An Awakening at IncluCity Peter Bock

On a chilly November afternoon, I stared past the hazy wheat fields of the frozen western Nebraska landscape, pondering the four days that lay ahead of me, unaware that those four days were going to change my life. I shifted awkwardly in my uncomfortable seat, the musty odor of the bus penetrating my senses. I couldn’t help but wonder if IncluCity was nothing more than an excuse to leave the city for a couple of days. As I stepped off the bus into the bitter fall wind, I honestly had no idea what to expect.

From what I had heard, IncluCity was a sort of “kumbaya” experience focusing on diversity, prejudice, and acceptance for Omaha area high schoolers lead by the Conference for Inclusive Communities. My friends who had attended IncluCity said that it was nothing special: somewhat eye opening, but mostly stories about people’s feelings. However, one friend returned completely changed; he explained that the camp had totally altered his way of thinking. Intrigued by this contrast, I talked to my counselor and signed up.

For the next few months, up until about a week before the camp, I had completely forgotten about IncluCity. As camp grew closer, I was more enthused about the fact that I was missing a calculus test than I was about...