Taking on the bullies

Editorial: March 10, 2022

You have to start somewhere.

We will admit to some heavy-duty skepticism when this newspaper received a press release last week announcing three days of anti-bullying assemblies and break-out sessions at Cooperstown Central School. It all sounded rather gimmicky – “a student empowerment and empathy activation team” calling itself “Sweethearts & Heroes” and co-founded by a Cooperstown High alum, Tom Murphy. Students participating in “Circle,” which, said the release, is “based on the ancient ritual of sitting in a circle to communicate and build empathy.”

Press releases are, at best, carefully contrived and one-dimensional – not the most ideal vehicle to convey the essence of something designed to drive home a compelling message about bullying.

Tom Murphy and his colleague, retired U.S. Army Sergeant Rick Yarosh, steamrolled our aforementioned skepticism right out of the box, though; their Monday afternoon program was hard-hitting but empathetic, energetic and motivational, entertaining and interactive. Students were engaged, too – a tough crowd, those senior high students are, at a tough time of day, after lunch and during the last period before school’s end – but they rallied and got involved. Well done, all.

Last December, this newspaper reported the story when two students stood to address a meeting of the CCS Board of Education to say they felt like they had no support from “a member of the administration” when they reported incidents of racial intolerance and bullying. Whether their