Seeing the world from a different perspective
By Isabel Vargas

Jack Zyra, a disabled student, who attends Cosgrove Middle School, was diagnosed with a rare condition that put him in a wheelchair at the age of two.

Even though Jacks life was not always easy, he would always try to fit in and try to be the same as everyone else.

Jack was doing basketball in gym class.

 Many of Jack’s classmates were very supportive and did not discriminate Jack for being disabled. They would help Jack with his belongings and help him out in any way they could.

A few days ago, Jack’s friends wanted to be just like him.

The principal of Cosgrove Middle School decided to rent wheelchairs for gym class for wheelchair basketball.

Jack’s mother, Karen, was thrilled to hear that they rented wheelchairs for basketball but she was not surprised because she knew how supportive the school was and stated “This is just the way this school is.”

Even the gym teacher, Eileen Buck, stated “I think it teaches the students compassion and that there is plenty of differences in the world to get [from] point A to point B; and there’s no one right way and I think it’s teaching the students to try different things and accept other.”

After the wheelchair basketball got a lot of attention in this Middle School the gym teacher is offering it after school for anyone who is not in Jack’s class.

I really liked how Jack’s classmates were very supportive and helpful; most kids are immature and would have made fun of Jack. I also liked how the principal rented the wheelchairs in order for the Jacks classmates to experience how it feels to be someone who has some kind of disability. The students got a different perspective in this situation and knew how Jack felt over the years even if they just got to use the wheelchairs for a short period of time.