The Manchester Enterprise
A Heritage Newspaper
Weekly Publication
Entertainers bring campaign against bullying to school
Youth troupe spreads the word about treating others with respect
By Alana West, Special Writer
PUBLISHED: February 1, 2007
Students at Manchester Middle School danced in the stands and sang about kindness and respect with the group Mello-D's Youth Under Construction.
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The group performed at a special assembly Friday at the school. The group's hip-hop songs feature catchy lyrics that teach people to be considerate of others.
The group includes brother and sister duo Raven and Ramal Rodriguez, Tyrone Davis, and Steven Fagan.
"You've got to figure it out!" shouted members of the group. "Each and every one of you is a star … I'm gonna let my light shine!"
Students shouted and stamped their feet throughout the performance as the singers rapped the lyrics.
"One of the worst things in the world is just people being mean to each other," Lisa Sawicki, who provides public relations for the singing group, told the audience.
"Words can build or words can destroy," Sawicki said.
Name-calling, teasing and putting others down is destructive to both the victim and the attacker because of the insecurities and the guilt they cause.
Sawicki asked the students if they understood what she was talking about, and at least half the students raised their hands.
She told them she had heard that there had been instances of fights between friends happening at the school, "Even this week," she said.
Sawicki talked about how meanness can destroy friendships, and she wanted the students to take responsibility for their own actions.
"It doesn't matter what happened an hour ago. What matters is what you do next, and throughout your life," Sawicki said.
She challenged the students to empower themselves and make a difference in the world.
"You know you're our future leaders, doctors, teachers, lawyers … I hope you will make a better world than we have today. Maybe it will be your generation which will have world peace," she said. "Stand up and be conscious of what is right and wrong."
Student Sarah Gibson said she enjoyed the performance.
"I liked it pretty good," she said. "Most people think we don't like this music, but we do. I liked it."
Tammy Collom, a fifth-grader at the school, said she was moved by the message. "Because they convinced bullies to be nice, and everyone was standing up singing," she said.
Manchester Middle School Principal Shanna Spickard said the district decided to organize the concert after a few cases of bullying and teasing this year at the school. She said the attitude among the students is improving through disciplinary actions, and students are reporting incidents.
"Many (students) have signed pledges … that they won't take part in destructive behavior," she said.
Spickard said the school had two different pledges to sign: one against bullying, and another to promote safety for everyone.
"We're getting out of the tattle-tale (mode) and getting into the duty of citizenship," she said. "We are trying to promote respect.
"It's a tough time when kids from fifth to eighth grade are afraid to come to school.
"But it's improving."
Spickard said concerns about issues that might lead to violence in schools cannot be taken lightly.
Jamie Kendall, a member of the committee that selected the group for the assembly, said she hoped the group's message of anti-bullying makes a positive change for the school.
All music and lyrics for the group were written by David Sawicki. The group, whose members are from Royal Oak and Detroit, has received four national awards. It was the group's first visit to Manchester.
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