At East High, an anti-bullying idea takes root

YOUNGSTOWN

A 5-foot tall “tree” at East High School that sits in the lunchroom looks like any other fake tree from afar, but up close its leaves reveal kind, positive words making it the Tree of Kindness.

Why?

“Because everybody needs to stop bullying,” said sophomore student Mesha Geathers.

Courage, self-determination and spirited are among some of the words on the tree’s felt leaves.

The tree is part of a Destination Imagination project, an educational program in which student teams solve open-ended challenges and present their solutions at tournaments, said teacher and DI coach Jeanne Constantino.

The students chose an outreach topic and focused on anti-bullying.

Senior student Marvinia Fulks said the tree is an opportunity for students to express themselves.

“Some students just say, ‘Oh, I’m going to stay in my little shell because no one else is like me and nobody is going to like how I am,’ but [by] doing this, you can do and say whatever you want, and you find out we all understand,” she said.

“It brings everyone together to be more kind to one another and have a more positive outlook,” Mesha said.

Marvinia appreciated the tree’s symbolism.

“It looks like a real tree with all the leaves on it, and without the leaves there is no oxygen to our land, and East is our land,” she said.

In other words, without positivity, East cannot survive.

Mesha, new to East this school year, said she anticipated the worst coming to the school infamous for fights and bad names for students.

“It’s been a really good experience [being here],” she said. “I think – and I think everyone should think – that every student here has the full potential to be somebody and to be great. ... We see everybody can shine, and we see that we can all make a change in our school.”

The tree is the work of team members Mesha, Marvinia, MarK’Qushia Stevenson, Shauntavia Moore, Timia Abdulllah and Daishanay Heard led by Constantino.