It was with more than a little apprehension that I walked into Upper Darby High School last night.
I shouldn't have worried.
What I found is exactly what I expected - the definition of a "melting pot," a place where more than 3,500 kids from every imaginable form a small city every day from 9 to 5.
It was those beaming young faces that most impressed me last night.
Faces like Sierra Wilson and Maggie Ho, two seniors who were part of a group assembled by the Upper Darby High School Home and School Association to tape a segment of our live-stream show, 'Live From the Newsroom.'
We assembled in the high school library to hear some of the stories that often don't get mentioned in the newspaper and DelcoTimes.com.
That was the genesis of my visit.
Lee Jordan, a board member of the Home and School Association, reached out after a recent story concerning rumors of violence at the school. The rumors turned out to be unfounded; the coverage was not.
It had an effect on both the kids and the staff.
It was Maggie Hoe,a tiny dynamo, who drove home that point, asking me to remember the effect that those kinds of stories have on the kids who walk into those halls every day.
Wilson echoed similar thoughts, telling me how proud she was to go to school every day in such a diverse environment and the rich cultural offerings she is exposed to every day at school.
It is a complaint I get all the time. Every school believes the good things their kids are doing get overlooked, while the small minority of young people who create problems get splashed all over Page One. We talked a lot about that last night. I tried to offer my side of that equation. If you missed the show, you can catch the replay here.
My thanks to Upper Darby High Principal Ed Roth, and Police Superintendent Mike Chitwood, as well as Jordan, Ho and Wilson, who made up our panel.
And also to the group of students who joined us, who wanted to speak about the groups such as chorus, drumline, theater and sports teams that make Upper Darby High such a special place.
How special?
Take a guess at how many languages are spoken in the Upper Darby School District?
Roth provided the startling answer: More than 65 at last count.
That is one of the things that Wilson, who is hoping for a career in musical theater, stressed. "I just love all the different people I meet here every day."
After the show, we had a question-and-answer session with student, teachers and parents.
They all wanted the same thing. They want the good things these kids are doing to be noticed, at least as much as the "one percent" who create problems.
I agree with them.
That's why I offered a student the opportunity to write a blog. Ho took me up on the offer. You can read her blog here. She's calling it Voices of Royalty, a takeoff on the school nickname, Royals. I couldn't agree more. I hope soon to have it added to our roster of community bloggers on DelcoTimes.com. I heard lots of those voices - including plenty of young ones - last night.
I know that bad stories are going to occur - at Upper Darby High and every other school in Delaware County.
It's imperative that we strive to balance that picture, to make sure we are not giving a skewed image of Delaware County kids.
That's the message that came from Upper Darby High last night.
The "melting pot" never looked so good.
I was impressed.
Thanks for a great night.
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