Respect is defined as to show regard or consideration for, diversity
is defined as variety; multiformity. So Respect for Diversity means
learning to or showing regard and consideration for variety in people,
places, and everything. Throughout this article, I’ll explore
the aspects of RFD.
RFD and Horton High School;
At Horton High School, we’ve got a lot of great things, which
can inspire the students to become something they never thought possible.
So, it’s only obvious that the student leadership programs that
we have are amazing and unique to our school.
Respect for Diversity is one of the many programs; it sets an example
for other schools, not just in the Annapolis Valley but the whole province
of Nova Scotia. I know that at Horton I value what we have and what
we are exposed to, which is why I believe that RFD is part of what makes
this school what it is. It teaches us to respect each other no matter
what race they are, their age, their sex, and more. We learn to oppose
stereotypes, and not fall in to what can be misleading about someone.
This program makes your grade 10 year special at this school, and I
think it’s important that only the grade 10s get to experience
it, because grade 10 is really the first official year of high school.
RFD “prepares” you for the rest of your experience at this
school. You realize it going through the end of grade 10 and grade 11;
that the stuff you learned on that one day stays with you the rest of
your life. Whether it was an activity that introduced you to some really
neat people or it was a life lesson, RFD is definitely something worth
going through.
Rookie Time
The first RFD meeting was held at lunch on September 19th; we didn’t
really do much or discuss much of anything. We received applications
to fill out and return, and got to review a time-line of RFD events.
September 28th is deadline for applications, October 26th to the 28th
is RFD camp, and RFD Day is November 23rd!
After the first meeting it felt as if we had almost no time to prepare
for this upcoming day, even though it’s about 2 months away, time
sure will fly by. Camp looks to be promising even though we haven’t
received any information on it besides when it most likely will be (Oct.
26-28). The turnout for only the first meeting was really impressive,
there were around maybe 35 or 45 people there when I was there for about
20 minutes, and more people just kept coming through the door. So, we’ll
be sure to have a bunch of fun and outgoing people involved.
Deadline day is slowly approaching, with only 3 days left I’m
getting a little nervous. How will the leaders actually chose who will
be what, or even who will be accepted? Only time will tell.
Respect for Diversity Day 2005;
Last year’s RFD was probably one of the most multicultural events
I’ve ever taken part of or been involved with. Being separated randomly
by the facilitators and put in to groups where you didn’t even know
if you’d have one person you liked along side you, made that day
even more intense. Although it did turn out that I knew some people in
my group, and that seemed to be the way everyone else’s groups went
also. The name tags were really creative and all different, which was
probably a really good opening idea/activity for what we were experiencing…
Diversity!
The activities we went through during the time we had with the facilitators
definitely made people realize how much you really can criticize someone
by their appearance or the way they talk, or placing people in certain
stereotypes. One of the activities I remember doing was making a list
of our facilitators based on what they looked like, we had to make assumptions
about their personalities, grades, sports they played, the people they
hung out with, what they did for fun, etc.
After we had completed all the activities, I had no idea what was in store
for our viewing and listening pleasures. A guest speaker had come in to
talk to us about the Holocaust, he had experienced it all, death camps,
and Nazis, everything, and he had survived it. It was the most emotional
speech I’ve ever witnessed, by the end of it everyone around me
(including myself) was crying. He does this every year for our school,
telling us his experience and why it’s so important that we stop
taking things for granted, and start realizing what is going on in the
world. So for those grade 10s out there that will be experiencing RFD
this year in November, be warned if you are an emotional person, you most
likely will be crying be the end of this speech. Expectations;
This year RFD looks to be probably the best yet, considering it gets better
every year. I expect that RFD will bring a new light to the people involved,
not just the grade 10s experiencing it, but the facilitators, teachers
and operators. I’m very excited for it this year, not only because
of how much fun it appears to be, but the amount of dedication it takes
and the feeling that you get about being a leader. It amazes me, how much
impact this program can have on some people and your high school life.
Camp will teach us about activities that we can use during the actual
day, and it’ll give us a jumpstart on planning. The camp is three
days long and everyone whose applications get accepted goes, so you know
a lot of people. Even though, it’ll be in the end of October and
in the middle of who knows where, I can’t wait!
To those of you who may share some interest in this experience and I’m
sure those of you who haven’t yet been through RFD, once you go
through it you will most likely want to take part in it the year after.
I truly advise you to do so. Apply, even if you don’t get accepted,
at least you tried & if you’re in grade 11 you’ve got
your graduating year to apply again. Remember that RFD is a thorough and
in-depth experience that will be something you’ll remember for the
rest of your life.
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