You may have seen the posters around the Watertown Middle School advertising the D-Team — the D is short for diversity. The club was started shortly after February vacation ended.

“It will go on until the end of this school year, and will hopefully be continued next year,” says Stacy Stern, an organizer of the D-Team and the Middle School’s seventh-grade guidance counselor.

The D-Team meets Mondays and Tuesdays after school and it is open for anyone to join. The team focuses on giving people more of an understanding about the population of the school and the town.

“The point is to get people to accept and acknowledge each other’s  differences,”  says Ms. Stern. “The D-Team is a good opportunity for the students because it really increases awareness throughout the school and community.”

Unfortunately, not many students understand this concept. The club has just started about two months ago and there are only seven people signed up. But Ms. Stern and Ms. McGill , the other organizer of the team, have been thinking up ways to attract more people.

One activity is celebrating Black History Month by studying important African-Americans. The D-Team put flyers on the walls around the school giving information about famous African-Americans. The D-Team may have had a rocky start, but one thing is for sure, it is helping people accept themselves and others, and that is one of the most important things!

–April 29, 2010–