High school is full of cruelty and rudeness.  Some people don’t know when enough is enough.  Yes, sometimes it hurts and other times you can brush it off.  As a school and individual you can rise above.  Rise above the mean words, rude looks, and harsh treatments.  Teachers, students, the whole community can rise above.  “To rise above is to stand up for the person being bullied.  Rising above is giving help to the people or person who needs it,” says Reagan Schridde (9).

For some, high school is the hardest time of their life.  Some leave high school and forget all about it, but others are affected for years following.  This may not be a big deal to students that don’t have to endure it, but if they were to put themselves in someone else’s shoes their whole outlook would be different.  Does it have to happen to you for you to make the change?

Let’s rise above!  Together we could overcome the majority of negativity.  We could give faith and hope back to those who have lost it.  High school, work, even simply going to the grocery store shouldn’t be a scary place because of bullying or constant tyrannizing from person to person.  Speak to others in good nature and have positive thoughts towards them.  Be bold, overcome your fears, don’t let others stand in your way.  Thinking more positively about yourself will lead to more positive thoughts about others.  Bullying, taunting, harassing,and tormenting is a serious issue, but not one we can’t rise above.  “Just because it isn’t happening to you doesn’t mean it isn’t happening.”  

All it takes is someone with the motivation and leadership to start a change.  That person could be you.  When Emily Mulch was asked if she could be that person she responded with,“Oh my gosh yes, last year I was inspired by this video I saw, called free hugs, and I don’t know if you remember but last year I had a group of people and we came in before school and we all made signs that said ‘free hugs’ and we scattered throughout the school and we just gave out hugs, that video had a huge impact on me and you know I don’t know if that one day of us giving out hugs before school made a change but it just made me smile so much.  You know there were people coming down the hall and they like put there head down like ‘you’re not going to hug me’ and I’m like ‘we’re hugging you just bring it on, we’re doing it’ so absolutely if we could have that kind of stuff.”