Diversity. When most people hear or think of that word the first thing that comes to mind is people of different races. Diversity, however, is so much more than the color of someone’s skin; it’s the country they’re from, it’s the languages they speak, religion, sexuality, gender, economic status, disability, and so much more.

It’s no secret that over time Wantagh High School has started to gain students that have not grown up in the tight-knit community, such as people from different parts of New York, or from a completely different country all together. Although the change may be scary for some students that are used to a certain ‘status quo’, it can be a good thing for future advancements, unification, and cultural appreciation, not just for students that are growing up here, but the students that transferred to Wantagh.

“It has to do with the fact that a lot of kids here in Wantagh are born here,” Vice Principal Dr. Widmann stated upon interview. “They go through middle school together and high school [together]. They kind of have their own little groups already.” Understandably, if you only know one thing in your life you’d be scared to try something new even if you’d end up liking it, but as a result of that kind of thinking, new students here may have trouble making solid friends. So if you’re reading this, invite someone in your group that you may have never met before, you may have more in common than you think. Best said by Principal Dr. Guzzone, “Regardless of the demographic, when people are exposed to different things they learn different perspectives.”

In the future many – if not all – of the students in this school are going to be faced with someone different than themselves, if they haven’t already. Being able to communicate with someone who has a different aspect than you can only lead to positive things.