On Sept. 29, Antioch Community High School hosted the No Hate Tour, drawing hundreds of students as BMX riders urged classmates to stand up to bullying. The tour combines BMX stunts and motivational messages to encourage students to become more aware and stand up to bullying. Many students were very excited to see what this assembly could bring to different bullying issues at ACHS.
“I was excited to see the tricks they would do,” junior Dominic Garcia said.
The event came at no cost to the school, according to [Activities Director/finance office] on [date]. The tour “plans to reach 250 schools in 50 markets,” according to the nohatetour website.
They use the interesting sport of BMX and real-life stories to connect to the students with a “stop the hate” message. The crew involved in the No Hate Tour reached out to ACHS and asked if we would like to host them, and Activities Director Teri Klobnak, thought it would be a great way to introduce a new type of assembly to the students.
“I thought this was a great opportunity for our students to be able to have a different type of assembly while hearing a valuable message,“ Klobnak said.
The talented riders from the tour displayed their intricate tricks using the gym floor and two ramps. During the finale, local rider Zach Newman cleared three volunteers, including science department chair William Barbanera, as students cheered his name. The crowd of students was going crazy; one student who specifically enjoyed the show was junior Trey Doornbus.
“I thought the experience was very entertaining,” Doornbus said.
Klobnak hopes the tour’s message will live on among students at ACHS to prevent future bullying.
“I hope this fosters a culture of kindness and respect by providing tools and awareness to combat bullying, inspire students to follow their passions and find positive influences, and to promote mental health by sharing relatable experiences and problem-solving techniques from the BMX athletes,” Klobnak said.
Klobnak hopes to find a way to keep this message alive throughout the school and permanently change the way students view bullying.
Hopefully, after an event like this, students can finally find a way to stop bullying, show more kindness and care for each other. If any student sees bullying, they should step up and be the change.
