Fallbrook High students breaking down walls

On Jan. 16 through 18, Fallbrook High School students welcomed the vivacious Stu Cabe to campus as he led them in a program called Breaking Down the Walls. This program was inaugurated at Fallbrook High School over 20 years ago to build stronger relations amongst the student body.

Today, Breaking Down the Walls (also known as BDTW) focuses on encouraging students to step just enough outside their comfort zone to interact with new people and find the commonalities that everyone shares, but don't always express. It essentially practices the philosophy that one should do unto others as they wish to be done them

The program began with assemblies starring Cabe, who, in the process of introducing the student body to BDTW, chronicled numerous stories packed with humor and heart. A crowd favorite was his recollection of a documentary on elephants. To save a population of dying elephants, scientists transported the young to a nature preserve where they were safe from harm. Within a few years those young elephants had become quite rebellious and had been killing the endangered white rhinos also under the preserve's protection.

After much trial and error, the scientists who'd moved the elephants proposed that some adult elephants be transported to the preserve to serve as role models for the younger elephants. Sure enough, after being "shown who's boss," the little elephants happily trailed the big elephants in all their daily activities. The big elephants, who typically live in harmony with the white rhinos, despite being their only natural predators, kept the little elephants from causing any more trouble by leading by example. Cabe then explained how, in life, there are big and little elephant types of people and how important it is to seek out and aspire to be the "big elephants".

Later that day, approximately 40 FHS juniors and seniors were chosen to participate in Student Leader Training, again led by Cabe. These select students were chosen to use the training they received to independently lead a larger pool of students in activities the following two days. The Student Leader Training focused primarily on better acquainting students with one another through fun team activities, such as name games, the straw challenge, and many more. Even simply in practice for the big day(s), the student leaders had huge grins on their faces as they learned more about each other.

The remaining two days of Breaking Down the Walls consisted of over 150 students per day gathering in the gym for an entire day of exciting activities. The students first bonded by shaking hands and conversing with seven people at random (and learning the difference between a high-five and a permanent high-five). After this, the student leaders were given the reins and each leader put their previous day's training into practice in small groups of about 10, forming new bonds with new people.

Cabe facilitated a welcoming environment that encouraged students to express their true, sometimes quirky, wonderful selves. The day culminated in a touching activity in which students were handed pencils and mailing labels on which they wrote kind messages they gave to others via a sticker on his/her shirt. Every smiling participant was covered in sticky labels reminding them of how amazing they are as they walked out of the gym at the close of the day.

Breaking Down the Walls was a uniquely uplifting experience that received nothing but positive reviews across campus for the remainder of the week. All of the FHS participants learned to "break down the walls" they may unknowingly put up when first meeting a person, and greet everyone with an open mind and an open heart.