By Amy Batista, Special Writer
MONROE — Residents and students gathered in the Monroe Township Middle School Performing Arts Center Nov. 28 to start a “Chain Reaction” of being kind to one another in honor of Rachel Scott, the first Columbine High School shooting victim.
”Tonight, I want to tell you about a story, an experience about a young lady who had a dream and a goal to start a chain reaction of kindness of compassion and her name was Rachel Joy Scott,” said presenter, Jimmy Braden of the Rachel’s Challenge organization.
Monroe Township Middle School Principal Chari Chanley welcomed visitors and shared some background on the presentation before it got started.
Middle school students already participated in a similar presentation earlier in the day, according to Ms. Chanley.
”We trained approximately 100 children, 25 children represented sixth grade, seventh grade and eight grade and 25 children were representative of the High School,” Ms. Chanley said. “We believe that this presentation is going to be more than just an event that you are having the pleasure of seeing this evening but it’s also going to be an event that this is also going to help us move forward in making what we are calling a ‘chain reaction’ of kindness and humanity for all.”
Mr. Braden began his PowerPoint presentation in the PAC with a photo of Rachel on the screen.
”What I’m about to show you will tell you a little bit more about this essay and about the day Rachel died,” said Mr. Braden.
According to Mr. Braden, Rachel was the first person to be killed in the Columbine tragedy in Littleton, Colorado in 1999.
”After Rachel’s death, her family found an essay that Rachel had written in her fifth period class,” Mr. Braden said. “She had entitled this essay ‘My Ethics, My Codes of Life’ and in her essay she challenged her readers to what she called a chain reaction of kindness.”
In the essay, Rachel said “I have this theory that if one person will go out of their way to show compassion that it will start a chain reaction of the same.”
”She said ‘People will never know how far a little kindness will go,’” Mr. Braden said.
According to the presentation, Columbine students Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold placed two bombs in the cafeteria minutes before students filled the area and then went outside to wait for the bombs to explode.
”Their plan was to shoot students as they fled from the building,” said the narrator during a video of the Columbine shooting. “The bombs failed to detonate, in frustration, the gunmen approached the school shooting students outside the west entrance.”
According to the presentation, the library was the scene of the “most intense” shooting.
”In just seven and half minutes ten people were killed and 12 were wounded,” the narrator said are the gunmen left the library and headed downstairs to the cafeteria. “Thirteen are dead, or now dying. Twenty-seven are wounded. In just 22 minutes, from the time shown these surveillance tapes, the two killers took their lives in the library.”
Columbine High School was now the scene of the worst school shooting in United States History, according to the presentation.
Sniffles could be heard coming from the audience as they reacted to the scenes being shown on the screen.
”April 20 was the first warm spring day in Colorado,” the narrator said. “Rachel Joy Scott chose to sit on the grass outside these doors and eat her lunch with a friend. This is where Rachel was shot. This is where Rachel died.”
”She started a chain reaction where she was kind to others because of that she’s changed the world,” said her brother Craig Scott in the presentation. “I miss my sister.”
According to Mr. Braden, Craig was at school that day and was in the library during the shooting. His two friends watched his friends die in front of him.
”Our program is called “Rachel’s Challenge” because it is based on challenges from Rachel’s life,” Mr. Braden. said.
One by one, JB introduced each of Rachel’s Challenges to the audience. According to Mr. Braden, Rachel had influences in her life just like the shooters, who chose Adolf Hitler.
”Rachel chose positive role models like Anne Frank,” Mr. Braden said. “She was so inspired with Anne Frank that she kept her own diary.”
According to Rachel’s sister, Bethany, the family later found six diaries.
”Most people don’t know that Rachel died on Hitler’s birthday,” said her dad Darrell in the presentation. “That was the day that Eric and Dylan chose for the Columbine tragedy to take place.”
Mr. Braden then put up a slide of a goal Rachel had when she was 13 where she outlined her hands on her dresser and wrote, “These hands belong to Rachel Joy Scott and will some day touch millions of people’s hearts.”
”Today over 18 million people around the world have heard Rachel’s story and have been inspired by her story,” Mr. Braden said. “Speak with words of kindness. I want you to understand that our words have the power to hurt but they also have the power to heal.”
Mr. Braden asked the audience to think back to a time when someone gave you a comment “that made you feel good” and then a time when someone insulted or really hurt you and how for “some of us that could be 10 or 15 years ago but we still remember those words and how it made us feel” as he pointed out that “our words have power.”
”I want to challenge you today to pay attention to the words you use and make sure they are words that heal, make sure they are words of kindness,” Mr. Braden said.
According to Mr. Braden, Rachel received the National Kindness Award for Student of the Year in 2001, two years after she died.
”She focused on the little things that made the big difference in a lot people’s lives and she started a chain reaction of kindness rippling around the world and millions of lives have been impacted because of it,” Mr. Braden said.
At the conclusion of the presentation, he asked the audience to accept Rachel’s Challenge:
1) Look for the best in others and eliminate prejudice.
2) Treat Others the Way You Want to be Treated.
3) Choose Positive Influences.
4) Speak Words of Kindness.
5) Forgive Yourself and Others.
Audience members, including many who were visibly moved by the presentation, were asked to sign the challenge outside on the banner waiting for them outside the PAC.
”Very moving,” said Peggy Glynn of Monroe. “It was more than I expected. I didn’t think it was going to be as moving.”
”It’s very inspiring,” said Kim Strych of Monroe. “It brought tears to my eyes. I hope it makes a difference.”
”The program was brought to me by a student (David Lawrence) last year who had transferred from another school district and with the new anti-bullying laws he came and said this is the most amazing program,” said Monroe Township Middle School Guidance Counselor Dana Oberheim. “Whenever a student says something positive about something I always give it value.”
The school formed a Friend of Rachel Club and will be doing the chain link event in the spring with the High School where they will connect both schools together, according to Ms. Oberheim.
”The kids said it was one of the best assemblies they have ever seen,” Ms. Oberheim said. “They came up with such fabulous ideas for us to carry it forward. I was so impressed with them.”

