One of the most crucial things that our society must do is teach people the history of our world. Protecting young minds from the reality of what has transpired is harmful and dangerous. Learning about the past is crucial to find a reality where there is less evil and more good. The world isn’t black and white (meaning it would be unrealistic to strive for perfection), but what is achievable is remembering and speaking of the atrocities that have been committed so they never happen again. The notion that “ignorance breeds hate” is exactly why the horrors of the Holocaust occurred. 

In early April, RMHS hosted a Holocaust speaker to tell his story. It was a day for a victim of such cruelty to speak about the inhumanity and horrors that he faced so it may be remembered. So it may not be repeated. So that students may learn to speak out against injustices. So that we can start to make change. Moreover, it was a day to fuel young minds to think more complexly about prejudice and animosity. What was supposed to be an insightful and enlightening day on the history of Jewish people devolved into one rife with discrimination.  

After the speaker left, students were instructed to write their feelings and thoughts down on an anonymous padlet. While that vast majority of students were positively impacted by the speaker and his experiences and found the event extremely beneficial and moving, a few select students filled the comments with anti-Semitic, racist, bullying, and pornographic images. Because of these few students, the school as a whole was affected. The fact that even just a handful of students did this shows how there is still much learning and growing to do within and outside the walls of RMHS.  

The student body at this school is diverse in both background and culture. Students’ safety was put on the line whilst their integrity tarnished to pieces by hurtful statements.  

“I thought the Padlet was a possibly wonderful educational experience gone bad. I will admit that my friends and I laughed at some comments, but it went too far. The fact that there were racial slurs, anti-semitic comments, and inappropriate pictures/videos of people and strangers broadcasted to the whole school was just disrespectful,” sophomore Alexa Sohn said.  

What occurred left faculty to question how to find ways to educate the students completely so instances such as these do not occur again. Through staff meetings with division heads and administrations, sending letters home about the incident, and World history teachers speaking to students that such behavior is unacceptable, RMHS took action in hopes to not repeat any situations like this. 

“I think that this incident highlights exactly why World History is such an essential course for students. It provides a diverse look at the world and an opportunity to think critically about the past. We also need to have continued conversations about the importance of what we share online and the messages that we send. RMHS is not a place where hate is tolerated,” World History Teacher Denise Chapman said. 

Trying to educate oneself is the only way that acceptance and respect will occur. Highlighting and speaking of the fact that there are problems of discrimination, racism, and hate doesn’t reflect that everyone is bad, it just means that there are individuals who play into a system where marginalization is real, existing, and affecting millions of people. 

Although what occurred was exceptionally disrespectful, a learning opportunity arose to educate on the harms of blatant ignorance. 

“We have the opportunity to individually impact [students], to learn from our history, be allies to one another, and not to allow these atrocities to happen again,” division head of Social Studies and World Languages Greta Rakow said.  

Coming together to speak of the reality and truth of the issue within the walls of RMHS will lead to a more inclusive, safe, and accepting student body.