Students in the Make a Difference GLAD Time made a poster to inform people that bullying is not allowed. The posters serve as reminders for Clarke Central High School students to avoid negative behaviors. “I like that we get to help our school in different type of ways,” freshman Francisco Rodriguez said.
By KENNAE HUNTER – Staff Writer
Students help make Clarke Central High School a better place for everyone by taking the initiative to solve problems.
The Make A Difference GLAD Time is a student-led program at Clarke Central High School, advised by English department teacher Zachary Thrower, in which students are given a platform for students to discuss issues throughout the school.
“It’s a good way to give back to my school and make it a better learning environment for everyone in the school,” freshman Francisco Rodriguez said.
Thrower helps to guide students by thinking of ideas and taking the initiative to turn those ideas into actions.
“I think some of these messages are needed,” Thrower said. “Teachers and students see problems around here and (want to make) whatever small impact they can make in the limited amount of time they have.”
Any problem that has been noticed by students or teachers has the potential to solved by the students in this GLAD Time, including behaviors like bullying and misconduct.
“Every teacher sees (misconduct) in the hallway when there is some fairly inappropriate action between males and females,” Thrower said. “We want to get kids thinking about ‘Is this appropriate? Is this a way to interact with somebody?’”
Another particular part of negative student behavior that Thrower wants to focus the GLAD Time on is bullying.
“I have been trying to expand (anti-bullying) because bullying can be kind of cliché as far as the message goes,” Thrower said. “Obviously it’s a legitimate message and still a problem here.”
Besides making a difference for the school, Make a Difference gives students a purpose for coming to school besides learning since students can come up with resolutions to the problems they face daily.
“I get to make decisions on what we will be doing and have control over what we’re doing,” freshman Mary Carroll Waller said.
Students take ownership of the issues they see around the school when take responsibility for the issues they see when walking through the halls.
“(The students) all came in here and said they wanted to make a difference. That’s a legitimate thing. The more things we can do that are tangible and concrete, I will feel like we made a difference,” Thrower said.
