Opinion: The importance of diversity in school

Feature Photo by: Ulises Perez – The African American and Hispanic culture are displayed in Rangeview. Rangeview is a school with a very diverse number of students of different cultures. Through March 2nd to March 6th, Rangeview had Diversity week celebrating the cultures of Rangeview students and raising awareness for inclusivity and the unified program in the school. Diversity week celebrates the variety of ethnicities and cultures that attend the halls of Rangeview High School.

Ulises Perez, Opinion Reporter
March 10, 2020

Diversity plays a huge role regarding the students in school, especially in Rangeview. It gives everyone an opportunity to be a part of our community. Each student comes with a different culture and has its own importance, an interesting story on its background. At Rangeview, many diverse cultures are represented: Hispanic, Asian, African American, and more.

Everywhere you look, there are people. Within each person, they hold a certain culture and a story behind what they believe in and how they interact with others. And behind that story shows how significant they are to our society.

Diversity of cultures in school actually benefits the students with their education. According to Queens University, “Studies show that students work better in a diverse environment, enabling them to concentrate and push themselves further.” Being surrounded by students of other cultures will help with creativity, brainstorming, etc. 

Students have a way of showing their perspective of how diverse Rangeview is and it is important for us to know about it.

On Tuesday during Diversity week, I wore my Mexico jersey to represent my Hispanic culture. That day, students wore the colors that represented their flag (Perez).

Sophomore Ojuolape Folarin, stated, “[Rangeview is] pretty diverse. You see your Latinx, Blacks, even your Africans, Asians, and Middle Easterners. I think Rangeview has it all.” 

Rangeview has a big number of ethnicities. Most likely, you can find someone of any race. Being in school is not just about getting an education. It means being respected by everyone about your culture and about yourself. 

Folarin explained that meeting people from different countries and being able to speak different languages is the best part of school. “It’s about feeling included and learning about other people’s cultures; learning outside of textbooks, about people,” continued Folarin. 

School is a place to gain knowledge of an idea or topic. It’s where you can find someone and learn about how that person’s culture can have an impact on others in the community.

A board showcasing the culture of Native Americans and its history. The culture of Native Americans is very important to Rangeview and has an impact on some students at school (Perez).

Sophomore Julie Yoon, stated, “Having diversity in our school allows us to become a place where we learn about our different cultures and help include everyone.”

With different cultures at Rangeview, it brings everyone together to speak about ourselves and make an impact with our society. This benefits everyone to feel included and have some understanding of each other. 

As a student with a Hispanic background, I feel included being in a school where so many cultures are represented. I don’t get the feeling of being an outcast by everyone else.

Junior Annays Gardie explained, “[Diversity] brings different opinions to the group and that allows different point-of-views to be seen and learned.”

Diversity is very significant to our society, to Rangeview, and it helps connect each other of different cultures as one. We can have Hispanics, Asians, African Americans, and many more into one group, but in the end, everyone’s the same — equal.