A Deer Valley student was given an assignment from her law teacher to write an essay on how to be a better advocate for Deer Valley High School. This was in response to negative comments about the school.
Julionna Keers, wrote this essay, which was provided by her mother Angela and asked for it to be published.
Julionna Keers
A Positive Deer Valley
I am a freshman at Deer Valley High School. This school year has been filled with a great deal of achievements for myself, even though we are only through a quarter of the school year. Throughout the short amount of time I have been a student here, I can tell you how much of a family staff and students have become to one another. Deer Valley is one of the most diverse schools in California. However, we all connect with each other in different ways, making us the same. We work as a school group to help our community, we hold events for the public and much more. WE have proven our worth and integrity to this community. However, because of one miscommunication, rumors began to spread about our school that we all had an unsavory character. The people hiding behind their computer screens, falsely critiquing us in a negative light, are wrong. More than half of the people criticizing us have never even stepped foot on our campus. They do not know what our school is really about. They only see what the media portrays about us. Students and staff need to come up with ways to shine us in a positive light for all to see. Therefore, overshadowing the negative. Some ways I believe will spread positive about Deer Valley to our community is make a film portraying the real us and broadcast it to media channels, put together positive posters throughout Deer Valley and Antioch, and finally, put together a positivity campaign.
Films have always inspired me in different ways. Whether it is a bullying film or a gender equality film, I grasp the message they are trying to send and embrace it. However, I have never seen a film of an entire school showing positivity and proving why they are a virtuous school. All of the negative comments being said about Deer Valley reflects on all students and staff. It is like these people assume these statements do not hurt us. A film would encourage all of the students and staff to not take offense to these harsh statements being thrown around. The film would help us learn from our mistakes and take accountability. We all need a boost of encouragement and a film showing our positives would definitely accomplish this. It would also show that we want to have a positive light spread about us. Besides the film, we can do more to show positive to our community.
Another way to advocate positive change would be to set up positive posters around campus and around our community. Antioch has not have a very positive light to it. However, having little positive things, like the posters, might just help those that need a reminder to be positive for our community. Showing that Deer Valley does really care about its community might just open people’s eyes and minds. Maybe they will stop believing all that the media has to say and start believing in us. An author, Barbara Feinman, once said, “It takes a village to raise a child.” No one deserves to be called harsh name, like ghetto trash or thugs, or be categorized in a negative light because of a miscommunication. If they want to spread hate about us, we will fight back and spread positivity. They will expect us to be immature and comment back with harsh words. What do you think they will do if they leave their house and see our positive posters? They are going to be shocked we are being the bigger person. We will do more to show we are respectful, intelligent students.
Hate is all we are receiving from the incident that occurred at Pittsburg High Schools’ football game against Deer Valley. No one is listening to our side of the story. I am done with listening to all these disrespectful comments, which are far from the truth. It is time for us to stand up for our school. We can accomplish this with a positivity campaign. I feel this will bring all Deer Valley students and staff closer. Teal and Black Unite!!!!! We should all wear teal and black, hold up signs, and have an open mic for anybody to say their thoughts and feelings. Until this is what people are talking about, I will not rest. Deer Valley will not settle for any negativity. We are humans with feelings. The campaign will show we do not fight back with negativity, only positive thoughts and actions. Kindness will be our weapon. We are going to take a stand for what we believe in. I believe in Deer Valley. Do you?
Thank you for hearing my ideas on how we can promote Deer Valley in a positive way. By putting together a positivity film to be broadcasted by the media, putting up positivity posters and bringing together a positivity campaign, we can spread a brighter light on our school character. Nobody can change how we feel about our great school, but maybe we can change their minds about us.
