St. Tammany News

Columbine High School, April 1999. One may forget the exact date, but not the event. Millions watched spellbound as two armed gunmen, students of the school themselves, killed 12 students and one teacher.

The first person they killed was Rachel Joy Scott, a student who was sitting on the grass outside on the first warm day of the day eating her lunch. Many other deaths and injuries were to follow.

Fontainebleau Junior High School Assistant Principal Shannon d'Hemecourt, presenter Brandie Orozco, eighth graders Trey Heintz and Cortlan Guillory and Dr. Timothy Schneider, principal after the presentation of Rachel's Challenge at the school on Tuesday morning. (Staff photo by Debbie Glover)

Scott's brother, Craig, watched in horror as his two friends, hiding underneath the desk in the library, were gunned down before his eyes. He was next, but the sprinkler system suddenly went off and the two gunmen were distracted and skipped him as they turned their furor to the next victim.

The scenes and sounds exemplifying the horror of the 27-minute long event are repeated in personal interviews, real-time news footage and personal accounts in the presentation "Rachel's Challenge," a one-hour presentation designed to challenge students to commit an act of kindness - "You may just start a chain reaction."

A friend of Scott's older sister, Brandie Orozco, recently gave the presentation to seventh- and eighth-grade students at Fontainebleau Junior High School.

Orozco began by asking, "Who has lost a friend or family member in the past two years?" Almost half the students in attendance raised their hands. Orozco said, "This is dedicated to their memory as well as Rachel's."

The first challenge presented to the students was to look for the best in others - eliminate prejudice. Prejudice involves pre-judging someone. Orozco said we all do this; sometimes it's a matter of meeting someone that reminds you of someone you don't like, so you automatically don't like this person, either.

The second challenge is to dare to dream. Write down your goals clearly. Those who do tend to succeed at accomplishing them. Keep a journal, a reflection of your life.

The third challenge is to choose positive influences for your life. The two gunmen that day had Hitler as their influence. In fact, they carried out their plan on Hitler's birthday. Instead, realize that input determines output. Scott's diary revealed her philosophy that said, "Don't let your character change color with your environment."

The fourth challenge is kind words. Her target was to reach out to the disabled, those new at school, those picked on or put down. Little acts of kindness, treating people the way you want to be treated can make a huge difference.

The presentation ended with Orozco challenging students and adults to think of five people close to you. Then she asked them to talk to these people within in the next three days and tell them how you feel.

"Only kindness matters. Start a chain reaction." This message of Rachel Scott was passed to the students at Fontainebleau Junior High School. They and their parents were invited back to an evening program to focus on Rachel's message of kindness to others.

Students will be asked to sign a banner "Taking Rachel's Challenge." The banner will be displayed at the school.