We are UWC. We are diverse, we value equality, and we are sustainable.
Do you believe in that?
We are People. We are inclusive, we don’t discriminate, and we love Earth as much as we love ourselves.
Do you believe in that?
We all know UWC’s mission: to make education a force to unite people, nations and cultures for peace and a sustainable future. But today, let us look into our own community- in UWCSEA East. We’ll be looking at the students. Yes, the teachers are part of the community too, though right now, let’s talk about us. Us. We pride ourselves to be UWC students. Well, at least, most of us do. We pride ourselves in knowing that we are an inclusive, diverse, and wonderful community, where no one is left out or discriminated against. We pride ourselves in knowing that we are the next generation, the voices of the people, of the Earth, and of those in pain. We pride ourselves in knowing that we are UWC.
However, some of us don’t, I don’t think.
We are selling a product that some of the students do not believe in. Yes, I do believe that UWC is a great place, but when I look into our community, I see things that shouldn’t happen. The more I see, the more I begin to realize, this is no perfect school. I see horrible things happening, just like anywhere else.
I see people sitting alone at lunch times, small and unnoticed in their own corners. I have seen bullying, no kidding. People who make fun of others just because they cannot understand why they are different. Or why they care about things that don’t seem to matter. I have seen people who laughed when they saw others crying because they don’t like him or her. We learn about empathy, but the students can’t seem to grasp even the simplest of concepts! Being nice isn’t hard. It’s if you are willing to do so that counts.
Even more, there are students in our school– our grade –who treats sexuality as a joke. Sexuality- something UWC teaches about almost as serious as schoolwork, yet there are still people, again, who cannot grasp the idea of empathy. They use disrespectful phrases and words simply because we’re taught not to say them. They say it just for the sake of it. How immature and sick can we get?
They lie and joke about their sexuality because they think it’s funny, when in reality it is not. What if your closest friend is gay or lesbian or bisexual? Would you continue to make jokes that mean nothing to you but everything to them? How do you know there aren’t people around you who are hurting because of the thoughtless jokes you make? Please, people. Learn to respect. GROW UP.