On Monday, Greeley West students participated in a virtual assembly led by the No Place for Hate organization.  The virtual assembly had a lot of celebrities talking about their experiences or how to deal with various types of bullying.  The hope for the organization was that students listening to the celebrities talk would be better equipped to handle bullying.   After all, if celebrities got bullied you might just realize there will always be haters no matter what you do so you might as well be you.

Travis Pastrana, Tony Hawk, and Richard Sherman, all have been bullied even before they were famous people. Those bullies never thought they would be an action spots icon, skateboarding legend, or an NFL player. Tony Hawk shared how he was bullied for being a skateboarder but that’s also what got him to be so famous. It’s because he did something different and didn’t care what anyone else was talking about.  .Those things that make you different are also what makes you special.

You can be at the top and people will still find a way to try and bring you down. Dixie D’amelio and Ally Brooke both experienced that.  D’amelio, a famous Tik Tok star gets bullied to this day. D’amelio said, “I get a lot of mean commits on a regular basis.”

As for Brooke, she told her story of a music video she shot where there were some people who were saying bad things to bring her down. All her supporter, friends, and family defended her though and made her feel better. Like she said. “Love triumphs everything”

If you are getting bullied, you’re not alone.  Anthoney Anderson shared this advice:   “Find yourself a safe place and a safe group of people to be around and to confide in and to tackle bully head on don’t be afraid to tell your parents.”

Who you surround yourself with can be helpful or harmful depending on who you’re letting around you. Sherman said, “Friends don’t try and tell you who to be,, friends will just support you in whatever you like.” 

In this virtual assembly the host explained, “Being pushed around by someone also leads to anxiety, depression, anger, loneliness, feeling hopeless, and all sorts of terrible feelings.”

During this virtual assembly they put a poll asking students to talk about if they had seen bullying.  87% of Greeley West responded that they had witnessed bullying. The virtual pep assembly suggested that nationwide, one in five students have been bullied.

Greeley west can help lower those numbers.  NBA Hall of Famer Magic Johnson said, “I knew it was my responsibility to stand up and protect kids who couldn’t protect themselves”

Perhaps the best advice shared at the assembly was Sherman’s.  “If you’re a square, be a square. Don’t try and fit into a round hole.”