Jocks, Freaks, Wannabees &
Geeks
Traditionally, school communities have been fractionalized, fragmented,
and hard to unite. The larger population is subdivided into rival factions,
who are often then left to compete for the limited pieces of “turf” that
are available.
In elementary
grades, it’s the boys vs the girls;
the haves
vs the have-nots (determined by
brand of sneakers, or who gets free lunch); it’s the readers
vs the
non-readers. In middle school,
it’s often the cool vs the uncool,
the athletes vs the losers, Yankee
fans vs Met fans.... In high school,
the divisions are often more glaring: you are defined by your extracurricular
pursuits (baseball vs lacrosse;
cheerleading vs debate team), your
academic standing (college-bound vs
BOCES), and the company you choose to keep. Your family’s economic status
helps define you. Your clothes reflect your attitudes and allegiances. The
music you listen to becomes your badge. Skin color, hairstyle, and body piercings
do, as well.
As is often the case, what happens in school reflects
that which is happening in the larger world. Kids begin to internalize the
hates and fears of the adult community. They also begin to absorb the slings
and arrows they have per-sonally suffered, and begin targeting others. Harmony
and unity are possible, but only when these false divisions are clearly
identified and debunked.
This presentation, which was originally designed for
The Peaceful
Environment/Multicultural/Anti-Bias Committee at Boynton Middle School
in Ithaca, gives students a glimpse into the many identity groups represented
in a public school setting, along with a brief history of the oppression
and backlash endured by these respective sub-groups. It’s a blame-free,
eye-opening step towards building tolerance, understanding and empathy, delivered
in an engaging and participatory style.
____________________________________________________________________________________________
“In Germany first they came for the Communists and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Communist. Then they came for the Jews and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Jew. Then they came for the trade unionists and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a trade unionist. Then they came for the Catholics and I didn’t speak up because I was a Protestant. Then they came for me - and by that time there was no one left to speak up.”
- Rev. Martin Niemoller (Concentration Camp survivor), 1945
Length: 45-75 minutes (as
fits) *
Audience: Grades
5-8, 9-12