Speaker Provides Message To Area Students, Parents

By Bill Vander Weele

Chris “Shoof” Scheufele provided a positive message regarding how to deal with others during a presentation at Wolf Point High School on Wednesday, Jan. 19. He also gave presentations to students during the day at various schools.

Scheufele mixed humor and information to provide his anti-bullying information. Prior to becoming a youth speaker, he taught music for 10 years.

After one seventh-grade girl approached him about her problems being bullied, Scheufele started to do research how to help students. He explained the word bullying is overused. He said that a student should say exactly what the problem is instead of just saying they are being bullied. For example, say someone is calling me names. As Mr. Rogers said, “If it’s mentionable, it’s manageable.”

Scheufele stressed the importance of helping students become resilient. He said words only have the power that listeners gives them. When issues occur, parents should use these teachable moments to prepare their children to deal with situations throughout their life.

“Let them get some bumps and bruises now and then, and learn how to deal with it next time,” Scheufele said.

He added that people need to learn how to take a joke. Walt Disney said that to laugh at yourself is to love yourself.

Scheufele said types of bullying include saying something mean, doing something mean, telling someone else something mean about you and exclusion.

The process of making the person hurt feel better includes asking the questions how could this be worse, why would this matter in your future and how could this turn out good for you?

Some of the reasons why people pick on others are wanting to make you feel upset, just trying to get laughs and taking their anger/revenge out.