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Page 10 news@bentoncourier.com Monday, September 15, 2014
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Every year, for at least
the last four years, a stu-
dent at Bryant High School
has committed suicide.
Members of the Bryant
Student Senate hope a pro-
gram, which is based on
the life of a girl none of the
Bryant students has ever
met, can change that statis-
tic.
On Thursday, Bryant stu-
dents learned about Rachels
Challenge. This program is
based on the life of Rachel
Joy Scott, who was the first
victim of the school shoot-
ings at Columbine High
School in 1999.
After her death, her fam-
ily and friends found an
essay she wrote for her fifth-
period class.
In the essay, she wrote: I
have this theory that if one
person can go out of their
way to show compassion,
then it will start a chain reac-
tion of the same. People will
never know how far a little
kindness can go.
Using this idea along with
excerpts from her six jour-
nals and her life, Rachels
Challenge was created.
Years after Scotts death,
speakers, including her
family members, have trav-
eled to schools around the
country and world challeng-
ing students and members
of the community to start a
chain reaction, said Chris
Mowery, who was speaking
to students about the pro-
gram.
On April 20,1999, two
Columbine High School stu-
dents, Eric Harris and Dylan
Klebold, killed 12 students
and a teacher and injured
23 students before killing
themselves.
Originally Harris and
Klebold placed pipe bombs
in the cafeteria in the school
with the plan to shoot stu-
dents as they were trying
to leave after the explosion,
Mowery said.
When the bombs did
not go off, they entered the
school and began shooting.
At the time of the inci-
dent, Scott was sitting
outside eating lunch with
a friend. She was shot four
times.
One of the bullets pierced
her diary that was in her
backpack at time. During
the presentation, Mowery
showed a picture of the
diary. Various phrases that
she had written over time
were surrounded by pictures
of leaves and flowers on the
cover.
He pointed out one
phrase I wont be labeled
as average which she
had written in all capital let-
ters.
Next to the words is a
small hole caused by one of
the gunshots, he said.
After her death, Scotts
family received numerous
calls from fellow students
who had been affected by
Scotts kind actions. One stu-
dent was Adam, who was not
like everyone else, Mowery
said.
One day at school Scott
saw two people bullying
Adam. They pushed him
against the lockers, and
she was furious. She got
in between the boys and
Adams, balled up her fist
and told them that if they
wanted to hurt him again,
they would have to go
through her first.
Since her death, Scott
has influenced millions of
students across the world,
but she knew this would
happen. On the back of her
dresser, she had traced her
hands and written inside
the tracing: These hands
belong to Rachel Joy Scott
and will someday touch mil-
lions of peoples hearts.
She was right.
During his presentation
Mowery challenged the
students to do five things
that Scott did during her life:
eliminate prejudice, dream
big, choose positive influ-
ences, speak with kindness
and tell the people you love
your feelings.
A challenge is not some-
thing that is going to be
easy, Mowery said. Its
going to be difficult.
To keep the program
going, students will start a
FOR or Friends of Rachel
Club. During a training ses-
sion Thursday afternoon,
Mowery met with approxi-
mately 100 students who
were chosen by the school
counselors to show them
how they can start the FOR
Club and how they can show
a little kindness.
Before giving them strate-
gies, students were able to
speak about their own expe-
riences and tell how Scotts
story affected them.
Because of the deeply per-
sonal nature of the stories,
students names have been
withheld.
Several students said that
they had been bullied out
of their previous schools
before coming to Bryant.
One student who is openly
gay said she was bullied out
of the Little Rock School
District because of her
sexuality. She said that she
was pushed down the stairs,
spit on and hit by her fellow
students.
I couldnt tell my par-
ents, she said, because I
didnt want them to know
their daughter couldnt
stand up for herself and
allowed herself to be bullied
out of a school she really
liked. The student also
revealed that the bullying
didnt stop when she moved
to Bryant.
I moved from a predomi-
nantly African-American
school to a predominantly
white school where I went
from being bullied because
Im gay to being bullied
because Im black.
Another student revealed
that she was raped and had
been bullied because of it
since no one believed her.
She admitted to writing
numerous suicide letters but
made a promise to herself
to never let anyone feel the
way she feels every day.
She said, Rachels story
reminds me of why I havent
done it (committed sui-
cide). After she finished
speaking, another student
from a different social circle
walked over to comfort and
hug her.
A student who revealed
she had been bullied and
sexually assaulted said,
Even if you think you dont
have anyone, trust me; you
do. I honestly think we can
change something.
When asked what things
need to change in Bryant,
the students pointed to such
things as cliques, people
being judgmental, discrimi-
nation and pride.
Mowery then gave them
strategies to curtail bullying
such as creating a distrac-
tion, removing one of the
people from the situation
and even telling a teacher.
Mowery said that he
knows students dont want
to be a snitch because
of what people will think,
but there are times when
someones safety or life is at
stake. Who cares what any-
body thinks?
After the shooting at
Columbine High School,
there were reports that the
shooters had made their
plans well in advance and
even made videos of them
practicing and apologizing to
their parents.
Maybe, if someone had
told a teacher about the stu-
dents plans, the shootings
could have been prevented,
Mowery said.
The small group also
thought of different projects
they could do to keep the
momentum going including
purchasing a rubber bracelet
for each student to serve
as a constant reminder that
they can make a difference;
or having a week during the
school year dedicated to
kindness.
What will the story of
Bryant High School be,
Mowery asked. Im excited
for what you are going to
accomplish.
After the training The
Saline Courier spoke with
two members of the Student
Senate about their experi-
ence during the day.
I have committed to live
the challenge, said Abby
Washkowiak,the organizai-
tons president.
Devin Hester, who serves
as the Senate reporter and
historian, said she was sur-
prised by some of the stories
her fellow students revealed.
You dont know what is
going on in someones life,
Hester said.
Change may be on the
horizon. After Mowery
spoke to the students
Thursday morning, one
student told Mowery that
he had planned to commit
suicide that afternoon, but
Rachels Challenge made
him change his mind.
Another student told
Mowery that she received a
text message later in the day
from a fellow student apolo-
gizing for treating her badly.
My codes may seem like
a fantasy that can never be
reached, but test them for
yourself, and see the kind of
effect they have in the lives
of people around you. You
just may start a chain reac-
tion, Scott wrote.
The Bryant Student
Senate conducted numer-
ous fundraising projects to
bring Rachels Challenge
to Bryant. The school also
received donations from
Landers Chrysler Dodge
Jeep Ram and Walmart in
Bryant.
By Sarah Perry and Bobbye Pyke
sperry@bentoncourier.com
bpyke@bentoncourier.com
Bryant students learn to make difference out of tragedy
SARAH PERRY / The Saline Courier
Rachels Challenge speaker Chris Mowery, right, looks on as a
Bryant student, speaks about her cousin Kieren who committed
suicide because he was being bullied.
SARAH PERRY/The Saline Courier
A group of students at Bryant High School discuss projects students can do to keep the message
of Rachels Challenge going through the entire year. Rachel Joy Scott was the first victim of the
Columbine School Shooting and is the model behind Rachels Challenge.
Special to The Saline Courier
On April 20, 1999, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, pictured above,
killed 12 students and a teacher and injured 23 other students at
Columbine High School in Colorado before killing themselves. This
surveillance video shows them walking through the cafeteria.