One word: Bullying.

The topic seems to be overlooked quite often, doesn’t it?

Overlooked as if the word does not seize enough people who care, or its importance does not grasp their attention unless the torment is happening to them.

Maybe this is due to how self-centered people have become in society, but that does not make it acceptable.

People have been accepting bullying and sweeping it under the rug for too long.

Senior Beau Signer thinks bullying is an unpreventable problem.

“Bullying will always be here because everyone is judgmental and people do not stop having negative thoughts about one another,” Signer said. “It doesn’t matter how hard people try.”

We may never be exactly sure why schools aren’t handling bullying as seriously as they should.

Schools exist to provide an education for the people that roam within them, so, if the students within a school feel alienated, the school begins to lose its value.

With that being said, you would think one of the top priorities of a school would be its students and their security.

But it has sadly become more common to believe the opposite.

Maybe this is due to administrations being more concerned with the representation of their schools and how people may portray them rather than their students.

When somebody is showing signs of emotional trauma and hurt, why do we belittle the situation and assume it will get better for them? Or in some cases, ignore it until it is too late?

Not only do individuals that are being bullied need assistance, the ones doing the bullying do too.

Yes, schools tend to discipline bullies, but they don’t take the time to help them. There is usually an underlying issue that people are ignoring and can only improve with needed attention.

As people, we need to realize that the individuals around us are different and our judgment of them is futile.

As my days flow by in school, I observe my surroundings and notice bullying occurring more often than fellowship. Rumors, rude remarks, and judgment resonate through these halls.

This impacts our school in a way that can never be taken back, as it leaves a smudge in the character of our students.

People are not made to be molded identically in this world, nor to feel excluded.

Our anti-bullying club “Power of 100” is no longer in existence, and there are no efforts to my knowledge in bringing it back.

We now rely on posters hung throughout the halls from organizations such as 1-800 Speak Up and the National Suicide Prevention lifeline number to help prevent bullying and suicide.

When will we finally make a change?