By: Grace Dietz/ Copy Editor, Kimi Danaei/ Theme editor, Natalee Park/ Illustrator, Karli Wallace/ Executive Theme Editor
La Vista takes a look at the Diversity and Inclusion Assembly on the first day of school, which included student speakers who discussed their experiences with discrimination on campus.
Costa faculty and campus organizations worked collectively to host an assembly on the first day of school in order to inform students about discrimination on campus.
Costa has made many attempts to improve the school’s social climate through events like Black History Month and Hispanic Heritage assemblies. This year, however, in hopes of making a larger impact, Costa’s administration decided to add an inclusion and diversity assembly.
“I got so much positive feedback,” Costa English teacher and Gender-Sexuality Alliance club sponsor Alan Zeoli said. “I think we got more positive feedback from students and faculty alike about that assembly than all the others.”
Various students participated in discussion panels in which they had the opportunity to share their experiences involving discrimination among their peers. The two discussion panels gave students a chance to share their personal stories and take a stance against discrimination and prejudice at Costa. The selected students represented Black Scholars Union, Latino Scholars Union and Gender-Sexuality Alliance.
“The intent of the assembly was to set a tone for the year, stating who we are, what is important to us and how we will act,” Mira Costa Principal Dr. Ben Dale said.
Students from Black Scholars Union (BSU), such as President Gabby Anyia and club members Austin Wills and Shani Waite, spoke on the panel about their experiences with discrimination at Costa. The organization participates in events like the annual Black History Month Assembly in February, community events and fundraisers throughout the year, according to Anyia. Anyia spoke at the assembly about her experience while on a school-led trip to Spain. While on the trip, she and her friends felt discriminated against as they frequently felt like they were excluded from small activities.
“In the past years, BSU has been falling short of its potential, and I want to make sure we end the year having reached our utmost potential,” Anyia said. “Overall, students and staff heard the testimonies, and a majority listened to them and that was a big purpose of this assembly.”
Wills additionally discussed his experiences at Costa regarding discrimination in the assembly. He used to live in Houston, Texas, and when he came to the South Bay, he was shocked at how differently the community here treated him. According to Wills, he noticed that the students at Costa rarely realize how uninformed they are on the basis of race.
“Last year was my first year at Costa and since I’m originally from Houston, that whole year was just me witnessing cultural change that was very different from my hometown,” Wills said. “Going into senior year, I kept that in mind and noted that these students don’t really know the significance of how their culture is different in comparison to mine.”
Latino Scholars Union (LSU) is a campus organization that promotes leadership within the Hispanic community at Costa. Beverly Orellana, who spoke at the assembly, is a member of LSU. Club advisor and Spanish teacher Sandra Martinez-Sellan actively promotes the advancements and achievements of the club members, and pushes for others on campus to recognize that discrimination must be decreased and inclusion should be stressed.
“I did feel the assembly was effective because it shed light on different groups here at Costa and began a much needed conversation,” Martinez-Sellan said. “I hope that we continue to make an effort to not only acknowledge our diverse groups here at Costa but for students and faculty to appreciate our differences and emphasize our similarities as well.”
Orellana joined the panel as well to speak about her experiences. According to Orellena, she was forced to drop out of a summer school course due to health issues, and when her mother attempted to gain clarity from the administration regarding the issue, she was treated like she was invisible. In the panel, Orellana also mentioned the difficulty of being a minority in a prominently white school because of the discrimination and stereotypes she faces on a daily basis.
“I thought it was a great idea for Beverly to speak on the panel for the first-day assembly because she was able to share her experience here at Costa, which might be similar to that of other students as well,” Martinez-Sellan said.
The Gender Sexuality Alliance Club (GSA) has been active on campus for over 50 years. The club’s main purpose is to provide a safe space for LGBTQ+ students, according to Zeoli. Members of GSA talked about their specific experiences at the diversity and inclusion assembly on the first day of school.
“One of the most important things about the [Gender Sexuality Alliance] Club is that it provides a safe space for people to come and be comfortable without having to worry about judgments from others,” Zeoli said. “I thought it was very important for all the speakers who represent a group that traditionally faces discrimination or obstacles at school to share their stores and allow other students to hear it from the students’ perspective.”
The main purpose of this event was to educate students on how to reduce discrimination on campus. The Costa administration is currently planning an unknown assembly for the second semester, according to Costa psychologist and Black Scholars Union advisor Janet Allen. Additionally, Dale stated that there will be various assemblies at the beginning of next school year as well, such as an assembly about protecting students from gun violence.
“We felt there was a need to educate on each topic,” Dale said. “We are talking with the Sandy Hook Promise organization to be one of the four assemblies next fall.”
STUDENT SPEAKERS
Avalon Stone, Junior
“I knew speaking at the Diversity and Inclusion assembly was going to have a positive response; I just didn’t realize how many people were affected by my story, and the payoff was fantastic.”
Gabby Anyia, Senior
“Costa has a whole lot of room to grow in this present social climate because although there has been some change, there is still more to be done. The only way this change can happen is through the students.”
Shani Waite, Senior
“I chose to become involved [in the assembly] because I wanted people to be aware of what’s happening. This school has a lot of cliques, so I think it’s important to get out of those cliques and be inclusive.”
Stephan Oliveira, Senior
“There’s a saying that what you don’t know can’t hurt you. But that is false. We need to be aware of who we are and how that ties into the societal web we live in.”
Beverly Orellana, Senior
“I have had many people come up to me saying how much [the assembly] impacted them. That is what I am here for. I know I was put on this earth to actually make a change.”
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