Camille Liparini - Staff Writer
On Friday, November 1st, Marriotts Ridge students had the opportunity to participate in One Ridge. According to drama teacher Mr. Jason Beall, one of the organizers of One Ridge, the event was “a time to connect with other students and staff to work towards a greater sense of belonging,”
During the school day Friday, a group of around 80 students met and participated in the program. Sophomore participant Caroline Albert said they were placed in groups with kids from every grade to play icebreaker games, and that “it was an opportunity to meet new people from other grades, and even new people in your own grade that you maybe hadn’t talked to before.” Students from different grades can have classes together, but there’s less interaction between students of different ages. One Ridge mixed grades to give students a chance to meet kids that are older and younger, too.
Mr. Beall said, “[One Ridge] was a time to learn about the community and the people you share it with. People want to get to know each other, but what they need is the opportunity to do so, so we hoped to make a platform for kids to do that.” In the time the students were together, they were asked questions relating to culture and identity, and they discussed how they fit into the Marriotts Ridge community, the Howard County community, and the rest of the world.
The same program was run last spring, and there are plans to run it again this coming spring. Principal Mrs. Goldeisen said, “An initiative for us at Marriotts Ridge is student relationships. High School is tough, and feeling connected helps ease some of that pressure. We already put a large emphasis on learning here. I want kids to have a chance to connect and make friends while they’re here, too.”