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MHS launches anti-bullying comics
Marianas High School staff and students pose for a group photo holding their newly published anti-bullying comic books at the MHS campus on Dec. 16. (Michael T. Santos)
Marianas High School took the initiative to address bullying in schools by publishing 500 anti-bullying comic books.
Made possible by a grant from the Northern Mariana Islands Humanities Council, the comic book was inspired by the Comic Book Project, a plan to work with students from MHS to create comic books that address school bullying. All stories were conceptualized, written, and illustrated by members of the MHS Art Club.
Project director Greg Borja said, “The stories in the books addresses several bullying behaviors [that] bullies might not even realize they’re doing. Sometimes a person doesn’t realize a friend is bullying them or that a bully doesn’t realize he or she is a bully. The first step is always awareness and this is what we’re doing today.”
“[The] only way to stop bullying is to have the students do it themselves to stand up and defend one another,” Borja added.
Work is underway to have the comic books distributed in several schools.
MHS principal Cherlyn B. Cabrera said, “I’m so excited whenever our kids get to showcase their skills. With the books, this is very much needed since bullying is always a problem in every school. As kids try to get along and know one another, sometimes acts can be misconstrued as friendly when it’s actually bullying. …To have these messages embedded in story form, that’s just powerful.”
