FREE SPEECH ZONE | A School To Feel Safe

Bullying happens everywhere especially at schools, but there are some schools which bullies face consequences such as at Roosevelt High School in Minneapolis. Roosevelt has students from different countries, faiths, and cultures.

 Before I started at Roosevelt, I heard horrible stories about kids bullied and beaten up in Minneapolis public schools. There are schools that Muslim students are harassed, but not in my school. When I became part of the school, the story was totally different. Being at Roosevelt for three years, I have never been harassed, treated unfairly, or threatened. Teachers treat everyone equally. Students do the same. As a Muslim student, my teachers respect me as I am. They respect my religion and culture. They also allow me to go to pray when it is time for every Muslim  to pray. I have never had any difficulties to do my prayers in school

Some students in this school have had the same experiences that I have had. I asked Muawiye, a Somali student, about his experiences at Roosevelt. He said, “I personally feel very safe. What really makes me safe at Roosevelt is the teachers, the building, and the overall population. Teachers treat me fairly and the students are all right.”  When asked if he was ever harassed because of his religion, he said, “I was harassed because of my culture but not my religion at all. Sara, another Muslim student said “I feel safe to be a Roosevelt student and this is because of the big number of policemen who seems to be everywhere inside and outside the building, the students are more respectful and I was never harassed or treated unequally”. In my opinion, Roosevelt High School is one of the most diverse schools in Minneapolis. It’s not like you are the only person in the school who looks different. I feel fairly safe because everyone has people who have something in common; everyone looks out for each other and everyone gets along well. I believe that this is important because no one is going to treat anyone else unfairly. Aweys Hassan, a Somali Roosevelt staff member, agrees. He said, “The diversity has a big role because we have more population of Somali, Oromo,white Americans, African Americans, and Mexican students and because of this, most students get along well.”

Aweys Hassan helps Somali students who have problems in class and interprets for Somali parents during teacher conferences. In order to prevent racism and harassment within a diverse student population, Hassan claims, “There are administrators who deal with students who don’t get along, but we don’t provide classes where students get educated about other beliefs and culture. We have mediation where students sit together and share their own views and differences and finally understand each other at the end.”

 I would have to say that I am pretty lucky with the school I am attending right now. It is literally the kind of school I always wanted to be part of.