Gordon Clay here. Every day, more than 160,000 children nationwide stay home from school to avoid being bullied. The average bullying episode lasts only thirty-seven seconds, and school personnel are reported to notice or intervene in only one in twenty-five incidents. Not only are the effects of bullying on a child felt immediately, but they can also be lifelong and even tragic. In fact, in the last year, the greater Brookings/Harbor area has had 11 suicide attempts and six successful suicides, two those suicides were teenagers. While we never know for sure what the tipping point was, verbal abuse may have played a part.

TheCitizensWhoCare.org is sponsoring a free showing of the movie Bully at the Redwood Cinema in Brookings on March 26 in loving memory of Dorothy Shull. The PG-13 rated version will show at 10:15 am, the G rated version at 11:10 am.

After the movie, those wearing the orange wrist band from last October's program, will be entered in a raffle for gift certificates from Dairy Queen. Wrist bands will be available at the entrance of Fred Meyer Saturday and Sunday, March 23-24 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. while supplies last.

Following the movie, we will hold a vigil at 6 pm on the front lawn of Brookings Harbor High School campus, where we will place an engraved stone marker to remind us all of the incredible spirit, awesome talent, and giving nature of this former student.

We believe the presence of this marker will be a living reminder of the importance of how we treat each other and that all of us, students, staff, parents and community, need to share the responsibility of making school a safe experience for every student so they can be in an environment that is conducive to the learning process. Join us, won't you?