From November 2007:

On Tuesday, November 13th, students at Chamblee had the opportunity to change where they would normally sit at lunch. This is the first time in a few years Mix It Up Day has taken place at Chamblee High School. It was formed so everyone could try to get outside his or her comfort zones and meet new people. A group of students helped Justin Howell with this organization, helping to group students in a certain way.
“We will be splitting people up based on their Zodiac sign,” said Althea Gunther.
Students were then given the chance to find out more about the people that were at their tables by asking each other questions that were given to them by the Mix It Up crew. Some of them were asking where students were from, what sports they played, and what languages they speak. It was pretty much just a way to “break the ice.”
“I think it’s a good way to make friends and be more versatile. I am meeting new people so it’s pretty cool,” said Justin Camp.
Some students did not have an easy time sitting at different tables and trying to make new friends. A few people couldn’t find their designated table so they were either wandering or sitting by themselves. Other students found that the people sitting at their tables didn’t really interact with them, while others did say that they had a lot of fun.
“I believe it’s a good idea, but we shouldn’t be forced to do this. Everyone should want to get to know others on their own,” said Alex Hicks. “I do support it though, because it kind of gives you a positive outlook on life.”
There were also a few activities included. Anyone that wanted to, had a chance to voice their opinions about some stereotypes. These included topics such as not all Asian people being smart and Magnets vs. Residents. Students that had something to say were called up to the stage in order to speak up about what was on his or her mind. There wasn’t a lot of participation in all lunches, but quite a few of the things said were very powerful and got a rise out of the students.
“Just because I don’t wear hot pink or bright colors doesn’t mean that I’m ‘emo’ or depressed,” said Nicole Harrison.
At the end of it all, there were mixed responses about Mix It Up Day and if, in fact, it had any effect on the students at our school. Some were skeptical of how powerful the message of prejudice and hate would actually be.
“It was a nice effort but this isn’t enough. All we’re doing is re-grouping people by birth dates. It doesn’t give a strong message of racism or anything else. This is just fun. I could laugh at this,” said Damek Anderson.
“I never thought we had cliques like this at lunch anyway. It was not something that I noticed. The idea of it all is very positive though,” said Jill Long.
Mix It Up Day was a way to show people that even though it may seem that way, we’re not all totally different. If this can help just a few people make friends and learn about others, then it was a success and had a positive influence. There was a lot of support and help given by the faculty and staff, especially Justin Howell who went up to the stage many times to get everyone’s attention and talk about the importance of it all.
“To say this is a success would depend on the amount of participation we received. One of the reasons why people may have felt uncomfortable was because they didn’t want to talk about different stereotypes. Grouping people by their zodiac sign at least gave them some kind of commonality. The idea is great and we at Chamblee need more activities like this,” Howell said.