P.E.M. Anti-bullying Student Presentation Key Note Speech

Hello, and Thank you to Plainview-Elgin-Millville High School Principal, Deb Algadi, and the Readers of the Lost Art for inviting me here today. I heard you all just recently won a basketball championship, well congratulations, and GO BULLDOGS!!!

I’ve been working with youth for many years, and have truly enjoyed watching them grow into amazing and productive adults. I learn something new every time I come to schools and present workshops and trainings, and I am very pleased and honored to be invited to watch these students put on a brilliant production to help stop bullying here at P.E.M. As you heard, I am on the Governor’s Task Force on the Prevention of School Bullying, and when we talk about the steps we need to take to create a safe and healthy environment for students to achieve academically, we come to the conclusion that laws and policies can only do so much. It may help give more power to teachers, staff, and administrators, but what about the students? How do we empower the students to step up and help to be part of creating a safe school zone?

Bullying happens everywhere, even teachers and administrators can be bullies – I have even been bullied in a work situation – so in order to prevent bullying it has to start with us, with all of us. This is your school and you, students more than anyone have the ability to make your school experience the best or the worst. Pushing, hitting, and other physical forms of bullying, as you learned, are the most obvious types of bullying that teachers, staff, and administrators are familiar with and probably what they can most easily address to punish kids for. The type of bullying that has become more prevalent and harder to catch is the exclusion and isolation of one student by a group of kids, and the continuous put downs in the hallways and online. If you are a victim of this form of bullying, you probably feel alone and desperate. This type of behavior inflicted on students is the main cause of students to cut, have eating disorders, behavior problems, poor academic performance, and eventually thoughts of suicide.

To feel alone, to even have thoughts that you may deserve to be bullied because of who you are that is wrong. No one, no matter your race, ethnicity, religion, gender, physical appearance, mental/physical abilities, sexual orientation, or sexual expression deserves to be made fun of or excluded from group activities.

Students should feel safe to come to school in pink hair, polka dots, and a tutu without the fear of being picked-on or victimized. Every student has the right to be who they authentically feel they are, and be able to express that, while being supported to do so.

We all can be victims of bullying! When you don’t stand up for someone else, why would you expect someone to stand up for you? When we fall silent, when you think your voice, your witness is not important; we as adults have failed you. In addition, I have failed to do my job, to create a safe space for all Minnesota students to do well in school, and in life.

Maya Angelo said, “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” When I was in the 5^th grade, these boys stole my shoes and threw them up on a ledge I couldn’t get to. I was standing in the hallway on the verge of tears when a girl came up to me and asked what was wrong. I told her my situation, and she went looking for the boys because she was popular and well liked they gave me back my shoes. 27 years later, my friend Coleen and I are still very good friends to this day. You never know who has the potential to be your friend; that person you are making fun of, who may be a little different, and who just annoys you, may be the most loyal friend you could ever have. Maybe, if you just gave them a chance, and got to know them, you’d be surprised to find out you have more in common than you first thought.

Creating a Bully Free Zone is about making yourself accountable, your friends accountable, even teachers, and administrators accountable. If you expect others to respect you, you need to first respect and treat other students the way you want to be treated. Being mean, cruel, judgmental, or abusive is most likely not the way you want to be treated by others.

If you’re not going to prevent bullying, then who? If not now, then when? This is your school, be proud and take ownership for the place that you spend a majority of your life at. It’s up to ALL of you to make this school a place for success, for ALL students.

Please, Stand Up, and Speak Out against bullying! The Readers Stood Up and you can too!

If you feel that you may be a victim of bullying, see bullying, or may be a bully and don’t feel there is a safe adult to talk to about this, don’t hesitate to contact me at the Diversity Council.

Thank you again. Go Bulldogs!