RUMFORD — Mountain Valley High School students who attended the Civil Rights Team Project Training universally expressed the idea of looking for similarities rather than differences. During the conference, they engaged in a number of small group discussions about similarities and differences among people, particularly at school.

Senior Shawn Bennett explained, “We did a variety of things at the conference. We talked about similarities and differences that are in people. We also talked about categorizing different people based upon your likes and dislikes.”

“We were put into groups with kids from different schools and talked about different topics after each activity,” freshman Alexis Vining added.

Some of the thought-provoking questions for group discussion included, “Do you think you’re more similar or different from most other students in your school? How do students view differences in your school? How can we help students and people in general see that we all have things in common?”

Based on the activities and discussions, junior Travis Ford learned, “Not to judge people or split things into ‘us’ and ‘them.’”

Freshman Jesse Moniz explained, “Everyone can be similar while also being different and vice versa.”

The challenge to these members of the MVHS Civil Rights Team is to bring their personal learning back to the school and teach others.

Asked what he would bring back, team president Joey Robichaud said, “To have kids not look at the differences, but look at the similarities in people.”

“We are different, but the same,” added Moniz. “Everyone has some sort of thing that is ordinary and one that is different and unique.”

Civil Rights Team members who attended the conference included Shawn Bennett, Travis Ford, Jesse Moniz, Joey Robichaud, Alexis Vining and Esther Winslow as well as their adviser, Jeff Bailey. Additional members of the team are Nadia Briggs, Carita DeTellis and Erin Thibodeau.