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Bringing a community together to one table

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  • Over two-hundred students across ten different high schools attended the Longest Table talk at Chiles high school.
  • The Longest Table looks to bring students from different backgrounds together and learn from each other.
  • Watch the video above to see the reaction from students and others.

BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT

“We are supposedly connected through social media, but I think we couldn’t be further away from each other.”

Riley Long is a senior at Leon high school. She was telling me how so many people don’t know a lot about each other…

“There’s nothing like meeting someone in person and really having conversations with them and getting to know them. There’s nothing like it.”

Getting to know each other and learning about different backgrounds was what

Over 200 students across 10 different high schools attended The Longest Table event.

“It really helps you think like my life is so different from everyone else’s…”

It allowed students to interact with each other and share a meal. All put on by the Leon County School Board, Board of Leon County Commissioners, and others...

“You meet new people and gain different perspectives on all types of situations like politics and clubs around schools…”

Aria Fisher is also a high school senior… she tells me what she’s gained from the experience.

“I feel that it’s very important to connect with those people and be able to understand them in a way that I might not understand…”

It’s something that chiles high school principal Boe Burgess believes is a step in the right direction…

“I always believe in our young…sometimes you’ll hear from folks saying (“oh this new generation of kids…”) that’s every generation. There’s a difference in who they are. I believe in them just like there were people who believe in me.”

Burgess tells me that it's important to start this experience with the future adults of tomorrow…

“They are better leaders younger than we were, at least in my generation. They have a lot of things that were thrown at them, and they handle it with such grace…”

It’s something that Riley Long and Aria Fisher can agree with.

“That’s the whole purpose of this…”

“It’s really nice to just have everyone come together as a community…”