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What divides us? Race, class, religion, political POV, and ethnicity, the list goes on. High school students cluster with like-minded contemporaries. It's natural to want to be with your own in the face of our urban diversity. What unites us? Sports! But not traditional sports with their traditional players and fans, think football, basketball, soccer, etc. What sport can attract people from every corner of a city high school, people who do not share much history, language, or culture with each other? Ping pong! Last year, a scrappy teacher cobbled together some used ping pong tables and scrounged up some paddles and balls. He set them up in a common area after school, and an amazing thing happened. Students at our high school who never would have interacted with each other due to the unwritten rules of high school, were learning, playing, laughing, and sharing downtime with each other in such a constructive and joyful way. Others watched, cheered, and became part of this natural, relaxed, and flowing community. I was one of those. I got to see this happen, and that is why I want our school to have new equipment for this unique start-up! So many students, teachers, and other community members started showing up that there was too much wait time to play. I'm requesting 5 new tables and 40 paddles and balls. New equipment would demonstrate to the students who participate and the fans that cheer that this endeavor has value for our community!
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