By Dan Israeli
More than 25 staff and faculty members joined the students at Ye Old Firehouse in Point Lookout to take part in a national program called Challenge Day. Teens and adults alike joined in a series of exercises, discussions and activities in an effort to promote self-acceptance and respect for others. The goal of Challenge Day is to break down the walls of separation and create a support system among participants.
The program received national recognition after it was featured in the book "Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul" as well as the Emmy-winning documentary "Teen Files." Challenge Day was also featured on a recent episode of "The Oprah Winfrey Show," and the talk show hostess lauded the program on her Web site, saying, "This could change the world."
Mary Lippert, vice principal of Long Beach Middle School, brought the program to the district. A member of the Social Emotional Literacy Forum, a Long Island-based group of educators, Lippert noticed how successful Challenge Day was in Huntington, and decided that it would be a great opportunity for Long Beach. "It is a day to build peer leadership and respect among students," Lippert said. "We want our students to have the school of their dreams."
The program was also held the following day at the middle school. In both cases, two Challenge Day "leaders" led the program, which encouraged students to open up about their life experiences. One of the leaders was Justin Trahant, who noted how impressed he was by the Long Beach students and adults who participated.
"I've been doing this for almost six years now, and I am truly overwhelmed by the response I saw in Long Beach," Trahant said. "That in itself was an amazing thing." Trahant added that he was especially impressed with how determined the students were to take what they gained and spread it through the hallways of their school.
Principal Nick Restivo, who said he was intrigued by the concept of Challenge Day, was amazed with the end result. "It was great to see how the students and teachers were capable of interacting when given the right atmosphere," Restivo said. "I think it made them understand one another a lot better."
Carolyn Cuttler, chair of the high school's guidance department, also participated in the program. As someone who mediates student issues firsthand, Cuttler was impressed with how the youngsters were able to open up. "I admired the courage of the students to stand up and talk about the real issues they were facing," Cuttler said. "We all came out of it thinking we can do this. We have the power to create change if we really believe in it."
While most of the activities were closed off, the final hour of Challenge Day allowed students to stand up in front of their peers and declare what their own personal challenge would be once they stepped back through the high school doors. One of those students was Darry Albright, who told his fellow classmates that they were all welcome to come to him for support, no matter who they were.
"Challenge Day can become a big factor in someone's life," Albright said of the experience. "We were all very moved by the stories that were told. It taught us to stay strong, and to stop all the teasing and bullying. I really feel it helped everyone who went."
Kirsten Halfon was another student impacted by the program, and she hopes to spread it to those who weren't in attendance. "I wish other kids could have been a part of it," Halfon said. "It's our responsibility to bring Challenge Day back to the school, to promote the idea of equality among students. We have to take it to heart."
The hope now is that the teens will be able to stay true to their personal challenge goals, an objective that Vice Principal Anthony Bridgeman is confident his students will be able to achieve. "I have total faith that they will follow through with it," Bridgeman said. "It is also left to us, the adults in the building, to really take this program and run with it."
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