By Khalida Sarwari
For one week every year, the burdens of students at Saratoga High School become a little lighter. This year, that was the school’s “Speak Up for Change” week, when students participated in classroom activities that tackled topics most of them face, from academic and peer pressures to personal challenges.
The weeklong effort culminated on Jan. 23 with a schoolwide assembly in the school gym, where alumni and current students shared their experiences at Saratoga High and about overcoming their individual obstacles.
Sponsored by the leadership class, the goal of the week was to provide practical techniques for students around areas that affect their lives, from dealing with stress and stereotyping to making the best of bad situations.
David Mandell, a 2011 graduate who’s attending USC, talked about overcoming his limitations as an aspiring singer in high school, handling rejection from eight of the nine colleges he applied to and coming out as gay in college. He advised his peers to be true to themselves and pursue their dreams.
“We have this perception of ourselves, and we think people are going to judge us when we do something we love,” Mandell said. “I’ll tell you a secret: Most people are too selfish to care about what you think and do.”
Brandon Oliveri-O’Conner, a 2012 graduate and De Anza College student, followed Mandell’s speech with one of his own. He talked about the importance of tapping into one’s networks, maintaining a positive attitude and actively seeking opportunities in life.
“Doors are always going to close,” Oliveri-O’Conner said. “It’s up to you to find the ones that are open.”
A few current students shared stories about dealing with depression and eating disorders, and seniors Hana Michael and Samir Ingle read aloud letters to their freshman selves conveying advice and nuggets of wisdom they’d acquired throughout their four years in high school.
During the hourlong assembly, the lights in the gym were turned off and students were instructed to wave glow-in-the-dark wristbands if they had ever found themselves relating to any one of these challenges: feeling pressured by Saratoga’s atmosphere or restricted from doing what they like, or stressed about an activity.
The final component of the assembly was an exercise where some students had their wishes granted. The students had been given wish request forms earlier in the year, and some of their wishes were granted in person while others were granted privately and recorded. The wishes ranged from hugs and flowers to a date night.
Jessica Uong’s wish was for her boyfriend, Jason, a Saratoga High alum and student at the University of Chicago, to attend senior prom with her. A video was played of Jason in his dorm room with a message to a smiling Jessica that he’d be flying out, courtesy of the leadership class, to attend prom.
A student named Randy, who had wished to spend a “stress-free” day with his mother, was presented with tickets to the San Francisco Symphony on Valentine’s Day. Randy and his mother embraced on stage.
Next, the school’s janitors were asked to come up and accept a gift card and Falcon T-shirts as a token of appreciation from the entire student population.
“Thank you for keeping our campus so beautiful,” the presenting leadership students said. “We’d love for you to take your families out for dinner and celebrate.”
The rest of the students were granted the gift of not having to worry about a single piece of homework before spring fling weekend.
Before the students were dismissed to spend the next part of their afternoon in a carnival in the school quad, principal Paul Robinson left them with one last piece of advice: “Every single day of your life should be better than good.”
He then granted one last wish, appointing a student named Christina principal for the day.
Link: Students ‘Speak Up for Change’ during special week at Saratoga High
