YCQ mixes it up for its anti-bullying luncheon

October is anti-bullying month. To participate, the Yeshiva of Central Queens held a Mix It Up at lunch day. Mix It Up is an anti-bullying club run by Melissa Maisel, seventh grade ELA teacher. The point of Mix It Up is that the students don’t sit with their usual groups of friends.

As students entered the lunchroom they were given different colored plates and they had to sit at the table that matched their plate. The Mix It Up club members created an icebreaker game to help the students get to know one another. Students were then treated to a buffet lunch from Carlos and Gabby’s Grill. 

Mix It Up President Sam Verstandig invited state Senator Joseph Addabbo to join the students for the lunch. He spoke to the students on the importance of anti-bullying and he applauded the junior high school students for taking a stand against bullying. He also presented the club with a check to put towards programs in their future efforts. Senator Addabbo then awarded Maisel with a citation from the Senate.

This was one of the most successful Mix It Up events thanks to the hard work of the student representatives, the participation of students, and the support and organization of Maisel, club adviser, and the JHS administration. 

This program takes place in schools across the country to help students learn effective ways to break down social and racial barriers. The event was launched by the Southern Poverty Law Center’s Teaching Tolerance project in 2002,

Cafeterias are the focus of Mix It Up because that’s where a school’s social boundaries are most obvious.

Photo by Jonathan Sherman, Grade 8