Jorge Fonseca was one of the NIU students who presented an assembley last Wednesday afternoon at Farragut High School in Chicago. Farragut has experienced several incidents of racial tension and gang violence this year.

“Both the black and Hispanic populations at Northern were concerned about the incidents,” fonseca said. He is a member of both the Organization of Latin American Students and Alpha Psi Lambda fraternity.

The NIU students didn’t go to the high school expecting to solve all its problems, he said. Instead, they hoped to educate the students on how races can work together, Fonseca said.

“It’s important to get it into their minds that gangs and racial tension is not good,” he said.

Fonseca said 50 to 60 high school students attended the assembley and several were interested enough to ask questions.

Over Thanksgiving break, three NIU students took time off from turkey and pumpkin pie to reach out to some high school kids who they felt needed support.