At the beginning of December, 10th grade students traveled to the ice skating rink across the street to participate in Challenge Day, a day where students and teachers learned about each other’s background and stories and gained a new perspective…we would all be much more open and forgiving for the rest of our lives.

However, the concern of many was “Will it stick?”

Many students have agreed it did not stick for long. Asked at the time, Nicole el Chami said, “No, I do not think it will stick, because people will go back to the ways they were, just because of human nature and how we’ve been acting towards each other for the past five years. I don’t think six hours will permanently change everyone’s already-set viewpoints on each other.  It’s unfortunate, but that’s how it is.”

Kamila Roszkowska said, “No, I also do not think Challenge Day would last long because one day will not change a lifetime of work on our attitudes.”

If Challenge Day were more than six hours long, people might change their attitudes. The fact that this activity only takes place for one day allows students to easily go back to their daily routines the next day. If all students were told to participate in the Challenge Day activities for that week, or on some sort of regular basis, a new attitude might sink in permanently.

However, shortly after the Challenge Day experience, there were some people who believed that the impacts of the day would stick. BHS social worker Ms. Kennedy, one of the people who helped organized the event, said, “If we impact one person, then it’s successful.”

For some people, all they needed was one day to see everyone, including themselves, differently.  

This reporter believes that Challenge Day has not stuck, unfortunately. Even though we did learn more about each other, it did not change the way things effectively. A few of us might have taken pointers and worked on them, but overall, there was no significant change in the culture at BHS. Our attitudes cannot be changed without changing our entire thinking.

Sophomore Rebecca Diers said, “It’s a good thing for a day, but in the long run, people will still be the people they were before—just with broader perspective of life.”