Learning experience

Have you ever been bullied? More importantly been a bully? Have you ever been considered a outcast? Have you ever made someone an outcast? Do you think that "jocks, emos and nerds" should be divided within the school and in the world?

I experienced challenge day about a week ago. Challenge day is a day when many students are given activities with which emotional growth and extreme bonding happens.

We were placed in groups-called "little families"- we were all allowed to share the thing in our lives that had not been so great. When it would become someone's turn that person would say "if you really knew me you would know that..." Everyone else in the "little family" would be silent respectfully while the person told their story.

Later on everyone was requested to stand in a line of sorts and was told "if the questions i ask you apply to you, please cross the line" this was an extremely emotional time for many people including me; a few people collapsed on the floor in their sob filled states. During this i was astounded that other people who appear to have perfect lives actually have had some of the same things happen to them as me which caused me more tears.

Looking back on this experience i realize that this was life changing. I have been a bully many times and seeing everyone's problems and struggles, it awoke me. We as a people need to join together to make life as incredible as possible. We do not need to bully and tear one another down because we never know what that parson has to go through. We were told that Gandhi said one time "be the change you wish to see in the world", this is true and the change starts with us.

-Left