We agree that we aren’t our past. Now we need to prove it.
BY EDITORIAL BOARD
Known as “the bubble” to other highschools throughout Ohio, UAHS has always struggled with the stigma that it’s not quite like everywhere else. Rooting from a history of biases and a lack of diversity, we tell ourselves that these ideas are just that: history. Our city has come a long way from what it was in the past, but most students recognize that as a community inside UAHS, we haven’t come quite far enough yet.
We want change. We talk about it all the time. We’ve once again gained momentum and started ourselves on a path to getting there, but now we need to keep the ball rolling.
By switching out of Acellus, we’ve shown that we take pride in the quality of the education provided in the district. It shows that a high-quality, accurate, appropriate and complete curriculum is a significant piece of schools. We have shown this again with plans to include more information about Pleasant Litchford and the origins of racism in Upper Arlington. Though these changes are important, but it doesn’t mean we’re done.
While we should celebrate each change into a more diverse, equitable and inclusive environment, we can’t give up after only one success. Our curriculum still lacks an unbiased and complete history of the United States shown from all sides. If we want students in the future to show the same empathy and passion we have, we need to give them access to the proper resources that will show them the importance of growth, compassion and change. We are hiding specific details about our past and rather than making us more loyal to our country, we are blinding ourselves from the true history of our nation and it’s leading to the inability for us to move forward. There are details that should be tweaked about not only the UAHS curriculum but the state-mandated curriculum as well. We cannot let this
momentum go to waste. If we as a school decide to make these changes, we can help to show other school districts how important it is to teach an accurate history. We should use these recent changes as inspiration to help finally get our community into a place we’re proud to be from.
It has been proved with the removal of Acellus that there are people in this community and in our schools who care. Not only about education, but the compassion that should be taught in schools in case it is not being taught at home. We live in a community where we are not taught the true realities of the world and do not meet the different groups of people that we will meet when we finally exit our bubble. This education provides for this lack of experience.
So should we stop there?
This change also showed that our voices even in Upper Arlington matter. Even if we are not sharing opinions through yard signs or organized protests, reports and phone calls can make this difference. If you had a problem with the stereotyping and biases in Acellus, the ones being spoken and believed by our students should want you to take even more action.
There are so many ways for the student body to help make a difference with or without the support of their parents. Students have already taken the initiative of creating clubs dedicated to just this. If you support their message: join. Just as discussed in the issue, you must act on what you support and not against. Don’t forfeit your right to want change just because you aren’t actively part of it. All these opportunities can make our community more inclusive and welcoming.
There is always work to be done. We have the power to make UAHS into whatever we want it to be, but change doesn’t happen overnight. This change is not just for the experiences students will have in high school, but it directly correlates to the experiences and beliefs we will have for the rest of our lives. We choose change for empathy and change from our past to show that we are not the white, bigoted town that surrounding areas believe we are. We should welcome all the best we can and show that we are happy to support the lives of everyone who crosses into the bubble assuring them that we don’t believe they have popped it.