Hingham High School Unity Week is an annual celebration planned and organized by the student-led Unity Project. This year marks the third consecutive year it was held at HHS. The week consists of several themed days each corresponding to a different organization or message. As seen in the poster above, Monday was USA Day and the high school was able to host an assembly for veteran and inspirational speaker Earl Granville along with the Open Mic Night. Tuesday was purple day for Maddie’s Promise which is an organization focused on fighting childhood cancer. Wednesday was teal/blue day for the Anna Quinlivan Scholarship for HHS students wanting to pursue theater technician professions. Thursday was Orange for Nephcure, which is a nonprofit focused on research for rare kidney disease. Finally, Friday was red day for Hingham pride. Throughout all of Unity week the project raised funds for the listed organizations by selling colorful ribbons for students to wear in the lobby each day. Ava Lydotes, Unity Project executive board member, states, “It went pretty well! There was (in my eyes) more participation this year than in previous years. I also think the fundraising aspect of this year was a big success, as we raised a lot of money by selling ribbons”.
As unity week comes to a close it is important to reflect, both on its purpose and on its success. I was lucky enough to discuss this with Principle Mr. Swanson who has some interesting insights on the importance of Unity Week to the overall school community. He explains that, to him, “Unity Week is about all of us coming together as a school community. That includes students, teachers, and other staff members. Everybody. Our school’s great Unified Basketball team has a motto about how we’re ‘Better Together,’ and I really believe in the truth of those words. Unity Week is an opportunity for us to improve as a school, and the only way to do that is together”. Swanson goes on to explain that the greatest success of this week was it was organized by not only Unity Project members but also by other clubs and organizations. As he expressed, “Other clubs, like Breathe Out, the GSA, and Student Council, have also pitched in to help ensure that the week has broad appeal for HHS students. This year, our efforts to support the Hingham Food Pantry and several other local charities also helped us to transcend the walls of our school and make an impact on the broader community”.
One such way to reach the “broader community”, and one that I was able to participate in, was reading to elementary school students. This Friday around 30 students from the Unity Project as well as non-members traveled to each of the elementary schools to read to classrooms. I was able to go to my old school Plymouth River which was an incredible experience. While it did make me feel incredibly old, being able to explore the school and speak with my old teachers was very exciting. After reading a book, I also took time to answer a bunch of questions from the kids regarding high school, homework, and the Unity Project, hopefully inspiring them to become the next generation of Unity Club Members.
