Colton, CA— Last week at CHS was Unity Week, a week full of spirit dress up days and activities during lunch that all promoted Anti-Bullying in correlation with National Bullying Prevention Month. 

It all leads up to the most important day, Unity Day, which was held on Wednesday. 

Unity Week is a lot more than meets the eye. On October 19, CHS shared a message of kindness and equity to unite students of different races, ethnicities, and sexualities.

In addition to Unity Week events, last week also featured the opening of the new student store, which drew attention away from the overall message of the week’s events. People were suddenly more interested in talking about slushies than they were addressing legitimate issues of bullying on campus. There were even issues involving line cutting, which directly contradicted the week’s message of coming together and loving one another.

This is not to say that the student store was the problem, just that the timing of its opening could have been better. Hosting too many events means fewer people participate in each. 

Unity Week is important to teachers and students around the Colton High School campus. Wellness Club President Julio Jauregui loves the event and recognizes its value. “People should celebrate Unity Week because it’s a very important and positive theme that we can spread to our students on campus,” he said. “It makes students feel comfortable and wants them to know that we are here to support them.”

We need Unity Week to have an opportunity to show that we can make other students feel appreciated and encouraged, to give signs of comfort and acceptance on campus. 

This includes supporting our LGBTQ+ community; Unity Week is all about cultural and racial differences. Guidance Counselor Kimberly Baylis shared her opinion on how Unity is important because of the different acts based on people’s skin color and culture which reminds us that at the end of the day we’re all human and equal. “It’s important especially with so much division that has been going on lately between the races that just come together, everybody is human and need to remember that.”

Many others around campus have agreed that unity week makes them feel loved showing kindness every day and having new activities every day for lunch to spread positivity and make everyone feel included to show that everyone is loved no matter what.

Unity Day originated in 2011 as the most important day celebrating Anti-Bullying Month. People are encouraged to wear orange, not only a symbol of the fall season, but of safety as a way to show support for those who experience bullying around the world.

That includes Colton High.