Santiago Unity is presenting “What if Week” from  January 31- February 4th. I interviewed some of the members from Unity to explain what “What if Week” is and the message behind it.

What is What if Week? 

“What if Week to me is a constant reminder that I matter at this school and even though our main divide is to receive a good education, that doesn’t mean I have to lose myself along the way. So What if Week shows me that I can put myself first and focus on my needs.”- Maya Hendricks (12).

“In my opinion, What if Week is all about equality. It’s something that’s meant to unite students

in Santiago. It’s a way for us to feel connected despite all of our different backgrounds.”- Nnenna Nwosu (12).

Why is it important to have What if Week?

“What if Week is just a way to bring awareness to issues present in our students at Santiago that may not be constantly talked about.”- Maya Hendricks (12).

“What if Week is important because it reminds people of what they can achieve. Though the questions are different each day, they present different opportunities for people to express their hopes and aspirations without the idea of something holding them back.”- Nnenna Nwosu (12).

How do you connect the spirit days to important topics?

“For the first day, we decided to choose comfy clothes because comfy clothes can mean anything. Comfy clothes could be PJs or your favorite outfit, but all that matters is that it represents you and how u prioritize yourself. For the second day, we chose sunglasses because in order to appreciate ourselves we need to learn to appreciate others as well and not just look on the outside but on the inside so that’s why we chose sunglasses to allow us to look at a different perspective. For Wednesday we wanted to focus on the idea that we should be grateful for our body and everything that it does with us. That is why we chose to wear yellow (since gold is a known body positivity color, but most people don’t own gold…). For Thursday we chose neon to stand out; if we are proud of ourselves we shouldn’t be afraid to show it, therefore we wear neon.  Friday we chose the stereotypical blackout because as a student at Santiago high school we should take pride in our school and look out for one another.”- Maya Hendricks (12).

Who started What if Week?

“Honestly, we don’t know who started What if Week, originally ASB used to do it and passed it down to us to do.”- Maya Hendricks (12).

How can others get involved?

“People can be involved by…participating in the school days and reposting unity’s stories to spread awareness.” -Maya Hendricks (12).

What spirit day is the most important to you?

“I think that all of the spirit days are pretty important, but I felt Monday was the most important. I think it’s important for students, to prioritize taking care of themselves. Teenagers are growing into young adults, and they need to learn when to put themselves first and that it’s ok to be a little selfish.”- Nnenna Nwosu (12).

Overall, What if Week is a fantastic spirit week for promoting the importance of mental health and reminding people to prioritize themselves. Make sure to follow unity @shsunity to keep up with their help to spread positivity and kindness.