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Women's basketball players share anti-bullying message to local children

Fresh off picking up their fourth conference win against Providence on Wednesday night, members of the women's basketball team partnered with a local anti-bullying campaign, Be a Friend, Don't Offend,and spoke to middle school students of the Maplewood Middle School on Thursday afternoon.

The day, "Play by the Rules," was an opportunity for some of the team's members to share their "experiences and successes in overcoming bullying to students," according to the group's press release.

"Studies have shown that a strong network of supportive peers helps reduce bullying victimization," Heather Rothwell, coordinator of the event, said in the release. "Students will learn the value of support that a friend can give during a bullying situation through these fun activities."

Be a Friend, Don't Offend is part of a larger national initiative to inform students about how to prevent bullying.

Junior Brittany Webb and freshmen Tabatha Richardson-Smith and Jasmine McCall were all present and spoke to the middle school students participating in the afterschool program, the Maplewood Hub, about the importance of preventing bullying.

"That's not cool at all," Webb said in a pep talk to the students. "A lot of people don't realize how serious bullying is. It's something that can potentially cost someone their life. Is that worth it?"

After the pep talk, Richardson-Smith asked if the boys and girls wanted to "play some games."

Webb, Richardson-Smith and McCall all participated in drills and pick-up games which were designed to give students a chance to learn how to work together.

The goal of the program was to give the students an opportunity to participate in conversation and activities that will "strengthen unity" and teach them how to accept different perspectives

In a huddle after all the activities, Webb closed the event with her final thoughts about preventing bullying.

"I want to see you bring each other up," Webb said. "Embrace each other; pick each other up."

Be A Friend, Don't Offend is a "local advocating team" founded by students studying public relations at Seton Hall University. The team can be found on Twitter @dontoffend and on Facebook.

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T.J. Brennan can be reached at thomas.brennan@student.shu.edu. He can be found on Twitter @BrennansBite.


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