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First Friendship Day of the year

September 12, 2014September 12, 2014 Annie Mitchell 0 Comments Dominique O’Brien, Eric Smith, Sarah Sherwin

Friendship Day Facilitators Eric Smith and Brook Rosenblum lead a group discussion about students’ experiences with prejudice at school.

Senior Facilitator Nathan Curtis shares his thoughts on bullying at DHS.

Juniors Gabi Ramer (left) and Sarah Sherwin (right) work with their groupmates to untangle their human knot.

Groupmates implore the power of teamwork to untangle their human knot.

Facilitators like Devon Hayakawa (left) and Hirra Aktar (right) ask questions during the post-movie group discussions in order to engage in greater conversations about issues at DHS and Da Vinci like bullying and racism.

Icebreaker activities like the human knot help bond previous strangers together.

Ninja is a popular game among Facilitators and participants alike. Each person must try to hit their neighbor’s arm with a single motion.

Seniors Matthew Karoly (left) and Kenya Otto (right) engage in a game of Ninja.

Sophomore Tucker Fisk (left) and senior Tyler Powell (right) strategize during Ninja.

While Friendship Day touches on serious topics, much of the day is devoted to building bonds between new friends through collaborative group games and activities.

Facilitators plan many games spread throughout the entire day, including How Do You Like Your Neighbor, Sole Mate, and Down by the Banks.

“It’s fun,” first-time participant Hunter Sprague said. “I like the games; they made me laugh. Especially the re-enactment of ‘The Titanic.’”

By Grace Richey,

Bluedevilhub.com Staff–

Dressed in fluorescent green tie-dyed shirts paired with retro leggings and headbands, the Friendship Day Facilitators jump, dance and skip through the Redwood Building, spreading their enthusiasm to the participants.

“We want them to feel comfortable with one another,” senior Facilitator Dominique O’Brien said.

Friendship Day, a day-long event held once a month, was instituted to promote a greater sense of community and understanding between students of all social groups at DHS and Da Vinci. The program was developed after racial tension peaked in 1983 with the murder of Vietnamese immigrant Thong Hy Huynh on the DHS campus.

While the day starts off with lighthearted icebreaker games meant to encourage unfamiliar students to get to know each other, the mood quickly shifts to a serious note with the Cross the Line activity. Participants line up along the back wall of the building and step forward to “cross the line” each time the Facilitator describes a serious situation that they have experienced.

Participants also watch scenes from the movie “The Breakfast Club” and excerpts of investigative journalist John Stossel’s video on stereotypes, followed by small group discussions lead by Facilitators.

After taking in somber information, the discussion time encourages previously shy and overlooked students to open about about their thoughts of prejudice on campus.

“They can each share about their own experiences,” O’Brien said.

Consistent to the idea behind the creation of Friendship Day, many participants leave with a stronger feeling of welcoming and inclusiveness at school based on newfound friends.

“I liked the beginning where […] we got paired up with new people and then got to know them,” junior Sarah Sherwin said.

The next Friendship Day will be held on Friday, Oct. 10. Most students receive a personal invitation, although Adviser Kevin Williams has additional permission slips.

“We try to make it so everyone goes to at least one in their three years,” junior Facilitator Eric Smith said.

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