Bob Jones students enact ‘Be the Change’
MADISON – Like their counterparts at James Clemens High School, students at Bob Jones High School are perpetuating the ideals from Challenge Day with “Be the Change.”
Scene from Challenge Day at another school. (CONTRIBUTED / ZACH CORDNER)
Secondary schools in the Madison district first observed Challenge Day one year after the shooting at Discovery Middle School, Dennis James said. James is Director of Student Services for Madison City Schools.
Challenge Day involves games, music and team-building activities. Adult leaders set up “a safe area” to promote open dialogue. The atmosphere “breaks down those walls that students sometimes put up between groups,” James said.
From Bob Jones, the 100 students and 25 adults, including teachers, administrators and counselors, that attended Challenge Day in September now are pursuing the Be the Change initiative.
“We have opened up our Be the Change group to all students,” Bridget Drummond said. Drummond teaches U.S. history and sponsors the S2S Peer Helpers, which is spearheading the effort (‘S2S represents ‘student to student’).
At Be the Change meetings, “students will be given challenges to make Bob Jones a better place,” Drummond said. “Students hope to lead by example. They want to cut down the number of cliques and encourage others to be more excepting of others.”
Michael Hoyle, who teaches advance-placement psychology and U.S. history, is assisting Drummond with the initiative.
Bob Jones student Anna Robinson said the school population “wants Challenge Day to continue throughout the year — not just one day.” One example involves students and teachers sending an encouraging text to other people. Also, peer helpers distributed “compliment cards” in the cafeteria for later delivery.
Another day was devoted to take time to apologize to someone. “These are ways we are trying to make a change with Be the Change,” Robinson said.
Dylan Haraway agrees with the effort. “As a senior, I would like to see many positive changes in the school’s atmosphere before I graduate,” Haraway said.
