Copyright © 2004 NLThomas
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News from Cherokee Nation
Copyright © 2004 CNO
BRIGGS, OKLAHOMA - Jamie Guthrie, a student at Briggs School, knows all about how to handle a school bully.
Jamie Guthrie holds up her cartoon poster aimed at stopping bullying among middle-school children. 
"I see kids get bullied here and I stick up for them", Guthrie said. "I learned ways to help stop bullying and how to help other kids who are being bullied."
Guthrie, an eleven year-old Cherokee, was recently chosen by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to be a part of a youth expert panel to develop campaign materials that would grab the attention of middle-school age students. The panel was made up of 20 children ages 10 to 14 from all across the United States. An official at Briggs School nominated Guthrie for the panel.
"When they asked me if we had a student who could do this, I instantly thought of her", said Alicia O’Donnell, federal programs director at Briggs School. "I thought she’d be a great representative."
"We looked at logos and cartoon characters and helped name them", Guthrie said.
The logo and cartoon characters now adorn a website, t-shirts, sports bottles, stuffed animals, and will eventually have their own cartoon show on the Nickelodeon network. The website, Stop Bullying Now, is complete with tips and facts on bullying in American schools, ways to help a child who is being bullied, and resources for more information. The characters even appear is short ''webisodes'' where they portray scenarios that children may face.
"The problem is the people who are bullying don’t think they are doing anything wrong", Jamie Guthrie said. "They don’t realize they’re hurting other people."
The website defines bullying as hitting, name-calling, exclusion or other behavior that is meant to hurt another person. It also states that victims of bullying often grow up depressed or anxious.
"I hope it will help all the kids and help them not to bully", Jamie Guthrie said. "I think we’d all live better if it was not for bullying."
The Stop Bullying Now campaign cartoon will air on Nickelodeon some time this summer.
| Related contact information: |
|
Mike Miller, Cherokee Nation Director of Communications Phone: 918-456-0671 (ext.2210) Fax: 918-458-5580 E-mail: Communications@cherokee.org
Larry Daugherty, Advertising Manager |
Steven Swogger, Agriculture Liaison Natural Resources Department Phone: 918-456-0671 (ext.2546) FAX: 918-458-7673 E-mail: sswogger@cherokee.org
Bradley D. Peak, Cherokee Nation |
