The Black and White

by Ethan Smitherman

Recently, an alleged antisemitic incident occurred at Smithfield High School. According to WPRI news reporters Sarah Bawden, Lauren Brill, and Kristen Burnell “Jewish Alliance CEO Adam Greenman was told that several football players barricaded a freshman student in a bathroom in late September, doused him with a spray bottle and shouted antisemitic slurs at him.” Smithfield Superintendent Dawn Bartz had also verified that inappropriate conduct was found amongst multiple students. Smithfield School Committee Chair Richard Iannitelli confirmed that five of these students were allowed to return to their football team. Last week the school committee decided to launch an investigation into the situation, which will be conducted by the committee’s own attorney. The Rhode Island Attorney General’s Office has also decided to launch their own investigation into the incident.

The incident that took place at Smithfield High School is simply not acceptable. Education centers should be a safe place for learning and development. Bullying and hazing of any kind should not take place at any education center. Year by year the world is growing into a place that condemns actions like bullying. Mental health is being taken much more seriously than ever before. Hazing can affect mental health in incredibly serious ways. These violent practices have lasting psychological effects, such as PTSD, depression, anxiety disorders, and even suicidal thoughts. These disorders can continue to affect a person for the rest of their life, and in the worst cases they can end someone’s life. Behavior that even has a chance of inflicting these psychological effects, should not go unpunished like it seems to have at Smithfield. As the world transitions into a place that puts more emphasis on the importance of actions, more care should be taken with incidents like these. 

The parents of the people responsible for the locker room incident have released a statement as seen down below.

While locker room behavior has existed for decades, its effects should not be overlooked due to that fact. Condemning this behavior is the least of what should be done. Disciplinary action is required to help put a stop to this behavior, by both the parents and the school. Parents have a responsibility to set a positive example towards their kids, and act against these violent behaviors. Defending their children’s actions just enables them. Acting as if this behavior “is not targeted” and “is not planned” is simply feigning ignorance. Regardless of whether or not this specific incident was targeted or planned out, many past incidents have been, and many future incidents will be. Ignoring the implications of this behavior is the worst thing that can happen. The less disciplinary action that is taken, the less students will realize the dangers of their actions. More students will have to suffer through hazing because the people who are supposed to protect them have neglected their responsibilities. It is not enough to only condemn hazing, proper action must be taken against it. 

The hazing culture that exists within some schools like Smithfield has gone on for too long. These terrible and violent encounters have been normalized for far too long. Hazing is no different than bullying which is widely condemned and acted against, however hazing seems to get less attention. I urge schools like Smithfield to recognize the dangers of their hazing cultures, and to act against them. If students cannot be protected from their own peers, it puts into question the safety of their learning environment in general. 

In response to the hazing event that took place at Smithfield High School the Sandra Bornstein Holocaust Education Center and the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island held a Rachel’s Challenge program. The Rachel’s Challenge program is a presentation dedicated to Rachel Scott, a student who was murdered in the Columbine high school shootings. In 22 terrible minutes the lives of 13 students were cut short, and 27 were wounded. The shooters of Columbine high school were guided by racism and prejudice. Craig Scott, Rachel’s brother, says that the two shooters shouted racial slurs at his friend Isiah, a black student, who was next to him during the shooting. The shooters murdered the two black students next to Craig at the time of the shooting. The shooting also took place on Hitler’s birthday. This presentation aims to inform the public of Rachel’s ideas of positivity for the world, and to raise awareness about the dangers of prejudice. 

It is deeply tragic that a person like Rachel was murdered, but her ambition did not die with her. One of the most iconic phrases/ideas to come from Rachel is “I have this theory that if one person can go out of their way to show compassion, then it will start a chain reaction of the same. People will never know how far a little kindness can go.” I believe that the students who were involved in the hazing could learn from this statement. Actions like hazing start a chain reaction of evil rather than kindness. However small a moment may seem, a single moment, kind or not, can do so many things. Rachel was the type of person who created many great moments. After noticing a special needs individual, Adam, was getting bullied she took action. Every day following Rachel would take it upon herself to find Adam in the halls and say hi and do something kind like high five him. That singular moment that Rachel took to notice Adam’s situation and stand up, was what prevented him from committing suicide.

If there’s one thing to take away from Rachel’s challenge presentation is that even the smallest things can make a difference. In light of this, I challenge you, the reader, to take a page from Rachel’s book and start your own chain reaction, after all, you don’t know how far it may go.