It’s been agreed upon that emotions and anger should should be let out rather than bottled up.

For this reason, many people vent to close friends and relatives. However, Challenge Day provides students with the opportunity to share their stories with complete strangers and break out of their comfort zone. While some people may find this uncomfortable, venting to strangers, also of the same age, can be more helpful and even less stressful than talking to a trusted friend.

In Challenge Day, selected students from all different cliques, backgrounds and interests come together as complete strangers and oftentimes leave as trusted peers and friends. It is amazing how much trust and understanding can be built in such a short time among complete strangers.

Before breaking into small support groups, students first perform a number of trust-building activities the “line test,” when students cross a line if they can relate to a specific statement. This and other activities open students’ eyes to what their peers are going through.

Getting advice from strangers is in many ways much more helpful. They don’t judge based on what their being told, and they give real advice and insight. Seeking out friends for advice sometimes leads to false answers since friends sometimes try to avoid giving tough advice. Strangers tend to share their true feelings about the subject, and give real advice.

The matter of trust sometimes is a problem with students. Many students share deep secrets and stories that even some of their closest friends don’t know about. However, the friendly, trustworthy environment of Challenge Day makes students feel more welcome as the day goes on, causing them to feel more comfortable to open up to their peers.

It should be mandatory for all students to experience this truly life-changing event at some point during high school. Challenge Day is a remarkable experience and gives students the opportunity to learn more about themselves, the people around them and the community as a whole.