LEWISTON — During one of the four lunch periods in the Lewiston High School cafeteria Monday, sophomore Kelen Painter, 15, sat across from Xzavier Rosario, 15.

The boys did not know each other. Rosario is new in town.

By the time their brief lunch period ended, they knew each other a bit better.

Painter said he has lived in Lewiston all his life. Rosario moved to Lewiston from Philadelphia with his family a few weeks ago.

A “Mix It Up” lunch was held Monday in the high school cafeteria, a day sponsored by the Youth Campaign Crew, a student group at the St. Mary’s Nutrition Center. The goal was to encourage students to sit at lunch with kids they don’t know to enhance the student community.

It was the first ever Mix It Up lunch and participation wasn’t high. Several students said they didn’t know it was Mix it Up day, including Painter. But he and others like the idea.

“It’s kind of weird,” Painter said, referring to the awkwardness of meeting someone. But he’s fine with meeting people. “It’s good to get to know people,” he said.

Also at the lunch table was Amir Moussa, 15, a friend of Painter. From Jubita, Moussa has lived in Lewiston for a year and a half. “It’s cool to meet new people who may share some of your interests and can relate to you.” He said he just met Rosario. “He’s cool,” Moussa said with a smile.

At another table, freshmen girls who don’t normally sit together talked and joked as they ate. They were Isabelle Dube, Naime Muse, Elena Cloutier, Abby Heutz, Natalie Hamel, Chloe Bilodeau, Miranda Heutz and Justus Esty-Powell.

Standing next to a table with a “Mix it Up” sign was Sarah Ullman, coordinator of the youth programs at St. Mary’s Nutrition Center.

The event “is experimental,” Ullman said. “We’ve been talking about the culture in this cafeteria,” how black kids often sit with other black kids, and white kids sit with white kids. Some don’t feel comfortable sitting wherever they want, said student Madina Issack, 15, a member of the Youth Campaign Crew.

The annual “Celebrate Diversity” was Friday. “We thought this was a good opportunity to piggyback off of that experience,” Ullman said. Their goal Monday was to continue the message of diversity and inclusion.

At lunch time students came into the cafeteria “in a flood,” she said. It was challenging to get students to look at the sign and information at the table and learn about the event, Ullman said.

A couple of students asked about the event, but most did not, she said.

Next year information about another Mix it Up lunch could be shared at the beginning of the year, Ullman said. “That would make a big difference.”

Student Madina Issack, 15, one of the event organizers, said more participation “is something we can improve on.”

It will take time for students to learn about Mix it Up lunches, said Assistant Principal Jay Dufour. “We need to do it more often. Maybe have student leaders encourage kids to step out of their comfort zones.”

The climate of the school overall “is good,” Dufour said. He noted that Friday’s third annual ‘Celebrate Diversity” event was a huge success.

Lewiston High School students who don’t normally sit with each other at lunch talk about sports during Monday’s Mix it Up Lunch Day. From left are Kelen Painter, Amir Moussa and Xzavier Rosario. (Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal)

A group of Lewiston High School freshmen girls who don’t normally all sit together at lunch talk and joke together during Monday’s lunch in the school’s cafeteria. From left to right clockwise are Isabelle Dube (black headband), Naime Muse, Elena Cloutier, Abby Heutz, Natalie Hamel, Chloe Bilodeau, Miranda Heutz and Justus Esty-Powell. (Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal)

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