Thomas Jefferson students participate in the third annual Challenge Day in hopes of changing the school climate one hug at a time.
Photo by Kiera Classen
On November 7th and 8th, Thomas Jefferson students gathered in the new and improved gym to participate in Challenge Day, a time when people get to know “the real you.”
Challenge day is a day for students to have fun, but most importantly, get to know who their peers really are. It is meant to stop hatred and oppression in schools and to make the campus a safe and happy environment for everyone. The event lasts the entire school day, and is filled with games played in order to allow the students to get comfortable with each other and step out of their comfort zones. When the games are finished, students are put into a group, which becomes their “small family,” and discuss their personal stories.
Students are told to “drop the water line” and be 100% real, not holding anything back. The stories are emotional and heartfelt and begin with the simple phrase, “If you really knew me.”
“The whole experience was really emotional and everyone showed a different side of who they really are,” said Junior Allie Cornell, who participated in Challenge Day for the 6th time. A hug was given after each story told, representing the support they had from their small family, and everyone around them.
The event started at TJ in 2009 when Samanda Davis, a social worker at TJ, discovered Challenge Day and its effects. “It first started with a video to the parents and lead to a discussion on how we could benefit from this. Although we are a small school, we still have that high school ‘stuff’ going on and we needed to break those barriers,” said Principal Sandra Just. “The video was a positive, but the price was a negative for many of the parents.” Challenge Day is about $3200 plus travel expenses. Thanks to Challenge Denver, a group of Denver moms who wanted kids to have the opportunity to experience this activity, TJ was able to offer Challenge Day. “They began fundraising and became a great resource,” explained Just.
Photo by Kiera Classen
Many of the students had a memorable time throughout the day; some workshops standing out more than others. “For me ‘Crossing the Line’ was the best because it allowed you to see the people who had the same issues as you,” said Junior Rachel Uyemura.
Cornell agreed, saying, “You got to really see who everyone was.” During “Cross the Line,” a series of statements was called out, and if it applied to any of the students, they would cross the line. It allowed the students to notice that they are not alone in the problems they are facing, and they have many people around them to help them get through their hard times.
The last part of the day consisted of students being able to go up to the microphone and speak what is on their minds. They were able to make an apology, a thank you, or just read a card they wrote to someone. Many of the shout-outs were sent from students to apologize to friends they had hurt, or to thank the friends they are grateful to have in their lives. A few students were bold enough to reveal something they’ve bee keeping below their “water line” and tell the audience who they really were.
Principal Just believes that here at TJ, Challenge Day has made a difference. “When we have people come visit our school, they tell me that the kids are so polite. I get so used to being around the kids, that I don’t even notice. There has been a decrease in disciplinary issues with fewer fights. If we have a problem, we are able to sit down and talk about it to find a solution, and these are the by-products of Challenge Day,” explains Just, who also mentioned that last year at graduation many graduates talked about Challenge Day being a memorable high school experience. “I was very surprised,” exclaimed Just.
The main goal of Challenge Day is to bring everyone together, no matter what race, creed, sexual orientation, or gender. “Challenge Day made us open our eyes to how we treat each other and ourselves. It made us realize how we need to treat others and change our school, and possibly the world, for good,” said Uyemura.
Both Cornell and Uyemura participated in Challenge Day in eighth grade at Hamilton Middle School. They both agreed that Challenge Day in high school was a completely different experience. “I knew what to expect since I’d done it before, but it was a different feel than when I was in eighth grade,” said Uyemura.
Just describes how she enjoys that there is a group of students working to keep the love going. “It was great to see the initial coming together because of Challenge Day over the past two years, and it’s great to see a group of students working to keep the change going,” said Just. TJ has its own Be the Change committee that works to keep the school connected. Anyone can join by attending the meetings. They don’t meet regularly, but when they do, they brainstorm ideas to make TJ and the world a better place. The meeting time and place is usually announced on TJ’s own news show, The Spartan Edition.
Photo by Kiera Classen
This year, Cornell believed that Challenge Day was very successful. “I think it actually connected everyone,” she said. It brought many of the students and staff together and made them understand the different situations going on in their peers’ lives. “It was a great experience, and it was a lot of fun. I would definitely recommend it to others who have the opportunity to participate,” said a smiling Cornell.
