TEACHING LOVE

By EMILY NAGLE

As the well known Nelson Mandela once expressed, “People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate then they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally than its opposite.”  Students at Washingtonville High School are given the opportunity to explore their rights and the rights of others in the Human Rights course taught by Mrs. Wurster.  This course has a way of educating students on the power of being open minded and making the world a better place. 

EMILY NAGLE FOR THE WIZARD WEEKLY

Naturally, like any other class at WHS, the Human Rights course follows a curriculum.   However, since the course is an elective, the dreadful common core does not hinder that curriculum.  Mrs. Wurster expressed, “Sometimes we need to stop and talk about the now.  If I were a science teacher and I had a plan to teach a lesson on earthquakes, but there was a hurricane going on outside, I need to address the effects and causes of that hurricane; the earthquake lesson will have to wait.”  

One of the most anticipated and talked about portions of Wurster’s class has to be the mural project.  Halfway through the school year, the students are given the task of creating and displaying messages through murals painted on the walls throughout the high school.  The soul purpose of the murals is to emphasize the importance of Human Rights.  Senior, Hannah Yarber articulated, “As a group, we chose to paint Tupac with the quote, ‘Is it a crime to fight for what’s mine?’ to display a message of power and history. We believed it was the  perfect combination,  shining light on the past and educating the future.”

This class is a forum for deep discussion which, in turn, can lead to some extremely sensitive topics.  Mrs. Wurster voiced, “Topics like these are always going to be hard to talk about, but the first step to change has to start with conversation.”  A rule of this class is that, “What’s said in here, stays in here,” Mrs. Wurster expressed.  This rule was created to ensure that her students feel safe and protected in a place where they can also be heard.

Students who are currently taking the Human Rights course this year have already learned so much and readily admit that it has impacted their lives in a meaningful and memorable way.   Senior, Ryan Waaland stated, “One thing I found so eye opening has been the sheer quantity of violations of Human Rights in our world today.  We need to do more to spread the word and fight with such attacks on fundamental Human Rights.”  

The Human Rights course helps expand students’ knowledge on how Human Rights have been used and abused over time.    All students are entitled to an opinion, and this class is the perfect environment to express those opinions with others who want to listen.