On March 3rd, twenty-five students, sophomores and juniors, selected by the faculty, participated in a Mentors in Violence Prevention Program/  Students were selected for their leadership qualities, whether positive or negative. The definition of leadership that faculty were given was: “one who others follow, has charisma, is successfully persuasive, and has a natural ability to influence others in positive or negative ways.”  The training took place two years ago and we are hoping to continue it at least on an every other year basis.  The four goals of the MVP Program are to raise awareness, challenge thinking, open dialogue, and inspire leadership.  In summation, the statement that I feel characterizes the program is: “utilizing a bystander approach to prevention, the MVP Program views students/atheletes and student leaders, not as potential perpetrators or victims, but, as empowered bystanders who can confront and approach abusive peers.”

 

We also had an assembly presented by “PFLAG,” parents, families and friends, of lesbian and gays.  Their belief is that a community should accept diversity and that only with support, respect, dignity, and equality for all, will we reach our full potential as human beings.  Both of these programs, the MVP,  and the PFLAG, were an attempt to expose and confront some of the difficult issues of bullying.