On Friday October 29, 2010 100 students were taken out of class and organized into the gymnasium along with several teachers. A program called “Be the Change” came to Ridgeview High School, to help students learn how to look at others with a new perspective. Be the Change has a purpose, to bring students together to help destroy the boundaries that sort students into cliques, groups, and stereotypes.  The term, “Don’t judge a book by its cover,” comes into play here as students learned more about each other and how a person can be completely different in appearance versus reality. A person’s story shapes them into who they are and develops their character. 

                The program is loosely based off the MTV show, “If You Only Knew Me.” Activities such as “crossing the line,” where students lined up in a row and then as the instructor called out scenarios the students would step up, showed how much the students had in common and their past experiences. The atmosphere was an emotional state of acceptance and caring as groups, or the “families,” shared past experiences and talked about who they were as a person. The air of the gymnasium was filled with relief as people discussed secrets that even best friends don’t share, and tears were shed as hearts felt for each other. The experience to most would be “life changing.”

The "Be the Change" program brought students, who normally wouldn’t even approach each other, together on an emotional and personal level. It showed students that there are teachers and peers who care about them, and are here for them. This program brought together a select few in order to help spread a new perspective on student life. Ridgeview certainly was taken by surprise as students of all varieties opened up and connected with each other and became a “family.” In the future, hopefully the program will continue, and on a larger scale help create a school that is accepting and non-biased.