By James Massara
One struggle that at times appears to be a constant among all ages of students is the topic of bullying. Whether it be students being bullied or students not knowing how to combat bullying and not be bystanders, bullying is a constant topic in schools.
And though most schools have a zero-tolerance policy, one Crestline student enlisted the help of some friends to find a more effective way to combat the problem.
Crestline sophomore Devon Reed took his concerns to Crestline Superintendent Noreen Mullins to brainstorm ideas.
“Going into that (meeting) the zero-tolerance policy was nonexistent, because you couldn’t see it being effective,” Reed said. “So, when I spoke to her, we decided we were going to create a student group.”
The result was the creation of the Crestline High School Student Committee.
Reed said the first topic choice of bullying was something he experienced as a child and something he knew others do as well. He said the goal was to make the school’s environment better for the students and the staff.
The committee, which is comprised of sophomores Taylor Wise and Spencer Lee, and juniors Frances Clark and Kelsey Stone, along with Reed, was on board with the idea from the beginning. The committee, which is in its first year, focuses on school policies and improvement.
“We just said yes from the beginning,” Clark said. “We see kids get bullied all the time and they just shy away from it and don’t tell anybody because they didn’t feel like they could go talk to somebody.”
The plan became reality when Reed found national anti-bullying speaker Keith Deltano.
Deltano is a speaker for all ages and uses comedy and real-life experiences to speak to crowds about the seriousness and effects of bullying. The students on the committee wanted to be sure the speaker would be able to reach as many students as possible.
Deltano spoke to the high school students in the first session and middle school and older elementary students in a second session.
“We thought it was important (to have the younger students) because they’re transitioning into high school and middle school, and that’s one of the toughest times,” Wise said. “So, we wanted to show that we realize it’s a problem and we’re here to help them.”
The committee had the speaker, but now needed to find a way to pay the costs.
Reed said the group made a cover letter and flier to try to get businesses to sponsor the event, and then he went to a meeting of the Crestline Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2920.
“I explained why we were doing this and why it was meaningful to us,” Reed said. “Originally, they said they were going to pay $1,000 toward it, but then later I got a text saying they were going to pay for the whole thing, and they would be glad to do the whole $2,000.”
VFW Post 2920 Commander Mike Kelly said the club’s members jumped at the chance to help the students.
“We understand what the problems are in the schools and we decided that this needed to be done and we wanted to help in any way,” Kelly said.
Kelly was in attendance for Deltano’s presentation.
Deltano uses a tough-love demeanor mixed with humor when addressing the situations surrounding bullying. He said although bullying takes place everywhere, there are differences at schools like Crestline and schools in larger cities.
“Kids at schools like Crestline in the elementary go with the same kids to the middle school and middle school kids go with the same kids to the high school, so what happens is they get in a rut and they never get a new chance,” Deltano said.
Deltano used his own experience as an example of how kids at a larger school may be helped by the combination of schools as student progress through grades.
Deltano said he was picked on in elementary school after being held back in third grade, but after five elementary schools combined into one middle school, he could reinvent himself with the kids who did not previously know him.
He added it’s also easier for students at bigger schools to find other students who have similar interests. He used an example of a boy in Los Angeles who took ballet and was able to find other male students who took ballet. Meanwhile, he said he met a boy in Wyoming who also took ballet and he had a harder time finding other boys like him.
“For these small and rural Ohio towns, what I see that’s different from the larger schools and school systems is that there’s this sense of isolation and inability to get out of a rut,” Deltano said. “Now look, there’s great things about small-town Ohio. No one is getting knifed at school, it’s the type of community where no one locks their doors.”
Crestline Junior High and High School Principal Keith Strickler said the point of not being able to reinvent yourself was something he had not considered.
“There are so many great things about being a K-12 building, like the high schoolers reading to the elementary kids and other things like that,” Strickler said. “But, there are drawbacks and that was something I had not thought about.”
Strickler also believed the bluntness of Deltano’s presentation was effective on the students.
Deltano touched on topics such as the different types of bullying, self-harm, racism, exclusion and other topics.
Deltano said if he wasn’t as real as he is in his presentation, then he wouldn’t get the message across.
“If I make you uncomfortable, then I’m making you think,” Deltano said.
Kelsey Stone said she was glad the committee did it after seeing the presentation.
“I think it was a really good thing to do, especially for the middle schoolers,” Stone said. “But, I don’t think it’s an issue just at this school. I think it’s an issue everywhere and I wish every school could see the program.”
Deltano did make one more stop in Crawford County. He spoke to Colonel Crawford students during an afternoon session.
Information on Deltano may be found at www.dontbullyonline.com.