By Alex Forrest
Review Intern
There are three students who are learning they can make Lake Orion more aware of diversity.
Diane McNulty, Emilio Ren? Arribas and Jessica Dirven each participated in The Generation of Promise (GOP).
GOP is a group based out of Detroit that focuses on educating high school juniors about the benefits of diversity.
According to Dirven, not only does it look good on a college application, but it’s also a life-changing experience.
‘It’s really cool to see other races and religions because we are so segregated here in Lake Orion,? said McNulty.
Once a month, the students miss a day of school to drive to Detroit and meet with other group members.
The group consists of students from each participating school and every kid has a different color, religion and culture.
There is also a group of adult advisers who oversee the events. Each month includes a different focus topic.
Days are spent taking trips to various centers around Detroit. The first focus day this year, which took place Oct.3, was Detroit Day.
‘It was very interesting to learn the good aspects of Detroit, along with the bad,? said Arribas.
The students split into groups and explored Detroit to learn about the history of the city, including its cultural, social and political dimensions.
Other focus topics this year included cultural diversity, critical issues and understanding racism.
‘My favorite was religion day where I visited a Jewish community to learn about a day in the life of a Jewish kid and their religion in general,? added McNulty.
There was a particular day that really opened Arribas? eyes.
‘On the Critical Issues Day, I got to explore how after prison, life is very difficult for ex-convicts,’Arribas said. ‘In Detroit there is a center that really tries to help them think straight and get back on their feet.?
Space and funding for GOP is limited, so only a few students from each school are given the opportunity to participate.
‘I really hope that one day they make it so more than three of us can be involved,? said Dirven.
According to the students, it’s not always easy to get others to understand and listen.
‘People need to be more understanding of different cultures and not be single-minded,? said McNulty.
Regardless of the difficulty, Arribas thinks educating the people around him is the most important thing he can take from this.
‘I try to tell as many people as I can about the experiences I’ve had so that they can get a taste of GOP,? added Arribas.
The next retreat will be held at Lake Orion High School this Wednesday, April 1. Due to its distance from the other schools, this is the first time in Lake Orion’s history that GOP has held a Focus Day at LOHS.