You want to laugh with the rest of them. Even though it makes you feel a little sick inside, you feign a smile and ignore that little voice in your head telling you to take a stand.

Today, evidence of discrimination can be found on the front page of every newspaper. While it may seem far away from us, it’s so cleverly disguised in conversation that you barely notice it.
English teacher, Mr. Beattie, addressed the ‘silent’ issue of discrimination in Scituate, saying, “In our Irish community, it’s more challenging to see a different perspective, in a place where a majority holds a certain perspective.” What had been a very hushed topic in Scituate is now receiving a lot more attention as students begin to combat intolerance.

Recently, members of the Class of 2015, led by senior Addison Silva, organized an academic advisory to discuss ways in which students can obliterate racial, sexual, and religious bias within the community. In reaction to the presentation, senior Emma Hoffman said, “As a school, it’s important to have people pay attention to real students with real concerns.”

Discrimination and prejudice go hand in hand. While prejudice is made up of beliefs, discrimination is the action that results from those preconceived notions. While some people believe that discrimination is the main issue at SHS, the reality is, prejudice is the true culprit.
Unfortunately, prejudice is often masked by words and jokes. “I don’t think people understand the impact that words have,” said sophomore Erin Crowell.

Although the joking may seem harmless, especially around people who don’t openly take offense, most of us have no idea who’s on the receiving end of these harmful comments. Negative associations can result with words like “black,” “Muslim,” “Mexican,” or “gay.”

“A lot of people aren’t talking about [prejudice] because they’re afraid to,” said junior Jamal Brown, as a testament to the difficulties of speaking up.

“Sometimes it’s just easier not to deal with it,” said School Adjustment Counselor Ms. Lopes, who has observed the behavior of many students around school. Not only do students fear making a scene, but many people don’t want to embarrass their peers over something as minor as a joke.

“When someone’s singled out and can’t stand up for themselves, that’s when you need to step in,” said junior Jake Dwyer. Although this may seem impossible at times, there are ways to “step in” without being too intrusive.

In situations where you want to confront a classmate, you may find comfort in latching on to a friend for support and getting them to agree with you. As for teachers, rather than castigating students for discriminatory behavior and prejudiced beliefs, it would be more effective to educate students about race, religion, and other issues through a more historical context. According to Mr. Swett and Ms. Lesniak, students will be more receptive to the information and more aware of discrimination in their own lives if they are forced to engage in a refreshing and memorable intellectual discussion, rather than a tedious moral debate.

Many people, including foreign students like Nour El’houda, have come to realize the importance of building relationships as a means to combat discrimination. As a Moroccan exchange student living in Randolph, Vermont, El’houda feels it is her responsibility to educate people about Islam and spread the true ideals of her religion.

Referring to ISIS, she said, “If those radical and ignorant individuals provoke harm and war in the name of my religion, it’s my turn to stand up and react by spreading the messages of love and compassion, because that’s what my religion teaches me to do.” El houda’s involvement in American Field Service (AFS) Intercultural Exchange Programs has proven to her that friendship can be one of the strongest forces against cultural and religious prejudices.

For seniors going off to college, it’s important to be aware of both prejudice and discrimination. Not only can students follow El’houda’s advice, but they can also start by noticing how other people react to potentially offensive comments.

“It is important to recognize that discriminatory jokes will not be laughed at [outside of high school],” said senior Addison Silva.

The common dilemma that we all face is taking a stand against the hidden prejudice at our school to prevent future acts of discrimination. Although this won’t be easy, all it takes is one person who is brave enough to stop laughing and start thinking.