Be the change you wish to see in your school

You have a lot more power than you think – put an end to bullying

Be the change you wish to see in your school

Just last week over one hundred of Tyrone students, myself included, gathered around our schools’ flagpole for the See You at the Pole – an event created to pray for protection and safety over our peers and community.  We were just trying to do something nice, and it all just backfired on us.

Since See You at the Pole, we have been experiencing an abundant amount of drama in our school. Although I have no clue on what any of it is about, I do have one thing to say:

If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say it at all.

Many people don’t realize how that quote can have such an impact on people’s lives.

Do you know that 4,600 American teens commit suicide a year just due to bullying? Are you aware that Pennsylvania’s suicide rate is 12% of that? I know it doesn’t seem like much, but that is 380 suicides a year. If you are a bully, and you are reading this, I hope this is an eye opener for you.

My advice to the bully: for whatever reason you are bullying others, just stop. Statistics say that children who bully are not happy with themselves, or they themselves have been bullied at some point in their lives. If you fight fire with fire, what happens? The flame gets bigger. Don’t put yourself in that situation.  People in our school will always be here for you. Make it your personal goal to surround yourself with people who fill you with happiness – not drama. Worried about the change? That’s okay! Sometimes change is necessary to make yourself better. Don’t be afraid to stand up, others will be inspired and stand up with you.  Be the change you wish to see in our school.

To the person who gets bullied: don’t let it happen – stick up for yourself!  When I say stick up for ‘’yourself’’, obviously I mean don’t fight back. But when you are put in that horrible situation…be prepared. You could always join an athletic team, so you always will have people that have your back. Perhaps you’re not very athletic – you could always join a support group, or even karate. Another suggestion is to not let the fact that you’ve been bullied change your life in a negative way. Always try to stay as positive as you can in every situation life brings, even if it seems impossible. One way to stay positive while helping others is to start your own support group or club. Also, share your story to people who you know who will be affected by it. Start a revival of friendliness in school. Go to a person of higher authority today, and ask for more information about ways to spread your story.

For the bystander: NEVER think of yourself as a tattletale for reporting an incident in which someone’s feelings were hurt by another’s. Bullying is something that cannot go unnoticed. You may not think about it, but this person could be constantly battling the thought of life or death. The tiniest comment could be the last straw. My goal for you is to tell someone next time you see someone getting bullied. Ways for you to prevent bullying are very simple: be a friend and spread kindness. People will be attracted when they see what light and warmth you radiate. Others will follow you, and together you guys can start something powerful. Step up today.

Our school can easily put an end to bullying, if only we could all come together as one, and respect one another as individuals.

I challenge us as a school to come together and create a school community that other districts will envy. Become friends with someone you normally wouldn’t, flash that lovely smile at someone who looks like they need it, and always have a stranger’s back. These simple things can change our school like you wouldn’t imagine.