Challenge Day, a two day event in the small gym, aimed at bringing students, teachers and staff closer together by exploring emotions and life experiences that connect us all, was a largely successful event, drawing over 200 students and bringing together diverse groups within the school.

Challenge Day was a great event for students to go to to connect with other students who they may not know or may stereotype due to ignorance or their personal backgrounds. This event brought these people together in ways not usually seen in day to day life, and provided an interesting perspective for each participant.

Most students who left Challenge day thought it was a positive event, like junior Linnea Bartley, who said “I don’t think there was a single person who left Challenge Day who didn’t leave a better person.” This sentiment was expressed by almost all the students leaving the event, and everyone who participated was touched in a different way.

Other important and influential parts of the day were the ways students connected over their shared issues. Sophomore Angela Davini said “I definitely think that it was memorable because I bonded with a lot of kids that I thought I would have nothing in common with.” Other students agreed that it was a interesting participatory event, but that it didn’t leave a lasting impact on them, like sophomore Serena Nelson, who said “I went in stone cold, and left stone cold. Everyone else was crying though.”

Some students weren’t as comfortable with the intensely personal way that Challenge Day approached the connection of students and staff, like senior Sienna Thompson, who said “I have mixed feelings about Challenge Day. I don’t like the forced interaction. Seven hours in a room with 100 other students can be overwhelming.”

However, it seems that overall Challenge Day will be an important part of Rio’s culture in the future, and a great way for students to learn more about those around them (and miss a whole day of classes).

Challenge Day was an amazing way to be a participant in a school event, and the perspective it provided for students who needed it is invaluable and helps our school be a more personally connected and cohesive culture, with more opportunities for students to be connected and come together rather than push each other apart.