By Cailin Reid and Robert Tapia

Opinion Editor and Contributing Writer

Imagine walking down the hallway during nutrition to greet your friend with a hello and a hug. Then you’re suddenly embarrassed and humiliated because they refused your affection and laughed in your face instead. That was a reality for one student at Daniel Pearl Magnet High School (DPMHS).

“No one should feel that it is okay or even acceptable for them to humiliate another person, ever,” said Student Body President Jennifer Berrios. “If I was there, I would have definitely stood up for him. He did not do anything to deserve being laughed at. That girl should be ashamed.”

While bullying has been a problem at high schools across the country, bullying has not been much of an issue at DPMHS. But this school year, the tone has changed.

There is more pushing and shoving going on throughout the hallways.

Teachers and staff also feel a difference in the attitude of the students that wasn’t present in previous years.

The staff thought that the students would have started the year off with their best behavior but too many students are making poor decisions.

“Just the way the students walk down the hallway is different,” English teacher JaYoung Kim.

In early September, an incident that started off as a fun birthday tradition turned into something violent that really opened everyone’s eyes to situation occurring right in front of them.

Students crowded around as they watched the student, whose birthday it was, being punched repeatedly and told no one about it.

This caused DPMHS officials to react, they decided to stop the celebrations of birthdays all together.

No more birthday shout outs on the public address system (PA) are allowed and school officials are even trying to stop kids from bringing balloons and other birthday gifts to school.

School Counselor Martina Torres, defined bullying as one person making another feel uncomfortable, physically and/or emotionally hurt.

“That was beyond bullying,” Torres said.

During DPMHS’s annual beginning of the year House meetings, Principal Deborah Smith, who’s currently in her first year as principal of DPMHS, spoke to all of the students about the issues involving bullying and how she wants the school to change.

Smith was disappointed with how the students are treating each other, regarding some name calling and the situation with the birthday punches.

Smith wants to ensure that DPMHS is a safe and comfortable place for everyone, no matter what there differences may be.

Smith also spoke about the rewards students can receive by being a little more polite and making the school fun for everyone.

“I love giving house points to students,” Smith said.

Early last week, Sept. 27 and 28, teachers were instructed to hand out surveys to the students titled “What’s going on at my school?”

The staff wanted everyone to be honest and open about whether or not they feel that people are being bullied and what they are being bullied about. Leadership students are currently compiling the answers.

The survey gave students an opportunity to provide input on how they think their behavior should be .

“We need input from the student body because they need to be willing to change themselves,” Torres said.