From Oct. 21 through Oct. 25, ETHS observed Bullying Prevention Week. 

Carrie Goldman, an award-winning author of the book Bullied and co-founder of Pop Culture Hero Coalition, an organization that aims to bridge bullying prevention groups and celebrities together, spoke to students at ETHS about the effects of bullying and the importance of bullying awareness to classes in the Upstairs Theatre on Oct. 24. 

 “I hope that kids take away the idea that its okay to slow down before reacting when you are feeling sad, what we want is for people to respond not react. Responding requires mindful thinking. Especially in the age of social media it is very easy for kids to start lashing out,” Goldman said in a reply to The Evanstonian after her workshop. 

Goldman also spoke about how students along with teachers and faculty shouldn’t ignore bullying but instead respond with intention. 

“I think that the best thing schools and teachers can do is respond with empathy when someone says they’ve been bullied,” Goldman said. 

Some gym classes held activities for freshmen and sophomores which made students more aware of their actions on classmates’ lives. In some classes, students engaged in an activity that allowed them to silently respond to personal and social questions that helped them better understand their peers. 

 “It helps the students see the ways people are being treated. Spreading awareness about bullying can lead to preventing it, by making more students mindful of how their actions will affect others,” sophomore Tatum Norris said.