"I said hi to at least 20 new people yesterday, and I've decided to do it again today."
"I'm keeping my sticker on my ID for the rest of the year."
And, "When's the next Mix It Up? That was great!"
All day, I heard similar positive comments from students. It was clear that the members of Students Against Prejudice (SAP) had successfully promoted the day of breaking boundaries and bringing people together.
When SAP students first heard about Mix It Up at Lunch Day, they became determined to promote a day that would bring different groups together, no matter how small the impact.
In a school the size of Wichita (Kas.) East High School, bringing people together and getting the word out about events can be tedious. SAP decided to publicize the day through posters and announcements.
At every corner in the massive school building there seemed to be a poster. Then, on Mix Day, more than 25 students gathered to distribute Mix stickers encouraging students to meet someone new.
The concept sounded too easy. I must admit I was skeptical, but an amazing event transpired. The dynamic SAP members, making up a mere 1 percent of the student population, spread an unstoppable energy throughout the school by using stickers to bridge gaps.
Students chanted "Mix it up!" as they laughed and slapped hands with strangers.
At the end of lunch, as students were trickling into classrooms, the sea of stickers was unbelievable. Several teachers commented that it appeared as if each and every single student in the building had been touched.
The small group of SAP students had accomplished their goal and had experienced positive feedback from students they may never have considered interacting with before.
And that's what we can hope for — for young people to think, accept, be tolerant and occasionally Mix It Up.
Read school counselor Marcie Frederickson's full essay at www.mixitup.org/teachers.
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