|
|
|
Middletown, Del. —
Monday was the first time that sophomore Tabby Callahan ever saw footage from the Columbine High School shooting that left 15 people dead in 1999.
More than 700 freshmen and sophomores at Middletown High School filled the auditorium Monday to learn the affects bullying could have through the nationally piloted TEEN TRUTH program that debuted in Delaware this week.
“It was very upsetting,” Callahan said after seeing a list of school shootings over the past 15 years listed on the screen. “There were so many.”
The film’s director, Erahm Christopher, used the tragedy; one that occurred when many of its viewers were still in diapers, as a stepping-stone to demonstrate to students an extreme impact bullying can have on teenagers.
“What bothered me is that no one asked the kids why,” Christopher said. “We interviewed a diverse group of students and what we found – they said no one really listened to them.”
Catie McCoy, a sophomore, said afterwards that her perception on kids with not a lot of friends changed.
“They need to be talked to, [too],” she said.
In a joint effort between Special Olympics Project Unify and TEEN TRUTH, students at Middletown and Newark High Schools were presented with an interactive, multimedia-based assembly focusing on developing strong, positive school communities.
In his documentary, Christopher and his team gave five students video cameras to film their day-to-day life to compile a film he said he hoped would make students think differently.
One student who was interviewed for Christopher’s film talked about a time where she was tripped in the courtyard at her school and spit on.
Another scene showed two students involved in a physical fight.
“Our hope is that the kids walk away being nicer to each other,” said Middletown High School Principal Jim Comegys.
Several students said they left the assembly with a new outlook.
“I feel like going to the people I was mean to and apologizing,” freshman Shendsley Jolicoear said.
Like any high school, there is bullying at Middletown, but it’s not a significant issue, he said. Still, the Delaware Attorney General’s Office and the Appoquinimink School District are taking steps to make sure they’re wrapping into it.
The presentation also helped bring awareness to special needs students.
Sam Young, a junior at Del-Castle Vo-Tech, who was born with an intellectual disability, shared his story with Middletown’s students.
Monday was the first time that sophomore Tabby Callahan ever saw footage from the Columbine High School shooting that left 15 people dead in 1999.
More than 700 freshmen and sophomores at Middletown High School filled the auditorium Monday to learn the affects bullying could have through the nationally piloted TEEN TRUTH program that debuted in Delaware this week.
“It was very upsetting,” Callahan said after seeing a list of school shootings over the past 15 years listed on the screen. “There were so many.”
The film’s director, Erahm Christopher, used the tragedy; one that occurred when many of its viewers were still in diapers, as a stepping-stone to demonstrate to students an extreme impact bullying can have on teenagers.
“What bothered me is that no one asked the kids why,” Christopher said. “We interviewed a diverse group of students and what we found – they said no one really listened to them.”
Catie McCoy, a sophomore, said afterwards that her perception on kids with not a lot of friends changed.
“They need to be talked to, [too],” she said.
In a joint effort between Special Olympics Project Unify and TEEN TRUTH, students at Middletown and Newark High Schools were presented with an interactive, multimedia-based assembly focusing on developing strong, positive school communities.
In his documentary, Christopher and his team gave five students video cameras to film their day-to-day life to compile a film he said he hoped would make students think differently.
One student who was interviewed for Christopher’s film talked about a time where she was tripped in the courtyard at her school and spit on.
Another scene showed two students involved in a physical fight.
“Our hope is that the kids walk away being nicer to each other,” said Middletown High School Principal Jim Comegys.
Several students said they left the assembly with a new outlook.
“I feel like going to the people I was mean to and apologizing,” freshman Shendsley Jolicoear said.
Like any high school, there is bullying at Middletown, but it’s not a significant issue, he said. Still, the Delaware Attorney General’s Office and the Appoquinimink School District are taking steps to make sure they’re wrapping into it.
The presentation also helped bring awareness to special needs students.
Sam Young, a junior at Del-Castle Vo-Tech, who was born with an intellectual disability, shared his story with Middletown’s students.
Young, who has competing in the Special Olympics for eight years had to transfer to Del-Castle because he was bullied at his previous school.
“A classmate would follow me to the bathroom and would hit me,” he told students.
Even after getting special permission to leave class early to avoid his tormentors, they didn’t stop.
In Young’s physical education class, a group of students who he said he thought were his friends filmed him dancing. They then posted the video to YouTube, making degrading remarks throughout it.
“Truth is, I’m just like you,” Young said.
There are just over a 100 students at Middletown High School with a variety of needs, Comegys said.
Christopher then asked the students in the assembly to tell him the truth.
In a survey done by the U.S. Department of Education, about 30 percent of students said that they have either been bullied or have been the bully.
Christopher asked that anyone who has ever been bullied or has ever been a bully to stand up.
Just about all of the students in the high school auditorium stood up.
“That’s about 99 percent.”
Even teachers and other adults got to their feet.
“I just proved,” Christopher said, “you’ve all been bullied.”
