Sometimes a joke is not a joke, even with high schoolers. It might just be a warning sign of something serious.
“If a kid jokingly posts on Snapchat, ‘I’m going to bomb the school,’ you’ve got to say something to protect people around you,” said Hanadie Tulemat, an incoming senior at Stagg High School in Palos Hills.
Rather than shrink away from classmates who may be feeling depressed or ready to lash out, Tulemat hopes to help her fellow students, and, when necessary, work to diffuse tension.
It’s a way, she said, to keep the school safe, and she wants to spread that desire to help among her classmates. She’s found the perfect vehicle for doing so one of 13 teens from around the nation who serve on the National Youth Advisory Board for Sandy Hook Promise.
The national nonprofit based in Newton, Connecticut, teaches teens to recognize signs of potential violence and help create a culture change that prevents tragedies. It was founded by family members of children killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School on December 14, 2012.
“If a friend is telling you they are not feeling well and are feeling down for a week straight, maybe talk to a trusted adult on what you should do,” Tulemat said.
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She’s made videos on topics including her worries about going back to school, and managed a blog on what her school’s efforts to prevent violence, including having older students introduce themselves to new students and handing out gift bags to make them feel welcome.
When Tulemat and school administrators were brainstorming ideas on how to implement safety and build morale, she asked other board members for help.
“Sometimes if the school is struggling on some ideas, you can just go to them and tell (the Sandy Hook Promise board),” she said. “If you’re sad or overwhelmed and say ‘I don’t know what to do,’ they’ll help you out. … They were there for me. They always made themselves open for help or advice.”
The school was already spreading the message of Sandy Hook Promise through its Students Against Violence Everywhere Promise Club for several years before Tulemat got involved. During Youth Violence Prevention Week, teachers put together slides about kindness, explaining how to approach someone to say hello, what the word entails and examples of spreading it.
But staff said Tulemat has boosted the program’s presence at the school.
“Sandy Hook Promise has been a wonderful organization to work with, and we really like the idea of one of our students becoming one of the leaders for them,” said Mary Pat Carr, an assistant principal who suggested Tulemat get involved with the group.
“She has been a student who has really stood out as a leader as a freshman and sophomore. She quickly made a name for herself as someone who has a lot of passion for Sandy Hook Promise and student safety. She really has a great connection with other kids so we thought she would be a great person for this position.”
Tulemat is looking forward to seeing other board members in person this year. She will also be senior class president in the fall and has some ideas for improving school life.
The school has a Stagg fest at the end of each year, but she hopes to create a welcoming event in the fall and reach out to Muslim students, who often cannot fully enjoy the spring festival if it happens during Ramadan, which includes a fast from dawn to sunset.
Her work at the national level and at within her school comes down to compassion, she said.
“I was just raised with morals,” Tulemat said. “If you see someone who just spilled their groceries you go to them and help them. If you see an elderly person crossing the street, you help.”
Janice Neumann is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.