NOCTILUCA November 2017

David Yao

Rocky

David Yao’s parents are from China, but he was born in the United States. He lived in Milwaukee early in his life, but moved to Appleton around 3rd grade. He mentions that Milwaukee and Appleton differ drastically from each other in that competition between students was a significant

hese are exchange ked about the she emphasized was the fact that special education tudents are just like any other student; they just learn in rent ways. Rocky states that special ed students have the and dreams that every student has. Even though they have d, “we need to remember that they are people first. They are a person with a disability.” Rocky adds that most students special education students really well. “Some students do not ty; they see a friend, a person, someone they want to hang out Unfortunately, Rocky also mentioned that bullying does occur om time to time. “Some people bully, and that happens with students that are not in special education, so bullying is a factor across the board,” she says. When asked if the special education students enjoyed being at Apple- ton North, Rocky redirected the question to- wards all students, emphasizing her point that special education students do not differ from other students. Rocky is a devot- ed member of the special education program at Appleton North and was asked about the attitudes and experiences of the special ed students. One of the main things

part of the students in Milwaukee; he considers Appleton a more cooperative and friendly environment. “...My past has showed me that success does not need to be driven by the desire to be better than everyone else but can be worked towards through the cooperation of people around you.” As a child, David was taught to put a lot of time into

Sakar

academics and learning. “Social and communica- tion skills were not part of the big picture,” he adds. When asked about his view on the level of student equality at Appleton North, he

Gupta

moved from India to the US a few years ago. Obvi- ously, he was very

mentioned that stereotypes and racist remarks are made everyday, but this does not influence his view on the level of student equality at Appleton North. “The primary influence of student equali-

Sakar Gupta

reluctant to talk and get involved upon his arrival,

, she said that the peo- r the most. “...They fill ing I do.” She said that ttitude of high schoolers students in Kosovo. “[In eople- one group hates not to. The other group est. I feel like people because they have to.” ry, and Riola is Mus- it was like to s minority, nce. ppleton North who om Venezuela to the ence was increasing his past allows him sues and the abuse of tually experienced it, e American people; as not receiving in t his view on the id that the students situation. He says ism at North. The Luis Contreras Cortes is a senior

but as time went on, he began to gain more confidence, which he says was due to the welcoming Appleton North community. “I am very thankful for the amazing oppor- tunity to be a member of such prestigious and astounding community.” When asked about the values that were instilled in him as a child, Sakar mentioned that hard work was a ma- jor principle that his parents taught him from youth. Sakar mentioned, “To do anything right and make it stand out, you always have to work hard... I always try to work hard and do everything to the best of my ability.” Moreover, Sakar says that having good character is one of my main priorities in life. He emphasizes the importance of facing issues with a positive attitude and good character to succeed. “I believe that character is one of the biggest things that defines a person. My parents taught me what good character means, and I try to improve [my character] every day.”

ty is the way that people behave and respond to each other.”

Mrs. Haskell is an ELL teacher here at North, and she has a large amount of ex- perience with students coming from all walks of life. She says that the transition to North, although difficult and formidable, is usually quick, and the students are usually acclimated after the first month. Generally, North is a very welcom- ing community and aids the students to transition quickly. The biggest challeng- es are origin, language, and educational background. Depending on where the students come from, it may be more or less difficult to adjust to life here be- cause of the different culture and customs. Language can also be a barrier

Omar Zaidan is a fresh- man at Appleton

North whose parents are from the Middle East. As a child, he was al- ways taught to respect others, especially those older than him, stand up for the people he cares about, and stand up for what he thinks is right. “These values brought me very far and taught me many les- sons throughout my life.” When Omar was asked about the level of student equality at Appleton North, Omar mentioned how in-

some Mexicans perience some s is due to illegal he mentions, nezuelans who anama canal ngle to come nd.” Thus, otice much self. Luis also

because often, the students must learn an entirely new language with a new alphabet and pronunciations. Educational background also plays a large role. Some students come with a very limited amount of education from a place where the education

system was greatly hampered or scarce. While the majority is welcoming and helpful toward new- comers, there is a small minority who bully these students. “Every student has one or two negative experiences when they start, but it’s not ever something that is persistent.” Usually these issues are ad- dressed immediately and effectively.

as a child, taught to pectful to yone, to t be racist, and to be helpful.

equality is present everywhere. He says, “As long as you stay on the right path and hang out with the right people, hopefully, you won’t have to deal with any inequalities.” Omar also adds that having been to many schools in the US and outside the US has allowed him to be better at socializing with others. Moreover, hav- ing done many sports has allowed him to know many people before entering Appleton North. Omar Zaidan

Mrs. Haskell