43
East High students target bullying
East students participate in destination imagination event
By Denise Dick
YOUNGSTOWN
A group of East High School students wants to end bullying, and they need help from other students to do it.
“Bullying is a big problem, but it’s usually overlooked,” said sophomore Ty’Shawn Rutledge. “People don’t think it’s a big deal.”
He, sophomore Alexis Palumbo and juniors MarkQushia Stevenson, Marvinia Fulks and Devon Culver selected an anti-bullying effort as their Destination Imagination entry. Jeanne Constantino, an East teacher, is the team’s coach.
Destination Imagination is a contest in which students compete in different categories. Each contest hones the students’ creativity in hands-on tasks.
The East team is entering the Service Learning/Project Outreach category. They had to identify a community need, organize a community event and develop a plan to address it.
The community event is a disco dance-off from 1 to 4 p.m. next Saturday at East, 474 Bennington Ave. Attendees are to dress in disco attire, and light refreshments will be served.
There’s no charge to attend, and it’s open to middle- and high-school students from any district.
Bullying is something close to each of team member. Each has been a victim.
“It’s not physical, but it’s just as bad,” Alexis said.
“It can take a life,” Constantino added.
Alexis is of mixed race and has been bullied by others who jeered her, saying she talked funny. Others used racial slurs.
When she was younger and attending a different school, Alexis attempted suicide, she said.
She since has become more comfortable with herself and has learned to ignore it.
For Devon and Marvinia, the bullying consisted of name-calling.
“They called me ‘Shorty McShort,’” Devon said.
Marvinia deals with taunts from other girls who don’t like her. She doesn’t know why.
“I just don’t let it bother me,” Marvinia said.
Bullying really bothers Ty’Shawn, who admits giving bullies a taste of their own medicine if he witnesses it. When he was younger, bullies targeted him, too.
The team members, except Alexis, are members of East’s Junior ROTC and take pride in it.
“I’m the battalion commander, so people look to me to be a leader,” Marvinia said.
She considers that position in how she conducts herself even as a bullying victim.
Activities at the dance include bowling and decorating T-shirts with anti-bullying messages.
The team created a meme – a social idea – with the message, “Together As One, We Can Get it Done to help stop Bullying.”
They want to send posters with the meme with students from other schools, asking them to snap photos of students signing them. Those photos will be part of the presentation delivered by the team at the March 12 contest.
Their presentation includes a skit in which team members portray a bully, the victim and witnesses to the act, demonstrating how they recommend others should respond.
Sometimes students bully another student because he or she is different, but Ty’Shawn doesn’t believe that’s a reason for a victim to change who he or she is.
“I like being different,” he said.