Students promote ‘peace chalks’ in Oliver

Lyonel Doherty, Times-Chronicle

Kindness isn’t hard, even for a bully.

That was one of many messages in Oliver high school’s “peace chalks” on Wednesday.

As part of Pink Shirt Day, the Link Crew class at Southern Okanagan Secondary School organized a special anti-bullying activity where students took chalk and wrote kind messages on nearby sidewalks.

 

 

The good vibes reverberated through the school community.

“I think every day should be Pink Shirt Day,” said Ryland Lebedoff, as he and classmate Praphap Dhaliwal scrawled their message (“Don’t bully”) in front of the school.

Lebedoff said his goal is to bring awareness to the community that bullying is hurtful and wrong.

When asked if he or anyone he knew was ever bullied, he said, “Yeah, definitely, it’s not the best feeling.”

Lebedoff said he wants to see more kindness and happiness from everyone.

Dhaliwal said he would really like to see bullies stop and think about the negative effect they are having on their victims. 

Dhaliwal noted he tries to say something when he witnesses someone being bullied.

Charvi Gill and Lavreen Deol combined efforts to spread kindness and ensure that everyone felt included.

 

 

“As a school we think it’s really important for everyone to be welcomed here, and everyone to feel like it’s a safe space,” said Gill.

Deol added that social media is a platform that hosts a lot of negative energy that spreads.

“Students need to know that they are safe and belong in our school. We don’t want to make them think otherwise. 

Everyone is welcome no matter what; no one is different from any other . . .  everyone is loved.”

Deol said she has faced online bullying but has learned to ignore it.

“I’ve learned to just overcome it, like, I don’t let other people’s words define who I am. I define who I am. I’m my own person.” 

 

 

Gill said she truly hopes people see these messages and learn from them.

For Kai Allen, Pink Shirt Day means a lot, but it also brings back memories of being picked on in elementary school.

“I was bullied really badly . . .  I had to switch schools in Grade 5 because I was bullied, and then I got bullied even further at my new school.”

Allen recalled a kid in Grade 6 who started something called “The Kai touch.”

“The whole school avoided me all year in fear of ‘contracting the disease.’ 

In those days she dealt with the bullying by writing music and reminding herself that it wasn’t her fault that she was targeted.

“I don’t think people realize it, but bullying is something that follows you around for the rest of your life, so it’s really nice to have a day to remind people that kindness isn’t hard.”