Paducah Tilghman is full of students from many different backgrounds, races and cultures. As students we often tend to socialize with those we can relate to the most. Even though this may seem like a safe and sensible choice, it is also important to spark conversation among those that you may not normally speak to.

The importance of conversation among teens is crucial to our future communication skills as adults. According to the web site www.rossmanschool.com , “Through conversation, children are able to step into another person’s shoes, feeling and seeing emotions as well as other points of view.” When you get the courage to step out of your normal, comfortable circle, you can find that there are many people of different backgrounds who may share the same interest as you. You may even make a new friend or two!

It’s also imperative to step out of our comfort zones to be able to learn about other cultures and ways of life. There is a quote that I admire by Geoffrey Chaucer that says, “Proximity breeds care, while distance breeds disregard.” This simply means that when we find ourselves reaching out to those of different backgrounds, we begin to have sympathy and begin to become open-minded about these individuals. Meanwhile, as we close ourselves out from the diversity of our peers, we begin to judge and develop uneducated prejudices based on nothing but what we see on the surface.

Our school prides itself on our multicultural student body, and with good reason. We are many different peas in this educational pod.  Conversation among one another is just what we need to be even more productive of a generation than our parents. So next time you’re out with your friends, invite someone new or even hang out with a new group just one time. You’ll be surprised what a little open-mindedness can bring you!