The Muslim Student Association of Walt Whitman High School hosted its third annual Day of Unity conference on Friday, April 19th. The event has grown in size every year with six school districts visiting us this year. Students from Commack High School, Elwood-John Glenn High School, Half Hollow Hills West High School, Bay Shore High School, Academy of Applied Technology, and Deer Park High School joined with their South Huntington peers at the PAC to explore how students can take leadership roles in their communities across Long Island to create a more accepting climate for students regardless of their beliefs and backgrounds.
Students heard from speakers throughout the day and then broke up into small group sessions to engage in activities and debate. This year’s theme was Inclusivity, and discussions focused on how students can use their voices and actions to promote their own inclusivity and help their neighborhoods celebrate differences to make communities stronger rather than creating division.
Rabbi Lena Zerbarini and Dr. Sara Siddiqui returned this year to talk about how they became friends as members of the Huntington Anti-Bias Task Force and have worked together over the last few years to introduce understanding of their respective Jewish and Pakistani Muslim-American communities through interfaith activities.
An interethnic panel representing various religions and cultures presented by Islamic Networks Group (ING) talked to the students via teleconference about the roots of various forms of bigotry including Islamophobia, antisemitism, racism and xenophobia and discussed ways to overcome prejudice through education, inclusion and mutual understanding.
Whitman’s Instructional Technology Coach Cheryl Irizarry was there to talk about how to use technology to spread the word about the importance of inclusivity. And South Huntington teachers Kristen McDermott and Michelle Anglisano, who are also holistic meditation coaches, talked about their business, The Zen Den, and how meditation and mindfulness can help the students change reactions and thinking processes during challenging times.
Students were also encouraged to relate their personal experiences about feeling misunderstood in their own communities because of things such as their customs, beliefs, or religious wear, and how they’ve tried to promote understanding in their home school districts.
In between presentations, the students broke up into smaller groups for an activity where they wrote on puzzle pieces the key points they were learning from the guest speakers. At the end of the conference, all the puzzle pieces were joined together.
Thanks to the Executive Board of the Muslim Student Association - Hawa Halimi, Shiza Rehman, Shaiza Cheema - and Faculty Advisor Kristen Bradle for all their work organizing this year’s event. And thank you to teachers Kaitlyn O’Keefe and Kristen McDermott for stepping in for Ms. Bradle to host the students on the day of the conference.