A Challenging Day
It was a cold, snowy morning last December 16th when I walked into the gymnasium at Cape Henlopen High School. Apprehensive at first, I had no idea what was in store for me. As I looked around at the students, it felt eerily reminiscent of the awkward feelings I experienced during that stage of my own life, almost as if time had stood still.
So what was I doing there? Allow me to share…
Steve (Elkins) and Murray (Archibald) actually take some time off in December and make an annual trip south to visit family for the holidays. Just prior to leaving this year, Steve was contacted by Patti Magee, Assistant Principal at CHHS and member of CAMP Rehoboth. Patti extended an invitation to Steve for an upcoming event at the school, known as Challenge Day.
Unable to attend, Steve asked if I’d be interested in representing CAMP Rehoboth as an Adult Facilitator. Lucky for me, I agreed. It truly was an amazing day and I couldn’t be more grateful for the experience.
In light of recent, heavily-publicized tragedies involving young people, like the suicide of gay college student, Tyler Clementi, it’s difficult for most of us to imagine schools existing today where bullying, violence, and other forms of oppression aren’t a typical part of the school day.
Since 1987, Challenge Day (CD) has reached over 500,000 youth in more than 400 cities in the U.S. and Canada. CD programs are designed to inspire youth and communities to “Be the Change” they wish to see in the world, and to challenge others to do the same.
Tolerance, acceptance, and a celebration of diversity are the central themes throughout the day-long event, where students, teachers, counselors, parents, and community leaders are challenged to “step out of their comfort zones, open their hearts, and build connections with others,” reads the mission statement. No matter what their issue or crisis, CD’s goal is to ensure that students leave knowing they are not alone.
CHHS staff had hoped for up to 100 students to voluntarily sign-up to participate. They were thrilled when that number surpassed 125. It was a diverse group of students…girls, boys, white, black, jocks, nerds, gay and straight…paired with a diverse group of 25 Adult Facilitators, who fit the same bill.
I must admit, during the initial full-group session, I found myself fighting my own stereotypes and questioning whether the students would actually take all of this seriously. It didn’t take long to get my answer.
I have countless memories from Challenge Day, but none more compelling than those I was fortunate enough to share with my “family-for-a-day,” the group of five, incredibly inspiring students who were my small-group.
After meeting each other, we were asked to sit in a circle, close enough that our knees touched the person next to us. In this rather forced setting, one could have easily have felt that his/her personal space had been invaded, but it felt as natural as holding hands with a partner or spouse. We were then given a specific phrase and asked to take turns speaking for a period of two minutes. When finished, the others in the group were expected to hug the person who had just spoken.
Sitting next to me, a 10th grade girl began…“If you really knew me, you’d know that I was raped when I was in the eighth grade and I’ve been abused for as long as I can remember.” Her knees trembled and tears streamed down her face. Our group was silent. Within a few seconds, I took the liberty of giving her my hug about 90 seconds sooner than instructed. It was a big hug.
Then it was my turn. Fighting tears, I took a deep breath and said…”If you really knew me, you’d know that as a 44 year old gay man, I too was abused when I was your age. And as much as it must feel that each day is the longest day of your life, please know that it will get better!”
That was just one of the many powerful moments shared that day with a group of very special people who had been complete strangers just a few hours before, all wanting to make a difference.
Shortly after lunch, it was announced that due to snow, our day would end early. At this point, one would normally have heard cheers from the students. Instead, there were jeers. No one wanted to leave that gymnasium.
As we departed, the Bruno Mars song, “Just the Way You Are,” played loudly. Hugs and tears were shared by all. I ran up the bleachers to turn and take in the moment, hoping the moment would stay with me, with all of us, for a very long time.
To learn more about the work of Challenge Day, please visit challengeday.org.
A final word…
If you’ve read my column in the past, you may have noticed the title has changed. Having worked as a Mortgage Loan Officer for 12 years, I started writing the CAMP Money column in the summer of ’08. In the fall of ’09, I was elected to the Board of Directors at CAMP Rehoboth and now serve on several committees, striving to make a difference and help the organization grow.
Last spring, after returning to work in real estate, I found myself wanting to broaden the range of topics to be more reflective not only of my professional life, but also my personal life. Consequently, the CAMP Life title seemed a natural fit. I look forward to this new challenge.
Chris Beagle is a realtor in Rehoboth and former mortgage loan officer. He serves on the Board at CAMP Rehoboth. Email chrisbeagle@prugallo.com.