"Speaking Up" by Susan Pearl

 The new student in school wasn't happy with her being transferred to such a mean school, but her family's work had frequent moves. Everyday she saw the same boy being bullied. It just didn't seem fair.

There was a class meeting after lunch today in the auditorium. She saw the class president, the class vice president , the treasurer and secretary on stage. The bell rang.  The class president went to the microphone  and called the meeting to order and for the secretary to read the minutes of the previous meeting. With no corrections from the audience the minutes stood to be correct as read.  There was no old business and so the meeting moved on to open the floor for any new business. The new transfer student stood and gave her name and asked if she could address the class with some troubling new business. She explained that she was a recent transfer and she had gone to several schools in high school and this was the meanest school she had ever attended. She wanted the class president to ask for ideas as to how the cut back on the bullying.  

The president was at a loss for words but said that no one had been hurt and no school officials had been concerned. She didn't think it was overly problematic. Then asked for a motion to adjourn the meeting.

The girl in the the audience said that she would like for the minutes to read that she disagreed and she wanted the school counselor notified that following today's class meeting she was personally escorting a very bullied classmate. She, also, wanted to know if any volunteers would join her and if anyone would like to help to please stand up.  The auditorium was tense. Someone yelled, "I vote for the meeting to be adjourned". The class president pounded the gavel saying, "Meeting stands adjourned".

"But we didn't vote", someone shouted.  Students started to leave. The girl made her may to walk beside the student who she thought was overly bullied. She held her head high and asked the other student, "Do you mind if I walk with you"? "Thank you". answered the student.

Then approximately fifteen students came and accompanied her and the student. One student said, "I've been thinking the same thing for a long time. We can do this!!!!!!!! Let's clap for our great classmate".

Things changed at the school. The change had been in the making for several students for quite awhile because they believed things were crossing a line and after awhile a few bullies actually apologized.  The girl was a "write-in" for the next class election and she became a very beloved and respected class president.