AHC Chooses Kindness
Photo by Danielle Ballantine
Rodney Glasgow speaking to the LOTAs during Kindness Week
Students at the Academy of the Holy Cross learned to choose kindness during a week in January. Tartans participated in various activities hosted by clubs as well as an all-school assembly led by special guest speaker Rodney Glasgow. The No Place for Hate Committee joined in the preparation for this week, making sure to highlight the importance of choosing kindness in your everyday life.
Freshman Megan Steele, a member of the No Place for Hate Committee, voiced her opinion on the week. “This week is important because it raises awareness for bullying,” Steele explained, “it makes sure that people are being more inclusive to others.”
The committee held a planning meeting ahead of time to organize the week, deciding who would be assigned to give lessons to different advisory classes and who would be in charge of other activities. Casey Robertson, moderator of the No Place for Hate Committee, played a key role in the preparation for the Kindness in Action week as well. Robertson helped to make sure that everyone knew what they were doing and that there were activities for everybody.
Looking back on it, it seems like it’s a conversation that people didn’t know they wanted to have but once we started having it, people seemed excited to be talking about it — Casey Robertson
Kindness in Action week was a collaboration between the No Place for Hate group and the Prism club, working together to use the week as a way to include anti-bullying activities and raise awareness. They combined the activities of the Anti-Defamation Leaque’s No Place for Hate campaign and the GLSEN’s No Name Calling week.
The IB candidates of the club are responsible for spearheading the No Place for Hate as their CAS project. Robertson cooperated with the Anti Defamation League to make sure that all the requirements for the week were met.
Robertson stated, “No Place for Hate has a committee of about 40 students that spans all of the grades here.” She added “we meet a couple times a month to discuss different topics that surround acceptance and understanding of different communities and individuals.”
The group decided on facilitating an activity about what it means to be a bystander and an ally. Each member of the committee was trained and prepared the activities beforehand.
Senior Jo Matta and junior Shelby Wilson with guest speaker, Rodney Glasgow
The president of Prism Club, senior Jo Matta was one of the leaders in the preparation of the week. She was involved with picking out and getting approval for the different activities for the week.
Matta shared “I think that no matter who you are, kindness and respect are really, really important qualities that you are going to need for the rest of your life.” She continued , “it is important that we are treating one another with a basic level of kindness and respect, with recognition to the dignity that everyone has.” Matta believes that this week is key in emphasizing these values for the Holy Cross community.
Robertson mentioned, “looking back on it, it seems like it’s a conversation that people didn’t know they wanted to have but once we started having it, people seemed excited to be talking about it.”
She shared the importance of this week, saying that she believes that the concept of bullying has changed over time and bullying isn’t always being physically mean to one another. Robertson added “really, what bullying looks like now, is a lot more on phones and social media.”
The No Place for Hate Committee will continue to meet and come up with ways to keep the conversation of bullying progressig. More activities will be planned in the future to continue to explore different aspects of bullying as well.
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