Building a better WHS

WHS Athletic Director Sterling Scanlon

By Ava Ramsey, Cailynn Rodriguez and Kendra Graham

Over the past few years, Wethersfield High School has been attempting to diversify our school and make it more inclusive. We have added courses like Education in a Multicultural Society, and African American Studies, as well as clubs like BSU, that are meant to help students feel welcomed. We also have events like Culture Night, as a result of the student council, that are held annually. 

At WHS Culture Night, usually held during February, students, staff and their families get to walk around the cafeteria and express their culture through dance, music, food and clothing. It is apparent that our school is making an effort for everyone to feel seen, valued and heard. However, those efforts may be falling short. Although we are moving forward, the journey to belonging is not finished yet. 

Having diversity does not always mean having inclusion. In classes and clubs, it can sometimes feel like certain voices stand out more than others. BSU club president and WHS senior Kennedi White said, “I walked into my Afro-Latino Studies class and for the first time there were more people of color than non, at first I thought it was so cool, then I realized this is my only class like that. I soon came to the conclusion that POC were not the minority in the room because the majority, white people, do not care enough to educate themselves on important and real events that POC have faced.” 

Kennedi’s realization highlights a quantifiable gap, our total student body is 1,126 students. With a demographic breakdown of 733 White students (65.1%),245 Hispanic students (21.8%), 59 African American (5.2%) 43 Multiracial (3.8%), 39 Asian students (3.5%) and 5 Native Americans (4%). Although the difference in numbers is drastic, it does not need to feel that way. There is a way to make a change and that change comes from being more educated.  

Wethersfield High School's new Athletic Director Sterling Scanlon said, “A burden that I think, is people of color have is to try to do a lot of explaining about, your history, where you come from, why you dress the way you dress, why your hair is the way it is, all of these things But, if you surround yourself with people, like I'm thinking of one of my best friends right now, who is white, he loves discussion because he just wants to know more. He does it because he grew up in a place where he was completely sheltered and had no idea about the things that I went through… he's trying to gain as much information as possible about my life and kind of what things are like for people that don't look like him.”

Scanlon stresses how marginalized students do not deserve to feel that burden, and talks about a solution, “So I think to just create those spaces where people feel comfortable and want to learn.
I think when those spaces are created, a lot of learning happens, how you get there, kind of tough, right? And finding those people is kind of tough.“
Leadership roles and advanced sources don’t reflect the diversity of the student body. Representation among teachers and staff play a major role in how supported students feel, and having a more diverse faculty could help build stronger connections and even create more role models for students of color. 

Wethersfield has made many positive and essential steps. However, achieving true inclusion means making sure that every culture and voice is heard and represented consistently-in every classroom- not occasionally. 

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