D EF I NI NG D I V E RS I T Y A N D I N C LU S I O N
have certain people that you gravitate to-
wards. So from a student perspective, we
try to be as inclusive as possible, but we
always tend to fall back and only associ-
ate ourselves fully with the people who are
more like us. Not to say that we don’t like
people who are different from us, but there
is a type of comfort in being around similar
ideas and people.
“...diversity of thought
and of opinion is also
crucial...”
workplace is an inclusive environment. In-
clusion means people from all backgrounds
are all given equal opportunities without
discrimination towards only certain groups
of people.
Luca Porcarelli
11th grade - Lakeside School
At an institute of education, while it is true
that racial diversity brings about more fruit-
ful discussion, diversity of thought and of
opinion is also crucial... I think that diversity
works best when it means the inclusion of
everyone—including people who might
not be seen as “diverse,” and including stu-
dents who disagree with the ideas present-
ed by the school... Many students express
amongst themselves the belief that adding
white people to a discussion about black
stereotypes would strengthen its meaning,
not detract from it. Likewise, incorporating
the voices of straight people into a discus-
sion about homophobia would strengthen
the value of the discussion, not detract
from it. What I think is more valuable than
simply listening to the experiences of mi-
norities (although this is important in its
own right) and having a grasp of peoples’
personal experiences with gender, is seek-
ing mutual understanding between people
of all backgrounds and ways of thinking.
Kristin Abernathy
12th grade - Woodward Academy
Diversity can come from different opinions,
backgrounds, religious beliefs, sexual orien-
tations, academics, heritages, and racial and
socioeconomic backgrounds. I believe that
at school the students and adults in the
community all have a similar meaning, but
at the same time they all have a totally dif-
ferent idea about it. As a collective, the first
thing I believe everybody thinks of when
they hear about diversity is race... I think
adults mean diversity in a sense of ethnic
background, heritage, and inclusivity, and
students have more of a surface level look
on it such as race and religion. Inclusion is
where the adults want everybody to work
together and be friendly towards one an-
other. They have to remember that no mat-
ter what your background is, you always
Continues on page 26
CSEE Connections
Summer 2020 Page 25