“There is a difference between non-racism and anti-racism.” This is just one of many important statements that was made at The Coexist Project at Tinley Park High School. World Language teacher, Mrs. Selime Baftiri-Ballazhi, History teacher, Mr. Dan Uniek, and the school’s Seekers Club recently hosted the event for an hour and a half after school. Mrs. Baftiri-Ballazhi and Mr. Uniek felt compelled to host this event because of the current chaos in the media related to people's ethnicities. According to Mrs. Baftiri-Ballazhi, “It seemed extremely important to to discuss real world events with our students at this critical time.” Over 100 students and staff members attended the event where the goal was to take time to talk about the things that matter in terms of the cultures, races, and religions of the students at TPHS. Mrs. Baftiri started the event by laying out the expectations for the day. Students were asked to put their phones away in order to truly listen and be present for the event. The presentation included video clips, discussions, and open ended questions that allowed students to anonymously text their answers, which were then shown on the big screen. Some students stood in front of the group to talk about how they experience the world because of their culture, race, or religion. These brave students included Victoria Lopez, Adi Acuna, Ailyn Reynoso, Anusha Haidry, Gabrielle Wrobleski, Bryanna Payne, and Abrea Ramadan. Abrea talked about how she knows the first thing people notice about her is her hijab. She explained that wearing the hijab is something she is very proud of but that to truly know her, you need to approach and talk to her. She said, “Despite what you may have previously thought about me, whether they are your own thoughts and mindset, or something your parents have confided in you to believe… come up to me and say hello, allow your questions to be answered. It doesn’t hurt to talk.” Edward McMillan presented his own spoken word slam poetry. Heal The World was sung by the choir with the piano played by Mr. Pazik. Piper Jones sang "Imagine" and The Tinley Steppers danced for the crowd. Finally, "A Weekend Lost" rock band, led by Brandon Boyce sang a rock song by Green Day. Tinley Park High School’s hallways are rich with diversity which made the Coexist project so powerful. Many students expressed an interest to meet again. Mr. Uniek summed it up perfectly when he said, “The diversity in a building like this is our core strength.”
