While the ONE Campaign summit was thought-provoking and successful, it takes more than just discussions and lectures to create positive change at Beachwood. The students themselves must take initiative.

Yeah, we said it.

As high school students, we spend nearly eight hours sitting in a desk and learning content for five days a week. Truth be told, this environment doesn’t always resonate with all of us on a late Thursday afternoon.

Yet, everyone always eagerly looks towards the weekend, embracing the social scene that each student creates for themselves.

That is where our culture change must come in. If just one student can become more inclusive or expose themselves to a different culture by creating a new friend, the whole school will become more inclusive.

Yes, it is our choice as students to determine our friends. But, frankly, our school will not become more inclusive by listening to professional speakers. Our school’s inclusivity is in the hands of our student body. If we make the effort to further integrate our friend groups, our school won’t have these issues.

If we’re going to take action, we might as well do it effectively.

The school administration can’t make us do this. This is about being a human being. If we take it upon ourselves to unite our student body separate from the school, the impact inside the school will be seen tenfold. Our lunch room will be unified. Our group projects will be diverse. We will truly be One Bison.

But it doesn’t start with a motivational speaker. It doesn’t start with learning about American History. It doesn’t start with watching a movie.

It starts with us.