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STUDENT CONFLICT-SOLVERS EARN A PRIZE OF PEACE
(Portland, OR) 2001 - In the midst of weeks of often bitter budget arguments, Multnomah County commissioners took a peace break Thursday, honoring 37 students with Thousand Cranes awards. The awards, now part of the county Health Department's violence prevention program, recognized the students' efforts to solve disputes peacefully through mediation.
Such programs differ from school to school: Some use teams of peer mediators, others have conflict managers, and some depend on individual efforts. A typical situation might include solving problems caused by gossip, bullying, harassment or threats. Mediation sessions involve student-to-student conflicts as well as situations involving school staff members and teachers. Several of the Franklin students were hired by Resolutions Northwest to work with youth and their families.
The Thousand Cranes awards remember the legend of a Japanese girl, dying of leukemia as the result of the Hiroshima atomic bomb blast in World War II. She was told she might get well again if she folded 1,000 paper origami cranes. She folded 600 before she died, but the story became the symbol of an individual working for peace in the community.
The student recognition program was started several years ago by former Commissioner Sharron Kelley. Students honored Thursday included: Franklin High: Katie Coombs, Karina Ewing, Mary Geisler, Jessica Graham, Tara Jackson, Thomas Ng, ShaLaunda Page, Gabe Piltzer, Erica Poole, Desiree Thomas, Robert Trujillo and Constance Walsh. Roosevelt High: Joel Coupens, Sheena Davidson, Reggie Davis, Jake Dietas, Melissa Haley, Shannon Ham, Arielle Lemrick, Jessica Perkins, Tiffany Schuky, Nicole Stroup and Eva Williams. Cleveland High: Sky Clarke, Reanna Cool, Michelle Delanty, Gena Goodman-Campbell, Jenny Holloman, Rebecca Payne and Danielle Regan. Centennial High: Darrell Burns. Gresham High: Brian Chow, Jeff Keys and Krista Widmer. Reynolds High: Racheal Kasprzak and Heather Ruggles. Sam Barlow High: Jason Letts.
As the students were honored, their outside activities were recited: planting trees, volunteering at an Alzheimer's center, building homes for the poor in Mexico, supporting fund-raising campaigns, representing Native American veterans at special events, assisting at hospitals, and participating in rallies, walks and candlelight vigils. Additionally, many have won scholastic honors and been active in sports. That prompted commissioners to wonder aloud about how the teens find time. Commissioner Lonnie Roberts, who replaced Kelley, volunteered that "we don't have enough exposure to kids like this."
You can reach Bill Stewart at 503-294-7670 or by e-mail at billstewart@news.oregonian.com.
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