A San Diego high school English class has a lot to say about bullying.
Their powerful words, not actually spoken, are shown in the form of signs they hold in a moving YouTube video making its rounds on the Internet.
“Don’t comment on my weight.”
“Don’t call me weird because I express myself with my clothes.”
“Do not call me unintelligent.”
The video underscores the impact of bullying and calls out to: “End the hate. Stop bullying.”
The class at Monte Vista High School were tasked with creating a public service announcement about bullying, but never knew it would get so much attention.
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The project was headed by two seniors, Gilberto Jimenez and Ester Serns, who both have experiences with bullying.
“I was a really chubby kid,” Jimenez said. “Fat, they used to call me.”
Everyone’s been called a name, so these students chose to put those words on display.
“This is my chance to show people that they shouldn’t be affected by what other people say or what other people do to them,” Jimenez said. “They should stand up for themselves.”
The video took off, spreading to other classes, including a special education class, and event to other schools.
“We just asked them, ‘What was something you didn’t like to be called and it really hurt you?” Serns said.
The video gave the students a chance to be heard and their chance to speak their minds.
“The more we spread like this video, the more it’s going to hit closer to home and I think it’s going to stop things at the source and I hope that it will change someone from being a bully to think about what they say,” Serns said.
Watch the full video here:
