TERRE HAUTE —
West Vigo Middle School eighth-grader Mercedes McCall knows what it’s like to be bullied — and to bully.
This year, she decided to take a strong stand against bullying by working to form the student-led HEROES in Action Club at West Vigo Middle School.
On Wednesday, the club presented an anti-bullying Reader’s Theater for the Vikes & Tykes Childcare Center at West Vigo High School. The preschool children learned from the “big kids” about the importance of being nice to friends.
“Sometimes, it just takes one” to stop bullying, a narrator stated.
During the program, club members presented facts about bullying and performed the book “One” by Kathryn Otoshi.
They also made a gift presentation of the book and gave children anti-bullying bracelets.
“One” incorporates colors and numbers to teach children about accepting each other’s differences.
According to a synopsis of the book, Blue is a quiet color. Red’s a hothead who likes to pick on Blue.
“Red is hot and Blue is not,” says Red, played by middle school student Brayden Beel.
Yellow, Orange, Green and Purple don’t like what they see, but they don’t intervene. Red then bullies them as well.
When no one speaks up, things get out of hand — until One comes along and shows all the colors how to stand up, stand together and count. “If someone picks on me, I for one stand up and say no,” said One, played by middle school student Lucus Bendzsa.
On May 9, the club performed the program at West Vigo, Fayette and Sugar Creek Consolidated elementary schools.
McCall wrote a grant to the Wabash Valley Community Foundation to pay for the props, transportation to the schools and copies of the books to present as gifts to each school.
McCall wanted to start a student-led group because she believes children are more likely to listen to other students than to adults.
She said she was bullied in elementary school “for being different,” but she also bullied others. In middle school, she also was bullied — and responded by bullying.
She would say things that were hurtful to others, but she didn’t always realize she was hurting them.
“As I get older, I don’t want to be the person who is seen as a bully. I don’t think anyone wants to be seen that way,” McCall said.
But she’s been hurt by others’ words, even this year. “One girl told me I needed to go die. That was really bad. That was probably one of the worst ones,” she said.
She wanted to form the club and do the anti-bullying program, and West Vigo Middle School teacher Melanie Beaver supported that effort.
Other HEROES in Action Club members say they’ve learned a lot through their participation.
“It changed my perspective on bullying,” said Kelsey Farris, who narrated the program. “I really didn’t think it happened, but hearing Mercedes’ story and everyone else’s about how they have been bullies or have been bullied — it actually happens and I realized that by joining this club.”
Bendzsa, who portrayed One in the program, believes that presenting to younger students will have a lasting impact.
“That’s going to help a lot if we can get to them when they are younger instead of when they are in middle school and don’t listen to a lot of things people say,” he said.
Beel, who portrayed Red the bully, wanted to be in the club to make a difference.
“I used to be a bully and I wanted to stop it because it hurt other people,” he said. “I wanted to try to help everybody feel good and not be afraid of anybody — let them be who they are.”
In the past, he’s gotten in trouble for bullying, and he decided to change his ways.
“I just started helping people and trying to be nice and trying to make more friends. And it worked,” Beel said.
Reporter Sue Loughlin can be reached at (812) 231-4235 or sue.loughlin@tribstar.com.
Local & Bistate
Related Photos
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"One" can make a difference: West Vigo Middle School sixth-grader Lucus Bendzsa, 12, plays the part of the "One" who stands up to a bully during a performance for the Vikes & Tykes Childcare Center on Wednesday at West Vigo High School.
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A little reminder: Liam Beeler, a preschooler at Vikes & Tykes Childcare Center, shows off his anti-bullying wrist band that was given to him by the HEROES in Action Club from West Vigo Middle School.
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His full attention: Vikes & Tykes Childcare Center preschooler Aidan Howard listens intently as West Vigo Middle School’s HEROES in Action Club members perform an anti-bullying Readers Theater.
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Standing up to bullying: West Vigo Middle School eighth-grader Mercedes McCall (center) talks to the preschoolers at Vikes & Tykes Childcare Center after an anti-bullying Readers Theater was performed at West Vigo High School.
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Wrist reminders: Julie Mackey and Alyssa Blair, members of the West Vigo Middle School HEROES in Action Club, hand out anti-bullying wrist bands to preschoolers at the Vikes & Tykes Childcare Center at West Vigo High School.
Discussion
HEROES in Action show preschoolers ‘One’ way to stop bullying
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