I’m proud to be a Diamond Bar High School Brahma, a school whose effort to inform students on important topics has produced a more educated and aware student body. This is all thanks to the important and well-organized awareness weeks held throughout the school year.

Whenever a USB representative announces that we have an awareness week, I immediately mark it down in my planner so I make sure to remember the topic and when this influential week will be held. I can’t wait to learn more about the topic and do what I can to create awareness about whatever the chosen topic is.

For this particular upcoming awareness week, USB is offering a hydro flask as a prize for winning a competition they’re holding. Even though this has been the prize for the past few awareness and spirit weeks, the connection to the topic is always crystal clear and makes complete sense in the context. However, most students don’t bother participating since their number one priority is to become more aware, not win a $40 water bottle.

There are also the aesthetically pleasing backgrounds set up in the upper quad for pictures. This, however, is not as important to me as I’m more focused on educating myself on the week’s topic than taking cute pictures with my friends and posting them on my social media accounts.

Although many could argue that most people only go to the upper quad to take pictures while disregarding the week’s topic, this could not be further from the truth.

Obviously these photoshoots and subsequent Instagram posts are to help spread awareness for the cause.

What I’m most excited for though, are the fun lunchtime activities planned for the upper quad. They are by far the highlight of these awareness weeks, and the entire student body never fails to get excited to partake in games and competitions. These games are always extremely relevant to the topic, although at times it can be hard to see the connection between an obstacle course and cancer awareness.        

The downside of awareness weeks is that they eventually must come to an end, lasting merely a week.

However, after the weekend, people are still buzzing about the topic and it remains part of the conversation for weeks. I hope that the school continues to highlight important issues to become aware of so that we as a school can learn more through social media posts and lunch-time activities.