Junior Cultural Proficiency

During the week of Jan. 29, Aliso Niguel held a meeting for the juniors in the theatre about the need for cultural awareness at the school and in the lives of the students. Multiple students were asked about their personal experiences and how they have been affected. It was given by Mr. Moreno, a counselor at the school, with the goal of encouraging students to think critically about their actions and behavior.

The meeting was required by the district to be shown to at least one grade year and by the decision of the counselor team along with the history teachers, they were able to dedicate a Wolverine+ session. 500 students were divided into four days, with the groups in the last two days being the largest.

Students were asked about their personal experiences and were able to share important parts to their cultural identity. The main choice of juniors was due to their placement in the middle of their high school career. Teachers felt that the lesson could help influence their final duration of high school by providing them with the opportunity to become more aware of their peers and friends at the school.

Mr. Moreno, a counselor who played an active role in helping set up the presentation as well as delivering it to the students, stated “I wish we could’ve done a smaller setting since that could’ve opened up more of the conversation.”

The acknowledgement of change and accepting of others’ differences was a main focal point of the event. Many teachers were impressed with the answers provided by students and the level of seriousness a lot of them treated the subject.

The event helped inspire many students at Aliso to make a positive change in their behavior towards their friends.

Daniel Nasiby (11) stated, “It was great to be able to talk about my cultural identity and how that affects my humor and interests.”

Other students were glad to be able to share their personal experiences that helped impress teachers by showcasing their ability to address diversity in the classroom and population of Aliso Niguel.

Diversity is an important lesson at Aliso Niguel and although there were a handful of students who didn’t take the lesson seriously, teachers hope that the presentation helped plant the seed of equality and acceptance for them.

A smaller setting would have been ideal, however timing would have been a main concern due to the mass amounts of students that would need to be grouped together. Altogether, it helped lessen students from assuming much about others due to their behavior and clothing, ultimately changing the perspective of Aliso students.