By Emeralde O’Donnell
RBSS student
Anti-Bullying Day, also known as Pink Shirt Day, is meant to address the issue of bullying.
It creates awareness about a serious topic, as well as encourages the people who stand by to become the people who stand up. However, just naming a day “Anti-Bullying Day” isn’t what gets the ball rolling. The actions that happen around this day, and because of it, are what make the difference. In light of Pink Shirt Day, the students at Robert Bateman Secondary School decided to start making the difference that they wanted to see.
On Feb. 26, over 300 Bateman students stood up. These students, proudly adorned in pink shirts, made a trip to two nearby schools, Clayburn Middle and Sandy Hill Elementary, in order to make a promise. With their hands full of Timbits, the high school students made a promise to their juniors that they would not be bullied upon entering high school at Robert Bateman Secondary.
Although it may not seem like a lot, the shirts and doughnuts made an unusual combination that conveyed an important message. Being the role models that they are supposed to be, these RBSS students, set an example to the young, impressionable elementary and middle school students. For just one day, something as simple as a few shirts acted as a gateway for students of all ages to put aside their differences. For just one day, the colour pink became a bridge to equality.
“It was so empowering and refreshing to see our generation committing to a new start and laying a foundation for a better tomorrow for up-and-coming students! Although it takes more than a day and an ocean of pink to make a change, hopefully this is a step in the right direction,” said Grade 10 participant, Mikayla Gravelle.
However, it was not for just one day. The message shared by Bateman’s students will act as a foundation for a long-lasting, safe environment for Robert Bateman Secondary students of the present, and of the future.
