May of last year, Mohawk High School lost a beloved student. I personally did not know her; however, I witnessed her effect on many Mohawk students. She was loved by all and kind to all, no matter who they were.
Unfortunately, some students did not follow in her footsteps. They treat their fellow students as if they are beneath them because they're different. They harass students in the parking lot as they get into their car, slam lockers on their heads as they get ready for their next class, corner them and grab at them - three, sometimes four kids against one.
How can bullying be an issue today at this school? Seniors in high school with just months left decide to not grow close to the classmates they have, but instead harass and belittle them because they are quiet, shy and a little different. Maybe it was my upbringing, but I never saw the enjoyment in harassing a student because they were different. While there are two sides to each story; no one deserves to be treated in the ways previously stated.
Students go to school to obtain an education to further their lives, whether that is attending a four-year college or going into the workforce, and their education and safety is the priority of their school. While I know the faculty and staff are involved in the protection of their students' lives, there is only so much they can do. Bullies are almost always sneaky; they may be the smartest kid in the class, the valedictorian, maybe even a top-notch athlete, and bullies do these malicious attacks when no one is around to stop them. So when a student cries for help, the teacher has no idea what is going on.
What will it take for students to understand the amount of damage they are causing? Another suicide, another life lost to cruel words? Another student run out of their school because they can no longer bear the torture?
Where will the bullies draw the line? If they can get away with physical harassment, how long before it turns deadly? My hopes are students will end the bullying and "live and let live." If someone is different, how is it their place to point out those flaws? What will it take for them to see the pain they are causing?
Alycia Brooke Harrison, Tiffin
