It Doesn’t Have to Be This Way: Reflections on Violence, Change, and the Agreements We Make

What a student-run restaurant taught me about the power of shared expectations—and why we don’t have to accept school shootings and other violence as normal.

“It doesn’t have to be this way.”

I saw someone write that this past week after the school shooting in a Minneapolis Catholic school. And they were right. It doesn’t have to be this way. 

We don’t have to accept school shootings as normal. We don’t have to shrug our shoulders and move on like there’s nothing we can do. We can act - yes, through legislation, but also in smaller, closer to home ways that start in our own families and communities. Ways that push back against our culture of power, dominance, and violence instead of allowing these ideas to continue running and ruining our communities.

Bernie’s Place

When I do organizational workshops, I often tell people about Bernie’s Place, a restaurant inside the McKenzie Center for Innovation & Technology. The students there are able to receive training in subjects like cosmetology, medical assisting, carpentry, and food service. The food service program even has a real restaurant, open to the public, so students can practice everything they learn about both the front and back of the house. 

Whenever I can, I go there for lunch. The food is good, the prices are excellent, and as someone who graduated from the same school district, I like supporting the students. 

I also love the vibe.