As the Midway sees it …

During the past year, U-High has experienced numerous student-led initiatives regarding diversity, equity and inclusion, particularly driven by the DEI peer leaders. These initiatives have been both engaging and successful. As students, we should be proud of the work we have done, and we must continue to use our voices to influence other issues in the Lab community.

Our peers have proven their competence in dealing with student issues like DEI, and others among us are equipped to deal with issues such as health and wellness. Throughout the school year students have taken action, by designing and running the BRAVE conference, attending the Young Men of Color Conference and receiving training to become DEI peer leaders. This is the sort of action we need to promote.

The BRAVE conference was especially effective because students also took initiative to attend the event. This meant that only students who were genuinely interested in the topics were in attendance, which created the space to have more insightful and engaging discussions.

When events and topics are led by students, they are both more engaging and often more relevant to the student body. Students know how to interest their peers, and they understand the issues the student body is concerned about.

As students, we walk the halls, eat in the cafeteria and sit through classes. School, at its core, is about teaching students. We are the ones directly affected by changes in the Lab community, and we should, at the very least, be taken seriously and consulted when it comes to issues in the student body.

We should not always wait around for instruction and guidance from the administration. Instead, we must lead the charge on student issues since we are uniquely suited to tackle issues among the Lab community. Since we spend the majority of our waking hours in the Lab community, we are able to effectively identify the issues that need reform and come up with solutions to address them.

Not only are we far more numerous than the administration, but we also bring diversity in thought and age to the table, which is vital to creating a school that is welcoming to a wide range of students.

Although the U-High community has made great strides in diversity, equity and inclusion, there is no reason we should settle only for the progress we have already made. Instead, we need to strive to create a more inclusive environment at our school that allows students to feel comfortable in their identities and beliefs.