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Destination Imaginaton hosts anti-bullying event
By Sean Barron
YOUNGSTOWN
If you wonder about Ta’Wanna Dowd’s opinion on bullying, you could say she wears it on her chest.
“We’re trying to make this a trend,” the East High School 10th-grader said, referring to programs and activities to call attention to and stop all forms of bullying.
Wearing a T-shirt that read, “Hand in hand, together we can help stamp out bullying,” Ta’Wanna also was pointing to one of her roles as part of her school’s Destination Imagination team, which hosted Saturday’s anti-bullying program at Spanish Evangelical Church, 369 Keystone Ave. on the East Side.
The free, two-hour gathering provided team members and others with an opportunity to discuss the ways bullying has affected their lives and how they’ve handled it. In addition, participants designed T-shirts with slogans such as “I am part of the solution,” “Be a friend” and “No bullying zone.”
Ta’Wanna said that people have made negative comments about her, but that her mother, Lawanda Redmond, is her inspiration partly because she taught Ta’Wanna to respect herself and others.
Ta’Wanna added that she hopes Saturday’s effort “won’t be a one-time thing,” but part of a growing attempt to decrease bullying in her school and the community.
“I’m extremely proud of what she’s doing,” Redmond said, noting that most youngsters emulate the example they see in their homes.
Also taking a proactive stance against bullying is Michelle Morgan, an East High senior and two-year DI member.
“You need to tell someone. Don’t close yourself into a little box,” Morgan advised, adding that she has suffered from bullying since kindergarten and deals with it largely by drawing and writing poetry.
Morgan recalled having told her mother and a school official when, she said, a fellow student and a teacher gossiped about her. Such a direct response helped end the problem, she continued.
Morgan added that being in DI also has helped her develop leadership skills, more clearly appreciate the value of teamwork and make new friends.
Nevertheless, many victims of bullying at school as well as online suffer in silence, the Rev. Ruth Rojas, the church’s associate pastor, said.
“We want to bring awareness that it’s dangerous, it’s hurtful and it’s cruel,” said the Rev. Mrs. Rojas, who’s also an education assistant at East.
Cyberbullying can be reduced when parents become more observant of their children’s computer activities. It’s imperative to keep communication lines open regarding who the youngsters are contacting online, she said.
Steve Shreffler, a resource officer with Youngstown City Schools, noted in his presentation that many students in the district lack solid parental guidance. In addition, much that’s on TV and happens nationwide breeds bullying, he explained.
Shreffler also cited the Bible story in the Book of Genesis that tells how Cain killed his brother, Abel, and used that story to explain what he said is the origin of bullying. In the story, Cain and Abel give their offerings to God, who is pleased with Abel’s gift but not with Cain’s, which causes resentment between the brothers.
One way to attack bullying is to develop a closer relationship with God, Shreffler concluded.
Another positive response includes confiding in a trusted teacher, guidance counselor, principal or other adult. In addition, young people need to feel that they’re loved and valuable, said the Rev. Rolando Rojas, Spanish Evangelical’s pastor and Ruth Rojas’ husband.
“Bullying is a social and spiritual problem,” he added. “We need to stamp out bullying in our lives, our schools and our communities.”