Friendship day breaks down barriers

By Kate Lee, HUB Correspondent-

Friendship Day, Davis High’s monthly effort to promote understanding among the student body, was held on Sept. 13 at the Redwood Building on Anderson Road.

DHS created Friendship Day in response to the racially motivated murder of Vietnamese student Thong Hy Huynh in 1983.

Friendship Day brings together a diverse group of kids to show them that they are really not so different. Adviser Kevin Williams and student facilitators put in a lot of time and effort to make sure it runs smoothly.

Every month, the facilitators send out about 175 invitations. About 40 to 70 people show up to each Friendship Day.

“I really wish more people came,” Friendship Day President Izzy Leamon said. “If anyone ever wants to get invited, all they have to do is ask a facilitator or Mr. Williams.”

At Friendship Day, there are a variety of games and activities. Some games are fun icebreakers, like “Solemates”. This game is designed so that every student in the room is paired with a random partner. These partners learn a lot about each other and eventually many of the barriers separating them are broken down.

Other activities are more serious, like “Cross the Line”, where participants learn personal problems or insecurities about their peers. This game is played because almost everyone has personal problems, and it is comforting to know that we are all dealing with these problems together.

“I still enjoyed the serious activities because you got to see that not everyone is who they appear to be, and we all have insecurities and are vulnerable,” Da Vinci sophomore Elsa Iverson said.

Although many write off teenagers as immature, Friendship Day seems to bring out the best in high schoolers.

“People dealt with the serious activities maturely,” senior Shelby Danzer said.

Danzer wanted to goto this event once before she graduated, and said that she learned a lot about her peers.

Throughout the day, participants meet new people. Sophomore Brady Corcoran said he made a new friend by telling a funny story about something dumb he did, and then finding out his new friend was his neighbor.

Corcoran originally decided to go simply because it was an option to get out of school for a day, but ended up enjoying the opportunity to meet new people.

“No one there was mean, and everyone participated positively,” Corcoran said.

Iverson was nervous to attend since she was not from DHS. As it turned out, being from Da Vinci did not make a difference since everyone was very welcoming. In one activity, Iverson had to dance in front of other people, which she doesn’t like to do, but it made her more confident.

“We were all pushed out of our comfort zones,” Iverson said.

The participants aren’t the only ones who get something out of it. Williams, who has been the advisor for 11 years, is a very strong believer in the program.

“The most gratifying part is watching the student leaders take the reins and lead in meaningful ways. I love going to Friendship Day and seeing kids really get the message. I like all the cheesy things,” Williams said.

Leamon, a senior, sees Friendship Day as “a reminder to be your best self.” Leamon joined the program at the end of her sophomore year on a spontaneous decision, and could not be happier that she joined.

“It does great stuff for the campus environment,” Leamon said.