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Despite the diverse feedback, the consensus is clear: students want to be on the right side of history and celebrate a holiday that reflects their values. In a constantly progressing society, taking accountability for mistakes in the past and welcoming diverse cultures is crucial to unifying our nation and even our planet.
This widespread debate recently concerned citizens of Saddle Brook once most students attended school as usual on October 10th. When asked how they felt about attending school on a federal holiday, the sophomore class had varying responses. A fellow Italian-American at Saddle Brook High School, Silvana Safranko, firmly stated that Columbus does not deserve the holiday because he is disgusting”. Similarly, Nina Barrale took a bold stance and asserted that she “values [her] diligent education over Christopher Columbus”. While many students agree with this, others believe that rather than disposing of the holiday, it should be replaced with Indigenous People’s Day - a day to honor Native Americans and their culture. Additionally, Avona Clarrett expressed that attending school was “pretty stupid because we never used to go” and would preferably “celebrate Indigenous People’s Day instead of going to school”. Kayla Ciolino elaborated that she “gets wanting to switch Columbus Day to Indigenous People’s Day, so why aren’t we celebrating Indigenous People’s Day?”