On September 28th, students at Arcadia High School from all grade levels attended a presentation in the North Gym regarding bullying in the teenage sphere. Teen Truth Live, a program comprised a speaker and a video, introduced a poignant look into the ramifications of bullying: both in the real world and online.
As the crowd of students crowded into the gym-turned-auditorium, people were struck by the image that hung above their heads. Unlike other representations of bullying, the figure was holding a gun—illustrating clearly the serious face of bullying as opposed to the stereotypically (and expectedly) juvenile side of it. The room quieted as the film started, and the class watched in awe and horror as they viewed terrible and heartbreaking truths: ones that they realized they had to deal with everyday. The film delved into a variety of issues, such as speaking out, connections with other people, and violence and hate in schools every day. Some people were on the verge of tears while others were horrified when the film portrayed the 911 call from the infamous shooting at Columbine High School in 1999.
“I went into the auditorium without high expectations, but by the end I was thoroughly moved,” remarked sophomore Farihah Chowdhury—and her disposition regarding the presentation seems to be representative of the viewpoint of the school as a whole. Despite the seemingly frivolous topic of bullying, the end result was a very topical discussion of an issue poignant and furthermore relatable to each and every student at the school.
–Interview with coordinator of Teen Truth Live, to be conducted ASAP-
Teen Truth Live, as a whole, was an unexpectedly insightful look into the minds and hearts of bullies and the bullied: and the impact on the students was undeniable. Sophomore Wendy Huang put it best when she explained, “It made a huge impact on my life that I never expected to happen from a video.”
As the crowd of students crowded into the gym-turned-auditorium, people were struck by the image that hung above their heads. Unlike other representations of bullying, the figure was holding a gun—illustrating clearly the serious face of bullying as opposed to the stereotypically (and expectedly) juvenile side of it. The room quieted as the film started, and the class watched in awe and horror as they viewed terrible and heartbreaking truths: ones that they realized they had to deal with everyday. The film delved into a variety of issues, such as speaking out, connections with other people, and violence and hate in schools every day. Some people were on the verge of tears while others were horrified when the film portrayed the 911 call from the infamous shooting at Columbine High School in 1999.
“I went into the auditorium without high expectations, but by the end I was thoroughly moved,” remarked sophomore Farihah Chowdhury—and her disposition regarding the presentation seems to be representative of the viewpoint of the school as a whole. Despite the seemingly frivolous topic of bullying, the end result was a very topical discussion of an issue poignant and furthermore relatable to each and every student at the school.
–Interview with coordinator of Teen Truth Live, to be conducted ASAP-
Teen Truth Live, as a whole, was an unexpectedly insightful look into the minds and hearts of bullies and the bullied: and the impact on the students was undeniable. Sophomore Wendy Huang put it best when she explained, “It made a huge impact on my life that I never expected to happen from a video.”