GLENDALE : Students Show Their Diversity at Assembly

Marching to Neil Diamond’s song “America,” Glendale High School students displayed flags from 20 countries as the campus celebrated the culmination of its cultural diversity week.

“I thought that was really unified,” said 16-year-old junior Colleen Wright, dressed as Raggedy Andy in tribute of another much celebrated day--Halloween.

“It reminds you that America is made up of different countries,” Wright said after watching the one-hour student assembly Friday. “This does bring our school together.”

Other highlights included African-, Spanish- and Armenian-style dance performances, Armenian music from a student band, a Filipino student singing an Elvis Presley hit and a martial arts demonstration.

The idea, school administrators said, was to let students of all nationalities know that they’re welcome on campus.

“What we’re trying to tell kids is that they’re all represented here,” Principal Jim Gibson said. “The flags bring inclusion.”

The school has nearly 2,500 students--35% Armenian, 25% Latino, 18% Anglo, 10% Korean and 5% Filipino, Gibson said. The other 7% includes other ethnic groups.

Ken Niemeyer, bilingual education coordinator who also helped students organize the week’s various international day events, said the 20 flags represented student diversity on campus.

Glendale High School’s theme for the month was E. Pluribius Unum , an inscription on all U. S. coins that means: “From many, one,” he said. “We have many countries represented here. Out of many, we have one, which is the United States.”

Despite the big pitch for understanding and respect, 16-year-old junior Cristina Jones believes that students still need some work on those skills.

“I don’t think that we’re as unified as we could be,” Jones said. “There are still gangs that fight each other.”