Students march against bullying

Published 5:00 pm Tuesday, May 28, 2013

SEASIDE Be nice, think twice, was the chant of more than 300 Broadway Middle School students and administrators who joined together to march against bullying Tuesday afternoon.

The march down Broadway in Seaside was planned by Seaside High School students Kristen Owen, Rosario Kuhl and Brittany Brandt as part of their Pacifica Project a service project required for graduation of students in the Seaside School District.

The student marchers carried signs that read Dont Be A Hater and Dont Bully, among others.

Along the route, students received high-fives and encouragement from passersby.

At the turnaround at the end of Broadway, Owen and Kuhl spoke to the gathered students through a bullhorn.

Bullying hurts whether a push in the hallway or a comment on Facebook, Kuhl said. Words hurt. Be kind.

By being here today, youve accepted Rachels Challenge to be nice to people, Owen told the students to loud cheers.

The march and Pacifica Project were organized around the national initiative, Rachels Challenge. The nonprofit, named for Rachel Scott, the first student killed in the 1999 school shooting at Columbine High School, advocates for positive cultural change in schools, businesses and communities. The organization encourages anti-bullying initiatives through education and Friends of Rachel Clubs, a chapter of which is at Broadway Middle School.

The three seniors, Kuhl, Owen and Brandt, helped facilitate the Friends of Rachel Club at Broadway Middle School throughout the school year. Friends of Rachel held a spaghetti fundraiser for a student battling cancer, sold candygrams and raised money to provide students in need a meal during spring break.

Toward the end of the year, Kuhl presented the idea of a march against bullying to their mentor and Broadway Middle School Vice Principal Nicki Thomas.

One of them had brought up the idea of doing a march, but they werent sure if it was going to be possible, Thomas said. I encouraged them in that direction because I thought its a good way to end all the work weve done with Rachels Challenge and our Friends of Rachel club this year.

Thomas said all the work Kuhl, Owen and Brandt did earned them the respect of students.

All of my middle school kids really look up to those girls so I think they set a really good example for our kids, Thomas said. (Seeing them speak during the march) was really neat to see.

It took about a month to plan the March according to Thomas. It was not until about two weeks ago that they had a date in place.

Kuhl said the support of the Seaside Police Department and administrators within City Hall made the march possible.

A self-described bully at one time, Kuhl said the work the three seniors have done on the Pacifica Project has really changed the way she treats other people. She said she thinks more carefully about how her words affect other people.

I am the bully I am the other side, Kuhl said. I am the bully who thinks its all fun. Throughout this project, seeing it in the hallways, walking through the middle school you see theyre just little versions of me saying the same things or doing the same stuff. I didnt know how damaging it was.

Thomas said she thinks the work of the seniors and Friends of Rachel this year helped motivate a change in behavior at Broadway Middle School. She said she has seen a more inclusive, positive environment. The normal middle school cliques have diminished, Thomas said.

We were really excited with how successful it was and how many kids were on board with it, Owen said.

The three present their Pacifica Project at the Seaside Civic and Convention Center later today.