Eyes opened by assembly

Scott Backovich talks to over a thousand students.

Cate Mitchell

Scott Backovich talks to over a thousand students.

Cate Mitchell, Ranger Review Reporter

On February 22, Sandi Brandl, Lewis-Palmer’s principal, invited Scott Backovich, a modern pacifist, to host an anti-bullying campaign. The student body of Lewis-Palmer High School filed into the gym for what they thought would be another boring assembly. What seemed like a cliche, anti-bullying presentation, the assembly turned out to be one the most favored assembly’s according to many students including Rose Bullecks.

“It was really inspiring and the way he talked about it, it really got to a lot of people,” Rose Bullecks, 9, said. “The way he talked about it meant he got it.”

For two hours, Backovich spoke about his experiences, and he used each story as a lesson to promote his message: ‘Complain less. Do more.’ For the duration of the assembly, Backovich rarely lost the attention of the students.

“It was a very different assembly because he was very into it,” Bullecks said. “I mean he has been talking since he was seventeen, so he gets it.”

Backovich kicked off the assembly lightheartedly, letting the students laugh and welcome him to Lewis-Palmer. When it came time to move to the more serious topics, his stories extracted deep emotions from the crowd, and the students came to realizations about the issues that our society face today.

“What affected me most was the percentage of people, like how many people don’t want to go to school in the morning with the fear of being bullied,” Bullecks said.

Through all of the stories, demonstrations and jokes, Backovich solidified the same message. On a daily basis, students face bullying and self-esteem issues with no one to help them. Backovich’s goal is to open the eyes of every student and make it clear that being different is a good thing. He encourages students to embrace a judgement-free environment and welcome individuality.

“Every time I walk into school I constantly feel like I am being judged but then after his speech I feel like I can walk into school and people won’t judge me,” Abbey Mier, 9, said. “You shouldn’t judge other people,  I don’t like being judged, so why do we do it to each other?”

The students of Lewis-Palmer High School, watching the assembly
Cate Mitchell
The students of Lewis-Palmer High School are watching attentively to the assembly.

Lewis-Palmer can now find itself on a list of thousands of schools that Backovich has spoken to. His impact on people across the nation may create a revolution of positive, happy and healthy environments.