the
classrooms and in the cafeterias.
- Kayrinah, High School Student
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We're Getting There
I'm a 12th grader in Longwood Central High School. On Mix it Up Day my
history class went around the school to give out stickers and try to get the
other students to sit with new people. At first we weren't very successful.
I got the "leave me the hell alone" look from many students and was going to
give up but my friend told me to try one more table. I went up to one lunch
table, and offered them some stickers for Mix it Up Day. But I didn't really
get the reaction I was expecting. They smiled took some stickers and ran off
to other tables. What had once been a table with about twenty kids all
sitting together in their own clique became a barren empty table with no one
left there. I think that although our school has a long way to go, there are
some kids willing to get there, but we just need to get the other kids to
realize what we are doing and why. To tell you the truth our school is very
diverse and very few people have any racist reasoning, they just naturally
segregate themselves into groups. I have a class where it's all girls on one
side and boys on the other and they keep to themselves. We just need to
learn to socialize outside of a group of people that are all the same, and I
hope that after I graduate, one day I'll be able to come back to this high
school and see it has changed for the better.
- Ariel, High School Student
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