Are you up to the challenge?

Rachel Scott died at Columbine, but her spirit and ethic continue to inspire, By Michelle Mione and Brielle Sullivan Warwick - Silence. Complete and utter silence filled the auditorium at Warwick Valley High School on March 30. Silence, because any vestige of indifference among those in the audience fell away as they listened to Doug Brandl talk about one of the most heartbreaking events ever to occur involving a high school in our country: the Columbine High School shooting. On April 20, 1999, Two students, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, entered Columbine High School in Colorado with the intention of shooting students and teachers. They had originally set two bombs in the cafeteria but the bombs failed to detonate. Forced to improvise, the boys stormed the library. Twelve students and one teacher were killed for no reason other than whim and prejudice. Based on information collected later by reporters and police, it seemed the two killers were influenced by Adolph Hitler. They chose his birthday to carry out their shooting. But on this day in March 2011, more than 1,800 miles from Columbine and nearly 12 years removed from the tragedy, Brandl delivered a presentation to the Warwick community about one Columbine victim who has made a tremendous impact around the world. Her name was Rachel Joy Scott, and this is Rachel’s Challenge. To see the best in others Rachel was a kind and sweet person who always went out of her way to help others and see the best in those around her. After her death, her family and friends realized the power that she had to make the world a better place. She wanted to change the world. The six diaries that she wrote blew people away; they were filled with goals and codes that challenged the reader to change and spread kindness. In addition to her diaries, many students went to the Scotts and told stories of how Rachel helped them out of a dark and lonely place. As a result, her father, Darrell Scott, created an organization called Rachel’s Challenge. Reaction from students In the small town of Warwick, Brandl, one of the many presenters of Rachel’s Challenge, executed a presentation that drew tears of compassion from the viewers. Joni-Maree Paternella, a student at Warwick Valley High School, was touched by the sincerity of the presentation. “I honestly thought that nobody would take the presentation seriously, but I was pleased to find that the entire audience was silent; some people were even crying,” Paternella said. Hopefully the message of empathy and consideration for others sank in.” Tori Malin, also a student attending Warwick Valley High School, had a similar reaction. “I think that Rachel’s Challenge was the best assembly to be given at Warwick Valley High School in a long time,” she said. “I was very happy with the amazing presentation that no doubt moved the entire student body. Also, I was pleasantly surprised at the amount of respect the students displayed during the presentation. This shows how beneficial the assembly was for the school and community.” Judith Cancela also was moved: “Seeing (Rachel’s) small decisions that changed people’s lives was amazing and making that effort to change the world was outstanding.” Fellow student Tanner Jergensen said he was surprised by how emotional the school audience got during the presentation. “I really think that Rachel’s Challenge is going to have an effect on Warwick Valley High School and that it will create a kinder environment,” Jergensen said. Chris Fischer added: “It was extremely inspirational and I truly enjoyed it. It definitely had a huge impact on me.” Kylie Lawrence reacted this way: “It made me tear up and realize the effects that one person can have on the world and I hope that I can do the same one day,” said the Warwick Valley High School student. More reaction During the assemblies at Warwick Valley High School, all of the 1,004 seats were filled and others were standing in the back. The after school showing of the presentation seemed to be approximately half to three quarters full. Pastor David Peterson of the Warwick Assembly of God Church also was in the audience. “I have heard of her story before and it is very inspirational,” he said. “It is important to try to make the commitment to holding onto the inspiration and actually truly taking Rachel’s Challenge to heart.” Roseanne Magee, a mother of a Warwick Valley High School student, said she has seen the presentation before. “I have shared this message with almost everyone I know because it is such an important message. Hopefully, more and more people will learn about this challenge and bring it to their communities.” Warwick Valley High School Principal Richard Linkens said the presentation “gets right to the heart of the matter. The challenge to be kind is a great one, but the students of our school are up to the challenge.” Carol Reynolds, a mother of a Warwick Valley High School student, offered this reaction: “It puts a lot of things in a new perspective for me and I hope to keep in mind the ideas of Rachel’s Challenge each day.” Added her daughter, Jessica: “It brought tears to my eyes and made me truly believe that change is possible.” 'Only kindness matters’ Every day, members of Rachel’s Challenge are spreading her message all over the world. Every day, there is at least one individual who accepts that challenge and strives to achieve it. Every day, Rachel, a girl whose death has inspired our nation with her kindness and pursuit of a better world is remembered by those who have been informed about her story. Even as a young child, Rachel wanted to change the world. Today, Rachel Scott has had an impact on nations around the world and this is her message: In the end, only kindness matters. She has redefined the boundaries of compassion and encouraged people to reach out to those in need and improve the world one act of kindness at a time. Are you up to the challenge? Michelle Mione and Brielle Sullivan are juniors at Warwick Valley High School and plan to major in journalism in college.

Rachel’s Challenge returns May 24
The Warwick Valley School Board announced this week that the district would host a repeat presentation of Rachel’s Challenge on Tuesday, May 24, at the Middle School. The schedule will be announced at a later time.

Rachel’s Challenge
Rachel Scott’s code of ethics has five main goals to re-establish civility in our lives through acts of kindness and compassion to prevent acts of bullying that can lead to school violence:
Look for the best in others - eliminate prejudice.
Dare to dream.
Choose your influences.
Use kind words - small acts of kindness can lead to huge results.
Tell the five to six people who mean the most to you how much you care and have them do the same. Start a chain reaction.
Rachel’s Challenge has motivated several prominent figures in society such as President Bill Clinton, President George W. Bush, Chuck Norris, Elton John, and the Dave Mathews Band.
More than 30 books have been published that relate directly to Rachel’s Challenge. Many films have been based on Rachel Scott’s story and one short film even won an award in the Tribeca Film Festival hosted by Robert De Niro.
In addition, commercials have been centered around the basis of kindness and respect that students should show to their peers. Payable on Death (P.O.D.), an American Christian Metal band, wrote a song titled “Youth of the Nation.”
This emotional song was influenced by the Columbine tragedy. The lyrics are not directly based on the events that occurred on that disastrous day, but they tell a story similar to that of Rachel Scott’s death.
Another song that was influenced by Rachel’s Challenge is a melody that was played during the Warwick presentation and drew out a deeply poignant reaction from the crowd. The name of the song is “Hands” written by Jewel and the lyrics focus on the importance of kindness.