Diversity
Maine East is known state wide for its diversity. A large percentage of students are either immigrants or the children of immigrants. Maine East students collectively speak over 54 languages. In all, over 40 nations are represented, mostly from Asia, Central and South America, Europe, and Africa. The school's diversity also extends to religious belief. While Roman Catholic may make up the largest representation, the school has a considerable number of Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists, Evangelical Christians, Protestants, Orthodox and Atheists. Despite the proximity of so many groups that are characterized as having animosity toward each other, Maine East has had virtually no incidents of hate crimes among its students.
This can best be shown in the number of ethnic clubs at the school which promote the cultures of various peoples, as well as giving students of similar background a chance to socialize. Among the clubs currently sponsored are clubs celebrating African-American culture, Assyrian, Chinese, Filipino, Hellenic (Greek), Korean, Mexican, Mongolian, Polish, Serbian, and Vietnamese. There is a South Asian Club which combines both Indian and Pakistani cultures, among others. There is also an all–encompassing International Club which celebrates all cultures and backgrounds.
One of the biggest annual events at the school is the Cultural Diversity Celebration. Held on a Saturday in late winter, the clubs representing these and other aspects of culture present food, art, music, and other performances which represent the diversity of the school's students.
In 2008, 56 in Harmony was published by Laura Matzen, one of the school's art teachers. Part of the artist's masters degree, the book depicts the faces of students on a dark background, with projections of the flag of that student's nation of origin on their face. While attempts were made to depict all 57 nations of origin for the students in 2007, permission could not be secured to photograph one flag.
Read more about this topic: Maine East High School
Famous quotes containing the word diversity:
“What we have to do ... is to find a way to celebrate our diversity and debate our differences without fracturing our communities.”
—Hillary Rodham Clinton (b. 1947)
“We call the intention good which is right in itself, but the action is good, not because it contains within it some good, but because it issues from a good intention. The same act may be done by the same man at different times. According to the diversity of his intention, however, this act may be at one time good, at another bad.”
—Peter Abelard (1079–1142)
“... city areas with flourishing diversity sprout strange and unpredictable uses and peculiar scenes. But this is not a drawback of diversity. This is the point ... of it.”
—Jane Jacobs (b. 1916)